THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12428, 18 February 1901, Page 4

THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.

The resolution of the Board of Governors of the Canterbury Agricultural College, that in the interests of the institution a reorganisation of the management is necessary, litis brought to a crisis the unsatishtcfory state of affairs which has prevailed at Lincoin for isome time. The decision was not reached without due inquiry and deliberation, and it is not likely to be questioned by .anyone who has observed the retrogresv'iu'ii of the College during the last three ,-:>•. ''(l'ii'-Tc.iv:-. We iv:cd not refer to the inJiusT.vfi', or w;;nt of'influence, which have brought, about the crisis further than to state 1 the. fact that neither the Board nor

the Director is free from blame. The important question of the future of the tution is now at issue, and it is a. very •difficult one. It may be safely assumed that the Governors have not pursued their long investigation without becoming informed of defects in the present system, of management, and it is highly probable that a better scheme has suggested iftiself to them. They_ are doubtless as anxious as we are ourselves that the institution should be made much more useful than ifi has been for'some years. Not that it has-been altogether a failure, for we have the«p,vidence of past students as to the value of the instruction given at Lincoln. What is'needed is.that the advantages of the institution should toe enjoyed by a much larger number of students than the score or ko who constituted last year's attendance, and that more attention should be given to the practical side of agriculture. The remarks of the Premier after his visit to the College a few weeks ago showed him to be at one with the Board, on this point. Mr Seddon evidently had in view some Government action in the matter. The question is, will he embrace the opportunity presented by the present crisis to assist in the reform of the working of the College, and if so, in what direction, will the assistance of the State be given? Until this is disclosed the Board will be hampered in its action, and the de-sired improvements delayjed. It is important, therefore, that the intentions of the Government should be roade luiown without delay. In our opinion,, to which we have been driven in spite of-,our reluctance to even partially coloniaiise another Canterbury institution, the Government Should endow the Agricultural College to such an extent as to enable it to fulfil its proper objects, including the addition o£ a dairy college and an advanced veterinary" school, both of which are urgent needs of the colony. Power to take this action is conferred by the Manual and Technical Instruction Act, and we believe that Parliament would readily provide the necessary funds. Instructors of the highest qualifications Khouid be appointed, and provision made for non-resident students taking up special branches of study. The chief of the requirements of the colony in agricultural education wouH be met in this way, and the attendance of students would increase while the results would be far more satisfactory than at present. There is much to be said in favour of the suggestion that the Government should take over the whole institution and place it under the control of the Department of Agriculture, the value of whose educational and experimental work contrasts fjtvourably with that of the Agricultural College, but this is, a step which we cannot approve except in the last resort. Above all, whatever is to be done should be done quickly.