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The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 1888.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever rtatis or persuasion, religious or politiral.

At the, Inst meeting of the. Waikato (.Jou n I. v Council a lot tor from Air \V. A. (Jrahaui wa.s read, dealing with a subject. of very considerable import tanee, and one to which wo have pre■v iously given .some attention. Mr r,!';iliam writes in the iutt:rcrit« of agriculture, wliicli, he. says, ar,c ,s'.:;itiei■{•.(! broadc i.st throughout tlje country without orgnnisatiou or eojiesion'aHeetiiig the. general w.-lfare, .-•uul to this he aCtriiiufcns, in a great juueasiure, the discomfort am imcer-

tainty of the farmers' position. He is, therefore, of the opinion that the ' Legislature should be moved to establish Boards of Agriculture with certain defined powers, and as a first, move in that direction he suggests that thi! counties of Waikato, Waipa, Raglan and Piako, and the Boroughs of Hamilton and Cambridge, combine together under the generic title of the •' Waikato Agricultural District." to petition Parliament to pass an Act empowering the formation of district Boards of Agriculture. Mr Graham adduced as a potent reason for the establishment of the proposed boards that the interests of the agricultural industry should receive the same legislative recognition as do others of a. parallel character through Harbour Boards, Chambers of Commerce, ifec. The time has fully arrived for some practical steps to be taken with a view to lifting the agricultural pursuits of the colony from the incohato state in which they have dragged out a wretched existence, and strong efforts should be made to place the agricultural and pastoral classes in a position of equality with the same classes in the most progressive nations as regards technical education. It. is necessary that means be provided by the State through which agriculturists may acquire a practical knowledge of the chemistry of soils and manures, of the science of drainage, irrigation, and the treatment of varieties of lands and their adaptability. This educational work should be performed in a comprehensive manner, and can only, be so undertaken by public institutions provided by the State for such specific purposes. Agricultural societies have, in the past, helped immensely to raise the standard of the farming industries of many countries; in fact it is through the agency of such institutions that improvements in agriculture were first promoted by the application of practical science and technical knowledge. Such societies were established in the north of Italy as early as the beginning of last century, and in 172:5 a "Society of Improvers in the Knowledge of Agriculture" was formed in Scotland. At tho present time, as we know, such societies and associations are to be met with throughout the Anglo-Saxon Empire and European world. In no country is the diffusion of agricultural education so complete as in Germany where the state has established a great number of colleges and model farms in which the sons of the peasantry are trained to become practical farmers. In Prussia, there is scarcely a province that does not boast its agricultural school and model farm. France supports many similar institutions, and so does Russia. Up to the present time, as we know, there have been no state establishments of the kind in England ; but there are one or two founded by private enterprise,such as the Circenester Agricultural College, the College of Agriculture at Downton, and the Agricultural College near Carlisle. There are, however, hopeful signs that tho long- neglect by the state of the condition of the first of national industries is about to come to an end, for we find tliat the Salisbury Government is about to recommend l.'arliament to create a portfolio of Agriculture, and take the interests of that class under its care. Curiously enough, whilst En gland and Scotland have suffered neglect in respect to state aid to agriculture, tho unhappy sistor isle, Ireland, has been peculiarly fortunate in tho othor direction, and special attention has been judiciously and systematically bestowed upon Irish agriculture by tho Commissioners of National Education There are altogether in Ireland 205 farm schools with land attached of various extent ranging from two acres to nearly two hundred acres. Of these 1(39 are Ordinary National Agricultural Schools, aud 3G are Model Agricultural Schools situate in various parts of the country, some under local management and the others under the exclusive control of the Board. These schools are subject to periodical inspection and are reported as being highly successful, both as regards the results of the establishment themselves and their influence on the rural population, aud inculcating systematic attention to the rotation of crops, winter feeding, and knowledge of manures. The benefits of the system and its general design are obvious, but what is particularly worthy of our attention is its small cost; the entire expenses of all the agricultural schools in Ireland being less than .£7OOO per annum, whilst practical education is given to about 8000 pupils. Wc previously threw out the suggestion that, if it is found we are in too impecunious a position to establish State Schools of Agriculture, small grants should be given to Agricultural, Pastoral, and Horticultural Societies to enable them to offer substantial prizes for the best samples of farm produce and farm necessaries. If, however, Mr Graham's proposals can, through the united efforts of the local bodies, receive Parliamentary sanction and Boards of Agriculture be created, it is possible that something on the Irish plan may be undertaken by them, and model farms, or school farms, be established, leading ultimately to the greatest possible good to our agricultural interests as a whole. There is no doubt (.hat well-organised methods will exercise a direct influence on the operatic of the farming community by int\is;:jg a spirit of combination in their own u;t.er,ests and demonstrating in what they .cyji utilise their lands, and to what spec'uu purposes certain classes of soils can be adapted for the juoiit prolitable cultivation. Mf Graham iti(3identally refers in his letter to the beet sugar industry ; and the chairman, Mr i Primrose, declared tiwt' tiie object

underneath the proposals placed before tho council, was to confer power upon the proposed Board to raiso the interest on the capital sum of .£60,000 that would be required to erect a beet sugar factory in the Waikato, which would be equal to one penny in the .£ on all rateable property in the combined districts. Without fuller details before us, we must abstain. from dealing critically with that part of the scheme; Mr Graham will, no doubt, explain the whole thing when hi! conies before tho meeting on tho 4th inst. But, we will say this much here, that a great economic principle is involved in !.ht> proposal, and it remains to be seen how far acceptable it will be to the people to inliict further taxation in order to start an industry, which, according to the ordinary teachings of the laws of political economy, should rise on its own nun-its, principally through private enterprise and tho outlay of private capital, though it may be aided in the first stage by a state bonus. This is the important point that will bo raised at once, aud Mr Graham must be prepared to meet it with well-balanced, satisfying arguments.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WT18880329.2.12

Bibliographic details
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Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2452, 29 March 1888, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,214

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 1888. Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2452, 29 March 1888, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 1888. Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2452, 29 March 1888, Page 2

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