AGRICULTURAL MATTERS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 11371, 2 September 1908, Page 2

AGRICULTURAL MATTERS.

SOME POINTS ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT:

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. The question of the. establishment of a School of Agriculture, when it is decided upon, will not be under my Department, but under 'tlie Department of Education. — The Minister of Agriculture. "I would' place a veterinary surgeon beyond a medical, man," declared the member for Hutt. "A medical man can ask a patient where the pain is, but a .veterinary surgeon not only has to guess the nature of the ailment m the absence of symptoms, but also the local--1 ity of the pain." .Replying to assertions front the member for the Bay of Plenty, that partiality was shown m the distribution of Agricultural. Department leaflets, the Hon. R. McNab stated that any farmer sending along his name arid address, for any particular class of leaflet would have the same posted to him. Even then, with this free gift, some- farmers did not hike advantage of it, : but accused the Govemmnet of partiality. The Agricultural Department has de : veloped to a high petition, remarked tire Hon. R. McNab, and this growth and development has been ".great, arid so rapid that it has' proved a. great difficulty with tlie Minister m charge of the Department. One may start out with adequate remuneration, wliich quickly becomes out of touch with the magnitude and importance of work done. This great Department is one of the least remunerative despite the large sum expended to %over its operations and new developments, and Ministers have not cared to ask tlie House for. largely increased votes. AN INSPECTOR OF INSPECTORS.' Ai plea for. tlie better payment of meat inspectors was voiced by Mr Hogg in the House yesterday on the agricultural estimates. Well-qualified omcers were required to carry out this work y and to secure these a living wage should: be, paid. He took exception to the inequality of some of the inspectors' salaries, and. referred to the fact that some inspectors — m fact, the Department had approved of the practice of passing beasts when cancerous or tuberculosis parts had been cut off. It was enoughj he said, to turn one off meat altogether. They should have an inspector of inspectors, he declared emphatically,' to see that the work of meat inspection was carried out properly. The Minister explained that- in some instances inspectors' salaries were supplemented by local bodies for their management of abattoirs. The remimerar tion of meat inspectors more m accord with . the services rendered was to be provided for on the supplementary estimates. TO HAVE FIRST CHANCE. , Young New Zealanders becoming veterinary surgeons, said the Minister, should be given a. better opportunity to become instructors. Whilst he did not oppose the importation of qualified men, he thought they should give our own men. a chance, if they Were of good' enough 1 stuff. He pointed out, however, that whilst there was much hostile criticism to the importation of Mr Gilruth, the same parties .were, no\v_ condemning tlie Government because they had' allowed him to accept employment elsewhere. History was the same all over tlie world. Replying to this subject, the Minister for Agriculture said that after setting up the veterinary college he thought they would not have, to send Home for any more veterinarians, as our own men would have first elairii, and it would probably be found when the college was m operation the Department would take all the men it had trained. < WELL-CONDUCTED DEPARTMENT*. Some complimentary remarks towards the Hon. R. McNab 'fell from members when discussing the agricultural vote. ! Mr Wilford congratulated- the Minister upon the conduct of his Department, a department that was more far reaching' and important to the welfare of the Dominion than any other Department of the State. It had to do with all the products of the country, -' except minerals, and members recognised that the Minister gave time and. attention to the Department. He was not wiih those who thought the ultimate' end of New Zealand was to become an industrial centre. The markets were too distant and the industrial question too difficult. When the highest point of development was -reached, we would find ourselves a great agricultural community. "We have the best year for agriculture the Department has had," was Mr Jennings' comment. BOXED BEEF INDUSTRY. . Reference was uwde to the Estimates discussion regarding the probability of the closing dowir of the boned beef industry. Mi- T. Mackenzie urged that the matter was or sufficient -importance that the Government' should institute an exhaustive inquiry, .take., the evidence of the able and trustworthy meat- inspectors, and submit- a. report. for the consideration of the British Government. The Hon. R. McNab reassured the House that everything Avas being done m the matter, but the difficulty was not m demonstrating the conditions of the trade here, but the operations of the other countries, and. he was .afraid the trade would be closed down by the Imperial authorities. They could only make strong representations and await their decision. TO PREVENT ANTHRAX: A satisfactory system respecting tlie supervision by the" Government of the steiilising of the bone manure imported into the Dominion was made to the House by the Hon. R. McNab. Subset quent to a motion by Mr Reid for the reduction of the salaries of the two in-

spectors, £450 a piece, by £1, the Minister explained that bones were imported only from Calcutta, and the New South. Wales inspector had to do a considerable amount of travelling", and also to retain deputies to look after the inspection whilst travelling. It was money spent not only to prevent the introduction of anthrax, but valuable for the confidence inspired. The officers had to see that at the ■ certified places of sterilisation the proper means were pursued, full pressure of steam, and duration of same continued. He had also to take samples and test whether the sterilisation was effective.' The officers required to be of good standing, who could l not be bought by those interested m the. trade. It would be a. great. mistake — he would never countenance it — to refuse this inspection. The Hon. T. Y. Duncan added that the Government had been censured for instituting a policy of inspection m the country from whence the bones were imported, rather than ,on arrival m the Dominion, but, besides the cost, the latter system entailed great risk m disseminating the disease through contact with other 'cargo. ' ... Mr Hemes remarked that the statement was very reassuring, and he was glad, to hear the inspection was successful. He asked if, there had been any cases' of anthrax since it, had been adopted. Tlie for Agriculture replied that there had not been a case for over two years reported, nor had there been any m connection with any manure the inspection of which was certified. Mr Flatman congratulated the Minister on the information given, whilst Mr Field remarked that although he liad opposed sterilisation outside New Zealand, he now saw that the Department was right. Tlie. Hon. Air R. McNab stated that the fight which had .ensued oh the establishment of the. system; and the success resulting,- A\ras_duetp^hi6jp^(Bde2essor.