The Timaru Herald. THURSDAY, MAY 16, 1889.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4540, 16 May 1889, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. THURSDAY, MAY 16, 1889.

It will be seen by a telegram which we publish m another column of this morning's iasne that the Board of Governors of Canterbury College have bnd the affairs of the Lincoln Agricultural College under consideration. It will be remembered that the report of the Roynl Commission on Lincoln College was referred by the Ministry to the Board of Governors. Wo do not recollect having heard anything more on the subject until the receipt of the telegram just referred to. It ia to be hoped that it is not a fair and complete abstract of the result of the board's deliberations. They bave decided (1) to strike a sort of general average per head of the yearly cost of fuel, light, and service, at the Agricultural College, and to charge the director of the establishment at that rate for himself and his family, but making him au allowance of £'*}■> per annum for entertaining visitors, etc. (whatever that may mean); (2) the college fees are to be reduced to £10 per annum ; and (3) it was resolved to suggest to the Minister of Education that the recommendations of the Royal Commission be partially carried out by the Government appointing half the members of the Agricultural College Committee. Are we to understand that those alterations comprise all that the Board of Governors) think neces3ary to start the Agricultural College on that career of usefulness and financial success which has been wanting m the past ! J Possibly a few pounds may bo saved by making the director pay for his fuel and lighting, and that a yet larger gain may indirectly accrue by lowering the fees. We have ' nothing to say agninst such arrangements, but are the labours of the Royal ' Commission to result m no fuller amount of reformation tbnn m now ' proposed ? If so, Messrs M'Millan, ' Murphy, and Overton, Bpent a great i deal of time uselessly, and the Govern- I ment are to blame for having appointed i a Royal Commission at all. Courtesy to the Board of Governors dictated the '_ Bending of the report to them for con- , siderution, and for an expression of | opinion, because Lincoln College is ( under their control. But now that the r requirements of courtesy bnve been fully complied with, we sincerely trust thatthe Government will not pigeon-hole the report and flatter themselves with the a belief that a great and necessary work ' has been accomplished, and that hence- ' forth Lincoln Agricultural College will 8 fulfil the expectations of those who ' ! were instrumental to its establishment. r The Minister of Education mny rest ° udsurcd that such will uot be the cam; 1 if the alterations uxtoud no further than a the currying out of the proposals re- v forced to m the telegram. Full con- i; federation of the commissioners' report f uiiiy lend to the ojucluukm thai imifliti- . i

cation of some of their suggestions i advisable, but we think that on the whole the report is a very sensible one and should be given effect to. Some expenditure, not perhaps imme r ''.intcl7 profitable, may be required nt tbo outset, but it ought not to be refused if the object m view is to impart to the college the character of a colonial institution, widely used, and training up an ever increasing body of scientific and practical agriculturists able to carry on the great land industries of the colony to the best advantage. If anything short of that is contemplated it will be better to abut the doors of the college at once, and turn the endowments to other uses. The report of the commissioners was condemnatory of much of the system ■which has hitherto been pursued. Amongst other things, they said : — " That no attempt has been made to carry on the kind of work incidental to the teaching of scientific and practical farming, nor any systematic attempt made to carry on experimental work ; that little or nothing had been done to instruct Btndents m forestry or scientific and practical gardening, practical pomology, or m the purchase and selection of all kinds of farm stock, the reason given by the director for the I partial neglect of these branches being the want of sufficient funds." All that will have to be altered, and it must be borne m mind that the necessary attractions must be provided — the instruction must be obtainable — before financial success can be looked for. We do not blame the director. His task m fact must be a hopeless one as long aa the college is not m a position to give the kind of instruction which it is the special work of such an institution to supply. The report of the commissioners was outspoken as to the failure of the Board of Governors to manage the College so as to produce the best results, and a radical change m the managing body was declared to be desirable. The suggestions for the future were as follows ; — " We are of opinion that the necessary legislation should be obtained to place the institution and its endowment under a Board of Agriculture, which m the absence of a Minister of Agriculture should work m connection with the Minister of Lands' Department. As to the constitution of the board, we think we cannot do better than direct your Excellency's attention to tho constitution of the Council of Agricultural Education m Victoria, which was established m accordance with the provisions of the Agricultural College Act, 1884, of that colony, and consists of eleven members, three of whom are the Trustees for Agricultural College lands, one the Secretary for Agriculture, two members appointed by the Governor m Council, and five elected by the Agricultural Societies. The Commission make this recommendation, believing that the institution is ample for the requirements of the ivhole colony, as we consider that the government and management should be placed on as wide a basis as possible. Iv the election of a board such as we suggest, care would have to be taken to have sufficient comparatively local members to form an Executive Committee, and thereby render meetings of the General Board less frequent thau would otherwise be necessary." The commissioners also recommended a system of scholarships, to be provided fl) by the Government, {'!) m connection with the State schools, and (o) out of tho funds of the institution, which the commissioners believed could be so arranged as to bear the charge. They also suggested lowering the fees very considerably, and pointed to the Dookio Agricultural College m Victoria, where the fee is £25 per annum ; whilst with regard to the relative post of living m the two colonies, the difference is m favour of New Zealand. We need make bat one other quotation from the report. The commissioners were of opinion that " with a system of scholarships, and a redaction ia the amount of fee charged, tho institution would be placed within the reach of all classes of the community, and with a full complement of students no difficulty need arise m giving effect to the low scale of charges above referred to. With an increased number of students, a reorganisation of tho teaching staff and general supervision would be necessary, and we think that the general results of the farm would be materially improved by the appointment of an efficient farm manager. Such appointment would provide for the continuous supervision and instruction of the students m the practical work of the farni, and would enable the director to devote more time to his other duties, and to carry on a more extensive system of experimental work whinh has been neglected m the past." It now remains to be seen whether the Government will take up the matter of tho Lincoln Agricultural College m earnest and endeavour, with tho aid of the legislature, to put it on a thoroughly sound basis, or whether they will rest satisfied with the meagre propoßalß of the Board of Governors, which will mean that things are to be allowed to drag on m the old style, and that the instil ution is to be Bomethiug very much like a laughing-stock.