The Waikato Times, THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE, AND KAWHIA ADVOCATE. Established Thirty-Four Years. THE OLDEST DAILY NEWSPAPER IN THE WAIKATO. THE LARGEST CIRCULATION OF ANY DAILY PAPER SOUTH OF AUCKLAND. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1908. DAIRY SCHOOL AT RUAKURA

Waikato Times, Volume LVII, Issue 8021, 29 September 1906, Page 2

The Waikato Times, THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE, AND KAWHIA ADVOCATE. Established Thirty-Four Years. THE OLDEST DAILY NEWSPAPER IN THE WAIKATO. THE LARGEST CIRCULATION OF ANY DAILY PAPER SOUTH OF AUCKLAND. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1908. DAIRY SCHOOL AT RUAKURA

On Thursday the executive of the Waikato A. and P. Association decided to support the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce in its effort to obtain a dairy school of &. r . the Ruakuru experimental farm. We are glad to see that our views on this matter are to receive the added weight of approval from the Association, for we have long and mauy times maintained that such use should be made of the Government farm. During the past haphazard methods have ruled in the dairy industry, much to the disadvantage and loss of the producer, who has to compete with butter from countries where no effort is spared to foster so profitable a trade. As a model of what can be done in this direction Denmark stauds out above this colony, fur admirable as are the reforms already carried into effect, there are still many matters demanding improvement. The proposed school is the latest development here, and as so mjch depends on its foundation on a thoroughly up-to-date basis, the fullest consideration should be given to every phase of the question. Site naturally fills an important part in the scheme. It stauds to reason that it must be in the centre of a dairying district and for this we think Ruakura is absolutely the best. Waikato, even when improved by intensive cultivation, will always be primarily dependent on butter production ; quite as much as Taranaki, and certainly much more than any other part of the colony. The conversion of the State farm should not be a matter of very great expense and the returns would then be much greater than from the present mixed farming. Its nearness to the Main Trunk Line is another argument in its favour. It is not asked that the Minister or Department should totally ignore the claims of any other farm, but that exhaustive and unbiassed inquiries should be made. In that case we may ooufideutly expect that a decision favourable to this district will be given. Perhaps if it be fouud impossible or inexpedient to i»ccede to the request for the principal school, a subsidiary institution coald be established su that Iho local conditions might be studied in all their bearings. At any rate, we hope the strongest arguments possible will be made out, so that when a decision is arrived at, it will be ou the individual merits of each proposed site, aud not ou extraneous issues.