VIII. H, G. McKINNEY. 
of water and that this waste occurs in districts where 
water has its greatest value. Extensive areas are flooded 
to such a depth as to kill vegetation, useless swamps are 
converted into great evaporating pans, and innumerable 
lagoons and shallow channels which are practically useless 
for storage purposes contribute to the general waste. These 
are the conditions which prevail whenever any considerable 
flow reaches the lower parts of such rivers as the Lachlan, 
the Macquarie, and the Gwydir, and in a less degree in the 
cases of other rivers. It is extremely doubtful whether 
the area of pasturage which is materially benefited repre- 
sents one-tenth of the irrigating capacity of the water 
which disappears. 
The great difficulty which presents itself at the outset in 
establishing a proper basis for dealing with rivers of this 
description lies in the fact that the lower holders who 
possess undoubted rights have generally very crude ideas 
as to how these rights should be preserved. Some of them 
still object to all works without distinction which are con- 
structed on the river above them. This idea is, however, 
dying a natural death, and its disappearance is being 
hastened by the fact that both in this State and Victoria 
there are standing instances of the manner in which a 
creek or a river can be improved for the landholders 
throughout its entire length by the construction of suitable 
works. As regards our typical rivers, there are hundreds 
of thousands of acres of fertile land through which these 
rivers flow and in which the irrigation of moderate areas at 
intervals would be of incalculable benefit. The question to 
be solved is how to utilize the waters so as to benefit these 
lands without injury to the interests of the lower holders 
who depend on periodical floodings. 
The principle on which this question can be solved is less 
difficult than might at first sight appear. Whilst floods of 
