A NEW ZEALAND "MR PERKINS."

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12933, 12 October 1907, Page 8

A NEW ZEALAND "MR PERKINS."

Admirers of lan MaclaTen may remember one of hie ehort stories, "A Government Official," dealing with an incident in the lifo of Mr Augustus Perkins, a first-class dork in the Schedule Office. Mr Perkins is an enthusiast in what he terms the science of echedulology and claims that tha efficiency of practical government depends upon the accuracy of the forms oomDoeed in his office. Hie "chef " d'eeuvre/' ia a sanitation schedule for the Education Department, and its proud author declares that it is nearly perfect. "It has eighty-three ques"tione on every point, from tempera- " ttire to drains and will present a "complete view of the physical condi- " tions of primary schools." Wo are inclined to believe that concealed somewhere in the labyrinth of the "biggest "■wooden building in the world" some colonial counterpart of Augustus Perkins must epend happy hours in drafting schedules for the Government Departments. One of his compilations has fallen into onr hands. It is the schedule which a farmer is invited to fill up when he asks the advice of the Agricultural Department as to the treatment of his soil. It is, if our Mr Perkins will allow us to say so, a wonderful performance in draftsmanship. Personally -we had no idea that the most inquisitive human brain could devise so many questions about ono piece of land. There are seven asking for particulars about the locality, twenty about the property itself, a sub-schedule -with forty blanks in it for detailing the treatment of the soil for the past five years, and space loft for a general summary and review of the wholo matter. Some of the questions are obviously relevant, though one would have thought that an agricultural chemist, aided by a sample of the mil on which advice wae asked, would hardly have asked quite co many. One or two are so scientific- that we doubt whether the average

farmer conld answer them. Others again strike One as merely foolish. What, for instance, can it matter to the chemist analysing the soil whether (he land is freehold or leasehold ? A question like th*t seems as relevant as an enquiry would bo as td the colour of tho house or tho views of the applicant on the liquor question. By tho time the conscientious farmer has reached tho bottom of the schedule he has told pretty well everything there- ie to tell about his property end the surrounding district. Ho has described tho 'lie" of the land, the condition, of its surfico, ite area, depth in, inches', and colour, the general character of the soil and of the sub-soil, tho present end past condition of the land, whether arable or grazing, the amount cf cultivation it has undergone, whether it is drained or irrigated, the crops and fruit trees that do best in the district, the manures most generally used, tho geological formation of tho surrounding country, tho trees, undergrowth, grasses and forage planta it produces. Ho has mentioned any epecial defects observed in tho soil, his forwarded a copy of any previous analysis that hea been made, and has stated what crops ho wants to grow. And then our Sir Perkins, fearful lest anything should havo been overlooked, asks:—"ls there any other " information which will bo of assist- " ance in arriving at a judgment as to " the capabilities and requirements of 'tho soil." "I can hardly think it '• possible," was tho brief reply of one igriculturist, exhausted by his efforts to fiesuago tho Department's thirst for knowledge. It is, of course, gratifying to find that in "schcdulology," as in other arts and sciences, New Zealand is advancing rapidly, but the ordinary firmer may bo excused for wishing that some simpler method of making known his wants would satisfy our Mr Perkins and hie superior officers.