LAND IRRIGATION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21347, 23 November 1932, Page 14

LAND IRRIGATION

VALUE OE THE SCHEMES

NEW SURVEYS IN HAND

OTAGO AND CANTERBURY

[BY TELEGRAPH —SPEC'I AT> REPORTER]

■WELLINGTON, Tuesday

"Expenditure on irrigation of land is such as will result in an ultimate increase in economic farm production, even although it may not immediately bear fruit, and 1 have therefore endeavoured to keep a fair number of men employed in this way," said the Minister in his Public Works Statement.

"The amount proposed to bo made available this year for the development of irrigation is £BO,OOO. A survey is now being carried out to ascertain the possibility of irrigating economically from the Waitaki River an area of approximately 30,000 acres of good land along the north side of the Waitaki River, and tho coast lands between Glenavy and Morvcn. A report on the scheme wijl bo completed in two months' tune.

"A survey was made for a scheme to take water for irrigation purposes from (he Waitaki hydro-electric supply dam when completed. The land proposed to be irrigated lies in a long strip on tho south .side of tho Waitaki River down-stream from tho dam. After full investigation it was ascertained that, on account of the long length of race required to supply a limited area of land, tho scheme was not economically sound " A thorough and fully detailed survey of tho Maniatoto Plain, Central Otago, an area of 120,000 acres, had been completed, and a comprehensive scheme was now being designed. This scheme presented many favourable aspects, not the least of which was the possibility of impounding 235,000 acre-feet of water with a dam only 45ft. in height. At present no further surveys for irrigation in Central Otago were in hand, but the Minister said he thought it was well worth while that investigations for such work be carried out in a time of depression, so that information might be available when prosperity again demanded that fuller development of tho valuable resources of water supply be undertaken.

SETTLERS IN ARREARS

LIBERAL POLICY FAILS

OUTSTANDING RATES INCREASE

[BY TEI/EGRArH —SPECIAL REPORTER]

WELLINGTON, Tuesday

The amount of outstanding rates of settlers under the Otago Central irrigation schemes was referred to by tho Minister in the Public Works Statement. The sum outstanding before the last season commenced was £12,012, and on the recommendation of the Otago Land ■Board, tho Government promised remissions to the extent of £3846, or about 30 per cent of the total owing, if payments of the balance were made. "This liberal treatment," said the Minister, "had, I regret to say, very little effect in inducing the defaulters to pay their debts to the Government —so little effect, indeed, that at the present time the amount owing to the Government has increased to £22,504. This indicates that not only has the promise of the remission of portion of their rates not encouraged many irrigators to pay their past debts, but has actually had the effect of prompting them to withhold payment of their last season's rates, and of undoubtedly influencing those who were not in arrears to take the same course of action, probably with the hope of receiving similar concessions. The revenue that should havo been collected in irrigation rates last season was £20,604, but of this amount a little over 30 per cent has been paid. "It was therefore decided that those who were in arrears with their rates would not be supplied next season with water for irrigation until they had paid a portion of their arrears equal to the next season's rates. This has the effect of, at least, not allowing the debt to the Government to grow any larger than it is at present. It is not intended, of course, that the remaining debts shall be cancelled, and something additional will be asked for at a later date, but it is felt that at the present time tho above procedure is meeting the settlers in a very lenient spirit. "When it is remembered 'that those supplied with irrigation water are'only paying, in addition to maintenance and operation costs, interest on one-quarter of the cost of the works to the Government, it must be admitted that exceednglv favourable terms are. being given to the farmers in Central Otago. "The fact that the Government has given to the owners of irrigated land a subsidy that is equivalent to £3 for £1 may perhaps be thouphfc to be unduly liberal treatment, but it is a good deal in line with that given by Governments in other countries, and, provided payment of water rates is rigidly enforced, may not lie out of proportion to the indirect benefits that the Government receives by way of taxation and additional railway revenue from lands upon which productivity has been increased three or four-fold. ■