Legislative Assembly

for the econmg of our province. He was going to inspect the table potatoes as well as the seed ”toes to see that proper disinfection and sanitation was carried out. I was reading wer his speech the other day, a speech that he had delivered to this House a few years ago. I was very much pleased when the Potato Conference the other day me up with a suggestion that he had made here two or three years ago. It is a good on, Mr. Minister. and I congratulate you for that. (Applause) Now, Mr. Minister. close are two good policies but the big thing wrong is that you do not go far alimgh. The agricultural policies of our province are thirty to forty years behind tines and we have to modernize our thinking. We have to keep up agricultural pnduction in our province: we have to expand agriculture production and we have to make it more economical. In a province such as Ontario and Quebec, or Nova Scotis, a slight reduction in the agricultural income of those provinces does not matte». But it does matter, and it is of vital concern, to this province and to its economy. We cannot afford to let this happen. So far, the people in this world are lucky‘ we are dealing with the problem of surpluses rather than scarcity and this is a good thing. I hope that before long when the Acres recommendation comes in, that it will suggest many things that will help to develop the agricultural industry here. We hope that a program will be developed towards working and assisting those who can uaafuhy and skillfully make the best use of such a system rather than to develop it into something that will become a welfare program and the effects of it will be lost as soon as it is done. (Applause)

Now there is something strange and perplexing to me about the Acres report. At the 8 Session last fall I asked the Premier when the Acres report would be resen to the Government. He said at that time, in answer to that question, that c had already in his possession a preliminary copy, and that copies would be avail- able to all honourable members in this coming session. I have waited all this long time and what do I find? It is not here and I wonder why? I wonder why? I won- der why it is not done, honourable Minister, this is the question. I find that the office over here is closed up, it has been closed up for three or four months and there is nobody around. Who is working? Did they give up? The man that was doing the research work in this province, in order to bring in the recommendations to the government, has left too, and is gone.

Walter R. Shaw: All gone.

Keith I. Harrington: I wonder if we will ever get the re ort? I understand that the Acres Company were hired and responsible to the poop e of this province, to the Cover-ment. They are not doing their job. I wanted that report very shortly and we were told here in the House the other day that an agreement is going to be signed sometime in May with the federal authorities on the rural development pro- gram. Whlt can it be; we haven't got the report! Where is the report? I believe that somebody has got to get busy and search and find the reason why. And if it does come, lid if somebody does find it, I trust that the government will see that a Special SeliiOn will be called for all honourable members of this Legislature, everyone elected by the people of this province, to come and to draw up a program that will be for the development and the benefit of the province and its people.

I m that assistance is being given to students who are attending Truro Agricultural oollege. It is a good program, and I am glad to see that this Govern- ment is ' out that program started under the former administration because it is an wt thing. (A plause) If we are to have good farmers, we have to have educated, broad-mind , intelligent farmers. Last year, I understand, in the College at No we had two or three Island students attending there since this new prom came in which was announced last spring, Mr. Speaker. We have now, I think, twenty-six attending Truro Agricultural College. What a terrific impact this is going no he on the young men who are taking that course. However, I am dis- appointed in me other thing, and that is the feeble, ineffective and in-excusable attempt about those g-ricultural students who are taking a degree course at the Agricultural Universities in Ontario. I have here a clipping from the Guardian of January 7, 1967, in which the Minister of Agriculture announces the availability of scholarships to those attending University with the idea of getting their B.Sc. in Agriculture. These courses remain an expenditure on the part of the student of at least from $2,000 to $2,500 everyvyear. And what does this government offer them in the way of en- couragement? A scholarship of $300.00, and that is not the worst part of it but it

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