THE GLOBE. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1882. A MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2650, 5 October 1882, Page 2

THE GLOBE. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1882. A MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE

Thekb has been a great deal more fuss made about the appointment of a new Minister than thsre was over the raising of the four million loan. With regard to the latter the subject was not mentioned in the Governor's jpeech, but Ministers during the session found out that the proposal for raising a loan would find acceptance with the House, and they drew up their plan in little less than no time. But as for the new Minister the Government have been incubating him ever since Mr. Whitaker took the reins, and with all their sitting, they have not yet managed to hatch him. And now the affair has become an absolute absurdity. Why ia the name of common sense cannot they choose their man and have done with ic P When Parliament was sitting, uncharitably disposed persons imagined that the vacant portfolio was kept dangling before the eyes of influential members with a view of securing their allegiance. Bug nobody can think that this ia the case now. Nothing can be gained by delay, and the deed may be as well done immediately as not. But while the Ministry are in the throes of making up their minds, it may be well that they should remember a statement they made in the House when the question of the establishment of Agricultural Colleges was on the tapis. On that occasion they announced that they had under consideration the appointment of a Minister of Agriculture. Now the present batch of Ministers have managed to work the various departments with a large amount of success. Their strength lies in administration. As Parliamentary tacticians they are about as weak as they possibly can be, but as administrators they are undoubtedly most efficient. As we have said, the departments have prospered under their management, so that it may be inferred that, when the new Minister is appointed, there will be a certain amount of surplus energy available. And this energy could not be better diverted than in the direction of looking specially after our agricultural interests. The new man might well be made a Minister of Agriculture in addition to receiving the portfolio that < may specially be allotted to him. Viewing the way in which the present number of Ministers have got through their work, the possibility of what we have suggested is at once apparent. For it seems an anomaly that a Minister of Agriculture does not exist. The only reason he does not is, we presume, that there is not such a functionary in England. In France and America he is found to be a most useful individual. As we have a Minister of Mines, why should not the larger interest of agriculture be represented at the Ministerial table? Were it so, we shonld certainly hear less of the complaints of farmers respecting the incidence of the railway tariff and such matters. The needs cf our agriculturists would be under the special keeping of a Minister, whose particular duty it would be to see that their wants were seen to. Besides, outside of its function of keeping a due balance between the various interests, an Offi.ee of Agriculture would do much permanent good. In Washington the Department of Agriculture does much valuable work. It keeps a register of the various climates in the country, of the different soils, and of the experiments made by individuals in raising new descriptions of crops. Anybody, therefore, wishing to start in a certain line of farming, in a certain district, can do nothing better than consult the records of tho office, where he finds reliable data as to the chances he may expect to have. And New Zealand is a country where a Minister of Agriculture would be specially valuable. Its climate varies from eemitropical to barely temperate. There is in its borders almost every description of soil. The rainfall in its several parts varies in a marvellous degree. So that it may fairly be said that we have here a microcosm of a number of countries, and that we partake of the benefits which, in other parts of the world, are sown broadcast over a very large area. The work that might be done by a department of agriculture is now performed by Farmers' Associations and Industrial Associations, who collect data. But from the fact that each of these Associations influence only a small portion of the community the good so done is not so extensive as it should be, notwithstanding the fact that they are most of them in correspondence. A Department of Agriculture would have under its ken the whole of the two islands. Its records would form a history of the agricultural progress of the [colony. Because then such a department would represent one of our leading interests, and because, in carrying out its duties, it would lay up a stock of most valuable information available to all, we trust to see the portfolio taken up.

THE AMBULANCE AT PARIHAKA. A okeat deal has been written and said abont tbo success of tho Parihaka campaign, but sufficient attention has not been drawn to the miserable state of the hospital arrangements for that undertaking. Dr. Diver, during the last session of Parliament, brought in a petition claiming £79 for examining [Volunteers before they went to the front. With this petition we do not propose dealing, but the facts brought forward by the Doctor during his examination by the committee are worth thinking over. He accompanied one of the Wellington corps to Parihaka as honorary surgeon, as did the surgeons of several other corps. Ho had ordered a medicine chest from a wholesale chemist, but it did not arrive till the corps were on their way back. The only doctor who was recognised by Government was Dr. Boor, an assistant surgeon from Nelson, who was placed in charge of all the 1200 men assembled. Dr. Boor'a whole stock of medieinea consisted of a pound of salts, which ho disguised in various ways to suit the states of the men who applied to him! The

medicine chest of the A.C. force was eight miles away. Besides, there were no hospital tents or other appliances whatever, so that in c Me of a fight the wounded would hare stood a yery poor chance indeed. It must, therefore, be doubly a matter of congratulation that the campaign was a bloodless one. It is not likely that the Government will have again to call on the Volunteers to assist them against the Natives; but should such an event ever take place, we trust that those then in power will be a little more thoughtful than were, apparently, the Hell Government during the past Native crisis.