BETTER FARMING

Te Puke Times, Volume II, Issue II, 5 August 1913, Page 3

BETTER FARMING

BOARD OF ACiiICULTIiHE SPEECH BY MR MASSEY The Prime Minister (the Hon. W. F. Masse, ) gave the Agricultural Conference in his o;jening'a.Vhvss lust week some more ucfrii'.c details than have hithsrtoi;:e > published on the constitution a i l duties o" the Board of A-jiie ;tahho Government had l.x'Oßnsed t'j eshllis'i., Ho re-fa-red first to the very vahable assistance he had received fr-.'m Mr Hall, secretary t. tin Auckland A'vi'icuit' ral mic! Pastoral Assnc:iai i/n. i t was inte ided to establish a iYr.rd d Agriculture consisting °i twelve members. Oue of these, of course, would be the Minister of Agriculture of the day. Three members would be nominated by the Government and eight members eloetej by representatives i f the agricultural community i:. the agricultural and pastor;-1 associations and the Farmers' linnr. throughout the Dominion, ivoth branches of 'the Farmers' Legislature.' In all Disability the Government would ask the presi -jnt of the Farmers' Union (Mr J. G. Wilson) to take a position on the Board of Agriculture as uie of. the Government's re; roseate Dives (Applause). It was not sible tt how exactly at i resent tlie eight members would, tie elected to represent the farming c-.mm'ii.ity. There was no doubt, however, t'lat before the I present session of Parliament came to an end a scheme would be brought forward that he hoped would be satisfactory. He proposed to go on with the scheme, even if legislation would bo required, _ and probably it would be required. (Applause). The suggested duties of the bo"i'l would be To consider any matters affecting agriculture that may be referred to them by the Minister and advise n : m there in. T.» .itch o ;er o;.ri promote the intereic-;' i ail branches of agriculture, to encourage the cultivation of ih: 1 - Sv.il and the development rl; tie agricultural resources o: the State, and to devise such i!'.ensures as may be necessary for the protection, enc ur:/;vme.it, or improvement of agriculture generally, avid to s'ibiViil; to the Minister such recommendations' as they may from time to time deem desirable. Tor;.pint special committees of ari : ic'.;Uural expert; to visit an 1 re; r-it thebv.mi the woi'ii of }i.':;artme;ital i;i.stitutions, suclt ri the experimental farms :.:,d Siato agricultural colleges. a:ulais:'> to inquire into and report upon any urgent agricultural wiv.'biems of the day. To endder the p >liey of the jo'VArtment with regard to such matters as ine collection of agriCLkural f t'.tibticsanl the disseminati .a :l agricultural iiitV-rnta-tk,n, the ontVi of noxious weeds and if the rabbit nuisance, the prevention of stock diseases, the festering of the fruit industry and of forestry; and th.i room l mediations from agricultural cuiferences, rural education, and better means of communication,

and any measure ■ devised to make- rural industry m.<ra efficient and rural life more desirable. One of the first duties of the ! oar 1 would l e to assist the r.li'v ister f i' Agriculture to establish an agricultural colieg;\ Here Mr Massey paid a tri! ut; to t!w voluntary aid given by Sir V7alter ic'r.vaivi, Mr Janos Allen, and Mr Edward Nownnri, M.P., in gathering informaci >:i to put heiV/re the Goven in reject of agricultural c Though ; th.e farming in ri ,>-. v Z.:;alatid was v;H'v creditable o\ the whole, there was no do lot tint in some directions New tf.vi'and was !>e- ; luiul the times. The agricultural 5 college would serve to educat:; ' young farmers and give them the , latest and bsst knowledge on all subjects connected with the land.