Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-31
CONSUL TELLS OF
IRRIGATION WORK
Projects in Australia Showing the
Big Development Are
Reviewed
COMPARED WITH CALIFORNIA
Large Islands Progress Said to
Be the Same as That
of Golden State
COMPARED WITH CALIFORNIA


WASHINGTON, July 3e- The following
review OF the irrigation measures under
taken by the Australian state of Victoria IN
order to develop the country Is made ny
Consul John +. Jewell of Melbourne:
The state of Victoria has In its employ,
under a contract for term Of years. Mr.
Elwood Mead for many years professor OF
institution and practice of irrigation in the
University of California and from 1897 TO
1907 chief of irrigation and drainage IN
vestigaton OF the United states department
of agriculture. Mr.. Mead is at present
chairman Of the state rivers and water sup
ply commission of Victoria. and upon his
advice and direction the state government
has pledged itself to a policy Of develop
ment of its irrigable lands on a large scale
Recently l made a visit of inspection Tor
several days to the new irrigation districts
Of the state, and was impressed with thelr
great possibilities if settled under proper
conditions by small farmers accustomed 10
the best irrigation methods.
The government has spent S38,500 600 on
works to supply water for irrigation. domes-
tic and stock purposes. OF this S4-,'o0VV0
has been expended on irrigation WORKS.
which command 100000 acres. and Whlch
now supply water for 35Q.0OO acres, nut au-
ditional reservoirs will be needed before the
remainder of the area can be fully irrigated.
A complete water supply for irrigation is
assumed to be water enough to cover the
land to a depth of two feet each irrigation
period the water to be measured at the
place of use. The surplus water is sur
flcient to irrigate 100000 acres, and settlers
are required to utilize it.
IRRIGATION WORKS
The most important irrigation work is the
diversion Of the water of the Goulourn
river, which rises in the highest mountains
where the annual rainfall reaches sixty
inches, and during about six months OF lhe
year carries an immense volume of water
of which a considerable part Will nave 10
be stored to provide for the remaining SIX
months. There are two main chahhels Oh
the Goulburn scheme which nave an aebIt-
gate length of about $50 miles. The Weir
at the head Of the channel is a masonry
structure about fifty feet high and cost
about $500, ,000. The eastern channel now
complete is about thirty miles long. Inc
western main channel, nearing completion
is over 100 miles long, and carries ItoO
cubic feet a second; twelves miles from the
head it empties into a reservoir, which
holds 1860 acre feet, the entire storage
under the system being about 22tOUO acre
feet Surveys have also been made Tor
an additional reservoir, which will hold 500
600 acre feet of water. At present ABOUT
so 600 acres are being irrigated, ana there
is water available for an additional 2oo'ooo
acres. :,
The state also has a series of works di-
verttng water from the Murray river tne
largest stream in Australia, and naylgahIe
during six months of the year IoT apoHC
1000 miles When the river is at high Level
water may he obtained by gray ltatoh' out
when 1t falls to summer leveI' 1t has 70
in operation are capable Of littlns 90 cup'c
feet n second.
STATE NEEDS SETTLERS
The state needs settlers for about 100000
acres of land, for which it is prepared 10
guarantee a water supply OF two acre Iett
for each acre per annum and it hopes 10
secure a considerable number of experienced
irrigators from the United states. me Fea-
sons why this land is not taken up at hoihe
are that the continent of Australia, WnleA
is aDuroximately the size of the Jnlteu
states, contains only 100000 people Farm
ers settled in Victoria are pTosptt4Hs "t
land without irrigation. Besides, they are
not educated up to the ADVANTAGES Oh IIiI
cation, and there are not sufficient pros
pectiye settlers here to occupy the lailu
available The government has, therefore,,
decided to offer opportunities TO experienced
American irrigators to settle in victoria a
considerable portion of the land relefIeu ~ ~
the majority of which is heId III rom %
to 0 OOO acre lots may be purchased at Ie7-
sonable rates. but the government IN orue'
to guarantee satisfaction TO lhte"utlS
t1ers has determined to deal directly with
them and for that purpose it Is pufchas1A5
40 600 acres some of which 1t has uec4deu
to invite American settlers to take up,
The price Of land Will range from Sov 10
500 an acre, and payment, with interest at
Az ner cent, may be extended over ihTlE
one and a half years. Blocks VIII pe |" "cttS
70 200 acres averaging about forty 10 liiLs
acres in extent and each DOCK VIII D
Guaranteed a water supply Of two acre leet
per annum, at Sl2o per acre 1901 hsaSuieN
The Victoria irrigation and water supply
laws are perhaps more advanced and equl-
able than those of any other country. InS me
state owns the water beds and banks Of an
strear5s also a strip of land sometimes
fhree chains in width along the banks OF
The streams. The state IS thus pracueauy
the sole riparian proprietor no one "IaE nay
i'm anv way interfere with streams or uae
water from streams, without state con
sent. Court cases over water rights IN
Victoria are rare. For the water useu w
+o meet interest and maintenance on me
cost Of tho works commanding the supply.
No profit is sought, and as the al'a-iS aeLL !s ~
duced the price of water VIII be correspond
iugly lowered.