HON. G. FOWLDS AT LEVIN.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1043, 4 February 1911, Page 8

HON. G. FOWLDS AT LEVIN.

IS IT AS HE STATES?

lii' yesterday's issue ' appeared an article giving tlio; Minister lor Agriculture!s oqiicepiion .of agricultural' education.' It was stated, therein .that .the iiinister's. replies were not', likely: to cause satisfaction., to farmers' interested. The -Uinister's idea'..of -the importance to 'tliis, country , of, agricultural/education and of,.tlie interest' 'taken, in...the . matter seems,.to be. inad'eguatc. Ho does , not appear, to be "aware that tiio .subject' h.asi received serious-consideration of a number p! farmers' conicrences.and that there is just liow a. revival of interest which is, not likely.-to, have .died and wlje'n the Agricultural and Pastoral Societies'. Conference sits in .Wellington, tliis year. Scliool-gardens and. naturo study are the studies which tho .Minis-. : ter «ias featured, but something, nioro. "than that isc-required to assist the farmers and prospective-farmers of an agricultural country. Would the ordinary, citizen be; satisfied- with the Department if the Minister's idea of what, may be called everyday 'education was to teach fourth standard arithmetic' and third stahdard.reading, and that for'the man as well as the boy.' Mr. Fowlds demonstrated. his sympatliy with agriculture'when "lie showed how close ho was in touch .with it in referring at the Levin show. to .the increased price . of the wool clip.. .The truth, seems to be that Mr.' Fowlds ought to attend the conference of A. and P. associations this year ahd ascertain how his views agree with those of the members of the conference. "Respecting Mr. Fowlds's eulogy of . tho Department for what it had done in the schools tho.following from the last annual conference of the Taranaki branches of tho Farmers' Union is worth quoting: "The president:regretted that the Minister for Education had reduced the grant to Education Boards and so retarded the power for good in this line."

The Minister, informed a Dominion representative on Thursday that "courses of .rural instruction were in proopss of evolution." Probably he is are evolving •themseves.. Respecting .veterinary education, when asked- if. there ,was any possibility - of,l tho Department falling 111 /with-the 1 siihcnio for sending young men to Mel- j bourne to bo ; educated at the College of -Veterinary Science there,- Mr. Fowlds said*, that, it; Would-..appear ,to bo unlikely- that the Government "would be .inclined-to • provide funds,in aid. of the schcme referred to, seeing that it had; . in • offering a substantial graiit in aid of;, buildings aiid maintenance for veterin.ary instruction at'Dunedinj, recognised tbo •. of, -providing adequate opportunities for instruction in New Zealand. • Mr. Fowlds might continue speaking :in that" strain, about a prospective' institution, but 110 farmer Will ever consider that he is.getting a definite, 1 straight-out answer, to what\ ho -."wants -to know. It is 'a, fact- th'at New •Zealand farmers; even in .the- absents t of. ;*eiiMurag6nientV«.ih * their.: own 'country, arc. dcsjrous.of. having their. boys•edur -catedj- as." veterinarians, and the 'iridstvaliied advisers.in Now Zealand recom:;raend them ,;to send the lads to", tho Melbourne' College.' In tho face of this, and in the face of the fact, that a scheme has been formulated for sending ;boys;; over,'.,tl}Q-; Minister answers the .!qnestion .wit]i. : "an inane, evasion.«-rHe .vloes fl not- the scheme, hut; ufc 6n- ; one a reply whichyisyjn substance a repetition of-what has been •-heard, -in- th'e- past. • Yet nothing has 'been done. -

" Eighteen months'ago-the conference V.of- Av'. aml P."Associations" adopted and .recommended a practicable scheme by which two'scholarships (vahie £75 per annuii), tenable for five years) might be awarded..annually till the total number of Government scholars is ten.: The conditions which might be imposed were set out as follow: —(1) Each scholar; to -insure his liferwith Government Insur 7 • arice Department for £400, tho premium to-be deducted-from the annual payment of £7o.;'Tho policy to remain tho property of Government till terminatiftn. of 'agreements ( :(2)', Each 'scholar '.. on . graduating.to 'serve in a State Depart-' nient. for. a' periocl of three or four years at,.a stated salary (£2O per annum), or.refund tho amount received. (Granting the minimum salary paid to others -to be £300 per annum, the-whole sum would thus bo recouped in. four years. (Should; ■of course; the scholar die, the policy w'Ould liioi'e than, cover the disbursement).' (3) A monetary. guarantee by two' responsible' citizens that tho scholar will. pursuo the course. The cost would be -as follows:—First year, two scholars,- £150; second year, four scholars, £300; third year, six scholars, £450; fourth 1 year, eight' scholars, £600; fifth year, ten-"scholars, £750;.. sixth year,.'etc., ten .-scholars, £750.; Therefore, for. an annual expenditure iqf £7ot) we woilid be in a position of securing two colonial-.,.', graduates, of, veterinary scienco every :year.for State work, and further, that expenditure would be ultimately recovered. Tho estimate of £75 . is:'arrived': at as follows: —Fees, £25; board,' etc!, 40 weeks at 205., £40; faces, £10; total, £75. . (Surely it is not necessary . to. prorido a-student- with every necessity. ■ It : would be a poor one-who could-not iind the- extra- few pounds required for clothes, books, etc. -When' bis attention drawn to the fact that veterinarians were coming'here from England every year, qnd the-'Minister, was asked if lie thought those- men supplied our wants, and that therefore the need for-educating veterinariahs locally was not as important-as . thosij-who were- agitating declared- it to •be. .'Mr. Fowids answered: "As/the officers referred to do not come ■ within its cognisance, the . Department is' unable to-say whether they do or do npt supply local' wants. His answer was • purely a blind evasion. No one suggested that the practical work of veterinarians. ..came, within the scopo of. the Education Department, but anyone can see-' that the matte'r' of the'necessity , or." non-necessity of. veterinary .education for New Zealand young'inen does come within its-jurisdiction. The'subject of agricultural education is one which. is. going to be heard of a' : gcod deal,.in the near future, and itwould. help the farmers who interest themselves in , the matter if they could get a definite statement as to how far' the Government is' prepared to ' assist them. z •