Progress Of Plans For New Institute

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30390, 14 March 1964, Page 7

Progress Of Plans For New Institute

A DRAFT plan for the organisation and operation of the new Agricultural Engineering Institute to be established at Lincoln College has been aproved by the college council and is now the subject of discussions with the Department of Agriculture as the agency through which Government funds are channelled to the college for the institute. This was disclosed this week by the director of the college (Dr. M. M. Burns.) When agreement had been reached on the plan he said an appropriate advisory committee would be set up and called together to consider the draft programme and the initial steps to be taken for staffing the institute and the provision of additional facilities to enable the institute to begin work. Dr. Burns said Government funds for the establishment

of the institute would not become available until the next financial year, beginning on April 1. It was proposed that high on the list of priorities for the institute would be the study of tractor safety devices and the further development of a drill suitable for the tussock grassland area. On this project, Dr. Burns said a considerable amount of work had already been done by officers of the Department of Agriculture and by private firms. Lincoln College is calling applications for appointment to its first chair of agricultural engineering. The advertisement says the appointee will be responsible for guiding, the development and programme of the new institute to be established in close association with the agicultural engineering department at the college.