old news, no seriously.

[certainthings]

I was dusting and going through books and I forgot that one of them had a bunch of old newspaper clippings in them. (if I ever lose them, I'm going to be so mad at myself) And there was this article in one of them.

What Population Can Australia Carry?

What population can Australia carry?

A South Australian authority puts the figure at 20,000,000, but a Melbourne professor goes to 40,000,000 and even 60,000,000 if there is careful agriculture planning.

Both agree that the great central area of Australia can never become fertile like the heart of the United States. It is too dry.

"It is not like the deserts of Arizona, U.S.A., with snow mountains melting just when they are wanted. Australia is the flattest, hottest and the driest continent in the world," says the South Australian.

"Something might suddenly occur by means of which, say, tabloid food could be prepared to serve to people living round Lake Eyre, but the idea that science could suddenly discover something is only a gamble and can not be made the basis of a discussion.

"I think we have done very well to get seven million here to date."

I'm not sure when the article was written, a story on the reverse of the paper starts with, "On September 3, 1939 ..." The latest date on the other newspaper clippings is 1946. So somewhere between 1939 and 1946.

According to this page the population of Australia is 20,600,856.

So is "South Australian" saying things like, "In your FACE!" and "*points to Melbourne Professor* Loser.  *points to self* Winner."?

:p