COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE

Waipa Post, Volume 32, Issue 1785, 22 July 1926, Page 5

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE

SITE NEAR PALMERSTON NORTH. AREA OF 880 ACRES. (By Telegraph. Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. ' The Minister of Agriculture (the IHon. 0. J. Hawken) made a statement regarding the new agricultural college to the House of Representatives today. He announced that the Government, after making many inquiries regarding sites and inspecting a number of those offered, had decided that the best offering was Mr Batchelor’s property near Palmerston North, comprising 880 acres of land. The area is nearly all in its natural state, and of varying qualities, suitable for dairying, cropping, and other purposes The Minister reviewed at length the arguments for and against the establishment of a central agricultural college, pointing out that for a long time there had been considerable, agitation for such an institution, and, that various promises had been made by the Government to meet what was an undoubted necessity. The arrangement between the Auckland and Wellington Universities for pooling their endowments for agricultural education had had a material bearing on the decision. The Government would shortly introduce a Bill authorising the purchase of the property and providing for the consfitultion of the college, details of which tile ’Minister did not discuss. Mr Hawken ad,ded that the Government proposed to help Lincoln College with its research work, and also in providing it with teaching facilities. A DISSENTIENT VOICE. “AN EXPENSIVE FAD.” (By Telegraph. Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. “ I should like to stump the country against this scheme fo.r a central agricultural college, because it is an expensive fadt” So spoke Mr J. P. Kalaugher, secretary to the New Zealand Friesian Association, who was director of agricultural education for the Auckland Education Board for fourteen years. “How many students will attend,” he asked, “ when this expensive equipment is prepared?” Mr Kalaugher s aid that, in order to give some impetus to the educational side of the Wellington Winter Show, a series of lectures was arranged. The boys of Wellington College were specially invited, but, although there were 900 boys attending the college, not one attended the lectures. Asked what reason he had for putting forward these views in opposition to the report of the commission, Mr Kalaugher replied: “Fourteen years’ practical experience, together with the best part of a lifetime in the teaching s