MR M'CAUSLAND AGAIN.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10130, 2 December 1910, Page 7

MR M'CAUSLAND AGAIN.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —He your loader in answer to my letter concerning superfluous poultry experts. Please allow me to quote - an 'excerpt from your first criticism :—l'Y>r the last day or two a Government poultry expert has been in Masterton. He has, so far as can he gathered, devoted his time to giving advice to one enthusiast in egg production. Now, if you can persuade me that this is not a direct charge of idleness against the official under review, I ivill use boxing parlance, throw in the towel. However, the inference is there, and I can leave it to your readers to judge. In the main, however, your attack is levelled against the administration for wantonly keeping up an institution which is, according to you, like the expert,' "not worth its salt." When the Government brought down its retrenchment scheme, which, by the way, was another plank purloined from the Opposition, you must admit, sir, that the prunning knife was put in pretty severe. Yet the Poultry Division did not suffer to such a degree as what other departments did. I presume that the Minister of Agriculture, who, by the way, is a demon on making things pay, must have had a pretty fair idea that the vote for the upkeep of this particular division was essential and entirely warranted. I venture to say that, had the department been completely wiped out it would have been due to criticism, for there has not been any division, so keenly criticised as the Poultry Division. Yet Cabinet waived all criticism and we find today the Minister for Agriculture speaking in high terms of the work that is going on. It is a weakness that is inherent in human nature that the man who gets benefited by N the advice from olncials supplied by a paternal Government never thinks to openly express himself, not that he does not want to, but simply because he never thinks, and I feel . sure that if all those who are receiving support in the various pursuits which are aided by the Government, expressed themselves, it would give the Government a lead to do still greater things. As far as your knowledge goes, sir, which 1 suppose is very limited on poultry matters, I think it is impossible in so far as the poultry industry is concerned for you to frame any idea as to its value so well as those engaged in that particular occupation. In any case I do not know that there is much to be gained by such a controversy, although in a way, I believe, it advertises our expert, and I suppose Pie takes as much interest in adverse criticism as I do in radio-activity.— I am, etc. 3 J. McCAUSLAND, Clareville, Nov. 29, 1910.

[Mr MrCauslarid hns utterly failed to show that the poultry industry is a pavine proposition in this country, and lie has given no. sound reason why a poultry expert should ho employed.—Ed. Age.]