MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18509, 21 March 1922, Page 5

MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS.

VISIT TO CENTRAL OTAGO. DEPUTATIONS AT CROMWELL. (From Our Special Reporter.) CROMWELL, March 20. The Hon. J. G. Coates (Minister of Public Works), accompanied by Mr F. W. Furkert (Under-secretary of Public Worksl. Mr B. Campbell (district engineer), Mr J. R. Marks (local engineer of works), Mr J. Horn, M.P., and Mr P. R. Sargood, arrived here to-night from Pembroke, having travelled by way of Hawea, Tarras, Ardgour, and Kipponvalo. At Hawea deputations waited on Mr Coates with a number of requests covering local requirements. The first of those was for the restoration of the tri-weekb- mad from Hawea to Maungawera instead of the present weekly service via Albertown. The Minister, in the course of a sympathetic reply, promised to have inquiries made. A further deputation asked that an engineer should be sent yp to go into tin question of water conservation and the best method of irrigation of the Flat, the possibility of utilising Timaru Creek and ’is tributaries being mentioned. The Minister promised to ask his departmental engineers to make a survey and prepare a report. A deputation of settlers next asked the Minister to make a straight-out vote of £IOOO to repay the local loan raised for the purpose of forming a portion of the road on the Flat from Luggato to Hawea, but Mr Coates was unable to hold out any hope of the request being grunted. The final matter brought before the Minister was that a straight-out grant of £3OO should replace the subsidy vote of £1 for £1 up to £2OO for improving the grade on the hill leading out from Hawea Flat towards Luggate. Mr Coates said he was unable to make a definite promise, but would endeavour co help by some means in his power. At Tarras, whore the party were entertained at luncheon, a large deputation of settlers put before the Minister a request that the Government should. take over Mr R. K. Smith’s irrigation scheme, whieft could be extended at a very reasonable cost to Sandy Point, serving an area of some 6000 acres. In loply, Mr Coates said he was favour ably impressed with the proposal, and would obtain a report from his engineers as to cost, etc. At Ardgour an inspection was made of the full course of the irrigation scheme now under construction, and which, when completed, will also serve over 2000 acres. This race will he finished in October next, and the water available to settlers at a probable cost of Is per acre for the first year, 2s for the second year, 4s the third year, 8s tne fourth year, and 15s for the firth year. # Replying to a request for a telephone at Ardgour, the settlers were advised to make application through the ordinary channels. At Ripponvale the Minister was met with requests for mail and postal facilities, hut ho stated that these matters would be held over pending information as to the possibility of sending out mails from Cromwell. In reply to a request for an advance of £3OOO to erect a central packing shed at Ripponvale, where it was stated there would be 15,000 cases of apples for export next year, the Minister said the matter would receive his favourable consideration, ana he would have the necessary inquiries made The party next inspected the proposed intake of the Cromwell Development Company’s power scheme for irrigating the Flat, and certain proposals were made for tne construction of works likely to be available should hydro-electrio development Pe undertaken in the future. It was pointed cut that these initial works could be more cheaply done before the water was permanently raised, than in the future RoaringMeg scheme. . In the evening the Minister was met by several deputations in the Cromwell Athenaeum Hall, where he was very cor dially welcomed, Mr D. C. Jollv (Mayor of the borough) presiding. Mr Jolly spa the first matter which they wished to bring uilder the notice of the Minister was the question of irrigation for the district. We have the finest district in the world, said the speaker amidst applause, ‘ and we can produce the finest stuff in the world; but what wo want is water. We know what vou have already done in connection witn irrigation, and we believe you will also oe able to do a great deal for Central Otago. Mr Jolly added that there was already m existence a scheme for irrigating the I* lat, but what they wanted developed was the Roaring Meg scheme, from which a minimum of 20 heads of water were at present going l to waste, and which would command terraces and foothills. - Mr George Scott, speaking for 19 settlers, representing 3700 acres of land, exclusive of any held by the Cromwell Development Company, impressed upon the Minister the advam ages of the scheme, and said aa was so confident of its value that if he cou rt got one head of the water ’ o-day he would pay from £IOOO to £ISOO for it. If they got the water the display of fruit which the Minister saw before him on the platform would he a mere nothing to what could he done in the future Mr J R. Webb, sneaking as to what could be produced by land under irrigation, emphasised the great v#lue of water to land which/ was used for fruit-growing purposes. If this scheme were introduced, land now worth about 10s per acre would be worth up to £4O or £SO an acre. Mr J. Towan, who was introduced as one of the pioneer lucerne growers in the dominion, pointed out the difficulties under which the settlers were at present labouring owing to an insufficient. supply of water. Where water had been introduced the resuits were little short of wonderful, and on one seven-acre lucerne paddock he was at present grazing 100 lambs, and would be able to graze them there for some months yet. The speaker also placed before the Minister samples of lucerne grown on land that was irrigated, and that without water, the difference speaking, for itself. Mr W. M’Felin and Mr H. Towan also put forward strong picas for the introduction of the Roaring Meg scheme. Mr Towan mentioned an interesting fact that while the train services in other districts had been curtailed it had been necessary during the past few weeks to run two special trains from Cromwell. Mr P. R. Sargood (chairman of the Cromwell Development Company) said he wanted to make it clear that his company was by no means antagonistic to the scheme—in fact it was heartily in favour of any scheme which would assist the development of the district, provided several minor engineering difficulties were overcome.—(Applause.) Mr J. Horn said he had some land on Cromwell Flat, and ho had been waiting for water for 10 years. When the Hon. J. A. Millar visited this district he had promised that the Meg scheme would be undertaken ns soon as the Ida Valley scheme was completed, and now that Mr Sargood had said that his company would raise no objection the way was clear to go ahead with the work. He believed the plans were ready in the Public Works office in Dunedin, and there was no occasion for delay. The Minister, in the course of a lengthy reply, expressed pleasure at the welcome which he had received at Cromwell, and also at seeing the results of their labour spread out on the platform before him, in a fine array of produce from the surrounding district. During tho past few weeks ho had met the settlers of the backblocks, and while some people might call his trip a pleasure jaunt he could assure them much hard work had been attached to it, and he had obtained much useful and valuable information to take back to Wellington. He had now seen a great deal of Central Otaao, and ho recognised to tho full that this district. as well as'other parts of tho dominion, should be made to produce much more than at present. His point was that much more development was needed, and tho extraordinary thing to him was that the people of Dunedin had not taken n much more active part in securing irrigation for Central Otago than they had done. He heartily congratulated Mr Sargood and his company on tho fine spirit of enterprise thev had shown. In Mr Furkert, Mr Campbell, and Mr Marks they had three engineers who thoroughly understood the requirements of the district—(appla tse)—but it was necessary that any scheme which was undertaken should pay its way. Ho had been asked to carry out a scheme for 19 settlers i.n 370 acres of land, hut ho would not like to be the man who would have to pay the water rates. That meant subdivision and smaller holding? bv settlers, who would ail bo satisfied with the qrogress they were making. lie was convinced that with irrigation there was a great future before Central Otago, and it seemed to him the best way was to tackle one job at a time and complete that first. Regarding the Roaring Meg nroposal, ho understood this scheme was offered to the )ieopl_e some time ago, but the people then believed it • would Le belter to take up tho development company's scheme. Now they asked for another scheme alongside the company’s one. he was not going to make any promises, but assured them that the matte* would be thorouadilv

investigated from all viewpoints. It was known that it would cost about £22,000, and the question now was as to what arrangement could be made with the Development Company as to the cours* of the races, etc. His reply would later be forwarded to them through. Mr Horn.— (Applause.) A HTT)RO-ELEOTRIC PROPOSAL. Mr Jolly next placed before the Min-' ister the matter of a hydro-electric scheme for the district, and asking him to consider three separate proposals. The first was the Fraser River scheme, and the second was the Cromwell Development Company’! scheme, and the third was a combined irri gation and hydro-electric scheme i 'om , the Roaring Meg. The water from the lastnamed would be brought along at a high altitude, and a big pressure and the combined scheme, such as he proposed, would minimise the cost to the settlers > il rouno. They were not going to dictate to the Government which scheme should tie gene on with, but they would like the power by the best means available. The settlers in the country districts were just ns much entitled to light and power as those in the cities, and their opinion was that either the Cromwell Company’s plant or the Roaiing Meg would meet their needs bettor than the Fraser River proposal. They would like especial consideration to be to these two latter proposals. Tlie Rov. Mr Rankin and Mr 11. Quartermain both spoke in support o* fhe request, emphasising the value of the Cromwell Company’s scheme. Mr Sargood said that his company's plant had great possibilities, and he believed it could produce between 10,000 and .'5.C00 horse-power, which could bo reticulated throughout a aery large ar"a at a small cost. Mr Coates, in reply, said that the HawenWanaka scheme was still there, and it could bo brought in at some future date when there were greater demands for the power. As to these local schemes, the idea was to establish a Power Board, including Cromwell, Alexandra, and Clyde. It was thought that the Fraser River proposal, at a cost of £36,000 would be the cheapest to cover the three places. The Roaring Meg scheme would cost £52,000 to develop. But he wished to remind them that the matter was in their own hands. They could decide it for themselves, and the Government would assist them in every way. As to the development of the company’s scheme he had not so far heard of it, but he would get his engineers to inquire into it. The duty of a Powc Board was outlined by the Minister, and he urged them to go forward with the setting up of a board as done in other parts of New Zealand. If the Pow*r Board obtained a renort respecting the Development Company’s scheme the Government would give it full conside.ation. MAIN ROAD UPKEEP. The last matter introduced by Mr D. O. Jolly was the question of the maintenance of the main road from the bridge to he borough boundary. He said that not onlv was the traffic from all the surrounding districts very heavy, but tho Borough Council in its history nad spent £3500 on keep ing back the sand. He contended that i J was a Government road and a main arterial road, and some grant should be made to assist the borough in maintaining it. At present 300 tons of material were going to the railway each week by wagon and motor lorry, and the borough had to keep up tlie road. Mr C. Sanders endorsed what the Mayor had said Mr Coates promised to look carefully into tho matter, and he said_ that although ho did not card about making grants to boroughs he would see what could be done. The Mam Roads Bill had been before Parliament, and he intended to hold a further conference of local bodies in May to endeavour to arrive at some common-sense way of meeting the difficulties. Ihe proceedings closed with a hearty vote of thanks to the Minister. To-day Mr Coates will proceed to Alexandra to open the new post offi xi, and also to turn on the water in the Manuherikia irrigation race.