MERGING TOWN AND COUNTRY

Chronicle (Levin), 4 March 1947, Page 8

MERGING TOWN AND COUNTRY

3UGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING RURAL LIFE Town and couutry outlooks were compared, and some suggestions made for aij improvement in the rural way of tiving, when over 60 members of the Women 's 'Division and about 15 farmers formed themselves into a disCussion group during ' their visit to Massey Agricultural Col.lege yesterday. The discussion brought out many inceresting poiuts coucerning the drift to the towns, and the social importance of a broad outlook. Environment plaved a large part in shaping one's outlook, »stated Aliss B. Hitchoir, Dip.H.Sc., a memher of the Barah Anne Rhodes Fellowship in Hoipe Ecience, which, loeated at rVlas ,sey-Coilege, serves the countrywomen of Taranaki, Hawke's Bay, Wellington, Nelson and Marlborough in tlie provision of work-boxes, patterlis, short talks, and personal • instructiou in dre.ssmakiug, hbmecrat'ts, and foods and nutrition. Hhe added tliat the eountry outlook had in it tlie rliytlim of the seasons, tlie springy turf, and all the satisfactioil of spacious days; whereas che town outlook tended to be influenced by tlie square miles of liard oitumen which overlaid mother earth, and by the iiecessity' to iind satisfactioil elsewhere in bustle and nervous activity. 1 Witnout a considerable drift of eountry population to the towns there could be iittle reai' progress in eitlier quarter, stated Mr. L. A. G. Barrett, uterary offieer at the College. By a wide use of agricultural maeliinery the New Zealand farmer had the liigliest output per head in the woifd, and, a;the number of worltable farnis in New Zealand was limited, any considerablo cutting up of ljoldings to provide farms for sons could eventually reduce tlie couutry people to a state of peasantry, as was tlie case in some European countries. Thyse young people coming- to the towns might represent niore tlian tlie natural surnlus, but, as

through the eenturies, tliey added freshness and vitality to the towns in which tliey proved good ambassadoi'rf for the eountry outlook. Tlie advenl of the motor-car had done more than anvthing eise to recoucile tlie town and count/v viewpoin'ts. It had taken townspeople into the eountry and liad steadiiy urbauised its iuhabitants. There were three aveuugs through which amenities of the countryside could be improved — through Governnient help with electric and teiephouic installations and transport to schools, through farrgers' cooperative efforts in such directious as machinery pools, and through a better net ineome for the individual farmer. It was noteworthy that tlie Fedoration of Young Farmers' Clubs, in their recent report on rural life, had emphasised the importance ot a balanced hunian outlook aml a posi tive type of mhid to oll'set -any prejudicul efforts of solitude on tlie farm. The tvvo speakers, who addressed tlie gatliering bv invitation, outlined ways iu which tlie College was endeavouring to rcconcile tlie town and eountry vie wpoints, with a view to a more spiritually-united Neiv Zealand.