ALLEGATIONS BY FARMER

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28253, 15 April 1957, Page 10

ALLEGATIONS BY FARMER

“Jealousy Hampers Research”

(New Zealand Press Association) HASTINGS, April 14.

Jealousy between Government departments responsible for research was so strong that it was hampering research into the causes and possible cures of animal maladies, said the provincial chairman of Federated Farmers in Hawke’s Bay (Mr C. R. Edgecombe), at a provincial executive meeting in Hastings. Mr Edgecombe was sponsoring a Waipukurau remit seeking the setting up of an agricultural research council in New Zealand independently financed and under the control of the statutory producer boards. He subsequently agreed to withdraw this remit and support -an amendment by which the Hawke’s Bay province pressed for the establishment of an animal and agricultural research council. “No Co-ordination” Mr Edgecombe said his branch was concerned at the lack of cohesion and co-ordination by Government departments in research on many animal diseases. Jealousy between the various departments was so strong that it was hampering the work, and it was time this sort of thing was stopped, he said. His branch felt, said Mr Edgecombe, that an independent organisation should be set up, free of Government control or the salary scale of the Public Service Commission. It should be run by the statutory producer boards, and financed by the farmers’ own money.

It would be better, suggested Mr J. Williams, for the statutory boards to set up an advisory council to co-ordinate research, the council to have Government representation.

It was only right, said Mr E. D. Holt, that, when the Government was spending large sums on research, it should control the work. There • were instances of research work having to be shelved or amended through lack of funds. Primary industry represented only one section of the community requiring research, and if it wanted more money, business and industry could also claim more. But in the proposals before the meeting there was an idea which would allow the primary industries to help themselves, he said.

Mr P. S. Plummer said the proposals had been considered many times. Provided it was made clear that an “overall council'’ should control research, he believed the producer boards would be behind the proposal.