RUAKURA FARM.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1739, 2 May 1913, Page 9

RUAKURA FARM.

MANY CADETS SHUT OUT. Additional accommodation is needed at the Rualuira Farm of Instruction, says a special reporter of tho Auckland "Herald." There arc, it is stated, no fewer than 70 applications in for admission to tho institution, but only 12 at a time con bo taken in, that being the limit provided for in the present "home" building attached 'o the farm. Tho full complement is now in residence there, and, as scarcely any of them havo put in more than two years' of thoir three years' course, thcro is no prospect whatever of the waiting applicant being admitted for at least a year, and then thero will only be one or two vacancies.

The entire difficulty lies in the lack of more extensive sleeping accommodation, tho rest of tho domiciliary space in tho present building being ample for at least 12 nioro cadets. As for tho farm itself it could comfortably asaiinilato that extra number.

By the addition of a small block to contain 12 or more bedrooms, or a dormitory, and a gymnasium—which is badly needed by tho boys—the whole difficulty might bo overcome. It is felt in the district that if tho experiment of training cadets for tho future good of tho agricultural communities of tho Dominion is of any valno at all, it would bp moro valuable still wore tho munbor of youths undergoing that training to to increased. Until somo step is taken to enable this to bo done, it is felt that an opportunity which ought to bo seized upon is boitifj neglected. On tho ono hand, it -is pointed out, thero is an institution wherein a dozen cadets aro being trained, whereas twico that number might be in training; and on the othor hand thcro are any amount of boys only too roady and willing to go on the farm, which could easily absorb, and benefit by, their labour. There are, in all, H0 general workers on the farm, including tho houso staff iu addition to the 12 cadets.