THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9811, 12 June 1914, Page 4

THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.

Yeotebdat tne iwntiy-cooatitatoc Board >of Agriculture held it" first meeting and' showed qmU clearly that, contrary to tin criticisms of partisan politicians, it is going to prove of immense value to the primary industries and through them to the Dominion as a whole. The Prime Minister, who was present, gave a brief outline of the Government's intentions in constituting the Board, and being a practical fanner himself made some eminently useful suggestions ai to the scope of the Board's inquiries. It has been alleged that the Board would merely be doing work that the Agricultural Department is or should be doing} but there is a class of enquiry that cannot be carried out by Governnfent officials, however well qualified, as successfully as it can be done by a body of practical men of ripe eaperience. Then again the Department's wide and growing activities need outside supervision by a semi-independent body of men, and it may be here that the Board of Agriculture will do Re most valuable work. Acting the part of a permanent Commission it will make a thorough investigation into the administration of the various branches of State activities, making suggestions and criticisms, and thus eliminating waste and correcting inefficiency. As is indicated in the report of its deliberations yesterday the new body intends to make a thorough inspection of the Experimental Farms with the object of making suggestions for improving their usefulness which at certain periods in their history has been marred by extravagance, and in this direction alone it should do a big service to the country.