PLANT RESEARCH

Evening Post, Issue 86, 11 April 1936, Page 14

PLANT RESEARCH

ESTABLISHMENT OF

BUREAU

The improvement of plants of all kinds and their protection from disease and pests is to be undertaken by a plant bureau which is to be established by the Government, stated the Prime Minister (the Hon. M. J. Savage) on Thursday.

Some time ago a special committee was set up by the Minister of Agriculture, the.Hon. W. Lee Martin, and the Minister in Charge of Industrial Research, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, to prepare a report on plant research, and that report has now been received .by the Prime Minister. The committee consisted of Mr. A. H. Cockayne, Assistant Director-General of Agriculture (chairman), Professor F. W. Hilgendorf, of Canterbury Agricultural College, Professor G. S. Peren, of Massey College, Mr. T. Rigg, of the Cawthron Institute, Mr. R. B. Tennent, Director of the Fields Division of the Department of Agriculture, and Dr. E. Marsden,. representing the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.

"It is proposed," said the Prime Minister, "to co-ordinate all the work through a plant bureau under Mr. F. R. Callaghan, as chief executive officer, and to set up a research station in each island. The grasslands station will be at Palmerston North under Mr. Bruce Levy, and associated with Massey College, and crop research will be carried out through the establishment of an Agronomy Division at Lincoln College under Mr. J. W. Hadfield. The main headquarters of the Plant Disease Division will be at Auckland under Dr. G. H. Cunningham.

"These comprehensive proposals are being considered by the Government,", Mr. Savage added, "and I feel financial and other support should come from the industries and those concerned, so that, with the finance available from the Government, the institutions will be worthy of those industries they are designed to serve." Dr. Marsden and Dr. Cunningham v/ill go to Auckland shortly to discuss arrangements for the proposal. HEAD OF THE BUREAU. Mr. F. R. Callaghan, the chief executive officer of the plant bureau,. is editor of the New Zealand "Journal of Science and Technology," and secretary of the Wellington Philosophical Institute.

He was born at Lincoln, Canterbury, and educated at Lincoln, the Christchurch Boys' High School, Canterbury College, and the Teachers' Training College, Christchurch. At Canterbury College he graduated M.A. with honours in economics. After completing his studies he joined the teaching service, and taught under the North Canterbury and South Canterbury Education Boards, and the Rangiora High School. He subsequently filled the position of instructor in agriculture under the Auckland Education Board, afid was chief of the information service in the New Zealand Court at the Wembley Exhibition in 1924-25. On returning to New Zealand he joined the staff of the newly-formed Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, as professional officer, and exhibited his capacity for organisation and investigation to an extent which has earned for him the respect of all with whom he has come in contact. He was appointed assistant secretary of the Department in 1934, specialising .in wheat and fruit research and land utilisation.