YOUNG FARMERS' COURSE

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21226, 26 July 1934, Page 16

YOUNG FARMERS' COURSE

LECTURES ON VARIETY j OF SUBJECTS j I STUDENTS ARE ADVISED TO CO-OPERATE The young farmers who are attending the educational course organised by the Canterbury Council of the New Zealand Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs and allied organisations spent an interesting day yesterday listening to lectures and inspecting places of interest, in the city. In the morning they were addressed by Professor J. Shelley on "Drama," by Mr Cr. H. Holford on old methods of farming compared with modern and efficient practice, and by Mr S. D. Blomfield on the aims and working of the young farmers' movement. Dr. J. Hight. the Rector of Canterbury College, spoke briefly to the boys after morning tea, and stated that the college authorities would do everything in their power to assist the movement. It was possible that when the next school was held the association with Canterbury College might be much closer than at the present time, and it might be possible that the school would be able to assemble for some of the lectures, if not all, in the college. Mr G. C'. Warren, the president of the North Canterbury executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, also spoke to the class, advising the members to prepare themselves in any way possible to take part in local body administration and in similar organisations. Men had been grumbling a lot about the depression, but the young men of to-day were fortunate, he said. Young men of the last generation had been less fortunate—they had been thrown into the turmoils of •war and sent overseas to fight. The present little depression might have caused suffering, but it was not causing the suffering and hardship that Was experienced during the war years. Taking everything into consideration, conditions now were better than they ■were 20 years ago, Mr Warren said. But the war had had another serious effect on community life—many of the young men who would have been the leaders of the community now had been lost, and the result was that the young men of to-day were being called on for such service as local body work at an earlier age than was intended. Young men needed to prefiare themselves as much as possible or that duty. Early Settlement Mr Holford gave some interesting details of the early agricultural history of the Dominion, and of Canterbury. He referred to the visits of Captain Cook and the great navigator's attempt to establish sheep in the Dominion, to the arrival of the first settlers and pastoralists in Canterbury, and to their early problems. The advent of settlers to Banks Peninsula had led to one sorry desecration, he said, in the loss of much of the fine native forest. There and on the plains thousands of acres of valuable bush had been cut out, in areas which to-day would have been an invaluable asset. The first Canterbury farm, established by the Deans brothers, had been on the site of the Christchurch Boys' High School. The first wheat sown there had been taken by Maori rats. 7 <Vire fences made their appearance on the plains in 1862. Water-races were begun in 1872, and that scheme spread. Then began the more intensive cultivation, which was greatly assisted by the advent of refrigeration. Mr Holford also spoke of the years of rising prices during 1895-1920, and of the expansion of primarv industry. In those days a good deal of money had been borrowed for development, probably too much. In 1921 occurred a depression, which did not last long, but from 1921 on there was a period of varying prices until the slump of 1929. The Future Mr Holford suggested that a study of the past would be useful as a guide in the future. The world-wide depression was going to have an important effect on agriculture. Since 1920 world agriculture had been depressed. There had been a tremendous expansion in the industry. The position to-day was that each country was endeavouring to produce as much of its own food, as possible. This was part of the aftermath of the war. Starvation during the war years had taught a deep lesson. For New Zealand it seemed that producers would have to depend for markets a great deal on the Home country, while England was endeavouring more and more to produce its own food. The future of the industry seemed to lie along the idea of contracting markets, and low prices, and that consideration led to the point that farmers would be compelled to be more efficient in their methods, and th° good land would have to be developed rather than the poorer class of marginal lands, so that, the greatest possible return could be given from the application of increased efficiency. When land could be secured for £3 or £4 an acre, a wlti could afford to make mistakes, but lie could not when land cost £3O or £4O an acre, with low prices as well. Mr Holford mentioned the transition of Denmark into one of the most efficient primary producing countries in the world. By a system of the educational training oi' the young men there was developed a desire for increased knowledge which, stimulating other activities in the community, led to the enormous expansion of the country's production and its becoming a model of efficiency. That educating of the young men had started somewhat along the lines of the New Zealand Young Farmers' Clubs, and in the present cpurse, the speaker said, there was some historical significance. Marginal Land Mr Holford';; reference to marginal land led to several interesting questions. Replying to one, he said that lie believed that much of the marginal land would hr ••.••• go out of production or woi . . through the force of circumstances. Much of the poorer land which had been developed in New Zealand had only become productive and been maintained by subsidising ori the part of the rest of the community. Generally such land, found more often in the interior, meant the construction of costly roads at a cost not commensurate ..with the value of the land or its products. One of the young fanners asked whether it was not correct that Denmark had combined highly efficient marketing with highly successful production. Mr Holiord agreed, and expressed his confidence that New Zealand could attain Denmark's position. But New Zealand had not had sufficient pressure brought to bear to awaken it to the necessary activity and to improve the quality of our primary products. Conditions were now forcing New Zealand to take those steps to make the best of the unusually favourable circumstances for primary productions. Aims and Growth of Movement The aims of the young farmers' movements in different countries were discussed by Mr S. D. Blomfield. the general secretary of the New Zealand Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs. He said that one of the main objects ■w£s to have the scientific achievements of agricultural research put into practical use in the industry. This could best be done through the young student farmers. Th' 3 Young Farmers' Movement started in the United States feZ America in 1912: to-day, there were about 1.000.000 members there, arid the Idea had spread to Canada, Great Britain, Denmark. Sweden, and other countries. The movement, embodied In th'e federation of clubs, was now established on a sound working basis in New Zealand. One of the hepes behind the movement was that it would ■provide leadership for the farming

community—that meant leadership for New Zealand. The speakers were accorded a vote of thanks on the motion of Mr J. Barclay, of Waimate. Mr Holford announced that he would give a prize for th'e best essay on the course. The party visited Messrs Kempthorne, Prosser, and Company's fertiliser works and the Hume Pipe Company's works at Hornby in the afternoon. INFLUENCE OF THE DRAMA INTERPRETING HUMANITY Some of the pov/erful influences which the drama and allied art had played in society were mentioned by Professor J. Shelley, in an address given to the young farmers who are attending the educational course in the city. The speaker told the young men that it was through the play, to a great extent, that men could obtain an interpretation of the more human and intimate aspects of life which might not perhaps be divulged in literature, in conversation, or in other forms of the expression of thought. The value of drama in the community might not bo so direct as that arising from industry, said Professor Shelley. The results could not be seen in such a tangible way; people had to wait for them. Because of this and because the results of such an art might not be obvious, drama was possibly neglected. But the various arts were means whereby men could get a higher value of life and a higher sense of interpretation. An English play bad brought about the alteration of the English Government prison regulations. So intense had been the effect of the presentation of a scene in a play of Galsworthyshowing the anguish of a man placed in a solitary cell—that Mr Winston Churchill, then Home Secretary, seeing the play acted, had in a fortnight altered the regulations about solitary confinement. The influence of a French play had brought about an alteration in French legal procedure. Art undertook the duty of humanising the dry facts of life. Blue books and statistical records, however enlightening in their import, had to be humanised. It was an easy thing to record that unemployment had decreased in a country by 500,000; but it took a good deal of imagination to realise what was happening to the remaining million of unemployed. Statistics were apt to mask the human side of life. But plays had a very much wider purpose than that, said the speaker. Their purpose was to give men a better understanding of life—to become more conscious of what was going on in themselves and in the world about them, and to gain a greater control of themselves and nature. Effect of Talkies A'ter he had read a play, Professor Shuley answered several questions. Asked whether he thought talking pictures would ultimately spoil legitimate drama, he said that he thought the talkies would shortly develop a real art of their own. They were feeling their way towards that art even now and occasionally one saw a picture of such merit that one felt a thing was being done in a way which only the talkies could accomplish, and which the legitimate stage could not do. On the other hand the stage had always the advantage of being able to create i a personal contact, an atmosphere of intimacy, which was quite impossible to the talkie. On the motion of D. Gregan, of Hunter, Professor Shelley was accorded a warm vote of thankf. VISIT TO ENGINEERING j SCHOOL The party of young farmers now in Christchurch paid a visit last evening to the Engineering School at Canterbury College. After a brief address of welcome by Professor P. H. Powell, dean of the faculty of engineering, the party was conducted over the laboratories by student guides, who indicated the uses and purposes of the different parts of the laboratory equipment. Demonstrations were given of the action of certain of the steam engines and other types of engineering plant contained in the laboratories.