620 president's address — section h. 



least expense, and where land is most productive, so that the least 

 irrigated acreage will support a family in comfort. In other words, 

 we wish this resource to contribute to the wellbeing of the largest 

 number of people, regardless of the portion of the Commonwealth 

 in which they may live. 



At present there is a wide divergence of opinion both as to 

 where this water should be used and what it should be used for. 

 Much has been made of the navigable features of the Murray and 

 Darling Rivers — far too much, in my opinion. Many believe that 

 the preservation and improvement of navigation must be first 

 assured ; what water remains after this has been cared for may 

 be used for irrigation and drinking purposes. Others, with a 

 happy optimism, scarcely warranted by the stream gaugings 

 of 1902 and 1907, insist that there is water enough for all purposes ; 

 but to believe this one has to ignore the experience of other lands 

 and the controlling facts as to the flow of the river and the needs 

 of the thirsty soil of its valley. 



Meanwhile the use of the water of tliis river for irrigation is 

 being largely extended in each of the three States most concerned. 

 The settlement of the land under the schemes already undertaken, 

 and on which large expenditures are made, will so increase the 

 absorption of water as to create conditions entirely different from 

 those of the past. In 1902 the demands on the Murray showed 

 that there was little margin for expansion so long as dependence 

 is wholly on the natural flow. Since that time New South Wales 

 and Victoria have constructed large storage works on tributaries. 

 But there is need of immediate and large storage provision on the 

 main stream to safeguard the settlements under the schemes 

 already inaugurated, as well as to make safe provision for further 

 expansion. 



The movement of settlement towards Australia makes it 

 additionally desirable that there should be early and intelhgent 

 action in this matter. There is also need of additional legislation. 

 The fundamental water laws of the States are admirable, but they 

 do not provide for an extensive and complete use of the water 

 of the stream, and they should only be regarded as preliminary 

 steps. One important feature of the best water laws of other 

 countries is not found in any of the Australian statutes, and that 

 is the recognition of the doctrine of priority of right under which 

 the older settlements are protected from the encroachments of 

 unwise or imprudent expansions. It is only through a study of 

 the economics of irrigation that the importance and necessity of 

 this additional legislation will become apparent ; hence the 

 economics of irrigation should be made a distinct and important 

 feature of the investigation. 



Before there should be any large expansion of existing works, 

 there should be a wholly disinterested study of the river to deter- 

 mine how much water enters it, where and how much of the water 

 is lost by seepage and evaporation, how much water is needed to 

 irrigate an acre of land, and how wide is the variation in need 



