The Press. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1890.

Press, Volume XLVII, Issue 7747, 30 December 1890, Page 4

The Press. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1890.

Thkee are probably few epots on the earth's eur&ce that more readily lend theiftselves to echemes of irrigation than the Canterbury Plains. Extending from Waipara in the North to Tiinaru in the south, a distance of about 150 miles, the plains are intersected at right angles by five large rivers and by numerous other streams, and the fall of the plains from the foot of the hills to the sea is sufficiently rapid to enable water to be conveyed by gravitation to almost every acre that would be benefited by it. It has been amply demonstrated that the water can be conveyed in open channels in almost every direction without any considerable loss by percolation. The evidence of Messrs. Jjobsok and Cttthbebt, given in late lavr suits, was very clear on this head. It has been found that the channels and races cut on the plains soon puddle them|el/e§, and whit loss of,water there is is chiefly owing to capillary i attraction and evaporation. This fact renders their construction uncostly and their maintenance inconsiderable, whilst the fact that the supply of water for irrigating acts by gravitation, thus avoiding all pumping and [if ting machinery, is an enormbus gain in every way. Were large areas of the plains " unduly and continually flooded by irrigation, doubtless the low-lying, lands near tfce coast would become water-logged; but there is no: aecessifcy for this. No more water aeed be applied to the land than will 36 absorbed by plant-life-and taken jp by evaporation. In dry seasons like the present

iri-igation would be.of incalculable value, while in all seasons there are large areas of whafc are called light ! lands, that would be enormously ' benefited by occasionally ftushing with: water. £»rge areas of land in Calx- 1 foruia were until quite recently con- ! sidered worthless for anything else- ' than to supply a scant herbage for ,1 these districts have by i irrigation been traneformed into fruit- i ful fields and smiling, gardens. Tbb i yield is in some cases enormoiis, pro- < ducing in great abundance" probably: j variety of the froiti»iof the! ( earth than plpaoßb anj'other country. £ has been done in California 1 ■> could bo' done here. We have a t climate similar in most, respects.! c What we need is more shelter afforded t by belts of , trees ftoin- north-west wipds, aod a, plentiful supply <jfj c water. Given these, and thei Canter-' would .undergo such a> 8 transformation as to be hardly reco^- , nißkble. 1 • . ■>■ °.| £

: One of the first steps* yre imagine to bring about the desired woulct'Tbe the division of the coiiiitr intia its! natiiral irrigation areas; tha is to s&ji areae most ecoaQoniieallj ■served ..by one or more risers o: ; streams, and for the persons in ; terested to constitute themselves inti Boards. Probably some of the exist ing machinery in connection witl ■water-raciQß could be expatidfed in& bodies with more extended function* and . 'larger , powers. The * surveys and estimates would not be expensive. The chief difficulty and expense in construction would probably be in the head works and the main channels. Once the water, ie fairly brought on to the Plains, its aub'-division by minor channels is mainly an affair of ploughs' and scoops. There is probably no more profitable use to which capital could be applied .than in these irrigation works. Ii would be too much to expect" complete schemes to be Initiated ab~ once. A beginning might, however, be at once made, and at no more favorable time than the present, when farmers are smarting underthe failure of so many of their crops in all directions. • It is not too much to affirm that, so far as Canterbury is concerned, irrigation should be the question of the day. It is said that v man makes tvtfo blades of grass grow where one grew before is a benefactor of his species. Thosepersons who seem ±o think that putting two laws on. the Statute Book where only one existed before is the best way to increase production are sadly mistaken, and it is a pity they ■cannot devote' their energies to more I profitable work, and. learn that ia-1

Peasant alteration is not necessarily progress. True progress will b© found in increasing the production and in finding ample employ for all Trilling to work This will be best secured by encouraging the investment, of capital and the furthering of enterprises. To secoie these people most be to feel all reasonable confidence that the country knows its own mind, and that it will deal justly and equitably with all. Wiibont these we may say goodbye to all enterprise, and must be conteat with a hand-to-mouth and timid.policy all round. Ax tie last meeting of the Hospital Beard Axeselntion was carried* "That a book he kept, to be called the pttfifflttW remavk book; that' all patiftttia before leaving the Hospital sh&Q be ioiemevgd by one or mate of the: Hospital Committee, or by the Secretary, to ascertain if the patient has any complaint or remark to make, if so t» be dnly entered Into the abore-meoiioned book and certified by tiie member of Committee or Secretary. ,, At first eight this might be' looked oa as quite a reasonable and

proper arrangement, ami one which mould, be in. the best interests of aQ conektned. A little however, should satisfy any one that it would in reality be a most uneatiafactorv v*y of conducting business. By ail means 'ther» be » remark book- bufc let it kept

in * publio place and not in Steward'soffice*.,.. Xst there be a remark book placed on the table of each ward, and open to the patients and their friends. If a patient wishes to make a complaint, let him write it in that book and eign it in the ward before the other patients and nurse. The book could then be brought at once to the Resident Surgeon, who would then bring it before, the. Committee at it« nest meeting. In ibis way every opportunity would be at once afforded of arriving at the truth or falsehood of any charge laid against an official of the Hospital. The plan agreed upon by the Hospital Board ia open to several serioua objections. If the charges by the patients are only to be made after the patients have left the wards and are m the Secretary's office, that official will be placed in an exceedingly difficult position. It would always be' open to be " urged against him that he had taken an unfair advantage over the other members of the staff, and that during these private interviews he had courted complaints from patients against the servants of the Board other than himself in his capacity of House Steward. It is clear that as House Steward the Secretary is open to have complaints laid against himself equally with any other member of the staff. In these circumstances, he must be placed iv a very false position if he is to be made the officer through whom complaints are to reach the Board. On the other hand, the system is most unfair to, the Hospital officials, who would not have the same opportunity as the House Steward of making explanations on the spot and of probably satisfying the patient that his accusations were unfounded. For these reasons—in the interest of the staff generally and the Secretary particularly—we trust that the Hospital Board will see the propriety of adopting our suggestion of placing a remark book in each ward and allowing it to be dealt with in the presence of those concerned.