PROPOSED SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE. .

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1243, 27 September 1911, Page 5

PROPOSED SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE. .

_ * MOVEMENT AFOOT. EDUCATION BOARD DISCUSSION. At yesterday's meeting of tlio Wolling(on Education Board Mr. A. 11. Vile, of Ma.vU>rton, moved: "That <i committco bo set m> to confer with tlio Education Department, tlio Maslerlon Trust Lands Trustees, and agricultural bodies interested on tlio (jucstion of tbo establishment in tho Wairarapu of a School of Agriculture." Mr. Vile said that it would, of course, bo immediately asked: What jurisdiction lias tins board 'in tho mallerr , Weil, ho continued, there was a very iironjf feeling in tlio northern end of Iho Wairarapa, and ho thought in tho boutheni portion of the Wairarapa too, and iu. lact throughout tlio North Island, that Iho present, agricultural course which was oaiiur taught m our schools was not as cflectivo as it should Ik;, Tlio course btopped at the vory time when a child was best lilted to receive the tuition.. It was unlike all other branches of education.. Kos-uocliut, , ether avocations thero ' were continuation schools, but so lar as agriculture wont thero was no such opportunity. In tho ■ Wairarapa they had a very considerable number of education endowments, 110 llioiijjht it' a small coniniitW were set up and eoniemid with the' Mas-" terton Trust Lands Trustees, and with, the agricultural bodies in the Wairarapa,'" a proposal might be evolved which could be submitted to tlio Government—a scheme which might induce them to seo the' iiii-' portancq of establishing' a school cl-agri-'-w culture in tho iN'orth Island. Tho Master- ' ton A. and I\ Association had promised support movement. Jlr. J, G. W. Aitkcn: A collexo you want. ■-. . ...;■. .. .'.

-Air. Vilo: "lam not asking for a college. In tho meantime I am asking that somo scheme should bo evolved. 1 am only asking that a committee be set up to see- if ire can't present 401110 caso to the Government to induce them to take action." Mr. W. 11. l'ield, M.P., seconded tho motion. If such an institution as that proposed were established in tho Watrarapa and became a success, tho idea would,: ho said, spread. There was nothing iu this country in tho nature of an agricultural school of the higher class. Thero' was tho Lincoln College, but ho did not think that that answered the purpose they had under consideration. Something belter was wanted. • . Mr. W. C. Buchanan, M.P., eaid that ho was iu hearty sympathy with any movement in tho direction indicated. It would bo easy enough to throw cold water on the motion, but , he had no intention of doing so. It would bo within tho memory of members that an offer ho had made iu this direction, somo lime ago had met , with a cold reception. Hut that was not going lo deter him. (Hear, hear.) At least thev should know how far they could get. What had" "become of tho dairy school? It was-still in the clouds. Ho did not suppose there was auv country in the world which depended more on tho industries .of the land than.New Zealand did. Somehow or other, in tlio last few years, New Zealand had lost valuable agriculturists—such as 11 r. Gilruth and Professor Lowry. Such men in a country like- this worn of enormous value.

The chairman (Mr. 11. Leo) thought that Mr. Vile should lie satisfied with the coimt'enauco the Ixiard had given his motion. It was troll known (hat sound practical knowledge was as necessary for a farmer as for a builder. He remarked lhat (hero had boon changes in (he ideas of t'ho form education should fake, and proceeded to say that at iirst blush Air. Vile's motion had seemed n littlo out of reach for (he ,; board and. even now had a good deal of indefiniteness about it'. However, many i ultimately successful things were crude ! in the beginning. The proposal could do no harm and might result in. a, great . deal of good. 1 Mr. Vilo said he was pleased with vtlib? "■ reception of tho raob'on. lie thought that ' if a definite case could be put before the ' Government, tho Government would como -to-tho board's assistance and do tho right : thing.