IRRIGATION AT ALEXANDRA.

Evening Star, Issue 14635, 3 August 1911, Page 9

IRRIGATION AT ALEXANDRA.

THE PEOPLE PREPARED TO TAKE UP A SCHEME. This morning a deputation- from Alexaudra, consisting of the- . Mayor (Mr EMarslin), Messrs C. Weaver, C. Murphy, G. River's. C. E. Richards, A. C. Iverson, E. Spain, and J. S. Dickie, waited on the Hon. T. Mackenzie at the Grand Hotel. Mr G. M. Marshall (Dunedin) and Mr EM'Dougall (Pembroke) were also present. Mr W. Du molt (Mayor of Dunedin) introduced tho deputation. Mr Madia stated the argument. In regard to <ho proposal for the irrigation of Alexandra and Gallon-ay Elate, the deputation pointed out that between the railway bridge at- Chatto Creek and the portion of the Du listen Flat which they desired to seo irrigated was an area of about 4,600 acres. All of this land was highly adapted t-o closer settlement, and for fruitgrowing in Tjarticulan*. 'Eho whole of the ami-, with the exception of the 600 acres held as a borough endowment, was Crown land. Part of it, representing 2,000 acres, was at present under pastoral lease, and fell due in 1916. Tho water which the people desired to pee applied to this land was from the Manuherikia River, out of which there were no vested rights to be purchased, and no reservoirs would be necessary. The length of tho race would be about 12 to 14 miles. The cost of the scheme was estimated at about £15,000. The deputation asked the Minister to assist in obtaining a report on the scheme ns quickly as possible, also that the matter of cutting up Galloway runs be, gone into, with a view to their being subdivided and surveyed twelve months before the lease falls in, so that there would lie no delay when the lease did expire. 'The ground at present hold by the Grown was bringing in very little revenue. With water it. would he at once taken up and settle 1,000 people. Mr Weaver said that the people of the district were prepared to take up the scheme and put the money into it if they could get the land. They were not asking the Government for a donation. What they asked for was tho land and that the Government would provide for a loan. If the Government were not prepared to go on with the scheme the people of the district were if they could get- the land. The Minister asked whether the object would lie mixed farming. Mr Weaver replied that it would be fruit fanning only. Mr Richards added that if the cost did not exceed £15,000 the land would caps taliso at £3 6s per acre, and it- would be north quite £lO or £ls an aero as scon a--turveyod.

Tho Minister, in reply, said he was pleased to meet the deputation on thir> question of bringing into utility tho lands of Contra] Otago. He considered that the problem of Central Otago was the greatest question in this cud of New Zealand. (Hear,, hear.) The district was rich in plant foods from the nature of the rock there. They know that in the past Otago Central carried not only a greater population of human beings, but, a much greater number of stock. Those lands had. been depleted by various causes. Ho had been giving very close- attention sines he became. Minister of Agriculture to the question of bringing Otago Central once more into more profit. The officers of the department had been studying what could be done in regard to herbage. He had had Mr Cockayne. and Mr Petrie (one of tho greatest authorities on native grass) reporting. As had already been stated, it was the question of bringing in water, amongst other things, that would bring Central Otago into production. They were testing all kinds of plants in order to see if they could get deep-rooting varieties that would stand the climate and would resist the drought. Ho was pleased, indeed, that the deputation had thought out something in detail that would bring a portion, at any rate, of that country into use. They could have his assurance that the Government would help as far as possible in anytiling that would make for the settlement of the people and the production of wealth in Central Otago. It was to him a matter of great regret that that disjunct showed a greater decrease in population than any other up-country part in the whole Dominion. That should not be so. They said that they intended going in for fruit-growing, and' that they must have cheap Water. He had been reading about irrigation m other parts of tho world. He, had read an excellent article in the 'Koval (ieographical Journal’ of the work being done in (North America and Peru. There ii took about £4 an acre to bring the water in and distribute it. The deputation computed that their cost would be about £3 6s. The question of fruit-grow-ing was. in his opinion, one of the most promising they had in New Zealand. I p to the present, of course, they only had their local markets to supply, but with the demand for fruit in the Old Country, and also in some parts of America, there was an enormous market for them in those countries. That- they could produce the right, varieties and ship them to the Old Country bad already been established. He, was sure, too, that they should be able to supply themselves with their own can fruits. This was the first occasion when the matter of the scheme the deputation had mentioned had been brought under his notice. He would certainly represent it to bis colleagues. They said that they did not. want the Government to supply money actually for the scheme, ns it would be self-supporting. He was pleased indeed to hear that, that was so. He would go further, so far as Otago Central was concerned. and say that it would pay the Government to spend one or two million pounds on a comprehensive scheme there, even if they did not get sufficient to pay interest hack on that money—(applause)— by reason, first, of the development of the country, and. secondly. with the people there it would, in a, hundred-und-one other ways, compensate the country for the expenditure, for they would be increasing largely the productive wealth of the community. He believed that the time would come when the scheme must be a v ery large one. and that the water of those natural reservoirs. Lakes Jlawea ami Wanaka. would be brought into use. As far as he could assist in the deputation's scheme that assistance would be given.