AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT AND ECONOMY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 646, 25 October 1909, Page 3

AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT AND ECONOMY.

Sir—l noticed in a recent publication that the reorganisation of the Agricultural Department had 'Advanced' a' further stop. It .'is proposed! to. abolish, inspectors in.'cnargo of districts: and appoint district aijcnts in their places. Now sir, what: I would like to ask is this: i Wlmt; better, off would wo farmers be with 'a .district , agent in ,place of Iho inspector in charge'? This officer is a practical man and pives valuable information.to the farming community, therefore why make him a 'superyisor- over 'noxious .' weeds and rabbits, : over ■ an impossible. extent. of country, and, place a mani as , district'agent, who would be of little service .to- the .former, .-unless, e-nracticiit man 4 with,a fiui-knosledge'.of agricaltural maH-srn

and the Statutory Acts by which a farmer is guided 'm his business?- Otherwise many questions would necessarily have to be reforre'd Wellmgton and so cause inconvenience and delay. Does not tho inspector in charge at tho present tune practically fill tho position of district agent? and surely, if the (government .intend to work, on economical lines, they are not going to do so under this present arrangement. :If a n inspector in charge is competent to administer a district, surely he is a more fitted person to represent tho ' Department 111 a large agricultural district and thus save the country the expense of placing in such positions seven different men at a probable cost to, the,country of an extra seventeen, or eighteen hundred pounds a year, who may.not have the necessary practical knowledge to give tho information often applied for to the inspector,in charge of the.district wliou visiting town.; Ihe local stock . inspector's duties, 1 take it, will necessitate his being in tho country the whole of his time, and therefore would be absent from tho office.-I am, etc., ' : GRASSHOPPER.