The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1877-03-21
irrigation.

PROFESSOR Davidson has recently deliver
ed before the Sacramento Literary Institute
an interesting lecture on the above topic,
which is published in the Sacramento Union OF
the 2lst of February, in which he gave a
graphic account of the state of the science in
India, Italy and Egypt, dwelling especially
on the marvels of engineering skill in the
former country, where the English have done
wonders for the benefit of the swarming in
habitants. India stands pre-eminent in its
gigantic undertakings for systematically irri-
eating large districts through engineering
means that are, and in one sense must be un-
PARALLEL. 1t is probable that 10 other country
affords such an area of fertile land capable of
being made to produce two crops annually,
wholly or in part by artificial means
For probably more than two thousand years
the native races of India have supplemented
the rains by irrigation from reservoirs, canals,
and from millions of wells; but it has been
reserved to the English to develop the system
of irrigation so thoroughly that it is now
merely question of time when the great pro-
jects already examined shall be built. Those
projected, aud nearly all under progress, are
estimated to cost Sl69, 1900 and with their
completion, within the next twenty-three
years, We may safely say that the population
will be doubled, famines will be mitigated.
and the most important to the Government,
the revenues will certainly be more than
doubled and their rule and authority more
firmly established.
The first English irrigating enterprise in
India was undertaken by an incorporated
company, upon whose expenditures the East
India Government guaranteed the interest.
Financially it was not success. A second
undertaking by another company without
guarantee (but the free gift of all the land re-
quired for permanent works, etc., was a fail
ure, and the Government bought the works.
These and other failures seem almost unac-
countable when we learn that on the Madras
system the cost of water supplied was one
fftieth of the cost by native labor; whilst the
ratio of profit to the cultivation from equal
areas of irrigated and of "dry land" is more
than three to one, and the ratio of revenue to
the Government about the same.
The natural inference from these facts
would seem to be that irrigation projects on
large scale should always be undertaken by
Government, rather than by private parties or
companies, for while they are often, we may
say generally, poor investments in the matter
of dollars and cents they almost always pay
heavy dividends to the Government by assur-
ing the increased prosperity of the people, by
causing the appreciation Of property, and by
the consequent increment of taxes.
This theory may not hold good in some of
its features to this country, where the limited
territory precludes the possibility of irriga-
CATION enterprises of any magnitude, render
ing it possible for any capitalist to undertake
the construction of canals, but we believe
that wherever stream, from its situation and
size, can be made available for irrigating
lands belonging to number of owners, it
should be held and controlled by the Govern
ment.