THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



183 



and the Land Board to demonstrate the number and 

 class of persons and the interest they take in such a 

 plan for the betterment of the condition of the colored 

 race. 



The plan for acquiring the land as submitted to the 

 Land Board is that each district purchaser of a farming 

 tract deal directly with the state, thus avoiding any 

 possible risk to the settler in dealing with a third party. 



The center section, or town site, which is shown 

 herewith, is to be purchased by the company, and 

 paid for outright, and is to be platted and sold in town 

 lots in order to raise a fund to protect the settlers and 

 establish a department store; to erect buildings for 

 local merchants who are not able to buy a lot and build 

 at first. The rents and profits from the sale of town 

 lots will provide a permanent dividend for stockholders. 

 The money derived from the sale of the company's 

 stock and lands will also provide and pay for the em- 

 ployment of the laborers and mechanics who may settle 

 in the district. 



This is a worthy move on the part of the colored men 

 of the country and should be encouraged. There is no 

 doubt but that a settlement of colored people on land 

 will make them more thrifty and eventually develop 

 a prosperity among that race which is impossible where 

 they are confined to city conditions. 



It is hoped that those of our readers who are inter- 

 ested in this subject may communicate with Mr. Jack- 

 son and offer him such encouragement as his work justi- 

 ; fies. . A kindly word to any of the members of the 

 committee who are carrying out this plan will do much 

 to stimulate them to nobler and higher effort. 



IRRIGATION IN VICTORIA. 



BY H. G. M KINNEY, M. INST. C. E. 

 (In Engineering Record.) 



The subject of irrigation in New South Wales 

 and the manifold benefits arising from irrigation have 

 been dealt with in innumerable speeches, reports and 

 newspaper articles during the past 25 years. At every 

 general election, and during every drought, many tor- 

 rents of eloquence on this subject have been poured 

 out over the heads of the electors. It would almost 

 appear that the possibility of being deprived of such 

 an excellent stock subject as the necessity for irrigation 

 might to some extent account for the fact that many 

 of the politicians who made long speeches regarding 

 it were lukewarm, if not hostile, when any practical 

 steps were proposed. As regards the general fate of 

 reports dealing with it, the words of Dickens in his 

 immortal chapter on "The Whole Science of Govern- 

 ment," are fairly applicable. In describing what hap- 

 pened to complaints, applications and other matters 

 which reached the Circumlocution Office, Dickens said: 

 "Boards sat upon them, secretaries minuted upon them, 

 commissioners gabbled about them, clerks registered, 

 entered, checked and ticked them off, and they melted 

 away." However, New South Wales is at last embarked 

 on an active policy of construction of large irrigation 

 works, and it is, therefore, a matter of present interest 

 to consider the financial aspect of the question. 



As Victoria is fully a quarter of a century ahead 

 of New South Wales in regard to the construction 

 of irrigation works, and as the vigorous irrigation policy 

 of that state is often held up as an example to New 



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