The technical schools, colleges and universi ties afford ample facilities for higher educa tion. The Australian universities stand high in the educational world. By bequests, endow ments and grants of land they have been en abled to provide splendid buildings and appli ances, and to procure able and learned pro fessors. The degrees conferred are recognized and respected in other lands. No one need leave Australia to become well versed in music, med icine, literature, law or science. The technical schools have been especially valuable from a mining point of view, and many of those who have received their instruction there are now holding important positions on mining fields in Australia and other countries. Nearly 1,300 public libraries with 2,000,000 volumes of valu able literature are a great help to those who have passed on beyond school life. In all the principal cities there are public museums and art galleries, which are largely patronized, and have an elevating and refining influence. See article EDUCATION.
Religious Instruction.— The secular and non-sectari nature of the public schools does not imply that the religious instruction of the people is neglected. Churches of every known denomination are well supported. Sunday schools, Christian endeavor societies and young men's and young women's Christian Associa tions are well attended, and all doing good work, while the Salvation Army has its branches stretching over every part of the land, and is to be commended for its tireless endeavors to re claim the drunkard, lift up the oppressed and to bring back to the paths of virtue and truth those who have strayed or fallen by the way side. Temperance organizations of various kinds have many members, and are a powerful factor in preserving the better, simpler and purer life of the community. See AUSTRALIA - RELIGION.
Government Institutions.— The govern ments of the different states look after the poor, the sick and the afflicted. They have destitute homes where the aged are properly housed, fed and cared for. They have hospitals for the sick, where those who cannot afford to pay are nursed and attended equally with those who can. Asylums for the insane, sanatoriums for the consumptive, and homes for incurables and schools for the blind, deaf and dumb are either supported or subsidized by the govern ments. Genuine workingmen, if unable to ob tain employment, are allowed to do certain work to pay for the food which is provided for them and their families. Such relief, is of a temporary character until more permanent em ployment is secured.
Benefit societies and insurance companies have been established in every state, and num ben their members by many thousands. These
have a marked effect in encouraging provident habits, and, with the temperance societies, are valuable aids in teaching frugality and modera tion, which are notable characteristics in the Australians.
Old-age pensions were formerly provided by some of the states, but a system of old-age pensions is now the law for the whole Common wealth.
Outdoor Life.— For those who are fond of an outdoor life Australia is an ideal coun try. The climate is such that one can practically spend the whole year in the open air. The ad vantages of fresh air have been wisely con sidered by those who had to do with laying out cities and towns, as well as those connected with the government of the country. Wide streets, squares and parks are to be found in and adjacent to all the cities, while large tracts of land have been reserved as national parks within a few miles of the centres of population.
This affords every opportunity for outdoor sport of all kinds. Rowing, football, cricket, lacrosse, golf, baseball and almost all other out side games have numerous patrons. In fact, games and sport are carried on so extensively that tourists have criticized Australians for in dulging so much in them. Numerous holidays, reasonable hours for work, and long, fine days offer every inducement. Australians are de cidedly a sport-loving people. The Melbourne Cup is one of the world's greatest racing events and the Flemington grounds with their commodious stands and extensive lawns are unsurpassed in any part of the world. The roads are so well made that motoring and cycling are greatly indulged in. Many resi dents own motors, and during the last few years money has become so plentiful that vehicles for pleasure have been purchased in large numbers.
Wealth of the People.— It is not generally known that the Australians are the richest people in the world, except the residents of England, and a good many of these draw their incomes from Australian investments. Dur ing the year (1914) Australia exported produce of a greater value than ever before. The dis tribution of wealth is more general than in most other parts of the world. Over 30 per cent of the adult population are possessors of property, while in England only about 12 per cent of the adult population enjoy that privi lege. There are 2,108,000 depositors in the sav ings bank, being over 40 per cent of the entire ..illation. and they have to their credit over 11,000,000, an average of about $200 for each depositor.