Research Under Difficulties

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21686, 21 January 1936, Page 8

Research Under Difficulties

Two months ago Dr. G. H. Cunningham, director of the plant protection section cf the

Plant Research Station at Palmerston North, resigned his position and gave a very frank statement of the reasons for his action. He said that the duties of officers at the station had not been defined, that money which should have been spent on research was " squandered " on instructional work, that no clerical assistance had been provided, that there were unfair salary differences owing to irrational grading, that the accommodation had been "quite un- " fitted for laboratory work," and that he had appealed in vain for some improvement of the "wretched conditions" in which he and his staff were working. There was no official denial of any of these charges, probably for the very good reason that no denial was possible. Mr Sullivan's announcement in " The " Press " this morning that Dr. Cunningham ha s been induced to continue in his position will be welcomed because it means that the loss to New Zealand of a very able scientist has been obviated and also, presumably, that the handicaps complained of by Dr. Cunningham have been removed. It must be hoped, however, that the Government's action indicates its determination to improve research facilities generally and is not merely dictated by the fear of losing a valuable worker. For it must be emphasised that the conditions complained of by Dr. Cunningham are conditions suffered, in a greater or less degree, by most research workers in New Zealand. The statement by an Australian scientist, reported in " The Press " yesterday, that research staffs in New Zealand are " badly paid and overworked " is no more than the truth. To make matters worse, the research work that is done is spread over a multiplicity of different institutions with different policies, the result being that there is constant overlapping and lack of co-ordination. Mr Sullivan, as Minister in charge of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, will perform a notable service to the community if he ensures that research staffs work in reasonable conditions and for a reasonable remuneration and that the results of their labours are not squandered by bad organisation.