WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 January 1917, Page 8

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

NATIONAL ORGANISATION. FOE WINNING THE WAP.. (Special Oorrespondeiit.) Wellington. January 17. Tlie agitation for national organisation towards winning the war, if a spoken word here and there and an occasional .letter in the newspapers can be called an agitation, seems at last t< be gathering some force and obtaining some concrete expression.' The National Cabinet. moved, perhaps, by what is happening at Home and by the reported shortage of labor here, lias been discussing the subject since the holidays, anil (hough it lias made no definite announcement of its intentions, it is evident from the statements of individual Jlinistets that it recognise* the need foi making ir.cre effective and more economical use of'the Dominion's, resources. The actingPrim. Minister himself has artiiiittd that, "something" ought to be done in tl.is direction, and it is presumed that the discussion of the subject by tlie Cabinet is preliminary to submitting a scheme to Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward for their approval. Judging Tror.l the reports of tht party leaders' public v.'tcranees during the last week or two they would be by no means averse to New Zealand making a greater effort on behalf of the Empire.

THE PARLIAMENTARY 10UR. The southern contingent for tlic Parliamentary tour und?r the guidance of the North Auckland Development Board was not so large as the promoters-of the tour had expected, but private telegrams received from Warkworth to-day indicate that the first stage of the 000-mila journey had been thoroughly enjoyed bv tin. guests. Only politicians and pressmen are given prominence in the newspaper accounts of the tour, but there is a fair sprinkling of business men and farmers in the company, ar.d the Development Board is relying upon these gti.tlcmen pronouncing a verdict upon the Far North that will finally dissipate the popular dclu-ion that, where it is not a huge waste of sand dunes it is a hopeloss tangle of knuri forest. As a matter of fact there are few parts of the Jbn'inion so jvell adapted for close settlement, and probably none where the life of the_ small producer could be made more attractive.

LABOR UNREST. The delay in arranging a confereii-e between the representatives of the. vaterside workers and (he shipping companies is occasioning a certain amount of anxiety and unrest, but there are no visible cs'gn? nf any pproaching lnbor trouble. The position, in short, is much the same as it was at this time hist rear. The labor leaders, who, of course, may he dissembling, laugh at the idea of a strike. "We have finished with strikes," one of them said this monriii:'. "Wo have found a better wa> than tlmt of righting our wrongs, and we are not going to waste our strength iii fighting hopeless battles." Apparently his mind was fixed on the ballot-box, which many o' the workers expect to see called into rcfiuisitinn before the end of next year The employers, on their part, are keeping their counsei closer tl/au usual, and viii pronounce, no opinion 011 the sitn.it.ior for publication; but, speaking generally, it is safe to say they a'w> as anxious as the men profess to he to avoid a conflict during the war. They recognise, too, that after the war economic problems of i'nr-renfhing importance v.iil l.avc to be faced.

MILITARY ACTIVITY. The application of compulsion to military service certainly lias not had th.= cil'cct of making the lot of the soldier less enviable. The Minster of Defence, with the cordial assistance of Iris colleagues, is busier Ilia 11 ever in looking after the comfort of the men in camn ami after the welfare of those at th'i fiont. -New regulations have been gas:etted making provision for recruit* who v(quire financial assistance or expended leave to attend to their private affairs, ar.rt further efforts are .being made to help the sick and wounded and to facilitate the return of men coming bail; from the front to civilian occupations But perhaps tin' most significant feature of thf. revived activity is the desire of the military authorities ti prevent any distinction 'being made between the ballotted recruit antl the volunteer reorua in camp or 011 active service. The Commandant at Trenthani is most insistent upon tilis, arid the men themselves are niviiia effect to their officers' wishes in an admirable spirit.

FOSTERING SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE. Important proposals for the extension of agricultural education lmve been brought forward by the Minister foi Education (8011. J." A. Ilanan). 'The need of improved provision for education in the science and practice of agriculture has been generally recognised, said the Minister to-day. "We want more farmers and better farmers, a.nd the way to secure them is to give facilities for the instruction of our young people in fanning subjects, ing to provide a sound basis for the "Teat primary industries. The first step in this direction is the creation of a teaching force, and I am attacking the question from that point bf view. My proposals aim at the training of teachers capable of handing 011 their own specialised knowledge to ever-wideniLg circles of students." The scheme has been embodied in regulations which were placed before the Executive Council by the Minister for Education yesterday and approved for early issue. The Minister proposes to create a system of agricultural bursaries, tenable by students at State experimental farms or approved schools. The bursaries are to be held by qnn.ified male students, who will take a course

of agricultural study and practice. Students will be required to possess a sound general education and must be between sixteen and twenty years of age. The period of instruction will be two years, and tlic annual value will be £2O, plus the amount 1 of tuition fees in the case of approved institutions, and plus a boarding allowance of £3O ir. the case of student;: who require to live awav from home.

The Minister mentioned, jii explanation, that the scheme \va» based upon a recommendation made by the Council of Education. The bursaries would be similar to the Home Science bursaries tenable at the Otago University, and lie hoped that the outcome would be the creation of a valuable body of experts who could be employed by the Education Department, rnlesr they became farmeri' on their own account. The success of any scheme of agricultural ediH cation through the ordinary schools must be dependent upon the creation of a highly-qualified stall'. He had found that there were plenty of men who possessed the requisite knowledge of farming operations and were willing to become teachers; but very few of tiiese men were trained teachers, and the combination of qualifications was essential to success. He hoped to have the scheme in operation during the present yea?.

The Minister lias arrangements' already for the reception of a dozen students at the State training farir at Weraroit. He expects to be able to send some students to Lincoln College, but that will be a matter for discussion with the college authorities. The Department. naturally, wishes for some assurance that the instruction given under the bursary scheme will bring a return to tile State, and the regulations,- therefore, provide that students must give a guarantee that within live years* after the completion of their courses of training they will serve at least three years in New Zealand as tcai-hcrs of agriculture in the schools, as officers of the Agricultural Department, or 'as farmers. Applicants for these bursaries will be required to satisfy the Minister that they lmve already attained a reasonably high educational standard in general subjects, so that they may be ablf to take advantage of the specialised instruction in the theory and practice of agriculture.