THE EKA OF EXTRAVAGANCE 255 



commended that the State should take the initiative ; should 

 exercise powers of control over all rivers and sources of water 

 supply; should officially survey and declare the districts most 

 suitable for irrigation ; and, subject to evidence that a sufficient 

 return would be received to pay interest on the cost, should under- 

 take the construction of head works of a so-called " National " 

 character in important districts. For the rest the Act provided 

 that wherever the settlers chose to combine for the purpose, an 

 Irrigation Trust could be formed, to which the Government would 

 advance the money necessary for the works at 4 per cent., the 

 trust being empowered to levy such rates upon irrigated lands as 

 would cover the interest, and provide a sinking fund of l per 

 cent, per annum. 



The advantages to be derived from irrigation were not exagger- 

 ated, the principles upon which the Act was based were thoroughly 

 sound, and yet it undeniably failed to produce the anticipated 

 benefits. The success so manifest in America was due to the 

 active supervision and keen management arising from personal 

 interest in prospective gain. Municipal management, like Govern- 

 ment control of the railways, was, to a large extent, a perfunctory 

 business. The Victorian farmer, too long accustomed to look to a 

 paternal Government for all benefits, with something of the spoiled 

 child in his attitude, soon began to complain of the rates. He 

 demurred to the fact that by making his land liable for irrigation 

 assessments he was brought under an involuntary mortgage, and 

 many raised frivolous objections to paying for water which they 

 thought they could do without. One injudicious provision of the 

 Act, which authorised the local trust to borrow temporarily from 

 banks in addition to their debt to the Government, tended to pre- 

 cipitate the financial involvement of many of these bodies. But 

 these things were hidden in the future, and the Act was welcomed 

 as a measure that might reasonably be expected to double the pro- 

 ducing power of the colony. And it promptly got to work. With- 

 in four years Water Supply Acts were passed granting loans of 

 1,032,000 to 132 Trusts, and authorising the expenditure of over 

 700,000 for " National" irrigation works. With that inordinate 

 capacity for getting into debt which has been so prominent an 



