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We must take the same view here as in the case of the Trades and Technical Schools, and regard an institution as a luxury which has no definite aims, and which has to pay pupils to attend with no certainty as to their future employment. We recommend that the Farm School should be closed down. The savings will be utilized far more profitably on the post of entomologist.

8. It is impossible for us in so limited a time to make a detailed study of the prospects and needs of the Co-operative Credit Societies. As a financial item this branch is of small importance: there is an Inspector on Rs.4,800, and the work occupies, and should rightly occupy, part of the time of the Senior Agricultural Officer and of the Director himself. The amount of unpaid Government loans is only Rs.6,240. The Societies pay Rs.1,300 for inspection and audit.

It is only to be expected that these are not prosperous days for co-operation, but this does not mean that the Government can relax its interest in helping a section of the sugar industry which, by comparison, has made such small claims on the State.

We have no evidence to lead us to the view that there has been any material change in the conditions described by Mr. Wilberforce in his initial report on the co-operative movement. Not only is it impossible to curtail the present expenditure on co-operation but the Government would be justified in spending more money. A single officer is not an adequate staff for inspecting and assisting the small Indian planters, who deserve a relatively larger share of the attention which is given to the sugar industry.

9. A Colony which has suffered so severely in the past from cattle disease and in which the milk industry is important must maintain a small veterinary service. We do not consider that a staff consisting of a Veterinary Surgeon, whose total emoluments are now Rs.9,500, and two Stock Inspectors, is more than adequate for the detection and cure of disease. We think that the arrange- ments for landing cattle at Port Louis leave much to be desired both as regards humanity and avoiding the risk of infection. There is a definite scheme for landing animals at the Government quay and for dipping them. We see no reason why this scheme should not be brought into force. The Stockbreeders Subsidizing Fund should be closed down. The Government set aside Rs.30,000 (from the Development Fund) for the purpose of encouraging the import of improved breeds of cattle on prescribed conditions and with previous sanction an importer was entitled to recover half his. charges from this Fund. The scheme has not justified itself and most of the allotment remains unspent. The balance should be absorbed in general revenues.

10. The question of maintaining the Government Dairy has been specially referred to us. This was the subject of a Commis- sion which as recently as 1928 reported that the Dairy should be

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enlarged. Many of our witnesses have referred to the Dairy in unfavourable terms. The question has been examined with an attention out of all proportion to its financial interest: we tempted to contrast the minute items of the Dairy budget with the lump allotments which are thought to be sufficient for the larger financial venture of Quay D, and we would wish that views were as definite about the rate of quay dues as they are about the price of milk.

The Government Dairy showed in the last financial year an ex- penditure of Rs.34,058 and a revenue of Rs.28,101. The loss of Rs.6,000 was, however, actually increased by Rs.4,140, the pay of the Stock Inspector and of the Overseer whose full time is given to the Dairy. We note as a conspicuous example of the unsatis- factory way in which salaries are treated in this department the fact that the Stock Inspector is credited with a pay of Rs.3,600 in the budget, but also receives an allowance of Rs.2,400 from the Dairy, and Rs.500 for lecturing at the College. Total emolu- ments of Rs.6,500 are excessive, even when a cut of ten per cent. is made under the general scheme.

To the real loss we must add the charge on capital amounting to Rs.200,000 which the Government has spent on the building. We must also note the protest of the Director of the Medical Department that the hospitals are being charged for milk at 25 cents, when they could obtain from other sources milk which would not be much inferior in quality and which would not be deleterious to the health of the patients. Against this view must be set the fact that 38,000 litres have been sold to the public, and 51,000 to Government institutions. If the present price was unreasonable for the quality of the milk supplied, there could hardly have been a rapid increase in the amounts sold to the public.

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In stating the problem himself the acting Director, after discussing possible savings, has expressed the belief that the Government Dairy could be made a paying concern always pro- vided (1) that we would continue to sell the milk produced at 25 cents per litre as at present, (2) that public institutions continue to be our chief customer, and (3) that the Dairy is not called upon to pay the salaries of the officer in charge and his overseer. many provisos make an unconvincing conclusion: there can be no right by prescription to charge the public or the institutions for ever at the rate of 25 cents, especially when grain is particularly cheap. And it would be preposterous not to charge the Dairy with the cost of the officers who manage it. We doubt if the Dairy can ever become commercially profitable but we believe that the expendi- ture can be reduced so as to make the loss negligible, having regard to the capital which would be wasted if the Dairy were abandoned. We are impressed by the view that the institution has a real value as a demonstration if only that demonstration is practical and not

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Reference-

C.O.882/12

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

BE

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON