THE NEW DIRECTOR OF LINCOLN COLLEGE.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11012, 9 July 1901, Page 2

THE NEW DIRECTOR OF LINCOLN COLLEGE.

WHY HE IS LEAVING SOUTH AUSTRALIA. '. The news that' Professor Lowrie is leaving South Australia to take up the position of director of the Canterbury Agricultural College has been received with consternation by his friends in that State, and especially the .farmers. The following account of an interview with him by a representative of "Tbe Register " will explain his reasons for taking (he step:—

"Were you satisfied with the offer of the Government with the view of inducing you to stay?" asked the reporter, and the Professor replied, "Yes, I was satisfied, and appreciated to the full the" evidence in their offer to retain mc that they consiidsred my work has btSsh of vaJus to the community."

"Was your decision in any way influenced by the question of money?"— "For a Scotsman not to be influenced by a question of money would be for him to fee abnormal. I am. normal, and true to my nationality. At the same time I feel that immediate money may be of less value than immediate opportunity. I may have been, and indeed am, disappointed that as the.years of my; tame here passed I reached no nearer the salary enjoyed by my predecessor in office. When I was appointed tbe ealaiy was £500, but it was pointed out to mc by tbe Ag*nt>General of the time- that Professor distance had been receiving a much higher sum, and I was encouraged in the belief* that as time passed and I became experienced in this climatic conditions of the state, and had in a sense been proved in relation to tne duties of the office, the remuneration would approach that earned by my predecosor. I felt also that the work grew in direct proportion to the appreciation of it by the farming community, and latterly I found it very heavy indeed, in the other ;--• --m departmental work is dissociated ,»£ ollege work proper and is carried t>. V> separate ofnces. That the two kind* vi work have to be carried on hereby one man leads undoubtedly to lets efficiency in both. Where. lam going the staff ie equally stitong, or stronger than it is here. The equipment for teaching is, I believe, very much higher, and I shall have the. college and college farm only'- to superintend—half too, work for the same salary. I may further point out that I have had no assistant experimentalist syiqe the experimental blocks in the .countfryj were .given up, and have accordingly hfia to personally direct, watch, calculate, and interpret the various experiments. In New. Zealand I shall have the chance of gaining further experience, and that under different conditions. This new experience sfiould be worth money to mc in later years. If therefore the Government of South Australia had offered a. sum considerably higher than that mentioned—and for which offer let mc say I am very grateful—l should still have decided in favour of the new country after ]iaving made up my mind to change." "What was the immediate cause of your deciding to change?"—"The immediate cause was that I received no satisfaction from my last Minister; indeed, no answer at all to protests I made against hampering and irritating inter-departmental relationships. I have been fortunate in securing a sympathetic hearing from the rural interests. That fact made my work more pleasant, and increased the rang© of its usefulness. I shall, therefore, be sorry to break my connection with the farming community, and I trust that myJeaving the State as I am doing now will not be interpreted as meaning that I lightly the consideration and kindness that I have ever expressed since I began work in the interests of the farmers of South Australia."

"Then the public are to understand that j->u would not have thought of seeking fresh fields if it had not been for inter-, departmental friction?"—" That is so. The eternal pin-prick policy became nauseating, and I decided to look around for work elsewhere. ,.

"You liave no cause for complaint against your present Ministers?"— whatever. My mind was practically made up to leave a considerable time before the last Minister left office."

"When do you leave?"—"l have just received a-telegram from the New Zealand authorities consenting to my remaining here for another three months if my services are required?"

At a meeting of farmers and others, convened by the Gawler Agricultural Society, the following resolution was passed: —"That this meeting expresses its high appreciation of the services rendered to South Australia, and the producing interests in particular, by Professor Lowrie, of the Rose■wt>rthy Agricultural College, and regrets that owing to departmental friction the State is losing the services of an efficient and capable officer, -whose active interest in the primary producens haa materially assisted them in a series of difficult seasons." The meeting also considered that a searching investigation should be made by Parliament into the causes that led to the State losing the services of Professor Lowrle.