CENTRAL OTAGO.

Otago Witness, Issue 3869, 8 May 1928, Page 28

CENTRAL OTAGO.

THE IRRIGATION INQUIRY. A TOUR OF TEVIOT. ROXBURGH, April 30. The Committee of Inquiry into irrigation conditions arrived in Roxburgh this morning from Alexandra to make an initial survey of the irrigation schemes in the Teviot district. There was a full attendance of members, and the comprehensive tour made during the day covered the whole of the district. Pernaps the most noteworthy feature of the Roxburgh visit was the entire absence of anything in the nature of hostility to or distrust of the committee. If the settlers here have been disappointed at the personnel of the committee they are hiding their hurt behind smiling faces, determined to make the best of the opportunity provided for a solution of their problems. Every assistance will be offered the committee to-morrow in a farm-to-farm survey, and it does not appear that any great obstacles to better conditions will be encountered here. One cannot but be struck by two things as a result of to-day’s work. In the first place, irrigation in Central Otago is still in the most elementary experimental stage, and, secondly. Roxburgh settlers have realised this, and are well aware that experience alone can bring about ideal conditions. That they had recognised this is fortunate, as their resultant attitude to the committee’s work must undoubtedly assist that body to the achievement of the best results for irrigation in the Teviot district. It is regrettable to have to report that dissension and dissatisfaction in the Dunstan district shows no signs of abating. Rather has the attack upon the personnel of the committee and the Public Works Department been renewed with increased intensity, as is demonstrated oy the following telegrams forwarded to the Minister of Public Works (Mr K. S. Williams) by the Bannockburn and Earnseleugh settlers: — Have we your assurance that the Committee of Inquiry on irrigation will investigate the Bannockburn system as requested by us in the petition presented to you in Dunedin. The maladministration here has been so glaring that an inquiry is imperative; but in the peculiar circumstances we protest against the Bannockburn representative on the commission adjudicating on this scheme. —William Hodson. We, the undersigned Earnseleugh irrigators, emphatically protest against the personnel of the Irrigation Committee, and respectfully ask that an independent tribunal be appointed in its stead. There is abundant evidence of a deplorable lack of supervision and of extravagant and unsatisfactory idministration that we are anxious to bring under your notice, but we are firmly convinced that it would be useless to give such evidence before a committee composed mostly of persons who are virtually placed in the position of judges of their own work.—Earnest C. Fryer (secretary of the Settlers’ Committee) and Duncan Gillies. It is considered in Roxburgh that inundating the Government wth telegrams can accomplish no good purpose, and not a few have been at some pains to dissociate themselves from what they call “ the clique in Alexandra,” which is determined to hinder the committee. One of the most devastating effects of the difference of opinion in Dunstan is that there are now two factions—the Farmers’ Union on the one band, determined to render the committee every assistance, and the disaffected element on the other, a minority, it is true, but still a factor to be reckoned with. Between these two is a smaller percentage of settlers who view ■ the conditions dispassionately and bring to the affair that awful apathy which is worse than antagonism. The dissension in the ranks of those who should be working together has disgusted them. They resent the loudvoiced protestations of the disgruntled as keenly as do the pro-committee settlers, but the futility of ever hoping for anything from a house so divided against itself has daunted them. It is not surprising that the larger body of settlers should resent the persistent protests of the minority, who are sending to Wellington communications which cannot but be regarded by the powers that be as the sentiments of the irrigators .generally, whereas these communications’ represent the outbursts of a very small minority. The fact remains that the majority is determined to see things improved rather than find scapegoats for very doubtful maladministration, and it is confidently expected that the Committee of Inquiry will accomplish that whereunto it was sent.

This morning was spent visiting the Teviot extension on foot. Members tramped over many miles of country ranging from heavy loam to light shingle, examining the various grades with a view to ascertaining the possibility of initiating a land classification of the different grades and types of soil. To the casual observer great differences in Types of soil existed—soils heavy and rich with the possibility of returning nice harvests to the painstaking farmers, others, light, poor, and miserable, capable of swallowing untold quantities of water and giving no prospects of any return for the energy and time expended. Such points iniprinted themselves strongly upon the minds of the committee, and the visit was certainly a good preface to the meeting held later in the evening.

In the afternoon the committee visited the Roxburgh east irrigation scheme, and from the high lev-els of the race obtained an excellent and comprehensive view of the whole lay of the scheme.

The committee, later in the day, split up into small groups and made a fairly extensive survey of the whole area, obtaining a comprehensive and adequate idea of the general scheme. This visit was undertaken solely to impress upon the minds of the members the scheme in general before undertaking the detailed investigation of individual properties tomorrow.

The Committee of Inquiry held its first public meeting in Central Otago here to-night. A noteworthy feature of the meeting was the moderation of the requests made by the various speakers and the general indications of comparative content which characterised irrigators in this district.

The President of the Roxburgh Irrigation League (Mr R. T. Kinaston), in welcoming the committee, said he did not anticipate that its members would experience any great difficulty in dealing with their small grievances. He asked the committee to consider a reduction of the maximum charge for water over a part of the area. The maximum rate was not unduly heavy for certain regions in the settlement, but there were other portions which were not easy to irrigate and which also were made up of poorer quality lighter land. The league would like to see the charges reduced for the latter types. There was medium land which could not carry the burden of full charges, and it was suggested that 12s per acre would not be out of the way. The different classes of land in the district certainly required different treatment in respect of charges. The league had considered the problem seriously and was making this request after serious consideration. Messrs R. George and T. Richards also spoke in support of Mr Kinaston. both supplying the meeting with instances of the different requirements of various types of land. The meeting lacked that formality and tension which one would naturally expect at a gathering of settlers who were meeting a body of men to whom they were antagonistic or in whom they had no confidence. A round-the-table discussion of local conditions ensued which can be expected to be productive of nothing but good when the committee makes its inspection to-morrow of individual properties and problems. A difficulty which was said to be troubling settlers generally was that of making the supply of water available over the requisite amount of land when it had to be applied to the lighter type of soil, of which there was so much in the district. It was stated that one head of water to 150 acres was not nearly enough for this class of country, and when it was applied it would not travel over half that area. The question of the possible consolidation and serving of this light land under irrigation for some years was discussed, the information in this regard demonstrating that even over a period of years the result was negligible. The land was always difficult to irrigate and was always possessed of a scarcely diminishing appetite for water. In regard to the administration of the various schemes, Mr George stressed the value of land knowledge, and suggested that a small local committee should be formed in each settlement to administer the district’s affairs as they concerned individuals. Engineers could not be expected to possess the detailed local knowledge necessary, and he thought a local organisation could work satisfactorily. There were plenty of public-spirited irrigators who would be prepared to act. Several minor matters were brought up which could only be considered on the spot, and the properties in question will be visited to-morrow.

Mr R. A. Rodger then asked whether all those present were in agreement with the sentiments expressed by the various speakers.

There were no dissenting voices, and Mr George said that in this district they were very proud of their scheme, and were very thankful for it. They knew what they owed to Mr Coates and Mr Marks for had been achieved. It was doing an immense amount of good. Mr Kinaston then said he was quite convinced that one head for 150 acres was an inadequate supply, even for the very best land under the scheme, and a larger quantity was necessary. Mr R. B. Tennent asked whether the committee was to understand that the present supply was insufficient for the good heavy land, which held the water well, and was easily irrigated. “Due speaker,” he said, “has told v.s that he needs to irrigate only once in six or eight weeks.”

Mr Kinaston: Some of us differ, that’s all. We are not all the same.

Mr Tennent: Is it not tine that you think that there might be a chance,of an increased supply and you are out 'to get any advantage going? The soft impeachment was denied good' humouredly, but the speaker suggested, in reply, that any possible increase would have to be universal unless a complete survey and classification of the land were made.

The complaints and grievances of the district can briefly- be summed up in the two requests embodying a differentiation of various types of land and an increased supply- of water.

The Chairman of the committee (Mr C. J. M'Kenzie) promised- the meeting that the most careful consideration would be given to the settlers’ representations tomorrow- on the ground itself. He thanked them for their attendance and the way they had put their case. COMMITTEE’S INVESTIGATIONS FARM-TO-FARM SERVICE. \ ROXBURGH, May 1. Early this morning the Committee of Inquiry into Central Otago irrigation, set out on an inspection of the properties of those who had expressed a desire for a visit at the meeting held last night. Nearly all the settlers were anxious to have the committee look into their individual positions, so that the members of that body spent a busy day. Their work was not made any more pleasant as a result of the rain, which fell intermittently in the morning, but increased to a heavy and fairly continuous fall in the afternoon. The day’s work was in the nature of a private consultation with individual settlers, so that the immediate results of the committee’s labours cannot be gauged. However, judging by the thoroughness with which the various farms were surveyed, the private meeting of the committee this morning should find quite ’sufficient subjects for discussion. In many cases the party was met at the various homesteads by settlers, armed with shovels, w-ho piloted the investigators to all parts of their farms in their endeavours to demonstrate the soil differeutia-

tion which they wish to have recognised m the way of variations in regard to the flat rates governing the cast of water and the amount available.

As a result of its tour to-day, the committee is convinced that the man who makes an honest and reasonable endeavour to work his farm and to do the best he can with the facilities and the water available is not being helped in any way by those who make no such endeavour. They saw instances of farms well-worked and other eases of holdings merely played with. The value of the Teviot water was clearly shown by many of the figures as to crops and live stock, particularly fat lambs, which settlers supplied unasked. It is apparent that most of the irrigators in this area have made considerable progress since the turning-on of the water, and that they have not been weighed down by too heavy a burden in the form of water bills, but the maximum charge of 16s an acre, which will come into operation next year, may produce a different state of affairs. Last summer it was Bs, aud before that it was 4s. The first year settlers paid Is, and in the following season 2s. A matter which is receiving serious attention by the committee is a new system of charges, and in this connection it has been suggested that a charge of so much per acre foot might replace the present per acre charge. An acre foot is an amount of water sufficient to cover one acre to a depth of one foot, and the committee will have to decide whether such a system of charging is preferable to the present levy of so much per acre of land under the scheme. Ihere are still a few farms to be examined in this district, and the committee will visit these in the morning, leaving for Alexandra as soon as the entire district has been covered. There will be a meeting in Alexandra to-mor-row night, when settlers from the various schemes in the Dunstan will have an opportunity of stating their case.