The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY LEVIN. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1913. A SWASHBUCKLER PROPOSAL.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 4 February 1913, Page 2

The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY LEVIN. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1913. A SWASHBUCKLER PROPOSAL.

Tin: public (if Xew Zealand should voice in an unmistakcjible volume its determination th<at tlie ''expeditionary force" of 8000 moil offered to (irojit Britain, without .authority, by the Hon. James Allen, Defence Minister, never will leave these, shores. The Chronicle-, in cominon with iilnctontlis Hi' the New Zealand pivss, lia< been an out-and-out supporter of thi< <ioininiou'.s excellent system of compulsory military training. On that point we stand four-sfjiiare for all time. Bnl sooner Mum see the system spoilt by any filibustering, swashbuckling taint such as that now given by James Allen the Misguidcr. we will (failing other remedy, uukl as a last resource) join with the opponents of the scheme to wreck it. The Defence Minister for ■New Zealand must bo shown that ho is no person exempt from responsibility to the people. ,Tn other Words, he is the servant of the people oi Sew Zealand, not the- irresponsible president ■of a South American republic. Great Britain's expeditionary force may be raised wherever suits her, hut New Zealand's services to the empire surely will bo sufficient when she contributes to the British .Navy for purposes of defence ■abroad, and maintains an effective land force for .safeguarding IS'ew ZealamT. Wo have no desire in New Zealand for our sons to be made into paid soldiers of ibrtuno. THE AGKfCUT/JL'irilAL COLLEGE. PujiKLY on tho merits of the ease, the Agricultural College should be established at Weraroa. Unfortunately, however, merit does not win in overy instance. Unless the townspeople oMovin and the settlers of the surrounding district wake up and work for the end desired, they will wake up later on and find themselves passed over. There are divers interests operating to <3rm\- tlie Ministerial favour to oth'or parts, although the fact remains patent that Weraroa Stnfco Fann has the climate and the varying soils wild the artificial shelter tluit all are essential for a properly characteristic agricultural college. Marton Juncthn. however, has a certain "pull," j im l it has a farm to sell which is alleged to he highly suitable, and it will ho. proferred and persisted in; Hnwke's -Bay has "its" .special Farm to he offered ; Palmerston North also has; and so has Auckland. The Ohronicle's inside information goes to make clear the fact that Auckland is out of the running, but that Palmerston and Hawke's Hay. still mo hi % while Marton is ias much, to the front as Werama. And Marten's advocates are clustered three, dep at the door of the Minister for Agriculture whenever he stays in Wellington. And as Marton lias a farm of 1000 acres to offer, only six or seven miles from the railway junction, there "s at least good argument to put forward for Marton. But against this we have the pathetic explanation made to an Evening Post reporter by Premier Massey that money is short just now, and in consequence the Agricultural College scheme proposal is not being pushed on with t present. Such a confession as this —such ii truthful ■and candid" pronniincoinont— should place Wernron's change of securing tho agricultural college abovo all others' chances. How

can a Government pledged to economy—as the iMiassey Government <s —spend from £30,000 to £-10,000 on securing fnim land at .Miirion or in Ilawke's Bay or at Palmerstou North, for an agricultural college, when an ideal farm for such u purpose already is owned at Levin by the Governinent? The (jnei'v is pertinent, and it.will yield no jot. JJut if our letharg'e townspeople will not move in the matter, it' our neighbouring settlers to whom the gain will be equally potential arc content to sit meditating like so many misplaced yogis, how shall AVorarai get its dues? The race is not always to the fittest, nor the site to the most suitable. Let the local branch >f the farmers' Union meet to discuss the matter, let the Levin Borough Council and the Uorowheniia County Council and the Levin Chamber i\ Commerce give some open discussion to tin- matter, and voice forth their convictions on the matter. The rights of the case are with us. but where are the tongues of puhlicity? UOnOWUKXIU A. AND P. ASSOCIATION. As usual, the secreLary of the Horowheiiiia A. and l>. Association has been prompt in sending out the prize money mod at the late show. Last year the different amounts were seni away by Mr Gardener nvo days .after the show, and now again this year only lour dear days had gone !,v when winners received their cheques. These achievements make show records. 'When there i.s taken into consideration the work attached to preparing the different statements, the secretary deserves heartv congratulation mi his promptitude. The Chronicle also learns that the receipts from the show, so far. have been very satisfactory, but there, are money dues totalling CI OO outstanding in members' subscriptions, ices, and donations. It is to bo hoped that these will soon he paid. sad that further donations will also lie forwarded when the prize anion m> reach the bands of the winners. The annual show of (he Uorowheniia A. and P. Association is on a decided up-grade, thanks to the consistent ha'd work done in the past, and only the continued u'o.'ml support of the pubK.' is needed--fiiianciiilly and othoru ise -to move still further upward the society's standard of merit and the educational helpfulness of I its annual shows.