VALUE OF STATE FARMS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 214, 29 May 1918, Page 8

VALUE OF STATE FARMS

VIEWS OP HON". W. D. S. MACDONALD. (By Telegraph—Special Oorrospondont.) .„. Vr . , Masterton, May 28. J ho Minister of Agriculture, Hon. XV. D. S. Mac Donald, visited the Wellington. Parmera' Union Conference to-day. Ho was -welcomed by the president, who expressed a hope that the Government would eee that overy man had a suitable occupation. The farmers visited to maintain production, but Tore finding difliculty in getting the necessary men. Mr. Mac Donald Raid that tho fighting men -were a great factor to-day, but they could _ not do their part unless producers did. theirs, and producers could!not. do their part unless the Government was fftir and just to them. We were never in a mpre critical position than wo wore to-day. We wo right up against it with our backs to the -wall. Thero were, no doubt, many men at tho conference who had been hard hit by the war, but no resolution could have been more helpful to the Government than that passed by conference to give tho Gor.flrnment every af-sistance to maintain reinforcements. If all sections of the community realised their duties as well ■we would bo nearer a successful conclusion of the war to-day. It would bo unwise to criticise those who did not see Se to eye with us, but '.lie fact that ere were such differences was difficult to understand. Thero had been some difficulty in arriving at what was a fair thing to do for those who were fighting our battles, but- he thought that justice would bo done. Unfortunately, after three years and ton months wo could not Bee the end of tho war, and the men who wore going to the war wero not going to fight for tho Government, but for themselves, for their families, for the State, and for the great human race. If Germany won sho would never be satisfied till she had overran the world. iWhat lad tho Germans dono in those

countries where they had loft their trail? We would fare no tetter if they (, r ot tore. During the war, sinco the formation of the National Ministry one bnd to undertake many now duties. Last year he hold no fewer than fourteen portfolios. The most important of them had been agriculture, Thorn had been 800 people oil tho Agricultural Department's staff, bnit many had gono to tho war, some of them scientific men. Scientists were-once under-rated by-farmers, but ha thought their value was now recognised. -There were many different opinions as to duties in the Agricultural Department. He declared (hat with the staff at its command our Department' was second to none in tho .outlying parts of the Empire. • Some peoplo questioned. the value of tho State, farms, and others said it waa unnecessary to have State farms at all. Every (lay he received. many letters acknowledging questions, so either the farms were of value or there were a great many fools in tho world. At Ruakura Farm 70,000 farmera were shown over the place every year. There were breeders who knew about as much regarding pure stock as some of the Department experts, but would any of these men show 10,000 farmers over their establishments every year? The question was raised, "Why don't these State farms pay?" When grass was experimented with it had to fee weighed, tested, and so on. How could that pay? It did not pay the State Farm, but it paid New > Zealand. Then there were tests made with 6tock. When a class of cattle was found to be no good the State Farm advised the people not to have anything to do with it. ' The private farmers, on the other band, might tell a prospective • buyer that it was the best he ever had. (Laughter and applause.) When one exnmined the Department with its rami-, fications one would get an idea of the great importance of it. He was certain that agriculture vas only in its infancy in New Zealand Cold 6toroge was one of the greatest factors in dealing with the cost of living, and much of the commercial future of this country was bound up with hydro-electricity.