376 Report S.A.A. Advancement of Science. 



has been dul) and satisfactorily expended upon the Works, while 

 another Act lays it down that advances can only be made to the 

 extent of two-thirds of the value of work actually carried out and 

 certified to by a Government Engineer. Thus assuming that a loan 

 of ^5,000 had been granted, an instalment of ;£i,ooo would be 

 advanced on starting the works, but the applicant must spend an 

 additional ^2,000 of his own money (or ^3,000 altogether) before 

 a second instalment of ^1,000 could be advanced to him, and he 

 would have to expend a total of ^4-50° before he could receive a 

 third instalment of ;£ 1,000. If the applicant has not sufficient capital 

 of his own it is obvious that he will have to borrow elsewhere, prob- 

 ably at a high rate of interest, and it will thus be seen that the 

 assistance offered by Government is less in reality than would appear 

 from a superficial examination. 



The Acts should therefore be amended in such a manner that 

 it would be possible to advance a second instalment of one-fifth of 

 the total so soon as the first instalment had been properly expended 

 upon the work. 



It must be considered that an enterprising farmer who rai.ses a 

 loan or mortgage runs a very considerable risk of losing his property, 

 should for instance an abnormal flood occur, which might sweep away 

 the whole of the Works while luider construction, and to such men 

 every assistance and encouragement should be given in the furtherance 

 of their objects. 



Other reasons why Irrigation enterprise has not prospered may 

 shortly be stated : 



Want of capital. 



Want of experience. 



Ignorance of the best methods of storing water or of applying 

 it to the best advantage when it is available. 



Absence of public spirit and disregard of the value and the 

 advantages of co-operation among the persons most intere.sted. 



It would be absurd to question the wisdom of the policy of 

 constructing roads and railways in order to open up the interior of a 

 countr)' and so allow its produce to be distributed in the country 

 itself, or else to be forwarded to the ports whence it can be shipped 

 to other countries. But it is equally the duty of the Government 

 which provides the means of transport to render assistance to the 

 producer in the only way in which he should be assisted in the semi- 

 arid country, namely, by supplying him with the water he is in need 

 of. For a railway once it is constructed may carry a thousand tons 

 a week, but it can be made to carry ten times that quantity at com- 

 paratively little extra expense. In the former case it may be worked 

 at a loss, in the latter at a profit. It stands to reason, therefore, 

 that if the producer is enabled to double or treble the amount of hi.<^ 

 produce the railway and the whole country must benefit by it. 



Hitherto the assistance given to the producer has mainly been 

 in the direction of protective duties, which course, while benefiting 



