OTAGO IRRIGATION

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 83, 6 February 1928, Page 6

OTAGO IRRIGATION

>0 WATER WHEN MOST DEEDED. SCATHING PRESS COMMENT. i DUN'EDIN, Feb. 4. ' The Dunedin. "Star" in an editorial referring to disclosures. ct>ncer,ning th e state of irrigation affairs in Central Otago, says: "The ' retirement of 'ihe district engineer, Mr Marks, from .the"service is hot enough. It should -be followed by other retirements or transfei'g to some other part of the Dominion affording scope for energies, which we will charitably assume have latterly been pent up and not atrophied. "The department's'-engineers (says i?he "Star") gravely underestimated the cost of the 'irrigation 'Works and considerably overestimated the amount of Hvater available in the .dry season. The supervision of the races wa s neglected, while the race men were overloaded with work and responsibility. .The consequence was l'{hat defects which should haVe been .detected and "made, good during the .off season 'developed during the irrigating season, causing one very seri'ousp 'wash-out and many minor I breaches. < This 'necessitated the I emptying *of -the 'races and the stoppage of supplies at the very time the !■ settlers most urgently needed water."