W.E.A. SUMMER SCHOOL

Evening Star, Issue 25994, 8 January 1947, Page 7

W.E.A. SUMMER SCHOOL

SESSIONS AT LINCOLN.COLLEGE SOUTH ISLAND REPRESENTATIVES The twenty-second .annual' summer school of the West Coast, Canterbury, and Otago districts, of the Workers’ Educational Association was held at the invitation of the Board of Governors at Canterbury Agricultural College at Lincoln from December 26 to January 1. Emphasis was directed to the’contributions of the countryside' to New Zealand life in the programme of study, and, taking full use of the perfect rural setting of the college, the' school concentrated on subjects in keepingwith its functions. Of particular interest to the visitors was . a very full programme, under the supervision of Mr L*. W. , McCaskill, lecturer on rural education at the college, of inspection of the farming re-, search projects being carried out. The tours included the pig and poultry' farms, the wheat research institute, the dairy farm, the light and heavy land areas, the drainage of crops and pastures, production of seed, and the work of the agronomy division and the grasslands sub-6tation.

The school was fortunte in its lecturers, these including Mr J. E: Strachan, of Rangiora. Mr L. W. McCaskill and Dr I. W. Weston, of the college, Canon A. H. Acheson, Dr T. Vernon- Griffiths, Mr J. A. Johnstone, Mr Allan Curnow, and Mr George Manning, of Christchurch. These lectures and discussions dealt with music, New Zealand poetry, foreign affairs, and a survey of country life, economic problems, and the contributions of rural living and work to national welfare.

The visitors naturally found the college, with its many facilities for sport and recreation, ideal for a holiday with a social purpose, | and appreciated the co-operation of the college domestic staff, which had stayed to cater for the visitors, also the assistance given by other lecturers at the college. Mr John A . Ritchie did excellent work as choir leader, and the discussion on India was helped considerably by the presence of Moslem and Hindoo students at the college. It was indeed an unusual opportunity to see the great work being done to restore if possible to New Zealand her former place as one of the world’s reliable food producers. The work of soil conservation cannot be over-stressed to accomplish this end. . . Mr A. T. Campbell acted as director of the school and leader in the discussions.