A LAST-MUTE OFFER

Evening Star, Issue 19351, 10 September 1926, Page 9

A LAST-MUTE OFFER

[From Orb Pabmamentaet Eepobtebl WELLINGTON, September 9. t Anticipating South Island members criticism of the proposal to estabusli a Central Agricultural College m toe North Island, Mr Hawken (Minister o Agriculture), in moving the second reading of the Agricultural College Bill, devoted, a good deal of attention to the position of Lincoln College. This institution, ho said, had 101 many years been teaching a diploma course in agriculture. It had been looked on as a part of Canterbury. College, and it belonged to that province, and up to the present time there rvas no definite offer from that college to make it a Government institution—not an official communication. Mr Armstrong: Have you given them a chance? The Minister replied that this agitation for an agricultural college had been going on for four or five years. There had ‘been Commissions which took evidence throughout New Zealand, and up till this time the Government had never had an offer from Lincoln that they should form it into a Government institution; and naturally they could not undertake to spend money m laigo sums where they would have no control. , . OFFER MADE TOO LAIE.

“I understand there is a movement on foot in Canterbury,” continued Mr Hawken, “to offer this college to the Government for national use, but unfortunately we have committed ouiselvos to a land purchase at Palmerston North, and unfortunately the whole thine has been arranged up to a point. Wellington and Auckland have agreed to establish a college somewhere between the two colleges, and it scorns to me that the Canterbury oifor has come too late, and it us m a verv awkward position-” ■ He did not for a moment believe that Lincoln College would satisfy the country if it was the only college, nor would Auckland or Wellington Universities consent.

ASSISTANCE TO LINCOLN COLLEGE.

New Zealand could not afford to keep two colleges at the proper standard, hut, at the same time, he believed Lincoln College had a future. It had valuable work to do, and would come in for considerable help. Its status should be considerably improved. Lincoln was required for the work it was doing, and as.. a matter of fact, ho thought it would require at least £5,000 to bring Lincoln College buildings up to date for the work it was doing, and it would take £5,000 more to build two necessary laboratories, because research into grain, seed, and forage crops was needed, and could bo carried out at Lincoln. One more teacher would be needed to undertake research work. He felt sure that southern members would agree with him that Lincoln College could be brought up to a good standard. It was only a short distance between Lincoln and the central college so that graduates from the North Island who would like to take a course in pure agriculture, ploughing, sowing, etc, could go to Lincoln, while the latter’s students wishing to take a course in dairying could go to the North Island college. This would be the best iriiy'of settling the difficulty between the two islands. However, he did not wish members to misunderstand him. He believed there would be only one thoroughly equipped college, and it should be a central one. “ \Ve are quite willing to put Lincoln on a very much better footing than at present, bat there is no chance of having two colleges in a small country like New Zealand.”