RETRENCHMENT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 14982, 30 April 1909, Page 8

RETRENCHMENT.

THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

• [From Our Correspondent.] ’ WELLINGTON, April 29. Speculation is ripe in civil service circle* as to what further changes are to be made in the Department of Agriculture, and the Prime Ministers speech on Saturday night is looked forward to with the greatest interest. Actual knowledge of the Government.* intentions is not claimed by any of those who have had anything to say ( on the subject, but there appears to be a general idea running through the minds of those who discuss the subject. In the first place it would appear, that the services'of Mr R. Watt, the accountant, formerly chief clerk, are to be retained, at any rate for the present. Air Watt has only just passed his sixtieth year and the notice given, to him of nis retirement has • been provisionally withdrawn. A considerable change is to be made, it is ■ said, 'in connection with the poultry division, and it is even rumoured that-‘the services of the poultry experts are to be dispensed with. The consolidated estimates show that this division has been responsible for the ' expenditure' of large sums of money, and it is suggested that now the poultry, industry has been placed on a substantial basis throughout the country there is no need for officials who at'considerable cost of travelling expenses deliver occasional lectures at various places in the dominion. Those who;. take this view argue that well written pamphlets would do all that the-' lectures now do and have heen doing; for some time, and that it would cost less to post them than to send an official at a large salary to say the same thing. Then there are the experimental poultry farms. Moumohaki and Burnham will, it is rumoured, be closed although it is not so long ago •that) at Burnham a considerable sum was spent in installing a permanent water supply. Milton and Ruakura will, be retained. Milton is the big- . gest of all, in fact the biggest state Cltry farm south of the line, and ■ not only been developed to a very appreciable extent _ under instructions from Ministers, but ■is even now the scene of some very interesting experiments, also it supplies at a reasonable cost hundreds of. birds every year td. settlers who go in for poultry, and is a show place for that part of the South Island. But in the . past it has cost more to run it than the 'revenue produced, and it seems that, in carrying out its new scheme ■the Government is going to insist that Milton and Ruakura, though accorded’. a‘-fresh'lease of life, must be made to- pay. That can easily bo done, said a poultry authority to me, so long «s it is made perfectly clear to the . managers and the public that the /farms are commercial* concerns, and nothing else. In the past, he added, . birds have been sold at a .figure which, though reasonable when it was desired to foster the industry, was unreasonable from the point of view of the competing fancier and breeder. Besides, the regular sale of stock to iu- / tending poultry-keepers naturally reduced the egg-production of the farms, and consequently helped to put the balance on the wrong side. Further experiments in crossing for utility purposes and - for game breeding and 1 the rearing of pheasants and such-like “ aide lines,” all helped to increase the cost of the farms. “ Now, however, I understand,” .he went on' to .say, “that side lines are to be done away with. The farms will be run purely for profit, the settlers will have to pay more for their birds,' and. so > they oqght. Experiments will be knocked on the head, and the farms will.be business concerns pure and simple:”