IRRIGATION IN NORTH OTAGO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23364, 2 December 1937, Page 21

IRRIGATION IN NORTH OTAGO

XO THE EDITOR Sir, —Your reports of public body meetings are invariably reliable. To anyone reading, therefore, your report of the meeting of the Oamaru Borough Council on the 25th inst., it is quite clear that my letter of the 22nd inst. has stirred up some of our local body members. That is all to the good, but I regret that a stirring up in another way was noticeable. It is lamentable that an effort for the common good should be spoilt by all claiming to be the person who suggested irrigation. As irrigation in North Otago has been suggested for 50 years, no member of any oublic body in North Otago was the first to advocate irrigation. My letter of a week ago credited Cr Colquhoun with having brought the matter up in the council three or four years ago, with the result that a North Otago Irrigation Committee was formed. This statement is a statement of fact and minute-book entry, and it is undeniable that Cr Colquhoun was the man who acted.

But, again, taking your report as accurate. no councillor at the meeting on the 25th moved that the Irrigation Committee be asked to furnish a copy of the report for general information, the reason being that all were quite aware that the committee was. without success, officially asked by the council two years or more ago for a copy of the engineer’s report. I have discovered that Mr K. Familton (Deputy Mayor) is the secretary of the Irrigation Committee. It is passing strange that the reply to the official letter of the council to him was that “ a copy of the engineer’s report would be furnished when it came to hand.” Who, then, reported to the public bodies that nominated members to the committee? I am quite sure that the secretary would like to furnish the report to you for publication. Quite possibly it has been received ere this. • Publication would be for the benefit of everyone concerned. Will he also publish the balance sheet and kill the rumour that most of the money supplied by local bodies was spent on timber?—l am, etc., Curious Brooks. IWe are informed, on making inquiries, that the timber for the flooring of the men’s huts at the Steward Settlement camp was bought by three Oamaru businesss men, who paid for the loss incurred in the re-sale, and it was not a charge against the fund. The secretary states that he will be pleased to furnish the writer of the above letter with a copy of the balance sheet, if he applies for it, and all the books are open for his inspection and perusal —Ed. O.D.T.]