IMPENDING RETRENCHMENT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 519, 28 May 1909, Page 10

IMPENDING RETRENCHMENT.

i ;■ ■•*:.-. j , '[ A DEPARTMENT THAT MAY SUFFEfe. ' |■.•■'.■ Auckland, May 27. < .In referring to the work of tho Agricul- i \ tural Department, Mr. Allen BeU, president < of'the. Auckland Farmers' JUnion,'said at to- ■ day's conference that it was a matter of • i great regret to find that in the retrenchment ~ schemo now taken in haud one of the De- I partnients which would probably suffer most t was the Agriculturo.Department. '.... There seemed .to be no,reason to doubt,that the unreasonable and inexplicable antagonism' • shown by, a largo section .of the farming com- ' munity towards the'work done by this Department would woigh largely with the Government when the pruning process was ■■' in ! hand. Whilst' admitting that many mistakes had been, made, and that large amounts of money had beonespended on'our experiment l farms, thoy' had to recognise that this must j happen in the initiatory stages of any such I undertaking, i It had to be admitted that the o experiment farms wero even now carrying out I a great work in the interests of the farmers, 5 and should havo received greater encourage- * ment from them. ■■•■ .. s Should there be a ruthless .cutting down in v , this branch of the Agricultural Department, f they had only, tuomselres to blame. . They a could not blame the Government, who had o undoubtedly initiated the various branches of a Hie Department in the interests of tho farm- * ers, which had received more or less'hostile ' opposition and criticism from : tho start.' \ Should tho experiment stations be spared, he f hoped to see all of them presided over by men 0 of high scientific attainments—men 'whose d pronouncements would be accented with con- p fidenco, and who would bo capable of making o experiments and imparting that instruction' " so necessary for them to secure success as an agricultural community. o -: . 6