Károlyi Zsigmond: A vízhasznosítás, vízépítés és vízgazdálkodás története Magyarországon (Tankönyvkiadó, Budapest, 1960)
Idegen nyelvű összefoglalók
various kinds of water utilizations recognised as the next stage m the development of water economics (irrigation, lake-farming, utilization of hydraulic power). When, however, the heroic fight for freedom of the Hungarian people was suppressed by the united Austrian and Russian reaction and the country lost its independence, there was no more possibility for a healthy development of economics. Under such circumstances the programme for water economics of the »Reform Age« could be realized only in parts. The »Tiszavölgyi Társulat« (»Tisza Valley Society«) was struggling with financial difficulties; it could accomplish the enormous work of flood control of the Tisza valley only with the state subvention granted after the flood catastrophe in 1879. As proof of the unique dimensions in European relation of the work may be mentioned that the flood dams of the Tisza valley secure safe agrieultural production on a territory of 4,5 million cadastral acres. The whole flood-controlled area in the Danube and Tisza valleys is as large as 6,5 million cadastral acres; 4,1 million of which is on the territory of our country, and that is, roughly speaking, one quarter of the whole territory, and one third of the cultivated land of the country respectively. To'accomplish the agricultural water-workings indispensable for a more intensive agricultural production (such as inland—drainage, irrigation etc.) in 1879 the Institute of Civil Engineering was established, — on the initiative, and under the guidance, of Jenő Kvassay, the most prominent Hungarian engineer of hydraulics of the age. However, insurmountable obstacles were raised before the work of the organization by the lack of finances. As a result of efforts by the societies, considerable size of land was drained, and the work accomplished, with its 25 000 km length of trench is considerable even in international relation; this measure of inland drainage, however, did not meet the requirements for a long time to come. , The construction of irrigation-navigation channels and the realization of the plans of development for an irrigation system were hindered by the feudal big-estate system (extensive agriculture, unfavourable settlement conditions) — already an obstacle in the way of development; agricultural capital-drift accompanying the bulding' of capitalism and the influence of the railway concerns fearing the competition of the water transfer. The requirements of socialeconomic development raised the century-old plan of the Danube—Tisza channel and the Trans-Tisza irrigation channel again and again as well as other plans of water economics serving to develop a more intensive agriculture; all that was in vain, there was no possibility for their realization. However, on the turn of the century, the inhabitation conditions also made the urge towards the realization of intensive agriculture imperative, as well as the need for planned settlements, and, on behalf of all this, the supporting of agricultural hydraulic works (a big part of the agrarian proletariat namely came from the number of those working earlier at flood control enterprises). The political governing- power, however, tried, in defending the existing estate condi317
