254 president's address — section k. 



Th© above analysis concerns 550 students. It is not a complete 

 list. There are still 92 to account for, some of whom are dead. 

 There is, however, no reason to believe that these absentees wouirl 

 appreciably niodify the ratio' of 9 to 1 in favour of agricultuir-al 

 Gccupations. And thus may be set at rest the suspicion that agri- 

 cultural colleges are not providing the country with a reasonable 

 quota of settlers. 



The Universities of Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth have not hesi- 

 tated to found Chairs of Agriculture, and acts of private munifi- 

 cence have laid upon the University of Adelaide the obligation to 

 follow in their wake. Nevertheless, even thus late in the day, it 

 may still be asked whether, as a, ccnimunity, we are as yet suffi- 

 cently advanced to^ niakei provision for agricultural training of a 

 higher order than is usually available at typical agricultural 

 colleges. In America, under a far more favorable set of condi- 

 tions, the diff culty seems to have been met by incoi-jDorating agri- 

 cultural colleges into local Universities. And. on coiisideration, it 

 is questionable \\'hether a more logical and appropriate solution 

 could have been devised. To both sections, it promises continuity 

 of policy, coupled with coontrol by a competent governing body. It 

 obviates " overlapping," and therefore insures economy of effort 

 and resources; and, moreover, it forestalls stagnation and aloof- 

 ness, which are apt at times to sterilize academic teaching. This 

 raticinal arrangement has not hithertoi been adopted in the Com- 

 monwealth. It is true that the University of Adelaidei recognises 

 Roseworthy technical training toi the extent of accepting it as a 

 definite part of the degree course in agriculture. Whether, how- 

 ever, this policy will be continued in the future, when a Chair of 

 Agriculture has been definitely established, is perhaps open to 

 doubt. Whatever may be the case, it seems to' me that, sooner or 

 later, we shall have to face squarely the question as to whether 

 there is yet rocm in the Commonwealth for both agricultural 

 colleges and Uriversity Chairs of Agriculture; and we shall then 

 find that agricultural colleges have spread their roots too deeply 

 in Oiur midst to have much to fear for their future. But will it 

 be possible to say the same of the Chairs of Agriculture ? Ulti- 

 mately, as in economics, it is very largely a question of supply and 

 demand that is involved. If there is an adequate flow of candi- 

 dates for the' higher training, then public sentiment will probably 

 support the Universities. Apart, however, from an infinitesimal 

 minority, the supply of candidates is bound to be limited by the 

 careers open to those in possession of higher training ; and, during 

 the present generation, at all events, this is not likely to go beyond 

 positions offering on the technical staffs of Government Depart- 

 inents. However m^uch one may recognise the great importance of 

 the work in the hands of these technical departments, it is highly 

 questionable whether, standing alone, it can be said to justify th-3 



