DOMINIO IN LABORATORY

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26031, 7 February 1950, Page 3

DOMINIO IN LABORATORY

PROPOSALS FOR FUTURE

MINISTER INSPECTS WORK

It was important that voluntary organisations should not lose enthusiasm -because Government grants were made, said the Minister ol Health (Mr j T. Watts) yesterday when he met officials of the British Empire Cancer Campaign Society during a visit to the Dominion X-ray and Radium Laboratory ar Canterbury University College. “Once the Government starts and keeps on increasing its grants to a voluntary society it is only a matter ot years and the society stops being a voluntary organisation and becomes merely a receiving agency for the Government,” he said. “I am most anxious to help, and at the same time to avoid losing the voluntary workers. It seems to me that whenever a government takes over a job or gives financial assistance the voluntary workers disappear.”

The Minister, who was accompanied by Dr. Claude Taylor, director of tuberculosis services, was met by Mr G. E Roth, director of the laboratory. Str Hugh Acland, vice-president of the New Zealand branch of the British Empire Cancer Campaign SoA- Bennett, chairman of the Canterbury division of the society, Mr E. A. Adams, honorary treasurer of the division. Mr P Stanley Foster, a member of the society. P r ’ R. Hulm'e. rector of Canterbury University College, and Profes,F- C. Chalklin, professor of physics.

After being shown the work of the laboratory, which is housed in detached basements Mr Watts said he difflcul ‘ i « under which H t ?i ry - was working and aH he C ° Uld -- «-o

. Bennett proposed to the Minister that while the laboratory should eontinue to be under the control of a sub-committee of the Canterburv division of the Cancer Campaign So fi ety r ltS ?° rk should be aisisted bv the formation of a special tanhnieX and advisory committee composed ol *°“ r and the protest *- or Physics at the university and the director of research at i-iCf 5 •x, biological in to- ™‘ yS Medical School. the 01380 The present work should h» tmued under Mr Roth's direction and be “tended PO t S o Sib ? the “houM dte^c de Vroy OV ; r ian C te ntr ?i V* Zealand Plants in New Department VeTlte" ° f S and staffed by that Government should make available the neces 6a^ SPaCe - ST such a Moratory - ™‘E? that the preiions between the laboratory and the .department of physics of the university should be maintainedwat supported by Dr. Hulme, who ra?d that it would be of mutual advantage if close contact was maintained. Future Work which Mr Bennett to it was mentioned that in the future the laboratory was likely to be called on to undertake more work because of the Radioactive Substances Act passed in October, 1949 This was concerned with the protection of all workers who came in contact with radio-active substances and the extent of the work in the future could not be estimated. As routine work had been so important and was likely to increase, time could not be devoted to the original object of the society’s laboratory research.

In addition to those aspects of the work of the laboratory, there was the control of the radon plant from which radon was sent all over New Zealand for the treatment of cancer. x “It will be obvious that the space in which to carry out these activities is already very limited, and that it is impossible to extend the work under the conditions as they are at present.” the statement concluded. “Already two large X-ray plants which could further the work of the laboratory are stored because of lack of space to bring them into action.”