IRRIGATION AND RAILWAYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2902, 27 October 1909, Page 8

IRRIGATION AND RAILWAYS.

SPEECH BY MR SCOTT. GOVERNMENT METHODS ' CONDEMNED. (From Otra Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Ootober 19. Mr Scott, who spoke on the Address* in-Reply debate to-day, referred to tho necessity of settling the Native lands, and ha also supported the freehold policy of the Opposition, and showed himself a strong advocate of afforestation and irrigation. The Government, he said, had done very little in regard to irrigation, but he maintained it should do something to irrigate the large tracts of country, in New Zealand that, owing to the want of water, were now desolate wastes. The soil in Central Otago, if irrigated, could be made as productive as the soil in any; part of the Dominion. The Government, he understood, had some large schemes in view in connection with Central Otago, bat he was of opinion that smaller schemes would prove best for the various districts. As to the Otago Central railway, it was not the fault of the settlers, but of the fculty construction adopted that was the cause of the line not paying. It had been taken through a 25-mile gorge, the cost of construction through which, had tbe line gone via Palmsrston, -would have taken it on to its present terminus or further. Mr Scott made a strong appeal in favour of the continuance of the LawrenceRoxburgh railway. He quoted from a speech of the late Mr Seddon, who, on turning the first sod of the railway, said that the people ot Lawrence had th« patience of Job in waiting so long for tba line. Had Mr Seddon been alive to-day; there was not a man in the House who would have got up and suggested that tha line should be stopped. It was rather lata in the day to stop the work after it had boen going on for four years. He quoted statistics to prove that the line would 1 pay. When the first sod of the line was turned Mr Seddon told the people to go back to their homes and plant trees. They, had done so, and some of them had mortgaged their homes in order to cultivate tho land and provide produce for the railway, bill now the Government had broken faith with them, and he added it was not a small thing to break faith with the people of any district in New Zealand. There were 3COO souls in the district that the railway would serve, and their hopes of years had at one minute's notice been, dashed to the ground. He thought this was a most cruel thing to do. The people had been working and slaving and denying themselves all luxuries in order that they might plant trees so that they would be in a position to supply the railway with produce wlien it came along, but now the line was stopped, and they did not know when it would be continued. The new policy enunciated by the Prime Minister at the deputation yesterday did not me?* with his approval. Hitherto they had looked upon railways in general as a means of opening up the country, but it appeared now as if the country had first to be settled so that settlers would have to work under the worst conditions for yea.rs, and be in a position to make a railway pay from the jump before they could get it to their district. That h3 thought was a wrong principle. — (Ml Massey: "Hear, hear")