AGRICULTURE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 64, 18 March 1925, Page 6

AGRICULTURE

NEED FOR ENCOURAGEMENT

EDUCATION FOR FUTURE FARMEBS.

The necessity of increasing interest in agricultural education was stressed by several speakers at to-day's meeting of the Wellington- Education Board. * Mr. T. Moss stated that at the present time insufficient interest was taken ia the question of agriculture.'Very few young fellows ever thought of tak-\ ing up agricultural work., and he thought t was the duty of the Education Board than existed at present. At the present time a Commission waa sitting in New Zealand and taking evidence* regarding agricultural matters. He moveu that committee consisting of Messrs. Harkness, M'Leod, M'Callum, the chairman, and the mover should be set up to draw up a report and forward it to. the Commission. Mr. L. H. Atkins seconded the motion. Agriculture and farming at the present time were not paying propositions, and the result was that the best brains of the country were drifting into the cities It waa the duty of the people of the Dominion to give the child a grounding m agricultural matters.' He noped the board would encourage'agricultural science to its best ability. « v •' °" L Harknesa said that he had lelt tor some time that education boards were not giving the problem sufficient thought. Not only did they want to keep the country Doys in the country but encourage city boys into the country. He stressed the need for research in agricultural matters. The problem had to be tackled seriously. Air B, A. Wright very heartily supported the motion. The problem was "a very serious and very grave one. Aeri«=uli,ure was our primary fndugtry, and . must be for all time, that was if we were to keep our Hag flying. As regajrdnd secondary industries they could Hot hope to compete in thy» markets of uus world, but they could do so with their agricultural industry. The drift into the cities was deplorable. The chairman (Mr. G. T. London) said that in his opinion the question was too big a one to leave the coiintrv members alone. He,would like to assist the committee himself. The point of view of the man who was not on the land should be considered. The school garden did not go far «mough. All it did was to give the child an incentive to go home and work in his own gwden. They should go further. He would like to see the Education Board go fully into the question, for the very life of the country depended on their agriculture. It should be the aim of everybody to make the country a little better than they found it. The motion was carried without distent. ■ ' • ■■ ■