LETTERS TO EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 44, 16 November 1926, Page 10

LETTERS TO EDITOR

WILL THE FARMERS’ PULL TOGETHER?

TIME FOR UNITED AND PRACTICAL EFFORT.

Sir.—We overdo everything in this country except our roads. These we can never overdo. Our freezing works, control boards, and education are all overdone. And now it seems we are going to cap it all by spending £300,000 on an agricultural college, whose annual upkeep will cost another £lO,OOO. Surelv this money would bring much more direct benefit to tho Dominion if spent on roads and general access. There are a very large number of farmers in New Zealand who have to pack their wool and other produce out to market over bridle tracks I understand that the Farmers’ Union in all districts except that in which it is proposed to establish the.college is opposed to it. If the Farmers’ Union is truly representative of tho farmers, .why does, it ab loiv a thing of this magnitude to be forced upon,, us when there is really no need for it? The Minister is reported as having said quite recently that State farms have been proved to be a failure. Yet in the face of this it is proposed to establish a much more elaborate State farm than has ever yet been attempted here. „ It is well known that our Department of Agriculture gets details and results of experiments carried out all over the world. Why, therefore, should we duplicate this research work at a heavy expenditure? The time has now. come when we should either do away with the Farmers’ Union altogether or support it wholeheartedly. There is no use in a. middle course such as we are at present pursuing. All other unions, for good or ill, seem to be pulling together. I am sure no farmer can doubt that a nerlv organised and supported farmers union would do a power of good for the whole community. For the interests of the towns are bound up with those ot the country. The whole trend of our education nowadays seems to be towards the creation of a lot of second-rate bosses, not good practical workers, which is our urgent need. And unless this proposed college is managed on very different lines to other institutions of the kind to have tried our difficulties will only be inCl But d it is the old story; rarely are simple, effective schemes adopted, but rather those which are. costly and ineffective. It is this policy of easy-going careless indifference which is at the root of all the farmers’ troubles. If ever a strong, united farmers’ union was wanted it is required now, to assist the country through the present temporary depression.-! am. etc. >G . MO ORE. Bushy Park.