AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 18, 21 July 1926, Page 11

AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE

PALMERSTON SELECTED

ANNOUNCEMENT BY MINISTER

THE BATCHELOR PROPERTY,

The following announcement regarding the site of the Agricultural College was made by the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. O. J. Hawkon) in the Houso of Representatives this afternoon:— "The recent reports furnished by the. University Commission, tho Board of Agriculture, and Sir Frank Heath, have emphasised tho urgent necessity for the Government making, better and adequate provision for higher education and research in agriculture. The action of the Auckland and Wellington Colleges in agreeing to pool their agricultural endowments has largely cleared tho way for giving effect to the recommendation of the Eoyal Commission, which stated: — Wo are of opinion that an Agricultural College in association with the University should be established in some suitable locality in the North Island by a combination of tho schools proposed for Wellington and Auckland. It should provide courses for degrees in agriculture and for postgraduate work, and, in addition, ''■ should offer such lower courses as diploma courses for farm youths and short practical courses for adult farmers. "When the Board of Agriculture made its report tho Auckland and Wellington Colleges had not come to their agreement, but the board's report, framed in the light of the then existing position, emphasised the fact that one college in a central position 'was necessary, certain provision requiring also to be made for Lincoln College requirements. Sir Frank Heath's report approved the Auckland-Wellington arrangement. "The Government has given careful consideration to these recommendations, ■which involve not only tho selection of a suitable site for the proposed college, but the whole question of research in our primary industries and the coordination of this research between the new college and the Agricultural Department, together with the already existing institutions Buch as Lincoln College, Cawthron Institute, etc. CO-ORDINATED SYSTEM. "In planning out this new and great-ly-improved system, the Government has had in mind the steady building up of a co-ordinated and complete Dominion system of agricultural education and research. It needs to be so planned as to allow for harmonious expansion in various directions and for utilisation to the full of existing institutions. One of the most valuable features of a highly-organised system of agricultural instruction may be expected to be tho creating of a greater appreciation and undertsanding of rural industries and a greater liking for them by the younger members of the community, and thus bring about a state of affairs under which not only will farmers' sons undertake training to make themselves efficient up-to-dato farmers, but also young men from the cities will realise the economic and other advantages of rural life and take up a course of training to enable them to become farmers themselves. All this can only be accomplished if higher agricultural education can lead to the betterment of social and economic conditions of rural life, and, properly handled, it should do so. Again, the researches in agriculture should gradually collect data which will be of inestimable value to the Government in dealing with policy problems of the industry which arise from time to time. The system of agricultural education and research which the Government has in mind is aimed at provid--1 jng the maximum of assistance to the farmer by making available scientific information on all branches of rural industry and placing farmers in a position to use this information to the beßt advantage. "As regards agricultural training of a university standard aimed at enabling students to obtain uimersity de.grees in agriculture, this will be .made a special feature of the organisation of the new college. It is true that the country could not be expected to absorb a large number of agricultural graduates, but it is highly necessary that facilities be available for giving degree students a training up to a high standard, and the college will be equipped, both as regards staff and general facilities for adequately providing such a course of education. Thus a training will bo provided for youngmen, fitting them to become leaders in agricultural enterprises, teachers and iustructors in agriculture, both for work among tho farming community and in our schools, and, what is highly important, will also provide a training for research workers whose activities will be directed at enabling us to. reap the fullest advantage from our natural resources. The site of the proposed college has had to be considered from the point of view of (1)' the suitability of the soil for experimental teaching and research and (2) from the point of view of its suitability for communications and research purposes as outlined in Sir Frank Heath's' report. In addition, as pointed out by the University Commission, it is probable that in tho future a training collego for rural teachers must be placed near the college. ADVANTAGES OF SITE. After very full and careful consideration following inspection of a number of properties submitted as being suitable for the. purposes,' the Government has decided to acquire the Batchelor property, closely adjacent to Palmerston North, for the purpose of providing a site for the college, together with land for its experimental and practical instruction purposes, and also to accept the generous offer of the Palmerston North Borough Council of the M'Hardy Homestead ami about 24 acres of land situated alongside the , Batchelor property. In coming to this decision the Goviernment was greatly influenced by the desire to meet tho views of the Auckland University College and Victoria College, whose agreement included the point that the Agricultural College should be established somewhere in the Manawatu or Rangitikei districts. The fact of the authorities of theso two university colleges having come together in agreeing to establish one institution to serve both and to pool their endowments, has proved of very material aid, and their wishes were entitled to the fullest consideration. "Much thought was given to the question whether a site or sites, offered iic.v -Viarton, or tho Wcraroa Farm, should be utilised, but after going into the matter from every point of view and perusing the expert reports from the professors of agriculture and others, it was finally concluded that the all-round advantages offered by the Palmerston site were sufficient to outweigh the many good features of the other sites offered. "Tho Palmerston North site consists of some 880 acres of land, and contains a variety of types of soil which will be of special value to the instructional and research staff of tho college in carrying out both demonstration and experimental work. One strong feature of the activities of the college wilt be in connection with dairying, and this

site contains land well suited for carrying on practical dairying work together with experimental work in connection with the industry. "It also possesses land suitable for cropping purposes under North Island conditions and for demonstrating practically all types of farming work. The M* Hardy property has upon it a large dwelling house, which can be profitably utilised for the purposes of the college, and the gift of this house and land will be of real practical value to the general scheme. Another feature which had a quite important bearing on the Government's decision, lay in the advantage to be derived from the Agricultural College being situated near to a town which can offer necessary essential services and communications. "Quite apart from students taking either the degree or the diploma course at the college, an important feature of the instructional work will lie in the pr -vision of short courses for farmers and farmers' sons; for dairy factory managers, and for young men desiring a training in connection with dairy factory work. A town like Palmerston should be able to provide satisfactory accommodation for the very considerable number of persons which may be expected to take advantage of these short coursos, and thus the erection and maintenance of quarters to house and feed them on the college property will be rendered necessary. „.-. GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSALS. "It is the intention of the Government to provide a sufficient sum of money to enable a collego and farm buildings to be erected with fully adequate accommodation, including a hostel for students, and for the college buildings to be designed and equipped in a manner in keeping with the importance of the institution, and to ensure efficiency. An adequate annual sum for current expenditure will also be provided. - It is proposed that tho buildings shall be so designed as to be capable of extension in later years without in any way affecting the general symmetry of the structures. In order to provide an efficiently constituted controlling organisation legislation is being prepared to set one up, this organisation to have upon it representatives of the Auckland University College, and Victoria University College, together with farming and commercial interests. AVhen this board is set up the question of the staff required to enable the college to carry out its instructional and research functions satisfactorily will be discussed with it and decided. Judging from the experience of the agricultural colleges established in other,, countries, it is quito possible that tho number of stu.dents at the commencement may not be large, particularly as regards those taking the degree course, but it is both hoped and believed that the institution will, by good and satisfactory work, develop greatly as regards the attendance of students of all types as time goes on. It is intended, therefore, that after five years the whole position will be reviewed from the point of view of determining whether additional expenditure in buildings, staff, and equipment is necessary, and having regard to the supreme importance of the agricultural and pastoral industries to the DominI ion, there, should be no reason to doubt but that any further financial provision then found necessary will be made. The Government has further reviewed the possibility of the agricultural college site becoming, in later years, an educational centre devoted not alone to the teaching of science and practice of agriculture, but one where other branches of applied natural science more or less allied to the industries of the land will have established for them educational institutions dealing with their particular work, and that New Zealand will thus have in tho near future a centre of educational activity which should be of the highest value not only to the great pastoral and agricultural industries, but to other important activities of the Dominion's population. In considering this question of establishing an Agricultural College in the North Island, the position of Lincoln College has to be borne in mind. It is realised that until the establishment of the Ruakura Farm School, it had for many years functioned as the only agricultural teaching institution in New Zoaland, and the Government proposes to assist in bringing it into co-ordina-tion with the general scheme of advancement in both agricultural education and research which has been decided upon. Canterbury is eminently suited for investigational and research work in connection with wheat and other cereals in particular, and it is proposed that what is already being so well done at Lincoln in this direction shall be continued and extended as one special feature of the' activities of that institution. '' No doubt, as time goes on, each college will tend to specialise in lines of teaching and research specially suited to North aud South Island conditions respectively." In reply to Mr, W. S. Glenn, the Minister stated that a Bill would be introduced to provide for the purchase of the site, and for the constitution of the board of governors of the college.