FARM INSTRUCTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 July 1938, Page 3

FARM INSTRUCTION

GOVERNMENT SCHEME PRIME MINISTER GIVES PARTICULARS (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, July 3. Particulars of the Government’s national scheme of farm-dairy instruction, involving the appoitment of 35 additional instructors, were given by the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon M. J. Savage, after his arrival at Auckland at the week-end to amplify the brief reference to the matter in the Governor-General’s Speech at the opening of Parliament. “There is substantial reason for anticipating great success with the scheme,” said Mr Savage. “The appointment of an additional 35 farmdairy instructors will be announced shortly. There is no dearth of competent men available for the job. Indeed, no fewer than 400 applications were received for the new positions, and I have been advised that the applicants represented exceptionally fine types of New Zealanders with practical knowledge of dairy farming. The appointments will be made by the Public Service Commissioners.

“Altogether 77 officers will act as farm-dairy instructors, that total including the 35 new appointees. The full scheme of national farm-dairy instruction has been estimated to cost £47,000. Of this amount the industry will contribute 60 per cent, while the Government will bear 40 per cent. The total expenditure is just about double the present cost of farm-dairy instruction.

‘lt is not necessary to defend the increased expenditure. With the keen development of overseas competition it is essential to give the New Zealand farmer further assistance in the efficient production of commodities of the highest quality. Our farmers have done exceptionally good work during recent years both as regards production and quality of products, but there can be no slackening of effort. The best standard must be the highest possible standard. In achieving and,maintaining this objective the present Government will not be slow in playing its part. “When I was in England last year for the Coronation and the Imperial Conference I had the opportunity not only to look at our marketing system in Great Britain, but to meet representations of the vast importing trade in foodstuffs The slogan of the markets was, ‘quality, quality, and still better quality.’ Our reply must be practical. We must deliver the goods.

‘My own impressions of overseas needs and standards were recently confirmed by the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon W. Lee Martin, who at the invitation of the Commonwealth Government attended the Australian Agricultural Council at Canberra and also visited farms in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, and various agricultural colleges and research stations. Since returning from Australia, Mr Lee Martin, who himself is a practical farmer, has impressed upon the Government the fact that the Australian farmers and administrative authorities are 'alert to the necessity for keeping abreast with scientific research and farm progress and need I say that our Minister of Agriculture has backed up his experiences with requests for more Government assistance to the farmers and has succeeded in obtaining substantial grants for carrying out a progressive policy. “When the sum total has been shown in the public accounts there doubtless will be the usual cry from sbme of the Government’s opponents, ‘Where is all the money coming from?’ The farmers know and will appreciate where the money is going to. It is going only in the direction of promoting the highest level of production with first-class quality.

“Let me say, in conclusion, that although the Government party comprises men with firsthand knowledge and experience of farming we do not claim to be a self-contained organisation, believing that we can run New Zealand farming as if it were a small world of our own. Our aim is to cooperate with the farmers and lend them every possible assistance in the national task of maintaining prosperity for the whole community.”