WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 5 June 1917, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

land settlement. AG RIO U I.TUR a L LDu C A TION vU»C(.ial V. OlTOSyoimeiit) WELLINGTON. June 4. The Hon. W. D. S. MacDonald has returned from Australia with a lot of interesting information concerning what the State and Federal Governments are doing in the way of land settlement and agricultural education, but he declines to express any opinion as to Loathe Commonwealth -compares with Now Zealand in these respects. "Both countries are recognising more fully than ever before the vast importance of land settlement,” he said in reply to a pointed question this afternoon, "and their conditions and circumstances arc so different it would be unfain for a visitor to draw comparisons in which all his bias would be on the side of his own country.” But whatever his bias may be, the Minister of Agriculture is not grudging in his appreciation of the efforts Australia is making to attract people towards the land and to assist them in obtaining the host results when they get there. He waxes eloquent in his praise of its system of agricultural education, of the generous administration of its land laws and of the schemes it is promoting for converting the returned soldiers, mostly taken from the crowded cities, into contented rural producers.

NEW ZEALAND’S OWN CASE

But while speaking of what Australia is doing with some natural diffidence, the Minister discusses the position in New Zealand quite frankly. Ho does not take a pessimistic view of the conditions that will prevail after the war, but ho believes they will impose upon the people of the Dominion a measure of responsibility which will tax their courage and their resources to the utmost. Now is the time to be preparing for this ordeal. Mr. MacDonald recognises there are many political question now held in suspense which will he open for discussion after the war is definitely won,-.and he has no desire to prevent, their, discussion, but he sees above and beyond all these-questions-the necessity of rehabilitating the finances and industries of the country and of stimulat lug Its trade and commerce. The Dominion will be left with an enormous increase in lb debt, entailing a large increase in taxation and demanding an earnest and sustained oort on. the part of the people who have to find the money. The Minister, as he reiterates himself, is not pessimistic about the future. but ho wants the people to realise the facts. MOR E PROD LOTION. Air. AlacDonald’s own confidence is based on a firm faith in the productive capacity of tiro country. "Settlement, more settlement, and still more cttleruent, ’ which would mean production, more‘ production, and still more production, is the burden of his appeal to the public. He is not Minister of Lands in iho National Government, and, it is scarcely necessary to say, he does not suggest even by a gesture that he lias any fault to-find with the policy of liis colleague who holds that portfolio, 1 >nt it will bo interesting to learn by and by what additional facilities he

would provide for carrying his precept into general practice. In the meantime, as Alia is ter of Agriculture, lie has various opportunities to assist the farmers, and it must be said to his credit he is turning them to good account. But

one of Hie wasteful economies practis- | ed by the Agricultural Department, for | -which the Minister himself may be | largely responsible, is a lack of enter* | prise in advertising itself. One has to } search through a pile of departmental I papers, separating the grain from the I chaff, and become a constant reader of I the "Journal of Agriculture” to got any adequate idea of what Mr. MacDoaj aid and the members of his staff are doj ing for the man on the land. I AC EICUI.TURAL EDUCATION. | lake, for instance, the question of i agricultural education. How many farmers, who, of course, are not the ‘inly persons concerned, know that at the Central Development Farm at Weraroa they can get without, any cost to themselves a training for their sons which for all practical purposes is as good as tho education they would receive at the Canterbury Agricultural College at Lincoln. The Education Department did advertise a number of bursaries iu connection with this institution, but the average farmer would be the last person in the world to read such an announcement. Then there are a dozen experts attached to the Department who are rendering invaluable services to the comparatively few farmers who consult them. They are ready to give iiifomation and advice on any sub ject in their sphere and their sphere is a very wide one, but probably not 20 per cent, of tho farmers in the country know' of their existence. What is wanted is wide and persistent publicity for tho work the Department is doing. Given this it would prove a very real and effective factor in turning tho public mind to the land and in bringing about the conditions which Mr. Macdonald and other observant people consider necessary for the. salvation of the country.