ROARING MEG.

Evening Star, Issue 14635, 3 August 1911, Page 8

ROARING MEG.

A PROPOSAL TO USE THIS STREAM ON CROMWELL FLAT. Tho Hon. T. Mackenzie to-day received as a deputation the Executive Committee of tho Dunedin branch of the Cromwell Irrigation League—namely, Messrs A. Bathgate, D. A. Jolly, and . Hannan Reeves. Mr A. Moritzson. and Mr S. N. Brown were associated with the committee. Mr Bathgate urged that the Cromwell people had strong claims to have their flat irrigated. Some years ago a local syndicate was formed to bring in the Roaring Meg, but the Government, wishing to keep the power in their own- hands, opposed the grant, so the scheme fell through, It would bo a mistake to hang up this Cromwell work until a general irrigation scheme wae promulgated. A largo part of tho area was commonage, and the people would take steps to have it thrown open in 10 or 15 acre pieces as soon as available. In the north the Government had in a way spoon-fed tho fruitgrowing industry. Hero tho people were prepared to plant their own orchards. Mr Brown advocated that instead of talcing tho irrigation scheme as a whole it should be undertaken in sections, commencing with settled areas, so that tho settlers would see some prospect for thornselves and their families, and not have to live entirely for tho benefit of posterity. Mr Jolly spoke as to the fertility of tho soil when watered, and said that there was a great demand for land about Cromwell. If the Government were not prepared to undertake tho whole scheme, they might subsidise it or lend the money. Mr Moritzson argued that it would pay to borrow if necessary in order to bring these lands into uce, since the scheme would pay from the outset. Mr EeevDß asked the Minister to publish tho report prepared by Mr Young, the engineer, six or eight months ago. Mr Bathgate said that tho cost of a. simple irrigation scheme was estimated at £20,000. Tho Minister in reply said he was pleased to find that irrigation was being taken up no heartily by the people in the interior. The Government had started at Ida Valley, and it was their intention to widen out os the moans at their disposal would permit. Coining to the area referred to, he had been over the ground, and from what he knew of irrigation he was sure that great results would ensue. ; He had seen it in small sections there. He was extremely sorry to learn that the leases would not fall in for some considerable time, but it might bo possible to arrange with tho present occupiers to get some concession, in the tenure under which they wore held. Mr dolly had supplied most important particulars, showing clearly that it was possible to do very great things. The question of expense had been raised, and £35,000 had been named. Whether it would be done in sections or would take a wider form was a matter for Cabinet to decide. His own opinion was that they should go in for a much wider application of irrigation than mere, sectional portions. Reference was made to fruit farms in the North. He was aware that Mr Bathgate did not mean it as a reflection on tho work the Government were doing in that matter. Perhaps it was not quite understood what had been carried out. There were vast areas of land there —it was largely gum country—which were absolutely useless, and these fruit farms were largely demonstrative plots. Only he widened them when he came into office. He thought it was a good thing to go in for a dozen more plots so as to test the capacity of the land and its suitability for the fruits they required for the market. They had demonstrated the possibility of using the land already, and last Saturday they called for applications for 11 of these fruit, farms, and about 70 applied. Ho did not believe in spoon feeding in the way it was sometimes done, and ho had passed regulations which meant that the people who took up these valuable orchards had to bo in a position to carry out their obligations, and if they did not there was a guarantee to compensate tho Government. Only 50 had been able to show the necessary guarantee and qualification. It seemed to him that planting fruit orchards for tho people was a. good plan. They were going to get back every penny they had expended. In fact, they would make a little profit, he thought. As far as Otago Central was concerned, they could rely on him doing all ho possibly could to further irrigation. On the question of borrowing, ho said that a good deal of the criticism in respect to that was for party and political purposes. The Hon. Mr Miliar recently submitted statistics to show that of the moneys now borrowed and expended every year there was an enormous, increasing ratio of in-terest-paying loans. When their debt was calculated at 80 millions, and that was worked out at so much per head, it was not a fair way of stating our debt. An enormous portion of that was commercial investments, bringing in interest beyond what, they were paying for it. That should be eliminated entirely from tho debt per head that was quoted so far as the population was concerned. He pointed out that for the investments that were made by the Government during the years 1831 to 1908 they were obtaining more interest than they were paying for interest on the borrowing during that period. If they wished to keep abreast in competition with other countries they must borrow wisely ami spend wisely. In regard to the report Mr Reeves had asked for, ho would put that matter before his colleague, the Hon. .R. M’Kenzie.