IRRIGATION CONFERENCE.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10060, 11 June 1898, Page 4

IRRIGATION CONFERENCE.

The Conference on irrigation promoted by the Canterbury A. and P. Association was held at the rooms at 11 a.m. yesterday. yir W. Beece presided. Present—Mesa's C. J. Harper, J. Brown, and Lambie, Ashburton County Council; J. G. Murray and K. Westenra, Selwyn County Council; M. DLcon and G. 1 , . Williams, Waimakarm and Ashley Water Supply; G. T. Booth and A. KaVc, Canterbury Chamber ot Commerce ; W." lieece, W. i\ M. Buckley, Sir John Hall, Canterbury A. and P. Association; H. F. Gray, Northern A. and P. Association; J. N. Furze, Ellesmere; K. Reid, Courtenay. Apologies were received for the absence of Mr J. Talbot, Geraldine, ant) Mr A. McGregor, Norwood. The Commitee appointed by the Conference of Delegates ot Local Bodies in Canterbury ou this subject of irrigation, reported as follows: — I. Amended Legislation—As instructed by the Conference, the Committee have carefully considered alterations in existing legislation, which appears to be necessary to facilitate the construction of irrigation works. The Committee are of opinion that the Water Supply Act, 1891, and its several amendments, tnough having for their primary object the securing of a supply of water for stock, are generally well adapted to providing for the important work ot irrigation, and do not require much alteration. The most important amendments wliich appeal- to be necessary, are as follows — (a) That when it is proposed to form any area into a water supply or irrigation district, there should be granted to persons, whose lands are proposed to be included, the same right ot appeal against inclusion of their land by the special order of the Council, as is now given against the construction of works for the purpose of a water-race, (b) That the length of the notice of the poll for a proposed loan, be reduced from six weeks to one month, (c) That the majority required for the adoption of a loan, be the majority in number of valid votes recorded at the poll, representing not less than three-fifths of the rateable value of the property within the proposed irrigation district, (d) That in the event of a dispute between the local governing bodies or adjoining districts as to the use of the water of any stream or river, the question be decided by arbitration; the appointment of arbitrators to be provided by law. (c) That as doubt is said to exist as to the powers of County Councils to make a charge for the maintenance and repair of water-races, such power be made clear. The Committee suggest that County Councils should not undertake, in the first instance, "the irrigation of more than 25 per cent, of their respective counties.

ll.—Loans—At present the colonial Government are enabled, by the "Loans to Local Bodies Acts," to advance not exceeding £6000 in any one year to any local governing body. While this sum would probably be sufficient for roads or bridges for which the provision was doubtless intended, it would, in most cases, be quite sufficient for any considerable irrigation, works. The Committee recommend that Legislative authority should be obtained for advance, not exceeding £50,000, to a county for any specified irrigation works, at the actual co3t of the money to the Government—plus a sinking fund of one per cent. Due security should be given to the Government, as in the case of loans now granted by it, for the payment of interest and sinking fund by virtue of a "special rate." The Committee are of opinion that if this were done, it would not be necessary for the Government to pass judgment on the engineering features of the proposed works. lll.—Government Subsidies—The Committee submit that in view of the fact that irrigation works on a large scale would unavoidably be, to a certain extent, in the nature of an experiment, the trial of which must be of great value to the whole agricultural interest throughout the colony, while attended with considerable risk to those by works are undertaken, encouragement such as would be afforded by a Government subsidy of £1 for £1 towards tha cost, may fairly be asked on behalf of such works. This would only be placing the agricultural interest on the same footing as several other valuable producing indnstries to whom liberal Government assistance has been afforded. The Government would, to a extent, foe reimbursed for any such outlay by the largely increased railway traffic which would follow on a very considerable development of agricultural production. . TV. —Expert Advice—The Committee have no doubt that competent engineering skill is available within the colony for the construction of the larger works required for obtaining water supplies necessary for irrigation ; but as tb the manner in which and the times at which the water can most advantageously used, they submit that expert advice from countries where irrigation has actually been in operation would be very desirable. The services of a person duly qualified to give such advice, as well as to furnish, farmers with practical information on the results of judicious irrigation in the Australian Colonies or California, could with great advantage be secured by the Government. No doubt individual instances of the successful employment- of irrigation on a small scale are known in Canterbury, but before farmers undertake the responsibility involved in the construction of works of considerable cost, they will doubtless require more ample information as to probable results than has yet been furnished to them. V.—Deputation to the Premier—The Committee availed themselves of the Premier's recent visit to Christchurch to bring under his notice the important questions which were considered by the Conference, and to urpe upon him the necessity for encouragement and assistance being extended to the construction of irrigation works. The interview was fully reported in the public press. Mr Seddon expressed himself generally very favourable to the proposed undertaking. The Committee submit it will be very "desirable to keep the subject prominently before the Government, and that this can be done most effectually by the several local bodies in Canterbury which were represented at the Conference. They suggest that these bodies should be communicated with accordingly. The report was taken as read, and then considered seriatim. On sub-clause (a) the committee recommended the addition of the words "but that such appeal shall be only to the Supreme Court or a District Court," which Sir John Hall moved. He said if the appeal lay to the Supreme or the District Courts the question would be justly dealt with. As to the grounds of appeal there would no doubt be several. Mr Brown was of opinion that the clause would stop irrigation. Mr Harper said the object of the committee was to allow those who were hostile to a district being formed going to the vote. An appeal of this sort was a proper thing to give. Irrigation was mostly for small areas, and it was to enable small men to practice it as a model to the larger ones. Mr Williams pointed out that there was some confusion between the irrigating area and the district. The Act would not allow races to be cut through excluded districts, and, therefore, extreme areas might be cat off from irrigation, because there might be an intervening closed area. The object, he believed, was that those who did not wish to pay should be excluded from the heavy cost which would be incurred by irrigation. He suggested that the whole county should be declared a district, and a rating area should be specified. Sir John Hall pointed out that Mr Williams practically proposed that the minority should not be rated. That was different from the principle on which the committee were acting. The result of Mr Williams' proposal would be that many people would be found who while not wanting irrigation, would offer no objection to the water going through their land. Mr Lambie thought the provision a proper one. Mr Buckley asked if a man by simply appealing could be excluded ? Sir John Hall said the Court would consider the whole case and decide one way or the other. At present a man had no appeal, and he could be included by the County Council without appeal. Mr Buckley said that under the water race system those who did not want it had not to pay. Mr Dixon said that under a poll, if carried, all persons , land had to pay; and he considered that the principle was a wrong one to apply in this case. The chairman said the clause made the position easier than at present. Mr Buckley said that they wanted to know where the amelioration came on,

Sir John Hall thought the Supreme Court would take an equitable view of the case. Mr Dixon pointed out that other clauses mitigated a chance of appeal. Mr Westenra eaid that the appeals suggested would be expensive. He favoured an Arbitration Cou.rt as very much less costly. The appeal should not be made so expensive as to be a deterrent. Mr Reid supported the proposal that a man should not be included who did not wish to be. Mr R. Westenra moved a3 an addition to the amendment, "or Court of Arbitration at the choice of the party appealing." Mr Lanibie seconded this addition. The additions, were agreed to. Mr G. P. Williams moved as an amendment to the motion as it stood—" But that no lands be included in an irrigation rating area except without the consent of the land owners." Mr Dixon seconded the amendment pro forma. Mr Harper was not prepared to go as far as Mr WiUiam3 suggested. He would have a man object altogether to irrigation on all his land or he must accept it. Under the proposal for the Court of Arbitration he thought the position would be satisfactory. The amendment was lost, and the motion, as amended by Sir John Hall and Mr Westenra, was carried. On sub-clause B, Mr Harper moved, in substitution, the the following motion, drafted for the Chairman of the Ashburton County Council by the solicitor to the Council :—" That in the opinion of this Conference the provisions of the Water Supply Act of 1891, relating to the constitution of water race districts and the taking of polls of ratepayers in respect to the raiding of special loans for water supply purposes and the proceedings in these matters unnecessarily protracted, and that such proviaions sboula be altered as follows:—To limit the time during which plans of a proposed water race must be open for public inspection for fourteen days, and the period to elapse between the adoption of any resolution making a special order for creating a new, or altering the boundaries of an existing water race district, or subdividing any district, and the confirmation of such special order, to fourteen days ; to empower the Council when making a epecial order creating a new or enlarging an existing district by the same order to divide the new or enlarged district into subdivisions and to enable a poll of ratepayers to be taken in respect of any proposed loan upon the Council giving one month's notice of its intention to take the poll." He pointed out that under the present Act a great deal of time was wasted in having to undo what had been done, but the proposal would obviate that difficulty. Mr Wright would go further, by carrying out this without preliminary meetings of the ratepayers, to which he could not agree. Mr M. Dixon seconded the motion. Sir John Hall wished such an important motion had been sooner before them. The amendment, to sub-clause B, was carried. On sub. clause C, Mr Harper urged that they wanted to get over the difficulty, which was occasioned by ratepapers not going to the poll. Mr Browne .was oi opinion that it was a mistake to go on the rateable value, and moved that "acreage" be substituted for "rating value." . The amendment was seconded pro forma. Mr Buckley proposed the clause as it stood before. Mr Harper was afraid the Conference could not entertain such a proposal. Sir John Hall and Mr Dixon said it would suit them, but they did not think it was reasonable. Mr Buckley pointed out that a man with 100 acres at £1 per acre would want more water than a man with 100 acres at £10 per acre. Mr Dixon said no poll could be carried where there was a big proportion of poor country if the " acreage " were adopted. Mr Williams wae of opinion that these coercive measures put people off irrigation. *It was a very expensive thing. .

Mr Brown eventually withdrew his amendment. The clause was carried as sent down. Sub-clause D was carried without discussion. Sub-clause E was carried. Upon paragraph 11., loans, .Mr Harper moved in substitution —" That in order to define more precisely- the Council's power to borrow for water supply purposes by way of special loan, • The Water .Supply Act, 1891,' should bo amended as follows :—The second paragraph of sub-sec. 1 of sec. 31 of 'The Water Supply Act, 1891/ is hereby repealed, and the following shall be read in lieu thereof—the aggregate amount of loans to be raised for such purposes respectively ahall not exceed in any district or sub-division a sum of equal to one-half the value of fee-simple of all land in the district or sub-division as appearing in the valuation roll for the time being in force, bnt the Council may raise loans for the said purposes to the foregoing amount, notwithstanding that by so doing it shall exceed the limit placed upon its power to borrow by way of special loans by the 192 nd section of the Counties Act, 1886." Sir John Hall said it would be a pity to substitute the proposal for the clause. It would have been better to include it and not wire out the reasons the Conference gave in that clause. Paragraph IT. was carried after Mr Harper had agreed to make his a separate motion. Mr Lambie seconded the motion, which was carried. Upon paragraph 111., subsidies, between the words " considerable " and "risk" the word "pecuniary" was inserted and the paragraph was adopted. Paragraph IV., Expert Advice, was altered by the excision of the last thirtytwo words and the following substituted : — but—" it is desirable that full and authentic information should be supplied as to the results which have been obtained elsewhere and are likely to follow in New Zealand. That the Government be respectfully requested to take the necessary steps for this purpose." The paragraph was then adopted. On paragraph V., "Deputation to the Premier," Sir John Hall moved, in lieu thereof—"That while this Conference has learnt with much satisfaction the favourable manner in which the Premier received the representations addressed to him on behalf of the Conference, it appears desirable that the subject should be kept prominently under the notice of the Government ; that with this view the several local bodies represented at this conference be requested to press upon the Government the necessity for every encouragement being given to undertakings which are of such pressing importance as irrigation to a large proportion of this provincial district." Mr Harper seconded the motion, which was carried. On the motion of Sir John Hall, seconded by Mr Dixon, it was resolved —" That a copy of the proceedings of this Conference be forwarded to the various local bodies and to the members of Parliament representing the Canterbury provincial district, with a respectful request that they will support the proposed amendments, and also the claim of the district for assistance towards the construction of proposed irrigation works." Un the motion of Sir John Hall, seconded by Mr Lambie, it was resolved—" That the committee already appointed be requested to have the necessary amendments to the Water Supply Acts prepared with a view to their introduction as early as possible during the ensuing session of Parliament, and that Messrs E. G. Wright, J. C. Wason, R. Meredith and F. R. Flattnan be requested either to take charge of the Bill or to make arrangements with the Government for that purpose." Mr Brown moved—" That an irrigation rate should be an acreage rate, made on the i'rigable lands of the district." Mr Harper seconded the motion pro forma, and pointed out that the proposal meant a revolution in connection with rating. The motion was lost. Mr Williams moved — "That in the opinion of this Conference provision should be made for carrying out irrigation works by private enterprise, with suitable restrictions as to interfering with public and private property." The motion was seconded by Mr Brown and discussed and afterwards lost. Mr Harper on behalf of the country delegates moved a hearty vote of thanks to the A. and P. Association, and suggested that the bodies interested, if communicated with, would no doubt be pleased to bear a share of the expenses attaching to the Conference and the drafting of any bill. Mr Westenra seconded the motion, whioh was carried. Mr Recce said it had been a pleasure for them to do what they had, and the Committee would lose no time in carrying out the injunctions of the Conference.

The Conference then rose.