LINCOLN COLLEGE

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22271, 9 December 1937, Page 12

LINCOLN COLLEGE

MINISTER’S TRIBUTE

TO WORK CO-ORDINATION PLAN REVIEW OF AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.! WELLINGTON, December 8. A notable tribute to the work done for many years at Lincoln College was paid by the Minister for Agriculture (the Hon. W. Lee Martin) in the House of Representatives this evening, when opening the second reading debate on the School of Agriculture Bill, which provides for the co-ordination of the work of the two agricultural colleges Massey and Lincoln —and also piovides funds for that purpose. Mr Lee Martin gave an interesting review or the development of higher agricultural education in New Zealand to indicate the necessity for the legislation. “In 1880, Canterbury Agricultural College, better known to us as Lincoln Agricultural College, was established 1 , and from that date to the early twenties was the only establishment that taught agriculture to the degree requirements of the New Zealand University,” said Mr Lee Martin. During the whole of this period, of more than 40 years, Canterbury Agricultural College, as far as its teaching was concerned, was entirely self-supporting. Farm returns, students’ fees, and revenues from endowments adequately maintained the institution to the standard then deemed necessary by its board of governors. I should like here to pay a tribute to the work of the college during this long period. The position of agricultural education in New Zealand was profoundly influenced by two notable bequests that were made by the late Sir John Logan Campbell, and Sir Walter Buchanan. The bequest of Sir John Logan Campbell represented an endowment to Auckland University College for the establishment of a chair of agriculture at that college, and that of Sir Walter Buchanan for a similar purpose at Victoria University College. Massey College

After protracted negotiations between the Auckland University College and Victoria University College, the New Zealand College of Agriculture was instituted by legislation of 1920 and established at Palmerston North, both North Island university colleges agreeing to locate their respective chairs of agriculture at the new college. However, the legislation of 1926 had a serious repercussion on the southern college, as the University of New Zealand then recognised the northern college as the only one accredited by it to teach up to degree standard. Thus the passing of the 1926 legislation caused Canterbury Agricultural College to lose a right that it had held for nearly half a century. As soon as the hoax'd of governors of Canterbury Agricultural College recognised the effect of the 1926 legislation, it demanded the restitution of its rights by the Government, and in consequence the Canterbury Agricultural College Act was amended in 1927, giving Canterbury Agricultural College university recognition, and the right to teach agriculture to degree standard.

“At the same lime the New Zealand College o£ Agriculture Act was also amended, the New Zealand College of Agricu/fure being renamed Massey Agricultural College. In the negotiations preceding the passing of this amending legislation, the board of governors of Canterbury Agricultural College agreed that if its university status were restored, and an annual grant of £3700 for the purpose of carrying out research were made, it would be fully satisfied, and the amending legislation provided for these two points. Lincoln’s Difficulties

“Willi the passing of amending legislation, Canterbury Agricultural College immediately encountered difficulties. Its grant of £3700 was to be devoted entirely to research, and in consequence it became necessary to increase its staff, and an additional amount, approximately £2OOO, had to be appropriated each year. Then came along the years of the depression, and Lincoln endeavoured to carry on with quite inadequate finance, resulting in very inadequate maintenance of the • college, farm buildings, and equipment, and the piling up of an overdraft of more than £BOOO. The position during the last year became, in fact. desperate, and just to tide over further depreciation of college assets, I was fortunate enough to secure' £3OOO for essential repairs. At the same time, the Board of Governors indicated that large capital expenditure was necessary to carry out the functions of the college satisfactorily. “Ever since I became Minister _ for Agriculture I have been dissatisfied with the position of two agricultural Colleges, not properly co-ordinated, coming to me for assistance. I felt that the position of two competitive colleges was fundamentally wrong, and not in the interests of the development of a rational policy of higher agricultural education. I therefore secured Cabinet approval for the setting up of a committee consisting of representatives of the governing body of each institution, and the heads of various departments that were pertinent to go into the whole matter. The proposed legislation, which provides for complete co-ordination between the two colleges, is the result of the work of that committee, and I sincerely congratulate it on its efforts, as I view the legislation as being a milestone, and an important milestone, in the development, stability, and progress of higher agricultural education. The proposed legislation has the full approval of not only the present governing bodies of the two institutions, but also of the respective teaching staffs.”