THE FARM EDUCATION

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2184, 24 June 1914, Page 3

THE FARM EDUCATION

———> ——- GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS BOARD OF AGRICULTURE DISCUSSION ENGLISH EXPERTS INVITEB, On® of the most inipertant subjects raised by tho Prime- Minister in his rccent address to the members of the Mi.ard of Agriculture was that of agricultural education. He remarked that while agricultural oducat-fen had net neglected ia New Zcn-laitd tliey had •not done enough and Were iiot- abreast, tit other countries of the world. In." eidontally Mr. Massey actowwfedEtcd. tho obligation of the Government to Mr. Kdwqird Sewmsß, mcmW for RatigitiKci, who paid ,1 visit, at his own Cx{Kmso, to llawkesbury College in New South Wales, and. on his return fiirn~ very lull and useful report. Mr. Nowmau, who was now on his. way hack'from a-visit to Great Britain, had I'M# looking over agricultural institutions in England and Scotland., and. intended to come, feaek by way of Canada, whero jje would fea able- to visit tho Gvielph Collego mid other agricultural colleges there; so that hu should ho in a position to submit further interesting and Useful reports- 'when Ire returned to fbe Dominion. "There is a difference of _ opinion, I know," Mr. Massi-y cMitimied, "as ts whether qr not tlio time lia-s come tor <agri<Miltilral colleges in New Zealand, bit there is )io doubt' in« m.v mind when we.' have to compote with Australia in mc-fe tliMi one article 'of produce and with Canada in- other articles,. if our people are' not as well educated as the people with whom they have to come, into competition they are going to faß behind. That is my oWli. opinion, liivt whatever the opinion. of the Board of Agriculture may be . oil tho subject I am quite prepared to consider it. You may think it better to go in for agri* cultural high schools in the ino.intime, but- while titers is a great deal to be said in favour of agricultural high scfasols. which I. know are doing particularly good work, .we caflnot get aWay from the fact that I have mentioned: tb at there is ao opportunity afforded in New Zealand fcr_ the sons of the «witt settler to acquire scientific agricultural education such as is afforded to the- sons of small mm; in sorno of the countries I Lave referred to, mere especially New South Wales and Canada." ( Exnarimontal Farms/ A related subject touched- upon by the ■Prime ■ Minister was that of €xpcj> mental farms. Good wotfc wae 'being done at these farms, lie remarked',' but he believed that improvement was possibla, and that the te'xpayer" 4ovtS! in futu.ro get better value for his money. "Then," added ilr, Masscy, ''there ar>> the stadepts at work on t-ttosfc expefimental farms, and I want the- board to look into this, and satisfy themselves as to whether tho agricultural education which is being afforded, to the students. wiio arc resident: at the experimental farms is. such as wit! fit ,a man of. small. capital to mate a living for himself wlion he goes into business"on ■his own Most of those students are young - fellows whose capita) wii I not exceed £1:000, and if they are to do W>H wtiwi they become femora oil their own account they must have ' proper training at the insfltutiims where, tlroy- are supposed l 'W 11 bo iea'ni-' m.g tho practice of agriculture. I. hope the board will look into this'point." Board Chairman's Views, . Mr. .1.. G. Wilson (chairman of the board), m referring to the question of agricultural colleges and schools, said ti>4t if was a very wide one, and he ihou.ght. tile motto of the board shmiid. be "j-csteisa lento"—'make haste slowly. "We have s'ef-eral large subjects .already to d'V.l with," he. wfrnt on to reittatfe, "and J think if we try to rush, in we sh-nll not be nbhv to *arry out properly what is 'excreted.of' us. Tho public, I gather, arc expeetmg a great dciil from n..s nil at once, hut we liaie got io take ev!;le.i;i'.- and to weigh everything; tlaat conies before us very carefully before, we .give aiiy opinion, The question of education itfll bare to be gone into very fully, avid 1' did hope thai Ms;. Massey was going to. mate a statraient to us that lie had arranged for Mr, A. D. Hall, Slid jf'wfessflr Wend to some to New JWtand. 1 iwvp.bopii in'cflmimvii'ication wifcli Sfi 1 . Massey .oii tl*is watttri but it was not my business to make that public." Mr, M.assey: There is no objection to your doing so. Two Eminent Experts. Mr. Wilson; "Mr. A. D.. Hall is one man iviio coutd assist us p'To'babiy more than any one else that I. know of. He has ha<l a very wide experience. Be is nil M.A. of one of the univprsities, Havh'tg begun life iss one -of the directors of an ngricnlhiral college in Efiglaiid, he remained there for some time ahil made a success of that institution, and then he wits selected as director of Rothamsted Espwimentai Farm-the mother of all farms of that class- in succession to Dr. Gilbert. He has written several standard works on agriculture, Mis'last book was a very interesting and instructive account of a pilgrimage taken by him through England and: Scotland. ] only mention this to show of wlmt assistance lie might he -to us. Following this- he rose is position and became a Development Commissioner. .Mr. Lloyd George has put aside a large suro of money far expenditure upon the education of farmers and so en, i and Mr. Ball was ciTered by the Government : a position on the Development Commission, which lie accepted, and it devolved _ upon Mm to. mate, arrangements with the Board: of Agriculture in connection with the.agricultural education of England, He has Written two valuable reports, which I have at home. The assistance of a gentleman like that Would be of the pms test value in education matters. 'He would he able to advise too, as to .any rcorgamsatkm of the Dei3artmont tliat -jnight be necessary : a-ul if there- is any one coming to mstruet tis in matters of agriculture We would, I. should say-, prefer to have aiv Eiiß.!islitaaii than ah American. Then there' is T'fofes'sor Wood, of Cambridge, who is also at the head of a large teaching estafefchment, and I should like to ask Mr. Ma-ssey if definite arrangemeMts have been niade for these gentlemen to come. Mr. Masscy: 1 have offered to pay their expenses. Mr. Pope- (Soerotary for. Aiiricultufc): I think there is a eonimuuication to Hie cffect that they will come. Mr. Mnsscv • T think it is practicalljr cvriain they will come, Lincoln Colioge. Mr. Wilsffli; "Then Mr. Mji.ssey made reference ;to Hawke.sbury CoHogo awl to Mr. Newman's report upon it. Mow,Mr. Newman is my own representative ia J'arliainent, and vco are old friends. ' I coiisJder ho' lias rendered gfiod setvico fa furnishing lis with that report, but at the snroe time. ! do not think it is quite fair to the Lincoln .'Collego that an imprcsstoji should bo created that wo have to go over to Aii.stralki to find ttnfe what an agrfculteral coHego should he. As. a matter of fact, we'liave a very eseellent college m our lifncoln College in New Zealand, Tiro only trouble, to my mind, is -hat. f.hfl Lincoln College does not take enough students, probably for want of sufiefeiit nteans, an? 3 it does snetu to we that some w■rangfimciit mkht be made hctweeo the ■■ fiovcrnr.ienf- and the Lincoln Board nf Gover.aors by vhicli a certain oE?tmt.

of public woiiey might be espowded so as io t iiictease tte capacity of that hh stitution, The students who attend Lincoln College are, of .course, tboso whom we would es.peet and hope to see t here, but at the same time a man who can send his son to Lincoln must bare : sorno. considerable means. Amongst tho young follows iSoing there for instruction I should like to see tho sons of iiieti who can not afFort! to pay the charges witiiout- getting some assist- . aiiee. f think, at ally rate, we might fairly confer with tli® governors of that college a.s to whether something could not lie done to extend the usefulness of the college, and thus probably do away with the present clamour in tko South Island for another agricultural college." Replying to Mr Wilson, tlio Prime Minister said that ho wn.s not quite sure that lie had referred to Lincoln College at all, hut he would say now that he thoroughly appreciated the good work Eliat Was dcaie tilicre. " I have had tile opportunity' in the last few • years," lie continued, :s of seeing the college, and I thoroughly .approve of what is being done, What. I have felt, however, is thai, tho institution is not. largeenough for the whole of iiie Dominion, and Brat we ought to have another college in the North Island, As far as the Government is concerned, we arc quite willing t.o assist isj extending the scope and usefulness of the Lincoln .College, hut even then to shall not have done enough. My opinion, is that -We shall Itavc to csta,Wish another agrimiltural college' in a central position in tile' North. Lsland corresponding to the position .occunicd hy Lincoln College in tins South Island."