THE MURRAY WATERS.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 98, 22 October 1904, Page 9

THE MURRAY WATERS.

The Murray waters question has entered upon a new phase through the decision of the South Australian Legislative Assembly to set the law in motion against Victoria by an appeal to the Federal High Court. Last week it was resolved "that the Attorney-General should, in the name of the State, move in the High Court for an injunction against the State of Victoria, and against all officers of that State, restraining them from the appropriation of the waters of the River Murray under the Tooleybuc and other 6chemes." This had been described by the South Australian press, in language strongly reminiscent of Bombastes, as "a declaration of judicial war against Victoria." The war, it seems, is to be one in which "no quarter will be asked for or given." It is to be" a "fight to the finish," similar to the struggle in the Far East. This outburst concerns the appearance of an item of £1500 in the Victorian Surplus Revenue Bill for the purpose of making a preliminary survey at Tooleybuc. The prime object of this survey is to ascertain whether a certain dry area in the Mallee can be supplied with water by the device of taking off, during the part of the year when the river is highest, a small portion of the flood waters which do more harm than good lower down the stream. A number of depressions are said to exist in which *»ome of this, waste water might be stored against the dry season of the year, when it is urgently needed to ensure tho safety of settlers and their live stock. The Age -asserts that before anything practical was taken in hand the fullest opportunity would be afforded, both to New South Wales and. South Australia, of discussing the matter in the. spirit of give and ta&e. The claims of river navigation have lonj^ago^

been put out of court by tho action ol South Australian Governments in building railways to divert nearly all river traffic to Adelaide, and thus destroying Victor Harbour as a seaport, after £100,000 had been spent on its breakwater. Eminent counsel, both from South Australia and from Victoria, are now being retained afc an initial cast of £1000, and fche game once begun will no doubt run briskly on from a legal point of view.