Vízügyi Közlemények, 1932 (14. évfolyam)

2. füzet - XII. Kisebb közlemények

I. POLICY AND ORGANIZATION OF HYDRAULIC AFFAIRS IN AUSTRIA. BY : ISTVÁN ZAUNER. The author writes upon the organization of the Austrian hydraulic service and describes some great hydraulic works now under construction for river and soil improvement. The Austrian hydraulic service is divided into a Federal and a State department. The Federal service deals with the improvement and maintenance of rivers under State control, navigable by ship and raft, furthermore with the regulation of torrents, with the construction and maintenance of artificial waterways ; while the regulation of smaller rivers and brooks, and reclamation works come within the sphere of the State service. Apart from the regulation of the Danube and the March River, which is looked after by the Federal Danube Regulation Commission domiciled in Vienna, the works appertaining to both the Federal and the State service are carried out by State offices. The improvement of rivers and brooks in Austria has made great advances since the war. Besides the regulation works on the Danube which are constantly in progress, with an annual investment of about 4,755,000 shillings, some considerable works are being carried out on the tributaries. These works have a double purpose : to control the destroying forces of rivers and on the other hand to utilize available water-power. This utilization is mostly achieved by means of private capital, but the Confederation and the States contribute considerable sums to the expenditure, especially in the form of subscribed shares, because in this way these authorities become entitled to inspect and even to exert an influence on the activities of the companies. Austria spends on an average 25—26 million shillings annually on river regulation, while during the period of 1920—30 private capital expended a yearly average of 37 million shillings. The reclamation work is performed by State engineering offices, except in Upper Austria and Carinthia, where it is done by special engineering section of the State Agricultural Council. This form of work has recently become^ of great importance in Austria in consequence of the isolation policy and self-supporting tendency now prevailing among the States in Central-Europe. The principal aim of each country is to increase the area of its productive land at any cost in order to make itself independent of foreign products. For this purpose the Confederation and the States further the reclamation works by granting considerable contributions. More than 50 per cent of the 10 million shillings annually appropriated on an average to reclamation works is borne by public funds and only a remainder of 45—50 per cent has to be paid by the parties interested.