The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, MAY 6, 1881

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 761, 6 May 1881, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, MAY 6, 1881

A short time since, reference was made in these columns to the inadvisability of the Colony supporting so many Colleges and Universities. Since writing the article we have by chance fallen upon the history of the foundation of one of these colleges—the Canterbury Agricultural School,—and a more disgraceful history the annals of the Colony do not contain. It has been extracted from the Otago Witness of February last, and runs as follows: A FSW EEMAHKS ON THE ORIGIN, POSITION,

AND I'ROSFECTS OF THE INSTITUTION will not be out of place. I gathered my information herein from documents to which I was referred and also from some old political friends with lvbom I spent the following Sundav.

Tho Provincial Council of Canterbury in 1873 made a reserve of about 100,000 acres ofpaatoral land as an endowment for agricultural schools, This estate was not operated on till 1879, when 30,958 acres were sold at £2 an acre, yielding £79,9,16; the remainder excepting 5000 acres, has been leased, and yields a rental of £559 18s a year, being at the rite of £1 for every 100 acres, . The 5008 acres are unlet, being comparatively worthless, Of the money realised from the sale £10,655 was paid for the farm at Lincoln, comprising 403 acres, Close on £BOO6 has been expended on the erection of College buildings and purchase of buildings for Girls' High School, An additional sum has'also been expended in the purchase of on adjoining farm of 100 acres, and which is considered to comprise some of the finest land in the province. The farm is therefore ahout 500 acres in area, The unsold portion of the endowment is nothing like of equal quality to that sold, the best land having been picked out. The. remainder of the purchase money ot the portion of tho reserve sold, about £60,000, has been lent out at interest, and yields a revenue of £4864 a year, which with the rent of the portion leased produces close on £5500 a year as the income from the reserve.' The buildings at present on the farm have not been erected out of capital, but by anticipating the income for three years. The cost has been about

:512,000. It has been" resolved, to-make, additions to (the homestead at the ochool, and at»meeting of the Board of Governors of the Oo.Uege, held on the llthjinst., the Board accepted tenders for additions to -ths buildings at Lincoln—No •'!. tender, £6789 19s) No 2'-tender, £987 6s—and the committee were further authorised-to call'for and accept tenders for building three cottages on the farm at a cost not to exceed £6OO, The tenders hive been accepted, the Board authorised the Chairman to endeavor to obtain the Governor's sanction to. a further loan of £IO,OOO to pay for these' contracts, aud there is no doubt the requisite authority will be readily given and the money as easily obtained. It may seem anomalous on the part of a wealthy corporation like this to borrow money for building, but it appears these bui'dings can only be paid for out_. of revenue, so that the reserve fund remains intact. Another reason was ■ freely ; given-for getting the money authorised forthwith, and it w&s simply that some of the members of'the Board anticipated being .despoiled pf their princely revenue for the 1 benefit of the North Island, and being wise in their generation they have resolved to secure it as long as they possibly can. The additional buildings are to be proceeded with immediately.- The revenue from the estato is at present far more than is needed to meet current expenditure. But it is intended "to increase the expenditure considerably by the appointment of additional lecturers or professors for the school, and also.by awarding six scholarships, the value to be free board and tuition valued at £GS a year.

We call the attention of the members of Parliament for this district" to the matter, and trust that an enquiry will he made into the facts. That 100,000 acres of the public estate, worth at least £200,000, should be allowed to be frittered away is simply disgraceful, and we ask that this college should be at once shorn of everything except the 500' acres of land and the buildings thereon: leaving the land and the fees of the pupils to support the institution, We are quite aware of the value of Agricultural Schools, but no. hope of good results can be expected from an institution with so princely a revenue, ,';' It'is intended to increase the expenditure by the appointment of additional lecturers or professors." Could a more extravagant intention he uttered with greater simplicity? "Some of the members of the Board anticipate being despoiled of their princely revenue for the benefit of the North Island," Well might they anticipate, and well was it, too, that the'power was taken away from the Provinces of thus dealing with public, estate. Yet let us say that the North Island does not ask any such a favor as is here hinted at, It demandsthat'both in this case, and in the case of-the Otago endowments, -whose trustees are about to follow this very example, justice should be done-for the public good. We cry shame! Shame on the Canterbury and dtago settlers who to spite themselves (for they form part of a central government) thus parted-with the public hinds for the purpose of supporting a lot of useless professors and idle students, As to the school itself (for mercy's sake let us call it a school), we wish it every success, but it will never succeed until the professors depend for their livelihood on the pupils' fees and what they can produce out of the farm—in this case quite a sufficient income—and until the students know that upon their labor depends the success of the institution. Part of the money taken from the institution should be applied towards the establishment of other agricultural schools, With respect to the Otago endowments, all we need say is that they total up to 570,000 acres —worth fully one pound per acre, if not more.

Tne Masterton Rifle Volunteers parade this evening. A Native Land Court will sit at Masterton on the 25th. inst., at which a question of title to the Te Ore Ore hills will be heard. We do not know who will be judge of the Court, but Mr Halse is expected to preside. The San Francisco mail may ,be expected in the Wairarapa either to-night or to-morrow morning. The Rev J, B. Richardson had an insurance policy in the Government office to the amount of £2OO. Yesterday a sensation was created in Queen-st., Masterton, by a big engine on broad iron wheels stsamingslowly through the town. It proved to be a new traction engine manufactured by Clayton and Shuttleworth, and imported by an enterprising townsman, Mr Gapper, for the extension of his well-known business. The engine is six horse power, and weighs ten tons. Of course it arrived in Masterton in sections, but Mr Gapper. assisted by Messrs Budden and Westbrook has been successful in fitting it up, and getting it into perfect working order. The telegraph poles to connect the new station at the railway with the existing line of communication on the main line are in course of erection. The connection will be made immediately opposite the Carterton branch of the Bank of New Zealand. The contract for the new postal and telegraph offices on the line of railway is rapidly drawing towards completion, and we anticipate seeing our very complaisant and businesslike operator, Mr Pickett, installed in his new premises before the end of the month.

The usual monthly meeting of the Carterton Volunteer Five Brigade took place at the Secretary's office on Tuesday evening, Lieut. Bowles occupying the chair. The minutes of the last meeting having heen read and confirmed, the Secretary, in the absence of the Treasurer, laid beforo tho meeting the financial position of the Board for the past half-year since its constitution. The liability of the Brigade, including the contract recently lot for the erection of the engine-shed and' committee room is £55, payments to date to the amount of £34 having been met. A vote of thanks was passed to the several sawmillers and, storekeepers in the district who have voluntarily supplied material, and also to those who have in cash and otherwise aided the efforts of the Brigade. A new member was elected, and the meeting adjourned about nine o'clock.

The Greytown Football Club have at last, through the exertion of their indefatigable Secretary, Mr A. Hirschberg, obtainedaleaseof Steward's paddoekfor the football season, and will play their first scratch match in it on Saturday afternoon next, when, from the interest taken in the game in Greytown, we' expect to hear of a good muster. The want of a <>ood practice and matoh ground hag long been a drawback to both cricket and football in Greytown, but now ithaß been secured to footballers, we hope, they will not fail to make good use, of it and go in for steady praotice, which they.will greatly need if they wish to keep up their, last year's reputation, -for other Clubs in the Wairarapa are practising with a view to test their metal this year, We hope to hear of the Greytown cricketers making arrangements for the, same paddoek for next yean practices and matohes.

I; -i Mr Whitelaw is to be released on bail, Messrs Andrew Young and W. J. Jackson having consented to become his sureties. A fall report of the oase Thompson v. Field will appear in next issue.

- Messrs J, lorns & Ob. hold 1 a sale of stock to-morrow, followod by a furniture auction, '..•■••■ : —„

The Carterton " Tuis" ; start their band fund entertainment this evening in the Public Hall, Carterton, and if the weather keeps as favorable' as at present they will doubtless meet with numerous patronsand a bumper house.

On Sunday morning next, May Bth, a sermon will be preached by the Rev Jr Dukes in reference to the wreck of the Tararua, and the loss the Church has sustained thereby. Mr Ohas Sortell, landscape photb ; grapher, notifies that he is on a visit to Masterton, and is "open to execute commissions. Specimens of his artistic skill can be seen at the medical hall, Masterton,

The fortnightly meeting of the Waste Lands Board was held yesterday morning. Present—Messrs J. 6. Holdsworthj T. Mason, and H. Bunny. It was reported that the sales effected since last meeting amounted to 1705 acres, at the upset price of £2781, the cash received being L 1046, It was decided to proceed with the survey of the Pohungina and Waitapu Blocks. Several letters relative'to small matters of no general, interest were dealt with, and the Board adjourned. The Star and Herald, of Panama) says that a war. of races has broken out in the Valley of Oanate, in Peru, where more than 2000 Chinamen' were Darbarously murdered by Negroes and Oholoso. On one plantation 600 inoffensive men were murdered in cold blood, and all the canefields, sugar houses, machinery, See., were burned, and property to the value of millions have been wrecked. The Araucanian Indians are now on the war-path. Thpy engaged a squadron of Chilian cavalry, and twelve troopers were killed, The crops have been burned, the cattle driven off, men, women, and children killed, and all the revolting savagery'of Indian warfare indulged in, ■ At a meeting held at Christchurch, it was suggested that special offertories should beheld throughout all the churches in the Colony, in aid of the families of the Rev J. B. Richardson and the Rev Mr Armitage. In this district .there is every reason for carrying out such a course, aad we hope to see action taken at au early date. At the meeting referred to,'the Rev Mr Baumber said lie thought it right and advisable to correct a wrong impression -oonveyed-bythe' newspapers as to the circumstances of the bereaved families on whose behalf they had met together, It was stated that the widow of their lamented friend the Rev Mr Richardson would be entitled to £IOO a year out of the church funds, but this was not so, the lady would only receive £7O, and the case of Mrs Armitage was even worse. Her late husband had not been so long cannected with the church, and his widow would only be entitled to receive £3O per annum.

We hear from reliable authority that it is the intention of Messrs. Schroder, Hooper & Co, to make their first grand display of Autumn and Winter Millinery, Drapery, and Clothing at the Hall of Oomrilerce, on Saturday, March 19th, consisting of 71 packages and bales. -As the bulk of their magnificient stock has been imported direct from the manufacturers, the public can rely upon obtaining all the latest fashions and designs of the season at extremely low prices; We would.advise all purchasers and lovers of fashion to make an early call at the Hall of Commerce and inspect their stock. Their advertisement will be found on tho front page of this paper.—[Adytl.