FARM RESEARCH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 June 1938, Page 8

FARM RESEARCH

ATTACK ON GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT. ALLEGATIONS OF AIMLESS WORK. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH,’June 2. “Money for farm research might as well be thrown down the drain as given to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research,” said Mr G. C. Warren, a member of the Dominion executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, speaking at the annual conference of North Canterbury district farmers. He described research in New Zealand as hopelessly disorganised, and attacked the attitude of two Government departments to a subject of vital importance to the whole country.

Mr Warren proposed, on behalf of the Darfield branch, a remit urging the Government to release without delay the reports of Dr Hucker and Dr Hammond, visiting cattle and sheep experts, who recently made a survey of stock problems at the request of the Government. He’ said these experts had been brought to New Zealand at. considerable expense. If their reports were to be kept in the dark it would be a waste of money. The reports would probably indicate methods by which research should be carried out.

Research was hopelessly disorganised, each institution working well but aimlessly. He foresaw the time when Lincoln College would confine itself to sheep problems, Massey College to cattle, Wallaceville Laboratory to serums and “bugs,” and the Cawthron Institute to soil analyses and kindred work. The Department of Agriculture was more or less opposed to unification of research because it feared that the change would push the department into the background as a supplier of information. Mr A. M. Carpenter (Fernside) suggested that in view of the appalling losses of stock it might be advisable to send a man overseas, perhaps to a place like Denmark, to study methods there. The conference carried the remit unanimously.