A. & P. ASSOCIATIONS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1390, 25 March 1912, Page 10

A. & P. ASSOCIATIONS.

STATE AID ADVOCATED,

-•At.-Hip annual meeting-of the Canterbiir.y; A. - , and P. Association,- held at Uiristchurch on Thursday last, tlie president, JMr Gtorss Clifford, in dealing with association matters,, said, he thought that tlie tiovernment should give a considerable subsidy to this association, and to similar associations, in consideration of the pood winch they did,, and tho profit-bearing nature of their work. "I do not think that (ho Government concerns itself enough with agricultural matters," Sir Oeorge continued. "It is trifp ■ enmigh to say that land is the basis of the 'wealth' ot a nation, and that all its prosperity imisi, be ultimately derived i'rom the venture with whioh man or Nature clothes U, or from the minerals • which are delved from its bowels. The benefaction of doubling the. number of blades of grass or -extracting moro. cleverly the buried treasure of-the earth is proverbial.' We devote' our attention to tho surface of tho land, and paint it from season to season with its varying browns and greens ond yellows, and it depends upon our different degrees of skill -whether we do i'- and .our .fellow countrymen, justice. I am hot a politician, and*! hav<J not collected masses of figures to harass you with, but I am not content with the help which is afforded by the community towards the administration of our heritage. — I do not think that the Department of Agriculture should b» left in tho hands of tho fleeting Minister of the day, who may be at one moment,a capable administrator, and tte next a mere creature of the party .exigencies of the lidur.

"If wo were initiating tho work of agriculture in this country, to produce, tho highest results as a business undertaking, wo should select our best men as a board of directors to regulate it, and iny idea— probably Utopian—is that this Government Department, ably officered os it is, should bo under the management of nonpolitical commissioners, who could devote trained intelligence to the work, and whoso whole abilities should be at the service of the agricultural community, and who should be responsible for the wise expenditure, of the sum which Parliament might entrust to them for their almost paramount purpose, but who/ above all, should be independent of the political wrangles which are part of- our constitutional system." (Hear, hear.) They had had recently hn,examplo which illustrated .his observations. The Farmers' Union had invited the association to co-operate .with them in obtaining experimental stations in North Canterbury, with the object of lighting the ravages of the grub. A deputation had waited on the Minister, and had been courteously received. They had been assured that thoir representations would be considered, but so far- they had been treated with contemptuous inattention. It was important that Canterbury should bo of information which the Government could obtain. Private enterprise, would nevcv compensate for the absence of organised research. Lincoln College was as good in its class as .-.nything in the Southern Hemisphere. At the same time if: had its special purpose— the education of the youth of the country, and it did a groat" deal of good in that way. But beyond that - they wanted experimental stations throughout the country, in many places, and with different soils. Ho thought that these should bo carried out on tho Canadian system, under which , farmers placed plots of ground at the disposal of agricultural inspectors, who were men of experience and scientific attainment. These men taught the farmers in their varied ways and under varied conditions, what to avoid and what to do in the growth of "their crops and the extirpation .of par.ticular'pests. Until that was done they would not have completed their system for the best utilisation of tho land.