THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIII, Issue 8725, 26 November 1913, Page 8

THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.

VIEWS OF MEMBER FOR ASHBURTON.

During the debate in the House on the Board of Agriculture Bill, Mr \V. Nosworthy M.P., said : —I recognise that this Bill will make a great change in the agricultural education of the young people of this Dominion. The Prime Minister informed us that the principal agricultural expert was strongly in favour of the Board as proposed under the Bill. The leader of the Opposition said- he believed in Ministerial control with the assistance of experts. Now, what good are experts unless you have something behind thorn In the shape of practical experience ? Anil you can only get that practical experience by bringing the experts into touch with the men who have to make their living by working the soil. Therelore I. believe that this Board as proposed will be of .inestimable value to the agricultural, pastoral, and horticultural interests of the Dominion. The Minister of .Marine, speaking on the second reading, said we .wanted something to give the town boys a chance to obtain an agricultural education. I agree with him. I consider that the -.system of education which we have in tills country as regards agricultural matters is only a retrograde system. When we consider how it turps .out university men by the thousand, and ye v t dors nothing to fit the New Zealand?! 1 for Hip profession which is responsible for 80 per' cent, of the produce of the country, it makes us pause and think. We want to' go in for a system better tlian anything we have had in the past. "We want to keep in touch with the leading countries, which are spending money and energy to spread knowledge simonn the rising generation, t trust, Hierefore. th.it the remarks of the Minister of Marine will bear due weight

ihe Prime Minister, and that this ' EUI will.he .the beginning of n system, which will be developed as time goes

on. with a. view to giving every boy who

has riny inclination to become a farmer .an ■•opportunity to perfect himself for i^f' battle of life. As regards the Agricirlbm-:'! Department. 'I quite,.agree

with the Minister of Marine in another rewpect: He said that this country had rea l ly dragged the Agricultural Department aftier it; and it has. been doinav

thai;: Ever ..sj'.vce. „the Agricultural Departinerit was 'initiated it has been) the practical. „farniers- wlio have imported stock o.n'4 .made .the great flocks and 'herds that this Dominion is npA\ r justly proud "of! They have had little help

from', the State in carrying out their

enterprise and bringing the country to < the position it occupies to-day. I believe that in imßorting stud stock the Government made a mistake. Ido not see that, it is the duty of a Government to come into competition with, private individuals who import stock and improve our flocks and herds. I : think h ih rather the duty of a Government to see that those people get every facility to market the produce they obtain from these flocks, nnd herds. If we :fcake, for instance, the Weraroa State

'.Farm wo hear a great deal about the JFlolsioiii fnttlo they have on this farm, niui i beliovo it is a very good herd ; l>u;> who is responsible for that herd

h^\:\<x brought to New Zealand ? Tt Vv-;i= Air John Grigg. of Longbeach, who first imported that'breed of stock, and

a considerable number of them have beou purchased for this State farm. It v/fis private enterprise that did that, «nd built this industry up. It 'was private enterprise that first showed ffcho.'t a profit wns to be made out of

tliese cattle, and the whole of the Dominion . will now profit by that entoif pi'iso. Now, again, there is another point that should not be overlooked. TJrs Agricultural'Bonrd is not the only jif»w. departure that has been made by <tJwv--Government. We have the fact "that, it is looking for new markets for •the export of stud stock. We have a •airoat mnrket in South America, besides ither parts of the world, for our r>ro<:!uef> iv r.tud ' sheep and cattle. New v^,,} aTl( i i s very- similarly situated.' as t-c^.rds climate, to the United King-

dom ; and I am sure there is a great market for our stud cattle and stud sheep in the South American Republics if we can arrange to ship our stuff to those markets. Already people from those countries coino here to buy Lincoln and Romney sheep from us ; cattle are also taken. There is thus an opportunity for a largo and profitable trade being carried on if wo only had the requisite facilities for getting our stock to these different centres. As it is, there is no direct communication, and therefore we have to pay exorbitant rates to get a few sheep shipped : from this Dominion to that part of the world. I hope the Board of Agricult- ■ uro when it is established will urge upon the Government the necessity of opening up all these now channels. Lincoln College has been alluded to during this debate. It certainly has done very good work as far as pioneering is concerned.- I think it is the only college of the kind in the whole Dominion. It has only about 50 students, I believe, but il should have at least 150, and then it would be of greater service to the Dominion at large. Many of the men who have boon students at that x college have turned out very successful men, and we see it not only reflected in the South Island, but also in,«,the North Island. In my opinion, the Bill will be of very great assistance to the permanent prosperity of the Dominion, and I intend to give it my hoary support.