THE Wairarapa MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1927. A HALTING START.

Wairarapa Age, 3 February 1927, Page 4

THE Wairarapa MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1927. A HALTING START.

The New Zealand Agricultural College Council has been set up and has held its first meeting. Already it is being urged to go to w.ork boldly and to make haste not too slowly in the giteat educational enterprise it is appointed to direct and control. It is only fair to bear in mind, however, that the Agricultural College Council is working meantime within somewhat narrow restrictions. The Act unde? which it is constituted was passed only in consideration of an undertaking by the Government

"that the Council created by this Bill will be instructed in the meanwhile to proceed only with such arrangements as are necessary for ■teaching and research in connection with the dairy industry and matters bearing directly upon it, including pasture establishment and maintenance and animal husbandry as afi’ecting dairy cattle."

On giving this undertaking, the Prime Minister added that: "During the recess the full nature of the ‘offer by the Lincoln Co'.’ege Board will be investigated in its relationship to a complete Dominion scheme, and amending legislation’will be brought before Parliament ea.uy next session in order that the House may be afforded an opportunity cf reviewing the whole question." Those w 10 are observing that too much must not be expected of the Agricultural College Council in the ini mediate future are uttering a very necessary warn ng. The council has not yet been given a working commission worthy of the name. It has ye: to be seen whether the politicians are capable of dealing with agricultural education in such a v/ay as to bring within reach the immense national benefits its unimpeded development undoubtedly offers. Meantime, the council must to some extent mark time. Even the most elaborate dairy research institute is one thing, and an agricultural college of university grade is another and a greater thing. It is only a dairy research institute that the council is authorised to develop for the time being. The fact should be fairly faced that although agricultural education offers untold benefits to this country, we have as yet been unable to break away from petty parochialism in providing for the organisation of agricultural education. Good work may bo done between now and the next meeting of Parliament by those who are determined that the interests of agricultural education, and the interests of the Do-

minion, shall -be served irrespective of all parochial considerations. The true line' of advance, and the only policy worth considering, obviously is to give the Agricultural College Council a free hand in providing for tho extension of higher agricultural education and research.