WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 February 1925, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES.

“ FAST deteriorating new ZEALAND.” A USTEALIAN CRITICISM. (■Special to "Guardi-.n”.) WELLINGTON. February l‘_’. When seen to-day in regard to the further Australian criticism of New Zealand’s agricultural and pastoral products, the .Minister of Agriculture, said li(' was beginning to suspect the recent visitors from the Commonwealth who had been talking at large to the Sydney papers, were trying to “ pull his leg.” He had not the pleasure of knowing .Mr Lock and .M.r .McNamara, the visitors in question, hut their stories read like those of 'confirmed humorists, determined to have their little jest at any cost. .Market prices, show ring awards, the opinions of experts. every test that could he applied indeed, showed that New Zealand stock anil New Zealand farm products at least held their own with the host of Australia. But Air Lock and .Mr McNamara seemed to have visited dairying districts in the North Island and been disappointed when they did not find them hearing golden crops of grain and teeming with beef cattle. \i ..a equal justice a Xew Zealander after travelling through Queensland during a hot spoil might proclaim that Australia had no agricultural land to equal that of New Zealand. "The truth is,” said Mr Xoswovthy. dismissing the subject, “that the Dominion, in soil and climate, is one of the most richly endowed countries in the world and that considering its sparse population si in I its distance from the bigmarkets of the world, it has done wonders in turning these assets to aetoiint.” For the rest, the .Minister could only invite Mr l.oek and .Mr .McNamara to extend their tour when next thev came to New Zealand and to give him an opportunity to show them something more of the Dominion’s fanning. BETTE It CONTROL.

The Minister was scarcely so explicit when induced to say a few. words concerning the recommendation of the overseas delegation of the Dairy Board for the assumption of complete control of butter and cheese intended for export. He had read the editorials in the local papers oil the subject, and some of the correspondence, hut lie was unable to follow the reasoning of the writers. They appeared to assume that the members of the Board in addition to being reckless and incompetent. were utterly indifferent to the interests of the country at large. Everyone acquainted with the constitution of the Board knew that to he an egregious misconception. As a matter of fact the members of the Board possessed quite exceptional qualities for the work they had undertaken and had shown the utmost solicitude lor the welfare of the whole community. They 'were not by any means unanimous on the question of control, sonic being prepared to go much further than others were, and probably the outcome would he a compromise much on the lines accepted by the members ot the Meat Control Board. The Minister implied that personally he would he prepared to go further that either the Meat Board or the Dairy Board yet had gone, blit it was not his place tu exercise any pressure on either of the bodies, and lie had no intention of doing so.' !lis only wish was to see the best possible arrangement made for the producers, without imperilling the interests of any other section of the community or unnecessarily disturbing 'the arrangements of people nlreadv in the business. AGRICULTURAL EDCCATION.

Mr CL S. Peren. the professor of agriculture, attached to Victoria l niversity College, with a salary and without auv well-defined duties, seems to Ik 1 finding his position a little unsatisfying. if not actually unsatisfactory. Addressing a meeting composed ol I:"liiers ami comiMereia! men in Masterton (he oilier ibn he ■ ompbun :d the 1 alter scicn mouths .residence hi Ihe Dominion he still was unable to get about the job for which lie was brought to New Zealand. He wanted to he of some real assistance to the country and In its farmers; hut so far lie seemed no nearer to making a beginning with his work that he was when he landed in AVellington. People were clamouring. for agricultural colleges all over the country, hut what really was wanted was “ one good, well-equipped and well-stalled college which would stive the needs of the whole Dominion inlinitcly better than would a numner of -half-starved shows, established merrly to satisfy local clamour. -Mr Boren concluded a spirited appeal by urging' the farmers to take co-operative m timi themselves, and the inevitable dcpntn lion “to the Ministers coil •■>n 't ” was appointed by the meeting. The “Dominion” in supporting the piofessor’s appeal for a single codoge and for immediate action, wants to innk • quite sure no mistake is made in the selection of the site. “fi is hardly in doubt,” it says. “ that one wellequipped college that will he cf far more value to the Dominium than what Professor Peren called 1 a nt.mhor of half-starved shows.’ At the same time it is obvious that from a national stand-point AVellington is easily the most advantageous site for a central agricultural college.” Undoubtedly Wellington has geographical advantages in this matter; hut the ] 10fossor’s appeal was for the banishment of parochialism from its discussion. THE AY HEAT SUPPLY.

Wellington is a consumer and 1 <>! a producer of wheat. Consequently it is looking askance at the threatened increases in the prices of flour and bread and wanting to know what the Government is going to do about the matter. Of course the Government is going to do what it is commuted to do. The embargo upon the importation of wheat is to he removed, the duty <>u wheat is to he left at 2s (id a rental, anci the duty on flour is to stand at £3 a toil. It is the increased duty on flour that conics in for most emphatic denunciation from people who are expecting an increase in the price of bread. This they say is a sop to the over-

crowded milling trade, in which neither the growers nor the bakers will participate. The increase in the duty from C2 10s to £3 a ton was made by Order-in-Couiieil, some weeks after the conclusion of the last session of Parliament, and it is now being said that this course ns adopted because the Minister of Agriculture was unable to get a majority of the members of the House to support the additional impost. Against this is the fact that the Minister one more than one occasion during the session announced his intention to make the increase and met with no protest. One authority interviewed by the local papers declares that the price of bread is no longer a matter of vital consequence to housewives. The “ staff of life.” he says, had been ousted from itsi traditional position by other foodstuffsJ and whether it cost a penny a loafj more or less was of little consequence to the community. If this is so the Minister of Agriculture need not trend de.