Irrigation of Plains

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 103, 18 May 1937, Page 6

Irrigation of Plains

"IT IS HIGH TIME WE DID SOMETHING" Mayor to be Asked to Call Meeting WHOLE THING IS THERE' The calling of. a preliminary meeting hy the Mayor of Hjantinga, Mr G. A. Maddison, to consider the advisability of calling a public meeting of citizena and settlers to dlscuss the question of irrigation in Hawke's Bay was favour ed by the Hastings Chamber of Commerce last evening, and it was decided that Mr Maddison shouid be invited to take steps in this direction. The question of irrigation arose as a result of the Teply rec'eived from the Department of Induetri^l and Seientific Research ! to the Chamber 's ' inquirios intp what bearing the soil survey had ou irrigation matters. The reply intimated that the report had been f orwaTded to the Minister of Public Works, but that no. word had been received from him. "The letter doesn't indicate that there is any move.. being made for irrigation in Hawke's Bay," said Mr F. E. Smith, who pointed out that some two years ago this matter had been discussed by the Chamber, but had. not been pressed further because Dr. Grainge had given an assurance that it would .definitely be included iin the soil survey* ' 'It is ' now well over 18 months since that work started, and we have not heard anything about irrigation)" said Mr Smith. "I think if is Mgh time that we dad something in the matter. If we sit down and do nothing, then it is nothing we shall get." He said that he had spoken to Mr Maddison on the subjeet an.d that the Mayor had indieated that he was prepared to co-operate with those interested in the question. Mr Smith said that the particular scheme he had in mind was the one known as the Waipawa River Scheme, in -which it was proposed that the river shouid be hronght over Te Aute Hdll tp Poukawa Lake and continue.d on. This would enable the establishment of power-generating plant that would give ali the necessary power required for pumping the water. "The whole thing is there and the water can be so easily led down on to the plains," he said. "Of course, it is fpr the pxpert engineprs to say .whether it can be done, but I feei quite confident that it can be. There ara no dpuht other proposals and sehemes which shouid bp given consideration & 'He said that Mr. Maddison was prepared to call a preliminary meeting and later a public meeting to consider the whole question of- the irrigation of the plains, and ke moved that Mr. Maddison shouid be invited to take this aeti.on, In secondng the moton, Mr. W. A. Whitlock said it was quite obvious that in Mariborpugh, Canterbury and Gtago extensive irrigation sehemes were being planned, but there was no mention of Hawke's Bay. He was _ sure that fhe productivdty of the soil in Hawke's Bay was worthy of consideration. Mr. Smith pointed out that there were three experimental sehemes of irrigation by artesian water in Hawke's Bay and that all were increasing fhe productivity pf the soil in fhe ereas .coneexned. "We want a thorough investigation of the scheme, perhaps , gcme better one if it can he evolved," he said. "We hadly want irrigation in this provinee, for the paddocks are bare. Here we are May, and even at this time of the year lorry-loads of hay and mangles are being transported ahout the countryside to provide fced for stock. We are starting off the winter with our paddocks bar© of feed when instead they shouid he and could quite easily be clothed in feed. We are losing hundreds of thousands of pounds every year because of lack of irrigation of our lands./' The motion was carried unanimouslv.