The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and excat Justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. THURSDAY, FEB. 5, 1891.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2896, 5 February 1891, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and excat Justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. THURSDAY, FEB. 5, 1891.

The intimation convoyed in the ("lovi'i-mir's Spweb, that ir. was the intention of tlu: Govern moat to establish a department of Agriculture should bfi satisfactory to all who art; in tin* most important iiid'us.-ry in tho ci.-lony. Hitherto agriculturists and tlwir interests have been allowed fco take care of thenisfikv.s, and it hay been no man's business in particular to watch over and carefully consider what measures are necessary to promote their welfare. The mining industry, although less productive; of wealth, and employing by comparison only a handful of men, lias lone; had a .Department and Minister to itself. The result has been that very sums ot money have been j expanded on water-races and other | mici-'SK-iries incidental to the successful prciiocution of the work of extracting wealth from tho bowels of the earth. W r <" must not be understood to iincf fault with the utiministralors of die Government from lime to time on this account. On the contrary, it would have been a suicidal policy not to have participated as a people in the .speculations of those \r!ho have devoted their energies and capital, in the first place, of course, to forward their own interests, but with the indirect effect that the country has greatly benefitted by their pluck and energy. There is, :tfid not altogether unjustifiably, n t\:ai' that no department of Governtiieryt will be well worked, and that a vast amount of labour, which has to be paid for at a high rate, be expencFed on red-tape formalities of little or no value to anybody. In these days of severe competition in every branch of industry, the highest possible modicum of success can only be attained by the people who are well informed on all the latest inventions or improvements on ■old ideas. Wo tako it that tho principal function of the proposed Department would be to collate information of every description calculated to prove of uso to those iu whose behalf it would bo established. This of course would entail the -publication of the facts (joli.e-'.J.t'd ;ind tho conclusions to bo logically deduced tlioreiVom. Tho .-lomont.s of su<> cesifni cornp"titior. with tho outside world tiro eiior'.ji productions and knowledg-o of i:h« probnblr* dotnand for that product, and tho price procurable'. This of courat? 'doponds upon the gross quantity \vh?.ch will have to tinel a market, and the ability of the populations, native and to purchase. An Apricultur:,! Dejvirrniimt would, be useful I (.x.n'tiy iii [iMji'iifioii to lhe niau/ier j in wlrch it perf pnii"d its w.-uk. If ' :his worl; wivo douo badiy or indifi JEt'i-tmt ly it would be iur botter tlisit

■t irul never b-en undertaken. In ■imii (!ti"» lli'jre should bo an ,:iV'.ticnl deimnnent prepared" to ■■: ■ vso noil iiii<l advUe the agrieirturist as to tho crop host suited, to ,: an<l Mii; ti■eatiiiuni by iiuuniie ur ■iherwiso caleiilatud !o bring about 110 best results. This of eourso .inpli<'.s (i highly paid official, but ■t is fair to presume that if tho :-i<.;h! man weie .selected his pay ivoiild, compared with tho eonso-|Ui-nt increase in wealth, bo of liit'e <m- 11,1 moment.

Tlkto is ii'.' ni'jri' eousorvativo i>o.l y than tho fnnnrrs. as their fathers did but'ovo thorn is to a lavixc oxt'jnt their fjnido. It would bo tho duty of the Dopuiimfmt to brn;ik through thi.s uonsorvutism by placing before thorn overwhelming and incontrovertible tacts. This voultl, of course, ontiiil experiment il f.iriniug by the Department on a smiill scule, in ordfr to •li'.u-ly demonstrate; tho theories it might from time to time put forth. Tlk re can lie no question but tlut there are many more profitable crops producible in this colony, than the old-f:isliioni'il whoat, oats, potatoes. .v r '. (Jountrins less favoured by soil and climale can successfully compete vvith us in pliicini,' these ntivple foods upon the markets of tho work!, m:u'nly for the reason that they are in a ideographical sense moreadvantaofiously situated. The enornious passenger traffic botween America and Europe has rendered it necessary to the i.irge passenger lines to carry grain to Kurope at a rate which would not have paid for grease for the engines. The steamers are run for the rapid transit of passengers, to effect this they are of necessity of great size.. The tonnage employed in consequence is largely in excess of the demand for freight. Again, the distance measured in time by steam is about seven days from New Vork to Europe, and about forty-two or three from New Zealand.

There is another argument in favour of the establishment of the Department, and that is that there would be constantly at the Cabinet, table a Minister with the interests of the fanners at heart, and he would persistently remind his colleagues that the success of the class he represents is rigorously checked by the excessive railway charges. As vfo have, before pointed out, tin's is mainly due to the policy of insisting upon the Uiu-K paying interest on cost of construction, maintenance and running. There has been of late, and properly so, a strong agitation for reduction of the cost of Government. Sonic of our members have looked to economy to enable the Colonial Treasurer to g Rt along without the Property-t.ix. Every tax is, of course, deterrent to the progress of n country, more particularly when the money raised goes to pny interest on liabilities. Notwithstanding this fact, we feel confident that the ultimate prosperity of the country would be more advanced by the retention of the tax. and the application of the possible savings to reducing the cost of freights to the farmers.