VERY ENCOURAGING

Evening Star, Issue 20132, 23 March 1929, Page 10

VERY ENCOURAGING

CENTRAL SETTLERS MEET MINISTER HR VEITGH OK IRRIGATION « ' ISPECtiL TO THE ‘ STiK.'l CROMWELL, Tvlaicli -23. 'The Hon. W. A. Veiteh, Minister of Mines, w]io is at present touring Central Otago, was in Cromwell last evening after travelling during the day through Upper Clutha Valley and other parts of the distriet. A splendidly organised and very largo deputation waited on him in the Croimvcll Chambers in the evening, and placed before ■him numerous matters of vital importance to the district. The necessity of immediate assistance to the Rippouvale settlors and the irrigation also of the vast Cromwell Flat were forcibly placed before the Minister. Next eamu the question of an irrigation scheme for the whole valley, to be provided by power for pumping generated by hydroelectric works at the Neck.

It was pointed out that 80,000 li.p. could bo generated,, at a cost per unit much lower than that of any big scheme, in existence to-day. Land settlement and the. subdivision of many runs in the distriet were also represented, and duo reference was made to the protests entered against flic Land Board’s action in granting .1.700 acres on the .Pisa. Tint to one man, while other applications had been declined.

Support was also given to the extension ot the railway to Luggate, and the work was urged. Thou a protest was entered against Iho heavy fees charged on motor lorries feeding the railway, and the, final subject was a request that the Mines Department should put down a. tidal bore at Cromwell .Hospital for artesian water. On rising to reply the Minister complimented the meeting on the manner in which the many matters had been placed before' him. He said the one matter which especially appealed, to him was the need of a water supply for the whole district. Given tins, lie had no doubt ns to what the country would produce. Given the supply of water, and with the development and progress which would accompany it. the railway must come. He suggested to the deputation to concentrate on getting a scheme to provide for the whole, valley. He had inspected the Roaring Meg scheme, from which supply was sought to relieve the position in Ripponvale, and to serve Cromwell Flat, He had previously heard of the bigger scheme at the Jake, and the estimated figures of the cost of harnessing it showed that it was incomparably cheaper at £37 per unit than other schemes costing £SD and even L2OD per unit; .He doubted if any country was better provided by Nature with the sources of hydroelectric; [lower. The (me blight on the whole district was the lack of an adequate supply of water, .Regarding motor license's and fees, the whole question was being investigated by an advisory council, and ho would await its recommendations. On the question of the railway, lie believed that, after the costly bridge at Cromwell had been erected, the extension up the valley would not be heavy.

Regarding land settlement and the -statement re the Land Board, ho said that if the board were not functioning better it was time,- the Government took a hand. He would place the representations made before the Hon. G. W. Forbes, who was “ red-hot ” on land settlement. He instanced the demand lor land in stating that when two farms at Taihape were offered by ballot there were. 200 applicants, and that at; a time alien they acre asked ‘‘ Who aunts to go on the land!'” Everywhere he, went he was laced with people requiring land. In the loans and cities there aero unemployed driven off the land by economic conditions. Unless they took a linn hold of land aggregation, which was all too preralont, they would never settle the land question and the unemployment position. Regarding Mount I’isa, lie would strongly represent the matter to the Minister. The carefully thought .statement of facts would he helpful to him and the Ministers. Tu connection with an artesian bore at the hospital, lie would confet aith the Minister of Rnhlic Works and sec what could be done. Summarising the position, he thought it would lie better if they could go right on aith a big scheme of irrigation, but that would mean waiting .some time. The Meg scheme appealed to him as practical. It could all he gone into by the engineers, and a decision could he arrived at before long. It might be wiser to harness the, smaller scheme meanwhile, for settlers aero being driven off the settlement near town, and some relief was necessary in reasonable time. He bad seen enough in his trip through the valley to satisfy him what water would accomplish. Touching finally on gold production, lie believed it still held out great possibilities, and ho was going to sec abut could be done. Concluding, the Minister admired the faith and confidence of the people in the potentialities of the district, and their optimism as In the future. Himself ho could picture, given the supply of water, a valley of prosperous settlers and great production. The Minister was heartily applauded for his encouraging report. This morning he left by train for the south.