Mr. Evatt’s Ducks Eat
p. 34 · Read in the full issue
No Rice
Mr. Evatt’s Ducks Eat Australia’s Share
WILD ducks have eaten the 20,00 C tons of rice that Australians would normally consume this year; the surviving 40,000 tons of this year’s crop will go to fill overseas commitments—to feed labour-lines and other rice eaters in Papua-New/ Guinea, New Hebrides, Borneo and even Saudi Arabia, Australia’s own 15,000 Chinese will also be provided for.
Australians can thank Mr. Clive Evatt for their riceless diet this year.
As NSW Chief Secretary, the in credible Mr. Evatt protected all manner of flora and fauna—including bandicoots (which bulldoze suburban and urban gardens, are hosts toe bush-ticks which kill off thousands of dogs and cats each summer and apparently serve no useful purpose), and wild ducks.
Ducks swarmed in the rice-growing Riverina irrigation area where alll Australia’s rice grows, and growers had to sit idly by while they gobbled up the young rice plants. Dry, weather ganged-up with Mr. Evatt inr depriving Aussies of their rice issues —driven out of their usual summer haunts the ducks went where waten still existed.
So far, there has been no ban onf the export of rice from Australia* by those designers of foreign policy\ —the Sydney wharf labourers. But: one irate housewife, writing to the; SMH, has demanded to know why: the 15,000 Chinese in the Common wealth should be so privileged. She; pointed out, with truth, that she; could not see a small minority of 3 Europeans living in China preferential treatment for scarce; foodstuffs and reminded Authority l , that when Sydney had its frequent} potato famines, the populace did without or ate bread, spaghetti,, sweet-potato or some other starch* substitute. Why then had thee Chinese to be pampered with ai special rice issue?
Rice has now disappeared from / the shelves of Australian grocers” shops and will not be seen again fori many a moon.
It it interesting to note that the; price the Australian rice growen receives is now £25 per ton for un milled rice. On the beach in P-NG i milled rice is approximately £lOO < per ton. These figures should be alll the argument necessary for increased I rice-growing activity in the Territory..