FARMERS' INSTITUTE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3147, 27 July 1917, Page 7

FARMERS' INSTITUTE

FOUNDATION STONE LAID

INTERESTING SPEECHES

Veslertlay afternoon the tiovcrnor-Cien-eral and Hie Priuio Minister performed the ceremony of laying the Inundation stone of tho Dominion Farmers' ..Institute, at the. corner of Vealhorstqn find Balhiice. Streets. Those present included the Chief Justice (Sir Bobert Sloul) and the Mayor of tho city.

Sic James Wilson, Dominion president of the Farmers' "Union, first addressed tho gathering. lie said the object of founding the institute was lo assist in the organisation of the farmers. 'The credit for the idea was due to Jlr. A. Leigh. Hunt, of Wellington. Co-op-eration was needed, and after the war a. great fight would be fought. .Aβ thero were Humorous rural todies who needed a general meeting place, the idea should work out excellently. The property chosen was freehold, and was convenient to -the Perry Wharf and railway. The building was to be substantial, and eventually it was iiroposcd to have in H\o'tipper portion a farmers' hostel and elub. Meantime, the upper portion might bo- used for the storage of cheese and wool. Eighteen thousand crates of cheese could ; bo accommodated, and SOOO bales of wool.

The Governor-General conveyed his host wishes to flic promoters, and to those for ithom the. building was intended. .Primarily, New Zealand's inost staple industry \vas wrapped up with the development of the science of agriculture. Tho Dominion possessed facilities which were not vouchsafed to farmers in , the Old Country, and they had not to l'nect the. otremes of dimatowhicli Canada and •Australia, had fo. There was ono problem, and that was how lo make tho profession congenial. As the population of a. country increased ho the attractions of town lifo rlrcw away tho most virile inhabitants from tho Icss-frcnucnted districts. ' Tho old pioneers, men of grit, had laid the foundation of Empire in Ihe colonies. -The experience of the war would lead to-a, great revival of food production in England. New Zealand's rural conditions ive-ro ahead of those prevailing at Home. Farming literature ar|d agricultural 'shows in New Zealand tended to tho liottermont. of slock and produce, but he begged them to walch carefully in order that the counter-at-tractions to si. young and growing population did not allow what was perhaps Iho greatest of .our. national industries lo full from llm high pedestal on which tlipso islands had placed it. 11. had hcon realised that motors were going to pliiy an important part in the production of food here, and the problem loday was to liring motors within the reach of those, who needed them. Lastly, rural, education should not bo iieHcctoil. Thri .rvinu!- Minister (Right Hon. \V. I'. Masse.y) 'said Hie idea, of an agricultural institute in (lie, capital city i.'a.-t excellent. I'or a long lime, lo co'ino flic Dominion, must, depend Tor its prosperity on Hβ primary industries, but. Ilin liino would coino when New Zealand, with, developed resources, would b<! lo tho South Pacific what. Great. Britain, w.ts to the other eido of-the world. We, had not yet. reached Iho raaxinr.im of ntir agricultural exports, and we .wero not; likely lo do go while. Iho war lasted. There were difficulties on hand', but the Shipping .Controller and. the .President of the Board of Trade were nißii in whom implicit confidence- could be reposed. They iindetislood Ihe position in New Zealand , , and while IJioir first di'fy was to tho Army, they -would strive lo prevent unnecessary hardships here, llnPaticfactory as the outlook was ho be,-, lieved the Gutomarinn outlook would lie gradually worn down. Tho position would ha.ve been much more- serious had wo not t-'old a great' , portion of our produco to the Imperial fta»-nriimenl. and made them a partner responsible for keeping shipping going. Tho scheme worked to our iniiil.iiß.l- 'benefit—England l-'ot good value-, and we got a good ni.-ir-kol. The -criticism, of \-onin superficial thinkerfi had amused him! If we had been left without ehips Tor Ihrep months we would have had thrwverosM.iim* this country had. yet oi-pcricnccd. If we had not got our produce .away we would not have been able to finance our pnil in tho war as wo would lilto 10. It. was lo bo hoped we would do our share financially and otherwise'as long as the. war lasted. Ho hoped thn war-would boon «nd,.but ho would like to fiee decisive victory firsl—victory thai; would bring peace- worthy of tho sacrifices made. In-t-toad of tho producers iu Now Zealandbeing harassed-at. all thi-y should bo assisted in every way. When tho war came lo a,n epd their responsibility would bo oven greater than it wns now. To meet our financial obligations we must increase our oubpint und he hnpjd we would be able lo settled many roturiicd .soldiers on the ia.nd.

Respecting the advent, of motor traction, which had been referred 10, he wan satisfied they would play an iinpurUuit part in iho future of Ibn country. Also we must have better mads. .Alt-hough production in the. United Kingdom hadbeen increased,'a good market, would still e.viat there, and he hoped the English would get their goods from within llii! Empire. The Chief Jtistica (Sir lioberl Stout) referred to tho need, for rural education. Thn best could not be got from the land unless science was s|>pliecl. In. I.ho past our education had hnd 100 much of a literary character, and had not been sufficiently scientific. For years to come, agriculture would be our wain industry, so it should be promoted, however possible. . If agriculture prospered tho whole community would bnnofit.