AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1266, 23 October 1911, Page 4

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.

WAIIJARAPA WANTS A SCHOOL. (By TclcEraph.—Succial Correspondent.! Masterton, October 22. A conference convened by the Welling--1 (on Education Board to discuss Uio question of an Agricultural School for tho ■ Wairarapa was held in Ma-sterton yes- ; terday. Delegates wore present, repre- ' fob ting tho Master-ton and Wairarapa A. 1 and P. Association, the Masterton, Jfauricevillo, Eketahuna, Wairarapa South, ; and Foalherslon County Councils-, tho ■ Mastnrhm Borough Council, and the Masterton Trust Lands Trust Mr. Arthur Jl. Vile, a member of the Education Board, at whoso instance the . conference was lipid, was voted to tho chair, and apologised for tho unavoidable ! absence of Messrs. Buchanan and Ho.tr, , M.P.'s, and the Chief Jm-pector, Mr. , Fleming. The latter forwarded a letter, in which he urged that the rural course would not bo complete unless pro- '. vision wore mads for higher education in ■ agriculture. Mr. Vile pointed out that although, a million of money wk voted this year for , education, not a single ponny was provid- , o<l for rural instruction, excepting w!k was given in (lie elementary rural course at tho district high schools. In every oilier branch of education facilities wero given for continuation; when it came to a primary industry, however, education stoppcvl snort, hi (lie Australian Commonwealth and other countries they had agricultural high schools and colleges controlled and subsidised by the State. Mr. C. E. Daniell, representing tho Mnstmton Trust Lands Trust, stated that there wore valuable educational endowments in tho Wnirarnpa, a portion of tho proceeds of which should bo devoted to agriculture. ITo thought the local bodies and others should a.ssist tho Government in this matter. Mr. Hugh Morrison, president of the Maslnrton A. and P. Association, stated that his association was .strongly in favour of an agricultural school on a comprehensive- Insis, and would, lie thought, give practical assistance. Mr. .Tos:pli Dawson, chairman of the i Ekctaliuua County Council, said he had ' no donbt the county councils would assist. Mr. A. ,T. Percy offered to subscribe £2o towards a school, and to douhlo tins amount when the institution started. Ho i said he had no doubt that other settlers , would willingly subscribe. I Messrs. Morrison nnd R. Bcetliam considered it thfl duty of tlic Government, as i executors for the people, to make, .the • necessary financial provision for agricul- • tural schools. ' ' Mr. AV. Howard Booth, president of the Wairarapa V. and A. Society, said ho had no doubt settlors would provide all tho stock jwmirod for the. school farm. Mr. W. C. Davios, agricultural instructor to the Education Board, gavo valuable information concerning the progress agricultural instruction in other countries, and said the agricultural course- at tho district high schools in New Zealand was like a blind alloy—it led to nowhere. The whole of the delegates present having spoken strongly in favour of nn extended agricultural course, it was unanimously decided, on the motion of tho chairman: "That this meeting, representing th.9 Wellington EducMica Board,'the agricultural and local bodies of Waiiw rapa and Forty Mile Bush Districts, is of opinion that the time has arrived when . tho system of agricultural education should bo extended, and that the urgent. '' importance of such extension be represent- ' od to the Government through tho Minis- I (or, toOTthw wiHi the special facilities of- < fered by tho Wairarapa for au agricul- ■ tural school." ' It was decided that the wholoof the dele- ' gates present, with oilier persons inter- ' ested, form themselves into a deputation ' to wait upon the Acting-Minister for Education, in support of the resolution at tho earliest date convenient to the Minister.