WHAT AUSTRALIA WANTS

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13594, 14 May 1908, Page 5

WHAT AUSTRALIA WANTS

PROPOSED' IRRIGATION SCHEMES. ADDRESSES BY STATESMEN. . Press Association-By Telegraph-Copyright Received 12.51 "■ a.m., May 14th. ; London; May 13, Goghlan, Agent-General for New South Wales, read a,paper before the 1 Colonial Institute on the possibilities and prospects of irrigation in Australia. He insisted that with the developments cf irrigation and settlement will come the salvation" of' the pastoralists. He de-.-scribed six schemes that were in progress for water storage, and claimed that irrigation , works immediately doubled and sometimes quadrupled the value of the' irrigible land.. Even if the six systems projected cois't £7,000,000 that was a very, moderate outlay, compared with the advantages . reaped. Mr Carruthers. lata Premier of New South Wales' - said that Australians recognised that, they wotihl never have a large population without overcoming natural disadvantages by large water works and storage. ■ This was really an insurance against disaster to ..great industries, and also aided in the creation of other 'indus r tries. He emphasised the growhigly prosperous condition of New South Wales finance and anticipated that with a surplus of £2,000,000 this year they would i be able to finance: their own great water 'schemes. .- /;"' Lord Jersey, the chairman, said that irrigation in properly chosen places must prove in the long run as useful and beneficial to Australia as it had been to India and Egypt. The experience at Mildura justified the belief that irrigation on a. large scale elsewhere wouhr prove equally satisfactory.