2nd Progress Report - Part 3

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This transcription is complete

12344. Were you represented on the committee of Harvey settlers who conducted the negotiations with the Government under which the scheme was installed?—Yes; there were several meetings held down there at which I was not present. I was at the meeting that was held in the road boards office at which Mr Johnson, then Minister for Works, was present.

12345. The opinion the settlers seem to have of the arrangement was that the Government undertook, for a sum of £34,000, to put in and irrigate 3,350 acres; 500 acres of that area, which belongs to the Government, has not been supplied with water?—Yes. They were definitely asked the question whether we would have to carry the burden of their 500 acres, or whether they would relieve us of that much of the taxation, and their reply was that they would relieve us of the taxation. I remember it perfectly well. I think it was a definite promise at the time that it was not to be more than 10s. per acre per annum.

12346. Was it contemplated at that time that in the expenditure of the £34,000 agreed upon between the parties, that the Government area would not be provided with channels?—I do not think there was anything of that sort in it. It was to be developed by the Government as they thought fit.

12347. There was a sum of £2,800 also reserved by agreement for lining the channels?—That came into the original £34,000.

12348. It was a specific agreement that £2,800 was to be reserved for the lining of certain channels. Was that work carried out?—No.

1349. Do you think the Government were justified in not carrying it out, or do you think they should have carried out that work?—I think they should have carried it out. What happened to the money if not?

12350. It appear to have gone into the general expenditure?—That has nothing to do with us; we have to pay for the scheme, they should do the job.

12351. It was also agreed that where planted orchards were encountered pipes were to be used. Do you remember that?—I do.

12352. Those pipes were afterwards not employed. Is yours one of the cases where the pipes were not employed?—Yes.

12353. Has the substitution of other works been satisfactory?—Yes; but it has not been the completion of the contract. I do not grumble because my land is high enough.

12354. Has it been satisfactory in other cases?—Most distinctly no.

12355. It was also agreed that along the river channels pipes were to be employed?—Yes.

12356. Were the pipes used?—No.

12357. Do you think that a breach of the contract?—Yes. It was absolutely necessary.

12358. You uphold the contention of the settlers that the scheme has never yet been completed in accordance with the contract?—That is absolutely so.

12359. We have also had pointed out to us that when the water was laid on in the first instance no assistance was given to the settlers to show them how to apply it to the land, and that, as a consequence, mistakes were made?—We had no assistance given to us and what assistance came was by accident. I picked up Mr Scott in the train going up one day. When we got into full swing Mr Oldham came along and had a look, but by that time we had the scheme going. They gave us the highest point in the orchard and we got the water there as best we could.

12360. Was Mr Scott able to advise you?—Yes; Mr Scott helped us.

12361. Did you find his advice beneficial?—Yes. We got over the troubles. Mr Scott and Mr Eckersley have been working on my block. They cut off some of the knobs and levelled it out a bit. I shall have no more trouble. Each season it got easier. We altered the course of the water.

12362. Was the department able to deliver the water to the highest point on your block?—Yes. There was only one point that it did not reach, but we rectified that this year. They made a mistake as to which was the highest point, but that was of minor importance. Anything that Mr Oldham and Mr Eckersley could do they were delighted to do.

12363. Do you approve of the general design of the Harvey irrigation scheme for a district like Harvey, where there was a good deal of land not suitably drained?—Now you are asking me a question on which I would not like to offer an opinion. After all, when you come to think of it, an irrigation scheme is a scheme by which a certain area can receive a certain quantity of water when it wants it, and when it is necessary to put it on within a limited time. I think anybody can get the water within a day of two of the time they require it.

12364. I should say, as far as the general scheme goes, it is most distinctly satisfactory. The fault at Harvey is that the water does not get away fast enough.

12365. Were you able to get a good flow of water from the channels?—Yes, quite good. When we are left alone we have had no trouble, except some places which have slipped in. I think the first year we had a little trouble and I think the irrigation ditches have sunk a bit and require raising, but that would happen in any scheme. I would like to point out another matter. There has been a good deal of talk about having cement channels, and when we consider Merbin, which is eight miles north-west of Mildura, we get to a place only a few years old, and people went there with a full knowledge of what Mildura had suffered, and they said, "We are going to do things up to date." They put down cement channels and insisted on cement channels between the vineyards and all the rest of it. The channels have cracked and sunk and gone out of shape, just as they did in the private orchards. A tremendous amount of trouble has been involved in putting them right again. So far as the actual practical use of the Harvey channels goes, I think the result there would have been infinitely better from the fact that they have had time to form and settle down. If they are cemented it will be possible to make a good job of them and one which will last for a long time. There have been heaps of smashes and breaks along the lines of the channels at Mildura. The channels were not all cemented. There were open channel, channels with earth sides, and channels the sides of which were made with a sort of thick plaster such as one sees on walls. They were by no means perfecta t Mildura. Some times there were no linings at all. At Merbin people have a bad time with the cementing of the channels from the very jump, because the