INDUSTRIES AND COMMERCE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XII, Issue 1223, 12 June 1919, Page 3

INDUSTRIES AND COMMERCE.

NEW DEPARTMENT SUGGESTED. DEMONSTRATION FARMS FAVOURED WELLINGTON, Thursday. At to-day's sitting of the Parliamentary Committee, Dr Reakes, Director "of the Department of Agriculture, Industries and Commerce, suggested that industries and commerce should be organised as a distinct branch of the present Department, with a view to making it a separate and distinct department as soon as the organisation work had reached a stage to warrant It. He did not believe in multiplying experimental farms too much, but he commended the principle of demonstration farms ontrolled by farmers over which the Government had supervision. There were already several of these farms in the Dominion and they were giving excellent results. It was questionable whether an experimental farm should be established in Westlaml prior to agricultural development or during fltat period. As a general principle U n favoured any scheme which would enable a farmer fo get expert advice. A great many farmers appreciated visits from Departmental experts, but others took up the attitude that they could not be taught anything. There were three large experimental farms in the North Island, but only one small one in the South Island. He thought that good work could be done in the South Island by establishing demonstration farms under local organisation and the Government supplying knowledge and a subsidy. For small farms, where a farmer paid a high price for land or a high rental, the special purpose was most profitable.