TO AVOID FRICTION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 493, 28 April 1909, Page 6

TO AVOID FRICTION.

THE AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT. tfOKE ABOUT THE REOEGANISATIQN. In connection with the reorganisation of ' ho Department of Agriculture, as announced [l these columns yesterday, it appears thai lie position occupied by Mr. F. S. Pope, tho low Secretary for Agriculture," will scarcely ■e of the Bamo importance as that held by [is predecessor, Mr. Ritchie, while the Direcors of Divisions will assume increased roponsibilities. Such a chango was foreliadowed in fho l'rimo Minister's speech at! Jppcr Hutt, when ho said that the respbniblo heads of the divisions should , be in perional toucluwith'the Minister,.the Secretary if tho Department having control of,the ofB:ial and administrative side in the ordinary vay. Hitherto the divisional heads have been inder tho direction of tho Secretary, but it is ' lardly likely that that arrangement could be" xmtinued without friotioii when the • secretaryship passes' from aii agriculturist "like llr. Kitchie to an administrator like: Mr. Pope, who, though admittedly very' well iquipped in other ways, lays Do claim to oxwrt knowledge of any branch of agriculture. \lr. Pope, it may be remarked, has beon sight years in the head office of tho Agriculiurai Department, having spent the'precedng 14 years in the Eaihvay Department, ] It; las'been suggested that, it would bo mqro ionsonant with tho custom of other countries tnd of other Denartmcttts.of tho publio sorrico in Now Zealand if Mr. l'opp's title were Jiat of Undor-Secretarj , , instead of Score-' iarj'. His salary will bo £500 per annum. The matters assigned to the four divisions. if the Department will be as follow:-*-, ;■ Fields and Experimental Farms (Mr. E; "liftoii, salary £600).—Field orops (including few Zealand hemp), pastures, ensilage,, rab>its, noxious weeds, injurious birds, control »f sale of fertilisers, hemp; grading, hempnill instruction, fesperimental farms, and' iold experiments on other lands. V . 'Live Stook and''Meat (Mr. C. J. R«akes, lalary £000).'—Live stock generally, voteriniry laboratory, health and disease of live itock. quarantine of imported live stocky iterihsing manure, meat inspectioii, slaugh«rhouses, dairy farms, other than those sup- . )lying factories, live stock, poultry, and bao icriological specimens. \ ■ ■•'■■' ■"" Dairy Produce Divieion (Mr. D, Ouddie, alary £550).—Milk and dairy produce genirally, inspection of dairy_ farms supplying, aotories, instruction- in milk production, in-' ■ itniction and inspection at dairy" factories, ind dairj' produce grading. ■ ~ :;. / ' Orchards, Gardens, and Apiaries Division • Mr. T. W. Kirk, £550);— Fruit and regetables generally; plantations generallyjnstruetioiv in orchard; vineyard,' garden and' )lantation work; inspection , of orchards, 1 'ineyarfsj gardenß, nurseries, and fmit and •cgetablo shops; inspection or imported fruit md: plants'; instruction in fruit preserving; vine generally; bees: generally;; orohards, ,'inoyards, gardens, : plantations, !\apiaries,, ind ; wineries at experimental laniis; expon-'; lientswitli fruit trees, etc.,' on other lands. ; It is assumed that two'more divisions will )e added by the inclusion at an early date >f'the Tourist Department and the Indus-' iries'-'and Commerce Department.•■.lt is ex-' )ectod that Mr. G.vßisset, Editor of Pubhsatietis, 7 willbo attached, to the Secretary 8 jfcaff. '•■■ The' reorganisation; has. been spoken >f bv'tho Prime Minister as'a. means or ivoidingitho friction that has occurred in iho past! but it is whispered; that • likely sauses of .friction are".not absent -from the lew Bohemo. M ) : i : j'. '■■.'":' \, / '.:'■:.-,,' ':'-.w