FARMERS' INTERESTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 432, 15 February 1909, Page 6

FARMERS' INTERESTS.

OUR UNIVERSITY COLLECES. CHAIR OF AGRICULTURE SUGGESTED. At the Reform Party banquet at Hawcra , on Friday, Mr. J.-.'G. Wilson, Colonial President .of' fcho Farmers'..Union,/.. 'delivered! a 'thoughtful 'and; interesting address. In the courso of his remarks ho said that he. did not talio it that; ho was personally; invjtcd, but because ho was president of .-.the Farmers'. Union. Ho'took it as sv compliment to that union that, ho /had : been ; invited; and ho attended .tho . function / with ' great' pleasure, especially .as the' moil: returned from the Taranaki district were all members of. tho Farmers'. Union, .and they, were all farmers.. The fooling generally .all over Now Zealand * among the farmers. was • that of great' satisfaction : that, they had been returned, as they would.be sound on tho..land policy, and the farmers looked forward to them doing good work in that direction. Alluding to another, subject,/ Mr.-. Wilson said that tho Farmers' Union; had taken a; great deal of interest in. agricultural and rural education. The Education Boards .had taken tho matter up cordially—had;provided instructors, and had given: the farmers, an opportunity of availing themselves.: r of extension ■'classes 0n,.-agricultural ; subjects. Hβ was sorry- the. young ;farmers-had; not taken advantage of these opportunities.for improvement,, as they' ought ■ to/ have .done. He hoped in. the future to see , tho:-farmera; more alive to'their own interests, .-and : that those classes', wpuld.be; thoroughly 'well;-at-, tended throughout the Dominion; ■'Another subject'he would like to. mention, 'was this: ; ; That although- wo had' Schools "of. Mines, a • Chair of .Medicine, , a: School; of Engineering, I and Art and:other schools,.we:had no school of: agriculture -in..New,':Zealand, except Lincoln College—which was riot. a'national inIstitution'., It. spemed'ito;. him ; 'to;.',be: a: reproach' to ; New; Zealand that- there, should be no -Ohair of .Agriculture..in.any-one of the four university .colleges; ■ Ho. thought there was an opportunity now for, the'.farmors who ■ had. been returned for Taranaki and .olsewhero,: to" see.- that this was •remediedj 'and that the young farmers' throughout the Dominion skould.be enabled to attend classes at: the -,university; bearing .. specially upon: their business /aud life's work—as they were now able to,do.in all/other .progressive: countries ;in the 'world. '; '.-;,-■.'■;■ V;J y :■"; ."y i'.'■':