THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 10, 13 January 1926, Page 6

THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.

We referred the other day to the necessity the Government was under to come to a decision soon about agricultural education. To-day we publish an important statement by the Minister on this subject. The Minister is entirely with the Commission in believing that •the best policy is to establish an agricultural university in a new placed There is, he says, quoting the Commission, need for only one such institution, and moiiey for only one. The Minister adds that Lincoln College should be raised to university standard. This may eeem to conflipt -with, his remarks about the policy of Laving only one institution, but we do not doubt that Lincoln can be worked into the new system without causing undue duplication. The main point in Sir James Parr's statement is that he favours a college " being established somewhere between Wellington and Auckland, and he hints plainly that if the Auckland and Wellington Colleges waive their claims the Government will set up this institution forthwith. The figures he gives should be noted—£so,ooo or £60,000 for initial expenditure, and £10,000 to £12,000 a year, which, he rightly says, are beyond the resources of any single College Council. The Auckland and Wellington College authorities are discussing co-operation, and we join the Minister in hoping that something will come of these negotiations.