CENTRAL DEVELOPMENT FARM

Shannon News, 12 August 1927, Page 4

CENTRAL DEVELOPMENT FARM

NO DECISION AS TO ITS FUTURE. ME FIELD ASSURED OF NO HASTY ACTION. The probable future of the Central Development Farm, now that the Agricultural College has been definitely located at Palmerston, has been the subject of speculative discussion in Levin several times. Mr W. H. Field, M.P., in whose eectorate the Farm is situated, has been in communication with the Government, writing to the Minister of Agriculture, as.follows: — "Dear Sir. —You will remember that at the interview which took place last week between yoursslf, tie Minister of Education and the DivcctoivGeneval of Agriculture, w,ith the deputation from the Levin Borough Council and the Horowhenua County Council, which waited on you on the subject of a grant for the Hokio RWd, the question of selling the Central D3velopment Farm at Weraroa was mentioned

"I now send you a clipping from the Levin Chronicle of Saturday last Avhicli embodies a repoit of the discussion of the Levin Chamber of Commerce on this question. You - will notice that a rumour is mentioned of the possibility of the farm being required for menta! hospital purposes. I had heard of such a rumour before, though during recent years the question of utilising mental hospital patients for farm purposes has been from time to time publicly discussed. '•I strongly urge that no hasty decision should be arrived at on the subject of the disposal of this farm, but that the question of its utilisation for some public purpose other than that fo." which it is at. present being used should fce fully considered. I ask, too, that the Government, bhuulti first obtain a full expression of opinion from representative people in the district, amongst whom, of course, there still exists very strong feeling at the Government's failure to select this farm as a site for Ihe agricultural col.eye.—"Jours faithfully, 'W H. FIELD.'/ Mr Field has received the following reply:— "Dear Sir, —With reference to your letter of the Ist instant, enclosing a clipping from the Levin Chronicle regarding the Central Development Farm fit Weraroa, I beg to advise that there is no proposal at present for altering the status of the Farm or of disposing of it for settlement purposes; and you may rest assured that no hasty decision on such .911 important matter will bo reached. —Yours faithfully, O. HAWKEN, Minister for Agriculture."