COMPROMISE REACHED

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 26 July 1927, Page 5

COMPROMISE REACHED

AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION THE MASSEY COLLEGE. RIVAL INTERESTS RESOLVED. BY TELEGRAPH - SPECIAL TO THE STAR(By Telegraph.—Special to Star.) WELLINGTON, July 26. The conflicting interests of the North and South Islands have been at last solved, enabling a scheme for a national agricultural college to be pushed ahead without further delay. The good offices of the Hon. 0. J. Haw ken, Minister of Agriculture, have been, in the main, responsible for a settlement of the difficulty concerning the relation and status of the Lincoln Agricultural College in the scheme of agricultural education o.n university lilies, and an understanding having been secured with the Lincoln College Board of Governors, the way is clear for the introduction of a Bill finally defining the position. This is au urgent matter, a-s the option for the purchase of the McHardv property, the site of the central agricultural college at Palmerston North, expires on Sunday next. Therefore the Bill must -be passed by both, Houses this week. It will be introduced by Governor’s message on Tuesday afternoon., One of the most interesting features of the compromise, which reconciles all interests, is a change in name. The institution, or, to be more accurate, the new system of -agricultural education, will be called the Massey Agricutural College, and both Palmerston North and Lincoln institutions will .be included unde-v thus comprehensive title- It is reported that Lincoln College, under the new management, retains its characteristic form of Government, but the controlling body enters into obligations regarding a welldefined share iin the general scheme of agricultural education, in return for which it will have an equal . status with the other institution, being an integral part of the scheme. . Lincoln will benefit by the participation, in annual .grants for agricultural luniversity education, also in any grants for capital expenditure needed to improve the buildings and equipment, and will rank with all the universities as entitled to Government subsidies on bequests made to it.

Full details of the arrangement will appear in the measure to be introduced in the House this afternoon.