PREMIER'S VIEW

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

PREMIER'S VIEW

“ DOES IT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE?” “Will Lincoln College adequately meet the position?” asked the. Prime Minister when ho intervened in the debate to-night. “Whether it makes any difference —tho Board of Governors’ offer to the State of their institution—is a matter of opinion. I pay a lot of attention to the member for Ellesmere. Ho is a practical man, well read, and abreast of the times. Mr Lysnar: Question. (Loud laughter.) ~ . .no Prime Minister, continuing, said: “I realise that the member is in a very difficult position. Ho is still a member, for Canterbury.” He did not by this suggest that he (the speaker! would have done exactly as Mr Jones had done, but he could see that it was necessary for Mr Jones as a Canterbury member to rally with the rest of the Canterbury members in the hope of being able to divert the country from establishing another college. Mr Howard: is it quite fair to suggest that ho is speaking agaiust his convictions? Mr Coates: “I do not think I have suggested that, but if so I am sorry.” He added that the Government had no official information that tho college governors were prepared to offer the whole of their endowment to the State, but he could accept the word of the member.

Mr Sullivan; The offer was made to the Canterbury members of Parliament by the chairman of the board. Mr H. Holland': An unconditional present. The Prime Minister replied that he could scarcely understand that an offer could be unconditional. Ho could think of twenty points that might arise. While he could understand the attitude of the Canterbury members, he would hesitate to say that they wore taking a big view of tho question, because all the reports ho had read on the subject went to show that Lincoln College should be retained as a college, and should carry on the experiments it had conducted, hut that dairying and other work should be concentrated in the North Island. THE GOVERNMENT’S DIFFICULTIES. To take the broader view, would New Zealand be wise, he asked, to adopt Lincoln College as being tho only agricultural college in the dominion, when they knew they were faced with at least two, possibly four, attempts at agricultufal colleges in the North Island. Members must see the idiffioulties of the Government—real difficulties, too. They had been approached by two universities already to assist them to. bring into existence their endowments for agriculture, and he was sure members would realise that it was undesirable for anything of the kind to happen. It would be far better to concentrate oh one site in the North Island. Lincoln College was to bo brought up to date, and it. was proposed to spend £IO,OOO on it. The fact of presenting the endowment to the Government, would it alter tho position in any way? Mr Sullivan: Yon could make of the college what is necessary. Mr Coates: But does it do away with the difficulty which exists in the North Island ? Mr D. Jones; Yes, it would be met. Mr Coates; “No, because the universities have come to an agreement, and have solved tho difficulty themselves.” He appealed to members to see the Government’s position. The problem had been before the country lor years. The Government had grappled with it, and after all the work and trouble it had taken it was tho same old story—they pleased no one. It had been an honest attempt to try to meet what they saw was a national necessity, to assist the farming community, so far as science and research could go, by placing at their disposal men thoroughly versed in these matters.

Mr H. L. Tapley advised the Government to reconsider tho position, because he considered tho belated offer of Lincoln Collge would change the whole aspect of the question. Mr H. G. Dickie (Patea) opposed the establishment of the college on the grounds of expense. Mr H. Atinore (Nelson) also opposed the .Kill, and Messrs E. Walter (Stratford) and H. M. Campbell (Hawke’s Bay) supported the measure.

Sir Joseph Ward said the Government would not lose any dignity if it postponed the Bill till next year to give time for further consideration. The country could not afford so large an cxendituro as was required at the present time.

Tho Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. 0. J. Hawken), in reply, characterised the debate as one of the most extraordinary in his experience. Members had talked economy, and objected to help the greatest industry in New Zealand. Last session they voted £IOO,OOO for the Otago University alone. Better agricultural education was an urgent need. Lincoln College could not take all the students offering, and the Government was trying to make the necessary provision. Personally, he was disappointed with tho tone of the debate. He thought with so many country members that the policy of the Government would have been widely supported, so as to give the farmers what they wore entitled to the benefit of—namely, higher education. The Bill was read a second time on the voices, Mr Atmoro failing to call for a division in time.