RESEARCH ORGANISATION

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22111, 5 June 1937, Page 20

RESEARCH ORGANISATION

IO 111! C.’iITOjI TUT. I’IiESS ■Sir.—There are two courses open to sue in replying to Mr McCombs's attack on my conception of the organisation of research in Now Zealand, One Is lo refute the weak 'almost lament- , able) statements of Mr McCombs: the other is to out line a rc-homc of animal and plant research which will give praclieal results. Neither do T intend to undertake. All I want to say in respect of Mr McCombs’s attack is that | he has demonstrated clearly that ho is j tip lo the eyes in a muddle of research, which state was created by the last j Government and is being added to by ; this Government. M 1 ’ McCombs has i Accused me of abuse;. My reply is that one must tramo on someone’s toes if progress is (o be made. Ever since I earne to New Zealand I have maintained. and slated publicly, that agricultural research here is in a state not likely to give results to the farmer. During mv 13 months' absence in Australia T kept in close touch with the progress of research in New Zealand. Further during the last five weeks I discussed all the “new” moves with an Informed worker who has agricultural research in New Zealand near and dwir to his heart and who knows the details of Mr McCombs’s scheme. I am therefore thoroughly conversant with its weaknesses as well as its aims. This fact explodes Mr McCombs’s insinuations that [ know little of present procedure, M r McCombs is wrong when he indicates that I should educate the farmer about the need for .research. I have done that for more ■than six years. Canterbury farmers are keen on the need for animal research. They supported the idea before Mr McCombs went into Parliament. , Mr McCombs's statement that the IWallaceville laboratory is doing splendid work refers, I presume, to service work. The head of that laboratory would be the first to admit that the research progress (not service) of his laboratory is hampe’-ed by its being understaffed with experienced research workers. Mr McCombs’s reference to my inaccuracy about the joint salaries of the Wheat Research Institute laboratory research amounts to nothing more than an attempt to split hairs. As a matter of fact, that statement is as true as Mr McCombs’s statement about Dr. Frankel being utilised is untrue. I could give numerous instances of how New Zealand research work is toeing hampered because of faulty organisation, but it is deeds and not words that count. I am therefore prepared to meet Mr McCombs to discuss with him a scheme of animal research for New Zealand which would be acceptable to all concerned, including the farmer.—Yours, ALAN LESLIE. June 4, 1937.