IRRIGATION RETURN

Evening Star, Issue 22451, 23 September 1936, Page 2

IRRIGATION RETURN

BEST PAYING PUBLIC WORKS BIG JOBS IN OTAGO AND CANTERBURY [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, September 22. Surprise that the Public Works proamine did not involve more expendiure on irrigation was expressed by Mr Jodkiu (Centra! Otago) when discussng the Works Statement in the House :o-day. He contended that there was more direct and indirect return from this than by the completion of unfinished railways, of which he was extremely critical. The annual loss on the Central Otago railway prior to the development of irrigation was £IBO,OOO, but as a result of irrigation tins was reduced to £BO,OOO, and there was a very great increase in the revenue of this line during the current year. The Works Statement itself showed that, as the result of the Omakau scheme coming into operation, some thousands more acres of land were coming into production, which meant higher railway receipts. The Maniototo scheme would serve 83,000 acres, and would necessitate the constant employment of 200 men for water distribution. Nothing in the way of Public Works expenditure could make the same inroad on unemployment as irrigation. The Minister had suggested that he (Mr Bodkin) had become quite enthusiastic after one visit to the district, but the system under which he worked was entirely wrong. When the Government was dealing with roads and bridges economics did not enter into the question, and there as no scope for Treasury officials to ma'ke adverse reports, but when they considered a utility service like irrigation, the Treasury officials fastened on it and held inquests to ascertain if there was a profit going to private individuals. Then there were vexatious delays, and the whole thing was held up while uneconomic works wore put up and approved, though irrigation works, a great public benefit, stood, over. He suggested that, while irrigation schemes were available in Canterbury and Otago, the Minister should hesitate before starting any other public work, because nothing compared with irrigation for making the Dominion richer through its results.

Dunedin to-day had 2,500 unemployed, while 600 men were seeking work in his electorate. He strongly urged that .this labour should be utilised on irrigation, and not transferred to other public works.

Mr Bodkin gave examples of enormously improved production when land was irrigated, one case being that of land which carried ono merino sheep to five acres, but was now capable, under irrigation, of carrying six ewes to the acre. , „ There’s no doubt about that, remarked Mr Semple. ' “Then whv not get on with the job?” retorted Mr Bodkin, who explained that three-fifths of the area involved in the Maniototo scheme was Crown land, and only a comparatively small portion freehold. Mr Semple, at a later stage, remarked that there had been a good deal heard of irrigation, and he was satisfied that the arguments of Mr Bodkin were logical, and that the irrigation of Canterbury and Otago was necessary, and that this work should be undertaken soon. However, it was useless to talk about tackling one hundred miles of drainage with pick and shovel, when it could he done with an elevating grader which would cut a ditch as fast as a man could walk. Ibis meant lower cost, and lessened the burden for the farmers who used tho irrigated lands.