Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 02.djvu/320

AUSTRALIA. most numerous, each exceeding 40,000. There are in the Connnonwealth only about 9,000 persons born in the United States. The Chinese are de- creasing in numbers, the State laws now almost prohibiting their immigration : there are heavy fees exacted from landing immigrants, and ships are limited in the number they may bring — the number varying with the amount of the cargo. It has been found that the whites cannot so well endure the heat of Queensland in the cultivation of sugar cane as can the blacks, and this has led to the importation of Kanakas from the South Sea Islands.

Religion. In the first days of Australian set- tlement the Church of England was the only church recognized and aided by the Government. Later, State aid was extended to the Catholics, Presbyterians, and Wesleyans, and offered to certain other denominations, who refused to ac- cept it. The opposition to State assistance final- ly became general, and such aid has been discon- tinued, Western Australia being the last State to abandon the old system (1805). The Epis- copal Church, which greatly outranks the others in all the States, has six dioceses in New South Wales, two each in Queensland and Victoria, and one each in South Australia. Tasmania, and Western Australia. While Episcopalian auton- oni}' is preserved in each State, the States have a common constitution, and every five years their representatives meet in a general synod. The following table shows the relative strength of the diflerent denominations in the States on the basis of the census of 1891. Aside from the growth of the Salvation Army, the relative im- portance of the difl'erent denominations has re- mained about the same. The percentages in the table represent proportions to the total popula- tion.

New South Wales 44.8 25.5 9.7 9.8 2.1 1.2 6.9 35.2!21.8 36.2123.6 14.7 11 fi 13. U 7,8 1.9 2.9 2.5 2.6 111.9 ifi.n South .Australia 27.9 14.7 6.7 19.0 3.7 6.5 23.5 Western Australia 49.7 2.1. J 4.11 9.2 3.2 II. H 8.0 49.9 17.6 6.6 11.7 3.1 2.2 8.9

Education. In the early days of the States, education was provided for by State-aided re- ligions, by organizations of various denomina- tions, and by tuition fees exacted from the pupils. In time education was made secular and free. In New South Wales and Tasmania nominal fees are still charged, yet not required in cases of inability to pay. Religious instruc- tion is also still provided for, but only outside of regular school hours. It is given by a clergyman instead of by regular teachers, and is subject to the desire of the parents. Education is com- pulsory in all of the States; yet strict enforce- ment of the compulsory feature is only at- tempted in Victoria, and in a few of the larger towns elsewhere. On the contrary, non-attend- ance or irregularity of attendance is grievously common in most localities. . high rate of il- literacy is the result. Statistics show, however, a decided recent improvement. In 1861, ISIS peojjle out of every 10,000 of the population (including New Zealand) over five years of age could not read. In 1801 the number fell to 803 in every 10,000. This illiteracy is partly due tO' the adverse conditions always met with in the' early days of a new country. In 1809 there were 634,000 children enrolled in the State schools, compared with 149.000 in the private schools. Secondary education is generally in the hands- of private or denominational interests. There are State high schools in New South Wales (fees- being charged), while in Victoria teachers of the ordinary grades are allowed fees for teach- ing extra subjects. Technical instruction is given at the capital cities, and is extending t» other points, a decided interest being manifested in it. Universities, partly supported by the State, are located at Sydney, ilelbourne, Ade- laide, and Tasmania.

State Activity and Social Conditions, Especial interest attaches to Australia because of the wide scope of its State activities. In this respect Australia excels the older countries of the world, a number of its governmental ventures not having been elsewhere attempted, being gen- erally held to be without the proper province of the State. It is, therefore, being closely watched, and the results attained are destined to have a far-reaching influence. The most im- portant of the.se activities have been mentioned under the different headings, and they compre- hend the construction, ownership, and control of railways and tramways; the construction and maintenance of highways; the surveying of all country roads (and, in Victoria, the maintenivnce of the same) ; the ownership and control of telegraph and telephone lines as a part of the postal system; Government savings banks; irri- gation, including the boring of numerous artesian wells; supplying watering-places for cattle, and water to mines; assisting agriculture by grant- ing reduced freight rates on Government rail- ways in the transportation of seeds and imple- ments, or of cattle in time of drought ; appro- priating large sums for the furthering of agri- culture in various other ways, such as the ex- termination of injurious animals and insects. (For the extermination of rabbits alone, which at one time became a veritable scourge to the coun- try, the State governments have expended more than $10,000,000.)

The States have also advanced loans to farm- ers, and granted bounties to producers of but- ter and cheese, and to fruit growers, etc. The paying of bounties is not limited to agriculture. They are liberally resorted to in all cases where it is believed that a new industry or a useful departure miiy be thus established. South Aus- tralia manufactures wine, and also runs a cy- anide plant. New South Wales, finding her wine industry greally injured by lack of proper cold storage facilities, erected a Government store- house. Tasmania exports timber blocks. The policy of substituting the leasehold for the free- hold system of land tenure is being adopted. Old-age pension systems are in force in Victoria <T.nd New South Wales. The nuinicipal activities have Ijeen very limited compared with those of the States.

The social order which prevails in Australia much resembles that of the United States. No titled aristocracy or hereditary class distinctions