AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 30, 5 February 1925, Page 4

AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE

i PROFESSOR'S CRITICISM, j STARVED AND NEGLECTED, j DOMIXTOX- COLLEGE URGED. | (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, this day. I Professor Pcren, Professor of Agricul- , iture at the Victoria I'niversitv College, ,'told a meeting of the Wairarapa farmers' . lat Masterton, that the chair of agriculture . I had not advanced one step since he had a ' arrived in the country *even months; j 'ago. After outlining the scheme and, | courses they proposed to follow, Pro-' ' | fessor Peren expressed the hope that the _ I various districts would drop parochial-c "! ism and take a broad view of the i 'subject, therehy assisting in the estab-' . I lishment of one good, well-equipped j and well-staffed college, which would; j serve the needs of the whole Dominion .better than a number of half-starved I shows established merely to satisfy local ' clamour. 1 A progress report concerning the chair! of agriculture was very disappointing.: The time was ripe now fur co-operative : action by the farmers. In reply to a question regarding the appointment of a professor nr. Auckland.! the speaker stated that he had told' Aucklanders to appoint a professor! I under their bequest, by all means, but to I put them both in the same institution; i jtben they could do some good. Hawera. i! Canterbury, and Otago, had all asked i 'for grants for similar purposes, but when ■ it took over £40,000 to establish one -college decently, it would be seen that > the expense of establishing a number of . .small shows would be enormous. Un the . j other hand, a colossal amount was .; being handed out to primary and , ' secondary education, while the only .phase of education which earned its 1 • bread and butter was being neglected. .jA subsequent speaker stated that Auck-; . j land's bequest was ten times a-s large,, land Hawke's Bay fifteen times as large las Wairarapa's liequest. and he con- j ■tended that Wairarapa would have to! bow to the Government if others , brought along a better scheme. I ] The meeting decided to write to the .1 Minister of Agriculture, and to support jits request with a deputation to urge! j the following resolution : "That this ! 'meeting of farmers and commercial men ' 'jsubmits to the Ministers of Land and '.Agriculture and Education a request I that the question of an agricultural col-| liege, which seems to be hanging fire, j 1 j may be set on its feet at once by the; 'immediate establishment of one college.] 1 , planned to serve the Dominion as a ' j whole in the best way possible." j