conservation in this colony and particulary in the country west of 

 Dividing Range, is for irrigation. 4. That the purposes for which 

 irrigation is chiefly required, are (a) to provide fodder and grain 

 for horses, cattle, and stud sheep ; .(b) to afford surplus supplies 

 to be kept in reserve for saving stock of all kinds in bad seasons ; 

 (c) to produce fruit, vegetables, and miscellaneous crops ; and (d) 

 to increase generally the productive powers of the land. 5. That 

 any well-considered and properly executed project for irrigation 

 in the country west of the Dividing Range would afford a good 

 direct return on the capital invested, and would be a distinct 

 benefit to the colony at large. 6. That legislation on the subject 

 of water rights is a matter of pressing necessity, both to protect 

 the rights of the State and to foster and encourage local and 

 private enterprise." 



The correctness of these conclusions is beyond dispute, and is 

 thoroughly borne out by the experience of Victoria, where the 

 extension of irrigation is proceeding by rapid strides as already 

 mentioned. Competent authorities are of opinion that tlie rapid 

 development of the country districts in that colony, and the re- 

 munerative returns of the railways, are ' 

 and irrigation in a much greater degrt 

 stood on this side of the Murray. 



It must be borne in mind that the indirect benefits arising from 

 water conservation and irrigation are often far in excess of the 

 direct benefits. A severe drought not only occasions enormous 

 loss in stock during the time it lasts, but frequently leads to the 

 loss of returns for one or even two succeeding years. For instance 

 on the first occasion when I visited the Macquarie District there 

 ^a.s a severe drought, which had left scarcely a vestige of grass, 

 with the natural result that the stock had either died or been 

 removed elsewhere. On my next visit I found the grass from 1ft. 

 to 2ft. in height, but there was no stock to eat it, as store sheep 

 and cattle were not to be had at remunerative prices. Cases of 

 this kind are by no means uncommon, and they serve to show the 

 Importance of the indirect losses arising from droughts, and to 

 illustrate the causes of uncertainty of the pastoral industry under 

 present conditions. 



Want of Legislation. 



The greatest obstacle in the way of irrigation is the want of 

 legislation dealing with water rights. In my report on " Irriga- 

 tion^in Riverina," presented to the Water Commission in March, 

 1«87, I referred to this question in the following terms :— " As a 

 means of stifling enterprise by preventing the utilisation of the 

 natural water supply of the country, the British law of riparian 

 rights could scarcely be excelled. For instances of the operation 

 of this monstrous law, we have only to look back on the records 



