THE UNIVERSITY RESERVE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 200, 28 September 1900, Page 2

THE UNIVERSITY RESERVE.

The following letter appears in thei Hawera Star:—l enclose a statement of the position of the University Reserve at Patea, as I understand there is to be a meeting at Hawera on the 26th respecting it. I have also sent one to the Mayor of Hawera, so that the whole case may be before the meeting. I enclose a cutting from this morning's Hew Zealand Timet, by which you will see that the Victorial College claim the reserve. There are thus three proposals to deal with the proceeds of the reserve. We propose that they should be applied to the establishment of a school or college of scientific and practical dairying ; the I delegates to scholarships for secondary and university training ; the Victoria College wish to obtaiu it for univi r-it,y purposes only, and that the Victoria College should have the proceeds. It is very sad that such r learned college should covet and desiro other men's goods. I hope you will look on it from a Taranaki point of view, for with divided councils nothing can be done this session, when by unity of action the school of scientific dairying could be secured for Taranaki and established in Taranaki.—l am, etc,, Thomas Keli,y.

I Legislative Council, i Wellington, September 24,1900. I Attached to Mr. Kelly's lotter is a [ copy of the members' scheme of 14th i inst., previously published, and the fol- , lowing memorandum: [ THE TARANAKI UNIVERSITY RESERVE. ' The revenue from this reserve is by , law vested in the people of 'L'aranaki 1 ty the 30th section of " The New Zeai land University Act of 1874," which i directs that the proceeds derived from ; university reserves shall be detlt with i for the promotion of higher education within the provinces in which they are i situate, as the General Assembly may i determine. Under this section all the i provinces having university reserves have received the proceeds for this puri pose: in Taranaki alone the fund has been accumulating in the Treasury, the amount now being about .£2854, and the rents abont £2OO per annum. The question that the psople of Taranaki have to consider is whether the fund should be devoted to the establishment of a school for promoting scientific and practical dairying and agriculture, or in promoting general knowledge by means of high schools and universites— that is, that, instead of specialising the application of science to dairying and agriculture, by establishing a school within Taranaki, it be applied generally to cxijtiug schools and universities inside and ou'side of Taranaki. It is now generally admitted that dairving and grazing are the mos' important industries in Taranaki; the dairying industry alone supplies a revenue from outside of about half a million of money annuilly. To maintain this ravonuc, and increiso it, it it necessary that dairying be placed on a scientific basis, England is our groat market, in which we have to compote with all the producing world, Twenty ynars ago France staid at the head of the countries which ex party.! buMor to

Great Britain ; site than exparicd orwthird of !hi imports, h'ic u'j>v rxp.vtn oaty ono-:ousb. Tl)is ins liaen hrou'.'h; b mt by 'jho f>ii mtific intjlhxis of i),mfiiiirk, mid by Ujo otftorls of Uju 0 ii ments of New Zealand, Au>!,rfJia f and Canada. Russia is a grcuviug co;n[i9i.itor in the English market. Following in tho footatops of Denmark, she is establishing dairy sshools on a scientiGc basis; and so determined is the Russian Government to capture the London market that she now runs special icecooled trains two thousand miles to convey butter to to St, Petersburg in order to ship it in good condition to England. In the Argentine the same energy was shown,, and two million pouuda of butter were shipped to England last seasoa. At present Daainirk supplies most of the foreign butter to BngUnd, and obtains the bess price;, simply becausa her dairying is based on scientific methods and her dairy

managors are taught the scientific work on which successful dairying is founded. It is evident, therefore, that unless we establish similar schools on somewhat tha eame lines as Denmark, wa shall not maintain a first-class position in the London market. If we do not maintain and better our position tho rssult will be! serious. Instead of Taranaki advancing in prosperity, wo shall have a period of level or declining trade, which will affect every industry and interest throughout the' community. Values will remain stationary or decline, and credit, which is based on profitablo trade, will become restricted. Looking j on the second proposal, viz., to apply i

the proceeds to education generally, i that is, a literary education in addition i to that which is now available in other words, to subsidise existing institutions—this proposal is not in itself objectionable. This class of education if useful for tin professions and for goneral culture, and, if there wore proin Taninaki a school for the apof scientific knowledge to existing industries, it would be praiseworthy. Its promoters, howevot', seeni to hive lost of the fact that we have no such sclml to t~ach our young! dairymen and farmers scientific j methods, In other provincial districts ; jthoy have nshools of onsmvaer.'ue ' lining, ui ; naki there is aothii'j; ( .f (ha): rhraiie!*.■ IWa are now e.t the parting eftl.> m.p.! I The (livetW'jH is favt»?!;Wo tl:-,! I fjV-l'lWnw.t'.f f.- r t . S< >'■ : :,r i::-,..:.., ;:; : - . , >t i-v,',) > "-•' v V- ■.(' - „ • : ', . . ' " i f1 '■ is ; , ~ Mv>;\ (-.!* T :'t ' 1 : j ' A . , i '' ;V : i'.' ■•!■-) : r -"t-riv I n ,-i, : lost, womjl; t'<; cncicMj Uter to th< : 1 Stinis.ter of : tb* mut-• •'< '' row miller the coR")M.'»-a! i-->r .>?,> (,-j neglect _to hack our i!s we brieve ! s Will IV.TVnf; j- .A .J,,. • 1 \ : t

University reserve cannot be devoted to a better purpose than the establishing of a scientific school of dairyiag withiia Taranalci, we recommend the Govern* ment and the people of Tarauaki to adopt that course. Thomas Kelly. E. Metcalf Smith,