The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1907 IRRIGATION IN CANADA.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2054, 4 December 1907, Page 2

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1907 IRRIGATION IN CANADA.

Amongst the items on the Public Works Estimates this year is the sum of £3090 to be spent on irrigation mid water supply in agriculture 1 and mining districts. This is part of a sum of £100,090 to be devoted to tlie purpose mentioned, yet notwithstanding the trifling quantity of the instalment, wo are informed, gravely enough, that actual construction work is to be commenced during the summer. One wonders who will be benefited o.v such a trifling expenditure on work of such dimensions. Better by far to leave it alone until an amount can be expended which will guarantee real achievement in watering same of the arid portions of the coin iiiion. But is is tlie same with tlie miserable allocation made in regard to tlie gigantic question, of water power, and also in the case of many of our railways. Fairly large votes arc authorised, but then the amounts are doled out in dribs and drabs, so as to be of little use to anyone. How much better it would be for the Government to make up its mind what works are to be constructed and take them in, hand seriously, instead of -Ticking to tile had old policy of. make-believe. What a contrast Canada presents in such matters. The great trunk railway that is -traversing tlie Continent is being proceeded with at the rate of a mile a day, and the same «usi-liess-like methods are being followed in regard to irrigation. The Canadian Pacific railway has in hand, according to an article by Air. Hugh Lusk, published in the Christchurch Press, in the rich province of Alberta, a scheme of irrigation which should put an entirely new face on .agriculture throughout an area of fully a million and a half acres. The cost of the work is estimated at a million sterling. The- district to be watered lies east of the thriving ■town of Calgary, and is divided into -three sections, of which one is to be developed to its utmost capacity ucifore work is begiln on the others. The water is taken from the •paw River by' a huge channel seventeen miles long, sixty fecit wide at the -bottom, and 120 ft at the top, until -a minimum depth of water of j. From a res.ervoir created by damming a valley three largo secondary canals ramify, each feeding many hundreds of miles of subsidiary waterways. The outstanding feature of the work is the thoroughness with which it lias been carried out. Mr. El wood Mead, late chief of the irrigation branch- oif the American Department of Agriculture, and liow iin the employ of tlie Commonwealth Government, one of the greatest living authorities on irrigation, has declared that tlie Alberta scheme probably stands alone on the American Continent “in the care, time, and expense devoted to the preliminary and filial surveys and the methods of construction.” Farmers in some parts of the United States hive bad bitter experience of irrigation companies, and after paying for their land have had to light to secure their water rights, realising too late that they “have not bought irrigated farms but lawsuits.” -•tithing of this kind can happen in Canada. Tile C.l’.U. guarantees to maintain all the channels and distributing ditches in the Alberta scheme for two shillings per acre per annum, the cost of water is fixed by law, and its provision lias to be guaranteed under penalties for default. The effectiveness of the protection thus afforded to the farmer is shown by the fact that although 800 miles of irrigation channels have been opened in Canada in tlie past ten years, there lias not been a single lawsuit ill connection with the supply of water. The Alberta scheme is the result of a period of dry years in a province that is normally classed as semi-arid, though in -good seasons there is sufficient moisture for the growth of crops. lit was retarded by a succession of unusually wet years, but it was eventually decided, we arc told, to carry it out for,the benefit of posterity and as an insurance against the illelf efts ef dry years.

Sunday school anniversary services will be held at St. Andrew’s on Sunday next.

As usual on the occasion of large gatherings at the Theatre, suburban buses will be in waiting alter the concert? to-morrow evening.

Mrs. Jus. 'Wallace and family, publicly tlmnlc all friends lor "their kind expressions of sympathy in connection with the family’s sad bereavement.

A meeting of the Society lor the Rroveiition. of Cruelty to Animals committee will be belli in tlie Council Chambers at 1 o’clock tills afternoon.

'The Mayor proposed at last nights meeting of the Borough Council tliiit all rates unpaid after December 10th be penalised to tlie extent, ol .10 per cent. “1 second the motion, ’ said Councillor Bright; “I’ve paid my rates.” The motion was carried.

Tile Wairoa-More re-Gisborne mail service lias been increased from once to twice weekly during the tourist season. The additional service started from AVairoa on Monday morning, and reached Gisborne yesterday, tlie. return trip being made oil Thursday morning.

On his return from his present visit- to tilio coast, has Honor the Chief Justice, Sir Robert Stout, will pay an official visit to the local branch of tlio American Order of of which Order lie lias been a, member for over twenty years.

A notice to students of technical classes and othors is advertised relative to tlio technological examinations of tlio City and Guilds of London Institute. Tiho examinations will be hold in Atay and July lifixt, and students should advise the Education Department, as to tlie subjects they propose to take.

Information lias been received by the jiolice as to tlie arrest in Auckland ol‘ John Seagar Buckland. Accused was brought before tlio Court in Auckland, charged with, tlio theft of £lO 9s, the property of John Russell Hill, of Gisborne, and was remanded to appear at Gisborne next Monday.

Information has been received by tiho police as to the arrest in Auckland of John Seagar Buckland. Accused was brought before the Count in Auckland charged with the theft of £lO 9s, tho property of John Russell Hill, of Gisborne, and was remanded to appear at Gisborne on Aloiulay next. At. last night’s meeting of the Eoflough Council Or. Sheridan as ted leave to withdraw his motion that tlio nanio of AVi T’cro street and Roebuck road bo changed to Town ley road. Ho thought that as this was the last term of office of the Alayor it would be a graceful act to do so; but as tlio Mayor was against it it would bo bad taste to press tho motion. Leavo to withdraw was granted.

At tho last meeting of tlio Gisborno Co-operative Building Society, Air. C. Adair drew a loan of £3OO in No. 1 issue. Tlie sum of £3OO was sold by tender, realising £lB per hundred, equal to 34 per cent, and of £4OO in No. 2 issue offered for sale £3OO brought £2B and £IOO £2O. The resolution altering tho rules in No. 1 issue to enable a member to hold five instead of three shares was confirmed. At the last meeting of the Gisborne Co-operative Building Society Air. C. Adair drew a loan of £3OO in No. 1 issue. Tlie sum of £3OO was sold by tender, realising £lB per hundred, equal to 2;| per cent.; and of £4OO in No. 2 issue offered foT sale £3OO brought £2B, and £ £2O. The resolution altering the rules in No. 1 issue to enable a member to hold five instead of three shares was confirmed.

Before proceedings opened at the sitting of the Native Lund Commission yesterday, Air. AV. L. Roes relied leave to bring tlie matter of tlie insufficiency of space at the Courthouse before the Chief Justice. He said that when the Supreme Court sat the Alagistrate had to hold sittings in odd rooms about the building which at times might not he available. Representations made by the Law Society had been disregarded, but he understood that if ihe Judges spoke on the matter the Dona rtment would see into : t-. His Honor said ho would be p'ea;?d to look oyer the building, and to see what was necessary.