AN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1527, 24 August 1912, Page 3

AN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.

CLAIMS OF PALMERSTON, BTATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER. The claims of- Falmerston district as the possible site for an Agricultural Collego were laid before tho Prime Minister (the Hop'. W. F. Massey) yesterday by an influential deputation representing tlio 'A. and P. Society, and commercial and local governing bodies of tho district. The deputation was introduced by Mr. D. Buick, member for Palmerston, aud was supported by Mr. D. H. Guthrie, M.P. for Oroua. Mr. Hodder, president of the A. and P. Association, said that his society was the largest of its kind in New Zealand. For years the Prime Minister had .-.as a private member strenuously advocated everything likely to benefit tho farming community. They hoped he would pursue that policy.now that he was in office. Mr. Hodder suggested that no more suitable sito could be found for an agricultural oollegp than Palmerston North. If i the college were established in. Auckland, : Wairarapa. or Tai'anaki, it would be of little benefit to Manawatu farmers, owing to the fact that the climate and soil were different in these districts. Mr. J. M. Johnston, treasurer of tho 'society, quoted figures to- show that ia j population of 101,000 could reach Pal- ! merston'and return home the snme day. I He advanced this ns a cogent reason ,for the establishment of the college at Palriierston.' . . ■.. . The mi nest was endorsed by Messrs. D. Baick, M.P.,'and D. H. Guthrie. JI.P., nhd several other members of the deputation. ' ■ The -Hon. W. V. Massey (Pririie Minister), said he recognised that it was his especial duty to look after the farming interests, and'as ho was n farmer himself his sympathies were with farmers. The proposal had simply been put forward in the Budget, but there were preliminaries to go through; it would be necessary, for instance, to get the consent of Parliament. He had no doubt that, this consent would be .forthcoming. In due'time they wonld bt> able to establish an Agricultural Collego in each island. He had not up till the present done more than form hazy ideas in considering which would be the best. site. He was sure, however, that it must be on some main line of railway, and it must be easy of access to a big agricultural population. Four sites fulfilled these re<]uirem*rits—Palmerston, Marton, Wereroa,, and Riwknra. Thero would be an advantage in establishing the college on one of- tho farms, becauso it could be done without, any increase of tho debt for the j/iirchnse of n site. At Palmerstnu, on the other hand-, it might be necessary to purchase COO acres of land, at about ~£3O per.acre. Mr. Btiick: Sell one of the farms. Mr. Massey said that it was no very simple-matter to soil one of the farms, but he did not see how the Government could keep all of them. Some of them were useless, nnd were not giving a proner return for the money spent on them. The eite would probably be chosen from one of the four districts named, and the deputation could, rely upon his giving careful consideration to what the deputation had represented. He admitted that Palmerston was perhaps; a better sits than Wereroa, but tho advantage of Wereroa at the farm the land was ready and in order.