SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.— E, F. 451 



the view of the sea from the village of Salcombe Regis the author decided to 

 dedicate these fields also as a private open space. An agreement having 

 been entered into giving the Sidmouth Urban District Council power to 

 enforce these restrictions in perpetuity, the Council have responded by 

 reserving their own adjacent lands as an open space. 



The purpose of the present paper is to draw attention to the importance 

 of such co-operation between landowners and local authorities in the task 

 of preserving the amenities of England's five hundred miles of cliff land. 



Miss M. F. Davies. — Irrigation in the Canterbury Plains, New Zealand 

 (10.30). 



The central portion of the Canterbury Plains suffers severely in most 

 years from drought in the summer months. The low rainfall and the 

 porosity of the soil result in general wilting of the vegetation, especially of 

 the new strains of imported grasses. Owing to these circumstances the 

 carrying capacity of the land is low, and farming is on an extensive rather 

 than an intensive basis. Recent experiments, however, have shown that 

 when the land is irrigated, production and carrying capacity can be increased 

 twelve-fold. 



This same area lies between two great rivers, the Rangitata and the 

 Rakaia, which make their way across the plains in broad shingle beds at a 

 distance of some 35 miles from each other. The present Government 

 scheme includes the diversion of the waters of the Rangitata along the base 

 of the foot-hills to the Rakaia, the irrigation of the major part of Ashburton 

 County, and the estabHshment of a hydro-electric station at the junction 

 of the Main Diversion Race with the Rakaia river. 



On account of the porosity of the soil and the gradient of the land, a 

 special method of irrigation has been adopted. The workings of this new 

 system are described by means of diagrams, slides and a cinematograph 

 film in natural colour. 



SECTION F.— ECONOMIC SCIENCE AND 

 STATISTICS. 



Thursday, August 18. 



Mr. C. W. GuiLLEBAUD. — The economic recovery of Germany (lo.o). 



In 1932 Germany was in the depths of a most acute depression. She had 

 6,000,000 unemployed and industry, agriculture and banking were almost 

 paralysed. She attacked the problem partly by tax remissions, marriage 

 bonuses and many other measures designed to stimulate consumption and 

 promote private investment, and partly by public works on a vast scale 

 financed by short term bills drawn by private contractors and discounted 

 by the banks and the Reichsbank. The growth of investment increased 

 incomes and the larger incomes provided the necessary savings. 



Unemployment was halved between 1932 and 1934 largely owing to the 

 deliberate creation of employment. From 1935 onwards re-armament has 

 played a predominant r61e. With the adoption of the second Four-Year 

 Plan at the end of 1936 Germany is endeavouring to make herself inde- 

 pendent of foreign sources of supply of a number of important raw materials. 



