Willey Trust Awards

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31923, 26 February 1969, Page 18

Willey Trust Awards

Dr R. B. Keey, of the department of chemical engineering, University of Canterbury, and Dlr DI. R. Alley, of the department of animal health, Massey University, have been awarded grants from the Vernon Willey Trust.

Dr Keey proposes to study moisture condition of slipe wool, and Mr Alley is undertaking research into sheep pneumonia.

The awards were announced in Christchurch last evening by Lord Bamby, who established the trust in 1966, and who came from Britain to attend a meeting of the trust committee.

The trust was set up by Lord Bamby, principal of the wool firm of Francis Willey, established by his father in 1840, for research and education in the production, processing and marketing of wool and the general development of the sheep and wool industry. In his week in Christchurch Lord Barnby has visited the Wool Research Organisation at Lincoln, and talked with the two recipients of grants last year—Professor I. E.

Coop and Professor A. E. Henderson, both of Lincoln College. “Both have done great work which I am sure will be of benefit to the wool industry,” Lord Barnby said. “Their contribution alone justifies the trust, but there will be equally important results in the future.” While he was in Christchurch, Lord Barnby discussed with his fellow members the possibility of using some of the money from the fund to help young persons embarking on a science career.

At present, he said, the fund helped graduates and those who had made their way in research, and that would continue to be a policy; but there could be assistance for younger people. The committee would look at his proposal, he said. What he wanted was to help young men who later could qualify for major scientific research grants. Lord Barnby is leaving New Zealand convinced that there is still a great future for wool, but he is not hapj>y about the country’s vulnerability on dairy produce. It was a tragedy, he said, that New Zealand, a loyal supporter of Britain, could be ignobled- if Britain went into the European Common Market and was flooded with dairy imports from countries

where dairy farmers were heavily subsidised. “If that happens there is nothing you can do,” he said. “It is just like Rhodesia, faced with sanctions, and Israel, faced with hostility from all its neighbours and having to divert from peaceful farming production to producing arms because no-one will supply them.” The sad thing was that no country affected could do anything to help itself, because outside influences were at work, Lord Barnby said. It almost seemed to be a con-