THE MINISTER AT FEILDING.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9071, 11 February 1908, Page 5

THE MINISTER AT FEILDING.

Yesterday Mr McNab, Minister of Lands, visited Feilding to inspect the site offered by Mr Lethbridge, M.H.R., as a gift to the State for the Dairy School. On his arrival by the mid-day train he was met by Mr Lethbridge, M.H.R., the Mayor, (Mr Trewiu), and several representatives of local bodies and institutions of the town and district. After inspecting the Technical School building, now near completion, the Minister was the guest of Mr John Oobbe at lunch, and the Feilding Band played in Manchester Square during the interval. After lunch Mr McNab, Mr Lethbridge and party in two motor cars, that containing the Minister driven by Mr E. Short, went to Cheltenham, where Mr McNab' was interviewed by the directors of the Cheltenham Dairy Company. Mr J. Bruce, chairman of directors, said that his brother directors and other settlers in the distirct had asked him to bring before the Minister the desirability of acquiring land in the district for closer settlement. Some five years ago, when an agitation was set afoot for the acquisition of certainproperties in the vicinity of the dairy factory for closer settlement it was ascertained that several owners were willing to dispose of their properties to the Government. For instance, Mr Elkington, who owned 1700 acres, would sell for £2O an acre; Mr J. R. Johnston, who owned 1040 acres, had offered to sell at a reasonable price ; and Mr E. J. Riddiford, who owned 1700 acres, was approached, but he did not seem willing to put a price on his land. The Cheltenham Dairy Company was considerably hampered in its operations owing to the large holdings in its vicinity. He admitted that they had got along very well with the factory so far, but that had only been accomplished byfgoing very far afield for a considerable portion of their suppliers. Mr Riddiford was an absentee, his land was well suited for close settlement, he only £employed about one shepherd, and if his laud were acquired it would be sufficient for a number of dairy farmers. It would be a great assistance to the Cheltenham Company if closer settlement were obtained, and the community would benefit in other respects; the school and the township would be infinitely better if the population were larger, while the-dand was'so fertile that it could be utilised with benefit to the district. . .

Mr Lethbridge pointed ont that Mr McNab had seen for himself as they passed that day ■what fertile land it was, and it would be quickly taken up at the price it cost the Government. In answer to Mr McNab, Mr Bruce said that the land could well be cut up in from 50 to 100 acre farms. He firmly believed that a large number of people would take the land if it were divided into small areas In regard to jthe question of water, it could easily be obtained, while Mr Riddiford was entitled to 2000 gallons a day*±Tom the Peilding water supply, the pipes for which were taken through the property. . Mr McNab said that it was desirable to have close settlement in a fertile district like the one he was in, and it was desirable to have the land utilised to its fullest extent. It seemed a pity that the land should be held in such large areas and that it should eive employment to so few people. It was |the desire of the Government, without being oppressive on individuals, to do what they could to reduce the areas and increase the settlers. He did not know of any place where closer settlement could be more advantageously carried out than in Cheltenham district, for there was no need for experimenting in the starting of factories, one of the greatest drawbacks to settlers taking up land under the Laud for Settlement Act. But he did not like to even think of enforcing the compulsory clauses of the Land for Settlement Act; he always preferred to negotiate first for voluntary sale, so that owners would be able to deal with their lauds without pressure. Immediately on his return to Wellington he would instruct the chairman of the Land Purchase Board to put himself in communication with the owners of the laud referred to, and ascertain whether they would be willing to dispose of their iland at a reasonable price. If they were not willing, then the further question would arise as to what steps the Government should take in the matter. If they had the personal assurance of the owners that they would place some of the land in the market in small areas, it might be advisable to wait and see what the result would be; but if nothing could be done, then the Government would have to consider what further steps it would take. _ If the owners of large properties did not recognise that the time had come when their laud must be subdivided, they could not expect to be allowed to sit down and block settlement, and the question of compulsory acquisition must come in. He would promise them that so far as lay in his powgr he would do his best to carry out the desire of the deputation. Mr Bruce thanked the Minister for the manner in which he had received the deputation. It was the [first occasion upon which'they had had the honor of a visit from a Minister of the Crown, and they were very thankful indeed to him for the encouragement he had given them. Mr McbTab said he had been pleased with his visit to the district. Some people seemed inclined to find fault with the Ministers for going about the country, instead of keeping close to their departmental work and it was a treat to find that what some called ‘’Ministerial gadding about” was appreciated. The party then left for Waituna, stopping 1 on the way back to take tea at the residence of Mr E. Short. Returning then to Makino at Mr Lethbridge’s place, the Minister was shown the site offered,' and Mr Lethbridge said it could be taken either on the frontage of the Maheno road or to the railway line, on the other side of his residence. The party then went to the residence of Mr Lethbridge, when Mr Pirani, on behalf of -the reception committee, gave the Minister the chief reasons for urging the establishment of the dairy school at Peilding. These were briefly, that the laud of the surrounding district is eminently fitted for dairying, that|the Technical school and several sections of land adjoining belonging to the Railway Department could be used inrconuection with the dairy school, and the demand for dairying instruction, as indicated by The number attending the classes conducted under the management of the Wanganui

Education Board,. A list of the creameries aijd factories were given in the four adjoining counties, and an estimate of. the output of a season was given as 2000 tons. Reference was made to the generous offer made of 50 acres by Mr Lethbridge, the speaker affirming that it was made not for any political benefit that it might be be supposed to confer, but entirely for the good of!;the district. Mr Lethbridge had frequently conferred public benefits without anything whatever having been said about them. Mr W, T. Bowater directed the Minister’s attention to the fact that the land offered was well fitted for experimental agriculture, department of dairy farming, the lack of knowledge of which was causing heavy losses of cows yearly. Instruction was needed as to the means to provide winter feed and during drought, such as is now being experienced. Mr A. H. Atkinson said if it was proposed to place the dairy school on any part of the West Coast then the claim of Feilding was incontestable for no other town was the centre for such a large area of dairying country. Mr McNab, Minister of Lands, in reply, said he would first thank those gentlemen, who at great inconvenience to themselves, had enabled him to get a wider view of the resources of this important part of the Dominion. He could not be expected to say what was the final decision as to the establishment of the Experimental Dairy School, in fact, that decision would not be made until a few days after he ‘had returned to Wellington and had made his report. He realised, however, the task of the selection of the site had now become a difficult one because of the generous offers of sites free of cost to the State, and while these offers were appreciated by the Government they also helped to indicate the need that existed for such an institution. But it was evident that all but one of the applicants would be disappointed. It was possible, however, as the years went, by that the school of instruction would develop into a peripatetic one. He claimed that the school to be established would be of such a kind that it would challenge the work done in any other single institution outside of the Mother Country and the United States. For it would include a section for experiments as well as a school of instruction, and the aim would be to give such a course of instrutcion from the elementarygto”the"technical, as to raise dairying in respect to those who had taken such a course almost to the Jdgnity of a profession. For a certificate given by the State would guarantee that the holder was qualiA fied to carry out any ’class of work in connection with dairying he would be called upon to'perform. It was also anticipated that the school would supply instructors for the technical schools throughout the country on this subject. Mr McNab pointed out the benefits to be derived generally by the instruction to be given and asserted that inasmuch as the conditions varied in different countries the svstem of no one country could be adopted, and only by'experiment and study could the best methods be ascertained which would best serve the dairying industry of New Zealand. He pointed out that the dairying industry was not in”, any way affected by fashion, as in the cases of the different classes __ of wool, except slightly by the Wanganui one, which was certain, not to spread. Butter would always be in demand and the best ‘that could be put on the Loudon market would always command a good price. The thanks of the party J!was given to Mr E. Short for his services and the use of the cars. 1 * The Misses Lethbridge, in the absence of Mrs Lethbridge, provided tea for the visitors. LSLS.