Legislative Assembly

Honourable Gordon L. Bennett: Well you are not advocating it, really then?

L. George Dewar: I am not advocating an agricultural school in each county; from that one.

I am not trying to hold the Premier to that promise. I think he might well be absolved

Now I am sorry to have to leave the interesting problems of education and I just want to comment briefly on a few other Departments. After all the Minister of Education should not get all the attention; there are other very worthy gentlemen

over there that deserve some recognition at least. (Applause and Inughter). I would like to mention the Department of Highways which is a very heavy... .

Harold P. Smith: Mr. Speaker, before the honourable member goes on. Would

you suggest that this Government build an agricultural college or school in this province?

L. George Dewar: No I wasn’t suggesting that, no. I think that the school at Truro should be used and utilized to as great an extent as possible because I think it is much easier to give proper Diploma Courses there and Degree Courses that the students need.

Honourable Gordon L. Bennett: Forget about agriculture in our Island schools; is that what you are advocating?

L. George Dewar: Well, I think it could be taught in certain grades. There should be some agricultural course but I don’t think it would be...

Several Members: (Remarks inaudible).

L. George Dewar: I think all kinds of emphasis should be put on agriculture

as a course, but it should be done in a reasonable and sensible manner — practical manner.

I was going to direct a few of my remarks Mr. Speaker, to the Minister of Highways. I think he is quite a fine gentleman and doing a very good job under very difficult circumstances. (Applause). In fact I must commend him for what he did last summer in the way of providing improved highways in my own part of the province. I must say that I only asked one favour of him and it wasn’t a very big favour either and I must say that he fulfilled it one hundred percent.

Honourable Robert E. Campbell: More than I got.

(Laughter) L. George Dewar: You probably asked too much. Honourable Robert E. Campbell: And got nothing!

L. George Dewar: I think perhaps he did make a few mistakes since he came into office but of course everyone does that, and I might mention the rather heavy- handed way he dealt with the opening of private lanes in the province. I think he made the correct but impractical solution to the problem in the first place, the first pronouncement. Of course, if he had asked for advice from people that had knowledge of what the situation involved I am quite sure that he would not have done that. Then of course he swung full circle and made probably the politically possible but the prac- tically impossible solution of the problem, I am sure that greater headaches no man has had than this man that promised that he would open all the private lanes in this province after every snowstorm. I rather felt for the Minister of Highways in this respect and I know his intentions were good, but there are great difficulties involved and I know he realizes that now. I think that this will involve a great deal; it will commit the government to a great deal of expenditure which probably would be utilized better in providing better highways in the summertime. However, we will let the Minister of Highways work out that problem himself and I know he will do his very best to see that justice is done in this regard.

There are a few items that I would like to mention. I trust that he will extend

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