NOTES OP THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1816, 31 July 1913, Page 6

NOTES OP THE DAY.

The statement referring to the constitution of the proposed Board of Agriculture made_ by the Pjujie Minister yesterday in his address to the Agricultural Conference will give satisfaction to the whole farming community. As the success of the new, departure depends to a very large extent upon the class of men appointed to the Board, this satisfaction will be greatly enhanced by Mr. Massey's announcement that in all probability Mn. J. G. AVilson, President of the Farmers' Union, will be requested to be one of the Government's representatives. There is certainly no man in New Zealand more suitable for tho position, and if the other members arc as well acquainted with the condition and needs 'of agriculture in the Dominion, tho new institution should prove of groat benefit to the country settlers. The Board will consist of the Minister for Agriculture, and three members nominated by the Government, and eight elected by representatives of the agricultural community, but the details have not. yet been settled. The constitution of the Board, as outlined by Mn. MasSev, can hardly fail to be acceptable to the people whose interests are mainly concerned, for it will place iu their hands very real power in assisting to direct the policy of the country as regards the development nf the agricultural resources of New Zealand. If we are to compete successfully in the markets of the world, the young people in the country districts must bo educated on the right lines, theoretical and prac-

tical, and the best scientific information must bo made available to all. The establishment of the Board of Agriculture will be an important step forward, and it will probably bo followed at an early date by another much-needed requirement in the form of an Agricultural College, for Jin. Massey remarked yesterday that he thought he would feel justified in asking the Minister for Finance before the end of the session for a sum for that purpose. These enterprises will cost money, but, judging by the experiences of other countries, it will be money well spent.

The position with regard to the labour trouble on the Hand is assuming an ugly aspect. In the heat of a strike outbreaks of violence are always possible; but it is a much more serious matter when the leaders of the dissatisfied miners threaten to organise a strike with the deliberate object of causing damage and creating disturbances wherever the police are absent. This simply means a system of' organised terrorism which no Government worthy of the name could permit in a civilised State. The situation has been made more dangerous by attempts to spread sedition among the natives employed in the mines, and in order to lessen the peril from this quarter, the Government is making preparations to repatriate 250,000 natives in the event of a crisis. The farmers resent the dictatorial tone of the Labour leaders, and business houses aro organising their employees so as to be ready for emergencies. In circumstanccs such as these it is the first duty of the Government to protect life and property, and maintain law and order, and if necessary they must meet force with superior force. The Labour Federation has announced that men becoming -special constables will be treated as "scabs." This is practically a declaration of war against the community, and the community will have to take adequate measures to protect itself. It is to be hoped, however, that some settlement satisfactory to both parties will even yet be arrived at which will prevent a recurrence of the scenes of violence which took place a few weeks ago.

The time-honoured practice enjoyed by the Opposition of seizing on an Imprest Supply Bill as an occasion for a general assault on the Government of the day was -not productive of any startling results in the House of Representatives yesterday. Led by Mr. G. W. Russell, who for the time being appears to liavo swept aside other aspirants to tho office of Leader, the Opposition bombarded the Government for four or five hours, but tho shots on the whole were pretty harmless, and Ministers had little difficulty in meeting the attacks made. Until it gets a leader and some organisation," the Opposition cannot hope to be very effective. Guerrilla warfare in the House as a, rule leads nowhere.

Tnr, need of making the country more attractive in order to cheek the flow of population from'the rural districts into the cities has received considerable attention in our columns during the last few weeks, and wc are glad to see that this matter was mentioned by the Prime Minister in his address to the Agricultural Conference yesterday. Mil. Massey expressed the opinion that too large a proportion of the population of New Zealand resided in the towns and cities, and in order to induce people to take up land and become producers, the attractiveness of country life must be increased. Many valuable suggestions for improving the lot of "the man on the land have appeared in the series of letters entitled "The Farmers and Their Needs," which wc have been publishing, _ and these suggestions are of special interest because they come direct from the people immediately concerned, and are therefore based on first-hand knowledge. If, as is recognised, the prosperity of the country depends so largely on the exports from agriculture,'it is obviously good policy to see that the legitimate needs of the settlers are given the attention they deserve.