Chapter 151: Agriculture and Animal Husbandry
"Our technical school is not like the National University. It's a smaller institution that focuses on technical training. At present, our technical school has over a thousand students. The main areas of training are senior steelworkers, senior railway workers, physician assistants, and basic education teachers. The training period for these individuals ranges from one to three years, and after graduation, they can become outstanding professionals in their respective fields," Minister of Education Richard said with a smile.
The purpose of establishing the technical school was to cultivate skilled personnel with practical abilities for various industries in Australia. This is also why the technical school currently only offers three majors: workers, doctors, and teachers.
At present, Australia still lacks technically skilled professionals in education, healthcare, and industry—especially those who can become pillars in their fields with a certain level of competence.
Although factories, schools, and hospitals also have their own training programs, these workers, who are put on the job after only basic training, can only handle simple tasks. They are still far from becoming the backbone of their respective sectors.
"Very good. The technical school can be expanded. The number of students can be increased to several thousand or even over ten thousand. At the same time, quotas can be distributed to factories, hospitals, and schools, allowing them to send employees for training at a certain cost," Arthur nodded and said.
Technical schools are different from the Australian National University. University-level education requires much more caution in enrollment, so the number of students is intentionally kept low.
Even today, the Australian National University admits only around 600 students per year.
Technical schools are different. Their goal is solely to train capable individuals for various industries across Australia. In both training speed and efficiency, they far surpass universities.
Of course, the comprehensive ability of graduates from technical schools cannot compare to that of university students. They only possess an edge and skills in one particular field.
But that is exactly what Australia needs at this stage—people with strong capabilities in one area to fill in the gaps of urgently needed skilled labor.
After the report from the Ministry of Education was concluded, it was time for the Ministry of Finance to present its report.
Just like the rapid development of industry and other sectors, Australia's economy also experienced remarkable growth in 1902.
In 1901, the total fiscal revenue of Australia was about £4.3 million. This figure saw significant growth in 1902, reaching £7.3 million.
This was due to the recovery of Australia's economy, which also led to the rise of many individual entrepreneurs, small farmers, and factory owners.
Although these small businesses and factories were not large in scale, there were already thousands of them across Australia.
The accumulated annual income generated from them was quite impressive. Additionally, per capita income increased due to various infrastructure projects, so it was no surprise that the economy grew rapidly.
However, Australia's total fiscal expenditure remained astonishingly high. By the end of 1902, the country's total fiscal expenditure for the year had reached approximately £14.3 million—an increase of more than £1 million compared to the previous year.
The fiscal deficit reached £7 million, almost as much as the entire annual revenue of Australia.
But this was largely due to major infrastructure projects under construction. Without these massive expenses, Australia could actually have a surplus, potentially as high as £2 to £3 million.
Despite spending over £10 million annually, the Australian Ministry of Finance still had over £140 million in available funds—enough to support the current development plan for decades.
By the end of 1902, Australia's per capita annual income had already reached £12. In key development zones like the industrial areas, the figure had reached £15.
Compared to when the Principality of Australia was first established, the per capita income of Australians had grown significantly, and people now had some disposable income for the first time.
The rise in income was not solely due to industrial development but also to agricultural expansion.
Before the introduction of the Aboriginal workforce, land development in Australia progressed very slowly. Most of the land allocated to immigrants was uncultivated wasteland, and very little of it could actually be used for farming.
As a result, many immigrants, although they technically owned large plots of land, could not live off farming and had to seek other jobs to survive.
This to some extent also hindered the development of Australia's agriculture. If it weren't for the highly developed livestock industry, Australia might not even be self-sufficient in food.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture's report, in the year 1902 alone, Australia's available arable land increased by nearly 40%.
Grain production in 1902 reached nearly 4 million tons, which could meet the annual food needs of 13 million people.
However, Australia's population was just over 4 million, meaning the country had a massive surplus of grain available for export.
Not only did arable land increase, but Australia's livestock regions also expanded rapidly.
As a livestock powerhouse, Australia already had over 100 million sheep in 1901. That number has since increased by more than 10%.
Such a huge number of livestock has made Australia's livestock industry extremely advanced. The country produces massive amounts of wool, sheep milk, cow milk, meat products, and more every year.
Only a small portion of these livestock products are consumed domestically in Australia; the majority are exported to neighboring countries and even Europe.
Among these, the British Empire imports the most livestock products. Currently, Australia is the most reliable supplier of meat and livestock products for the British Empire—a position previously held by New Zealand.
Due to the highly developed livestock industry, meat products in Australia are very affordable. Even ordinary workers and civilians can afford to eat meat every few days.
As for university students and other skilled professionals, who are highly valued by Arthur, their situation is even better—meat is a part of every meal, and university students are even provided with a daily glass of milk.
While the growth of agriculture is certainly encouraging, the progress in transportation infrastructure is equally exciting.
Since the eastern section of the industrial railway was opened in February 1902, Australia's economy and inter-state communication have become more efficient thanks to this rail line.
Although as of now the railway's operational coverage is still small—only connecting the industrial zones of Western Australia and South Australia, along with the capital cities of Sydney and Melbourne—these completed rail lines have already become a vital force driving Australia's economic development. They have also brought the states of Australia closer together through enhanced economic and cultural exchanges.
(End of Chapter)
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