BRITISH COLONIAL SERVICE

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26119, 23 May 1950, Page 4

BRITISH COLONIAL SERVICE

Openings Seen For N.Z. Farmers DR. I. D. BLAIR RETURNS FROM STUDY OVERSEAS “The Press” Special Service AUCKLAND. May 22. Britain needed specialist agricultural workers in the Colonial Service, and I New Zealand should supply them, said I Dr. I. D. Blair, senior lecturer m micro-biology at Canterbury Agricul- | tural College, Lincoln, who returned irom Britain on the Wanganella today. Dr. Blair recalled that objections had been raised to the exporting of brains from the country and that the ; country was still short of men in ceri tain avenues of agricultural employment. However, he said that the outlet for most of these men was only a mediocre job in over-staffed Govern- ; ment departments. , On the other hand. Dr. Blair continued. one* of Britain’s main concerns at present was the developing of the Colonial Empire. The threat of Communism made it imperative that the.-.e parts should bo thoroughly developed j economically. British newspapers were full of advertisements seeking suitable | men for the Colonial Service, which was congenial and remunerative. Dr. Blair considered Ihat the prac- , ticability of New Zealand farmers, I who produced more a farm worker than any other farmers in the world. 1 made them particularly suitable lor ■ these tasks on Ihc technical side. Even ! Australians admitted that New Zealand was infinitely better developed scientifically than Australia. Colleges which were not excelled I even by the Cambridge School of ; Agriculture were here to train young * men. Those facilities for theoretical • and pract cal tra.mng would produce I types of men which the Colonia] S r- ! vice needed for breaking in vast areas of country and to offer advice on technical matters such as animal husbandry. Men possessing manual dexterity as well as specialist knowledge were i needed for those jobs, said Dr. Bl ir. I The av rage young Engluhman wiio | took a science course would not work with his hsnds. New Zealanders were willing to do that. They also possessed I the attributes of initiative, self-reli- : ance, and adaptability. I However, at pres nt positions were being offered mainly to Englishmen, and places like New Zealand had not I been explored for recruits. Dr. Blair has been studying biologij cal aspects of soil fertility under a I Nuffield Travelling Fellowship in ' natural science. Commenting on the meat trade in Britain, he said that the British farmer was able to produce a lot of fat lambs if it were necessary. However, he would have to bring some of h s methods up to date. That would cause hardship to New Zealand, but there was no doubt that there would always be plenty of room for New Zealand produce. “Of all the food which British people seek, meat is the main one,” said Dr. Blair. "We found that many of the items in food parcels we received were redundant. That could not be of meat.”