SIR JOHN MADDEN.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 9, 11 January 1908, Page 2

SIR JOHN MADDEN.

FIRST VISIT TO NEW ZEALAND

Sir John Madden, Chief Justice and Lieutenarit-Governor of the State!of Victoria, who arrived in Wellington bf the Maxama,; is on his first visit to New* Zealand. It was only during^.,». trip: to the Old World two years aigd that he discovered that he is a good sailor, and he is now sorry he had 4°t previously come to New Zealand, the terrors of the deep'being few and the pleasures of the trip many.. THE GAMING LAWS. Questioned by a N.Z. Times representative as to the effect of recent legislation in the Commonwealth, having for its object the suppression of gambling, Sir John said that it was neyer anticipated that the public would have taken the prohibition as calmly as they have done. There had simply been no serious difficulty in the enforcement of the stringent regulations, and no great objections to -its working. The public had submitted quietly and contentedly. As Is'j known, the. totalisator is not used, in Victoria, and although there has been j a movement in some circles in that • State to establish the gambling; machine, those objecting to its estab-J lishment have been able to object to| some piirpose up to now. i INDETERMINATE SENTENCES. . Sir John. Madden said he had not specially examined the New Zealand Habitual' Criminals Act, .but it was being recognised in Victoria that indeterminate sentences, would have an excellent effect in the suppression of crime. It was probable that sooner or later the principle would be inaugurated in that' State., PROSPEROUS VICTORIA. j It has been expected, remarked Sir, John, that owing to droughty of more or less >i severity,'; many > cvil v thittgSi might?'happen: rin Victoria'. '■'/.'. 'As a matter of fact, that State was exceedingly prosperous, the country and!its people being in a buoyant condition, and", general' satisfaction ■ prevailing, Mr til© Premier, expected a supplus of one million,sterling by the end of bhe financial year. The drought had affected the wheat harvest, which however, was a more valuable one than could have been expected under the circumstances. Victoria's record wheat harvest was 28 million bushels. The latest harvest was one of 26 million bushels. The dairy industry was in an exceptionally thriving condition, the people generally were having a good time, and Victoria was showing enormous expansion and progress. | IRRIGATION. I One of the most important questions lin Australia generally, and certainly in Victoria, is that or irrigation, and one of the most important sources of water supply for this purpose is the great Murray River. Sir John • said an agreement had been arrived at between New South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria whereby irrigation schemes along the banks of the river in the various States could be' carried out without interference with State rights. It was, of course essential that as the navigation of the river was of most importance to South Aus- I tralia that that State should not be hindered in any way. The Government was at present engaged in the I gigantic scheme of building seven locks i

ail along the Murray Stiver in ordesto Yep that variable stream up to«ne levei^for distribution for irrigation purpose along its, tortuous way. Ihe vast impoitance to Victoria « an adwuiat© water supply for irrigation had induced thfc Government to put in hand a scheme ior'the conservation ot the waters ol the Goulbourn River at Waranga JBasm, trom whence it would be pumped for irrigation supplies to the vast Gpulbour,n ; country. Good, irrigation schemes already existed^ m. some .parts of the Goulbourn valley, which is exceptionally fertile. A BIG DAM. > The Assouan dam, on the Nile, is at present the largest in the world, but acoordingto Sir John Madden, the Victorian Government has a scheme m hand which will give that State a dam even larger than the great Egyptian one. There will be a great reservoir at TrawoolXand the immense dam will be situated fltear Rushworth, conserving the supply fr^m many mountain streams and rivers> This is one ot the largest irrigation themes ever pronosed by a colonial Government, bir John illustrated the marvew effect! o? systematic irrigation by staw that Mildura, the large block of Wleoi country taken up by Messrs Chaffey Brothers about twenty years ago, wax now one of the most beautiful and thriving settlements in Victoria. In the early days of the settlement crayfish and a saline deposit brought to the surface by irrigation had retarded the success of Mildura, but now the clay channels were all concreted, and the quantity of fruit, especially dried kinds, sent from the settlement was enormous. * xr. *. +i,~ It will be remembered that the terms of Messrs Chaffey's agreement with the Victorian Government prohibited licensed hotels in the town ot Mildura. Only recently, after a very long spell of prohibition and innumerable cases of "sly-grog" selling,. Mildura reverted to license. There is one licensed house and five licensed clubs. Sir John says all are admirably conducted, and the class of settlers, who are of a good type, preclude the possibility of any excess. The Government is contemplating schemes similar ] to those in operation at Mildura and Renmark (South Australia)^ at JLASt Turumburra and near Echuca, tor Mil- j dura has proved the great value O* irrigation work in country that without irrigation was mere waste. CLOSE SETTLEMENT. The Victorian Government, says Sir John, is vigorously pushing the policy of close settlement, wherever such settlement may prove payable .to j the settlers. Large estates are acquired by simple voluntary bargaining, the price to the settlers being based always on the price paid by the Government. The time within which purchase may be made from date and occupation is thirty years, and the Government in many cases will advance money to settlers. Payment is made on the Credit Foncier system, and the Government charges 4 per cent. The restilts; are eminently satisfactory, and there are -so few arrears of payment: that this jdves the Government' no anxiety. Under this, close settlement scheme no person is allowed to have land of a greater capital value than £1500. Radicals there are who say the price paid for the land under the close- settlement scheme is too high, and they desire the passing of e^Sm limiting the price compulsorily. There is, however, according to Sir John, no difficulty in settling the lands at the prices asked. The Premier of Victoria has said that he is ready as soon as the Commonwealth has decided on a basis for a national scheme of close settlement and irrigation to throw open two million acres of land for such purposes., ' SECESSION. On the question of State secession from the Federation, Sir John remarked that no one believed in its possibility. There existed dissatisfaction among the States, but this was natural enough, seeing that it could not be expected that the machinery of so great a Federation could be guided so as to suit all States and all peoples, whlie the Federation was cmoparatively youthful. Small difficulties will be overcome, and the national spirit will probably "be responsible for the Federation remaining as it is. WELLINGTON. Speaking generally of the Australian cities, and comparing them with other cities he had visited, Sir John Madden said that what struck him on his first glance at Wellington was that it parr j took of the cleanly characteristics of the Australian cities, in great contrast to American and some Continental ones1. Wellington "and its surroundings, as he came up the harbour, struck him forcibly as resembling very much of the Calabrian coast, and the hilly nature of the' city made him anxious to know how the people got from point to point. He was surprised to hear that the scattered hill i suburbs were connected with the city by electric cars. "Wellington," concluded the visitor, "is one of the! most impressive cities, at first sight, X have seen." '