The money value of the water annually discharged from the flowing bores of Queensland runs into stupendous figures, even at the rate of 6d. per 1,000 gallons. At that rate its annual value would exceed 41/4 millions sterling. Capitalise this sum at 4 per cent., and the artesian water flow of Queensland becomes worth upwards of 1091/4 millions sterling, less, of course, the cost of maintenance and supervision similarly capitalised. And this colossal endowment is the result during the last quarter of a century of a total expenditure of less than 2 millions sterling. Granting that to utilise all this water already under pressure would mean a very large additional expenditure in tanks, aqueducts, and pipes, that expenditure may be calculated in advance to a minute fraction in every case, and it would of course be disbursed gradually as the demand for the delivery of water under pressure developed with the increase of population and the multiplication of industries. It must be apparent, therefore, that any needful public expenditure to ascertain whether the flow diminishes or increases as the years go on, and to prevent waste if waste there be, is more than justified. Indeed, should any great public loss be suffered for want of State control of this life-giving national asset, it might be difficult for Parliament entirely to clear itself from blame if charged with neglecting the reiterated advice of its own responsible officer in this respect. [Footnote a: For digest of Hydraulic Engineer's reports, 1883 to 1908 inclusive, see Appendix H, post.] [Footnote b: "Sub-artesian" is a term applied when the water in a bore rises to or near the surface, but does not automatically flow along it.] [Footnote c: It will be seen on reference to Appendix H that since the Hydraulic Engineer supplied his figures a number of additional flowing bores have been sunk, and have substantially increased the aggregate flow, although, the figures not having been officially verified, the aggregate flow remains in the text as from the 716 bores recognised by the Hydraulic Engineer.] [Footnote d: The quantity of water deposited on an acre of land by an inch of rain is 22,614 gallons.] [Footnote e: See "Commonwealth Year Book," 1909, page 382.] APPENDICES. APPENDIX A. READJUSTMENT OF WESTERN BOUNDARY. The following summary of correspondence between Governor Bowen and the Secretary of State for the Colonies gives information in addition to that furnished in "The Subdivision of Australia," page xiv., relating to the readjustment of the Queensland western boundary:--