THE SOUTH IGNORED.

Evening Star, Issue 19760, 10 January 1928, Page 6

THE SOUTH IGNORED.

In accordance with a request by the Empire Marketing Board, Dr A. W. Hill, director of the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, a botanist of the highest repute, undertook to visit certain of the dominions with the object of examining their economic possibilities from the botanical point of view. Last year lie travelled widely in Canada and reported on the question of the establishment of a national botanic garden in that dominion. Naturally, claims would be advanced by the rival provinces and cities, and Dr Hill, as an unbiased and competent observer, would be able to give a clear indication of the locality most suitable for the work which it was proposed to bo undertaken. The Dominion Government, presumably, provided that it was also unbiased, would thus ho able to give its authority for the prosecution of a most important project in the area best adapted for its objectives. Dr Hill, in pursuit of his mission, is now in Australia, and he intends leaving Melbourne for Wellington about the middle of this month. Ample notice was given of Dr Hill’s projected visit to New Zealand so that suitable arrangements might be made for him during his three weeks’ stay to see the places that would bear directly ou his mission. The itinerary was arranged in Wellington, and, to the astonishment of the people at this end of the dominion, it was found that Otago and Southland were left out altogether. Yesterday afternoon a meeting of representatives' of various bodies in this city whioJx are interested in the question met to consider this pointed omission from the tour arranged for Dr Hill. The meeting was called at the instance of the local branch of the Institute of Horticulture. For some time the institute has been endeavoring to obtain Government authority and support for the establishment of a national botanical garden in Dunedin. The idea originated in this city, which is the only one that is undertaking work along linos which harmonise with the functions of a national botanic garden. In his remarks at yesterday’s meeting Mr Tannock spoke strongly on the question of the omission of Otago and Southland from the tour, expressing the opinion that Dr Hill was deliberately being prevented Irom visiting Dunedin so that he might not see what was being done here. That Mr Tannock’s strictures are abundantly justified will be acknowledged after a perusal ol the report of the meeting, and it is gratifying to find that prompt action has been taken and a strongly-worded resolution telegraphed to the Minister in charge of the department which is arranging tiie tour. Should a iavorable reply not be received it is to be hoped that another meeting will bo convened and the matter taken further. Mr Tannock presented some overwhelming arguments. He pointed out that in the Botanical and private gardens in Dunedin there is the largest and most comprehensive collection of New Zealand alpine vegetation; that a farreaching system of the exchange of seeds and plants with botanic gardens and cultivators in the dominion and other parts of the world is in operation; that Dunedin is establishing a comprehensive collection of the plants of the world, arranged in a systematic manner; that Dunedin is the only town which,' alter training them here, is sending men to Kew for further experience; and that Otago and Southland is the most important botanical region in New Zealand.

It may be pointed out that the idea of the Empire Marketing Board is to co-ordinate the distribution and cultivation throughout the Empire of plants of important economic value, and our garden in Dunedin is the only one in New Zealand carrying out this work. The immense amount of effort that Kew is expending along economic lines is very imperfectly realised. For instance, it is responsible for the introduction of cinchona to India. Seeds were taken from South America to Kew, and the plants,-when sufficiently advanced, were transferred to the hills of India,where a most valuable and important industry has been built up. To Kew the credit is due of the introduction to the East of the rubber industry, of cocoa to the West of Africa, and of cotton to different parts of Africa. These are merely examples of the magnificent work that Kew is doing in distributing and establishing plants of economic value throughout the Empire. New Zealand can help in the matter, and to come back to the question directly in hand, it will be seen that Dunedm alone, in this dominion, is carrying out a plan that justifies it in making a claim to the Government for support for a national botanic garden. When the position is considered in all its bearings onr omission from the itinerary of Dr Hill is a matter that justifies the strongest protest.