Home and Foreign Parts
Laura, South Australia, March 1913

Home and Foreign Parts.

(By H. Rieck for the “C. and R. Examiner.”)

II.

Laura, S.A., March, 1913.

I also was of opinion that the platform of the Labour Party has some good planks:—Universal brotherhood of working men, peace and welfare of all, &c., &c. But, arriving again in Adelaide, where I stayed 38 years ago, I found that also in these parts these planks are very shaky. Mrs. F. R. and her man found comfortable quarters on North Terrace, Adelaide, where just a nice clean European family moved out. Entering with our trunks we found the mother of this party in tears, and after enquiring we were told that these good people arrived a few months ago from London (England), paid passage, and the husband, being a plaster, painter, &c., was in vain looking for work. He said he had in England 11s per day wages, but hearing very favourable reports from Australia, hoped to improve here. He found that in Adelaide is plenty and well paying work, but he was by the undertakers of buildings, &c., on enquiring informed that “Only Colonials need apply”; everywhere he found a cool reception, even he heard repeatedly the word, for a born Englishman, who paid his passage, very, very bitter, the word: “Dirty Emigrants.” Although we think that the complaint of this gentry, perhaps with too great expectations in bounteous Australia arriving from the Mother Isle, is somewhat unreasonable, as there are here many well paying honest occupations for people who will undergo a little self-denial for the beginning, we nevertheless must state that also we found that the old spirit in the city of Adelaide has somewhat changed, when 38 years ago the inhabitants of this place were then nearly all new arrivals and very amiable, jolly shipmates. These, of course are now all dead or dispersed in all directions of the compass.

We both really enjoyed seeing again our old homes and grieved to miss the kind faces of many old friends in Adelaide. I tried hard to find old shipmates, and in the Zoo I saw a man with a crooked nose and thought this to be my old friend Meyer, who with me and many others in our good sailing ship arrived near Cockatoo Island, and this then on account of our new arrival much agitated then Meyer, begged me to teach him the very necessary English to enable him to ask for work in Adelaide. After often repeated practice he would say:—“I am a German; I am a Jew; I am a tinsmith; my name is Meyer; I want work.” After landing in Port Adelaide of course, we dispersed in all directions, and I visited my old friend Mr. Johann Menkens, who had a general store in Rundle Street. We were soon in lively conversation in a small office joining the store, in front of which hung amongst other articles, several tinware, billycans, basins, pannikins, &c. At once the doorbell rung and, as a customer entered, Mr. Menkens rushed out. It was friend Meyer who arrived, politely smiling, and with his cylinder hat under his arm. Before the astonished Mr. Menkens, with a bow Meyer promptly addressed him: “I am a German; I am a Jew; I am a tinsmith; my name is Meyer; I want work!” Mr. Menkens stood paralized with open mouth till I, not able to resist an outburst of laughter, appeared on the scene and shook hands with Meyer, who, with greatest joy cried: “Ach, sie, sprechen ja auch alle deutsch!” The thankful Meyer was escorted to a neighbourly working tinsmith and got work to mutual satisfaction, till he found more congenial employment in a pawnbroker shop, where he speedily improved his English in the commercial sphere. This was 38 years ago.

The young man, which I, a few weeks ago, addressed in the Adelaide Zoo, had a striking similiarity with my shipmate Meyer. He had the same cockatoo-nose, black beedy eyes, black hair, and friendly face, which made me think, this might be Meyer’s son. I might be on the track of a shipmate and I addressed him politely, but no, this young man was not a Meyer, but an Italian student from Rome, with whom I could have a short conversation in his language. He with some of his countrymen intended studying agriculture in the Adelaide High School. Yes, nowadays all over the Globe all sciences, professions, calls, trades, also in agriculture, the youths study in High Schools and it is almost reasonable, that now, as Italy in the form Turkey conquered Tripolis possesses a large territory of similar character to South Australia, should send her sons (perhaps also daughters) to Adelaide to study the particular style our English and German precedents have by time and trouble under pressure of necessity found out and established as a peculiar standard adapted to countries of this and similar others. Tripolis or Lybia might, in time to come, develop into a new wheat producing land after having been hitherto inhabited by few itinerate hordes of Mohamedan Arabs.

At the time of my first arrival in South Australia I heard dreadful descriptions of the Ninety-mile Desert in the south-east of Adelaide, and now I find that even these apparently for ever barren landscape is beginning to be settled and is said to have born already surprising good wheat crops in the virgin flats where on many places, not very deep, by boring, a supply of good and plentiful water is found. Also a map was shown to my by a mother of a pioneer farmer in the very extensive plains south-west of the Gulf of Carpentaria. These wide Central Australian lands are at present dotted by claims of lands granted by the extreme liberal landlaws of the Commonwealth of Australia to intending settlers under manifold conditions; as grazing permits of many square miles, grazing leases with or without freehold, as annual or special leases, etc., etc. In a letter to his mother, Mrs. Lynch, near Stone Dut, Laura, S.A., the abovenamed pioneer grazier writes favourably regarding quality of land, water and health.

Now also Italy has the task to cultivate her vast conquered, Lybia and Australia has her extensive Northern Territory. Besides arable flats young Australians will find in this enormous territory perhaps also mountains like Broken Hill, of which we saw yesterday heaps of valuable ore in the smelting ovens of the world-celebrated smelting works in Port Pirie. These works afford young Australians sights whereof they can be proud and learn from. On entering the main gate of this enormous establishment, a porter will lead you to the office, where you will be treated with civility and get a permit, wherewith you can, at your own choice, wander about and see sights, which you will not forget while you live. There you can see how lead, zinc, silver, etc., is boiled out of the Broken Hill works and cast into valuable ingots, stored in long high rows, and sent into the world, together with the many mountains of bags of wheat, bales of wool, earned from the plains of this blessed land, which products are transported in daily running long railway trains towards steamers of all nations of the Globe to Adelaide, Port Pirie and other ports.

When, in the year 1875, I went from Port Pirie to Adelaide, there were, besides few public houses, along one row a few private houses, and in a distance a small railway station, from where then only one train, early in the morning started for Adelaide. I at that time journeyed together with another passenger, a Greek fisherman, who delivered into the goods van many bags, baskets, crates, etc., full of fishes, which he delivered along the line to the stations. He owned, as he told me, a jolly boat called “Agamamnon” and some nets, and he assured me that he never before caught so many fishes and never got so high prices as here. This was 38 years ago; now is Port Pirie a splendid modern seaport, full of steamers, sailing vessels and a large number of fishing boats.

We, wife and I, visited also the places near the township of Wimabarra, where the Government of this State is endeavouring to introduce—in imitation of the scientific forestry on the European Continent—in the dry windy and dusty hilly districts of this territory the growing of forest trees. We saw fine results in pine plantations of a kind which has decorative and also commercial value; but, as I am by good authority informed, the values created may not be in a favourable proportion to the enormous expenses. All voices praise the good intention and scientific plans; but it is said, the executive elements to be too expensive, overbearing, rude and lacking diligence.

I subscribe the often in well informed forestry quarters expressed opinion, that lands on top of hills, or on such grades of slopes of torrains above a certain degree should by law strictly forbidden to be cultivated by plough, spade, etc., but only used as grass land or forest, as such steep slopes or hilltops will, by the action of rain and wind, in the run of years be denuded of soil and only rock or barren gravel will remain. All trees on hilltops and steep slopes should by punishment be forbidden to fall or ringbark. On this point reasonable forestry ought to fix their attention.