THE TOWNWARD DRIFT

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 113, 13 May 1921, Page 8

THE TOWNWARD DRIFT

HOW TO CHECK IT

Orte means of^ keeping people in town and checking the drift to the cities is to teach boys to become farmers., This may be commenced in the primary, secondary, and technical schools, and completed in special farm schools attached to Government 'experimental stations. The Technical Schools' deputation, which met the Ministers of Education. (Hon. C. J. Parr) and Agriculture (Hon. W. Nosworthy) to-day, asked that plots of land suitable for agricultural education should be attached to technical colleges. Mr. J. P. Kalaugher.also emphasised the importance of establishing the farm schools. These schools, of which particulars were outlined at the conference, would fit in i with any subsequent scheme, and would provide practical work for those boys who received scientific agricultural training at the technical high schools. Mr. Parr said that agricultural education was rightly emphasised. They must keep the conntry lad in the country and give the city lad a bias towards farming wherever possible. The drift to the cities was, unfortunately, too apparent in th& Census figures now appearing, and they' could not allow it to continue a day longer than was possible. The way to check it was to train tho lads so that they would realise that the best life was the life on the land. It was the function of the schools to give the elementary training that could be carried out on plots of three or four acres. It was1 the duty of tho Agricul-, tural Department. to carry the matter further. No one was keener than the Minister for Agriculture to give the-best in the way of agricultural' education. Ninety per cent, of the country's exports came from the soil, and they must see that the people were as highly trained as the people of other countries in farming pursuits. ' Mr. Nosworthy said the Government was not responsible, for the present slump, which was world-wide, though New Zealand, owing to its remoteness and its primary-producing character, had not felt it so early as other countries. He recognised the value of agricultural education; but he; pointed out that the Agricultural Department had hadlheavy obligations to carry in doing all it could to train and assist the returned isoldiers. I Had it not been for the war and this subsequent development a ..great deal more might have been done. His first duty was to 'see the obligations to the returned soldiers discharged, and as that was done, his officera would have more time to give to the programme it had iin conjunction with the Education Department for training in farm schools. A beginning might be made at Weraroa and Ruakura. He had proposed to ,build a college at Weraroa, but witK the present financial position he would not have been fully justified in asking for the money. Something had been done. Last year £5000 was placed on the Estimates for Agricultural Clubs, and was available for use where a progressive spirifr was shown. He would do his duty, but under existing conditions it was useless for any deputation to try, to drive, a Minister faster than it was' possible for him to go. ' Every Minister had to curtail expenditure as far as possible, so as to keep^ the country sound.' He was hopeful, however, that as tHe slump had come quickly, so the position would improve shortly.