DAIRY RESEARCH

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 6 May 1927, Page 5

DAIRY RESEARCH

PRIME MINITER’S VIEWS.

NEW CO-OPERATIVE POLICY.

THE SCHEME OUTLINED.

BY TEBEGBAPB —SPECIAI, TO THE STAB. WELLINGTON, May 5. Further information regarding the proposed National Dairy Research Laboratory is given in a statement made by the Prime Minister (the fit Hon. J. G. Coates), who suggests that, it will be-difficult to over-estimate the significance of the scheme to provide for the Dominion’s needs in regard to dairy research as drawn up a few days ago by representatives of the Dairy Produce Board, Agricultural College Council, Department of Agriculture, and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. .. „ “This scheme was based on the recommendations of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, and. approved by the conference, at which the Minister of Agriculture and myself were present,’’ he said. ‘‘The first and most urgent need in any system of research in New Zealand is the establishment of research laboratories in dairying. The dairy industry is the one branch of agriculture which has shown marked expansion of production in recent years, but much more research work in connection with the industry remains to be done. The problem of making this adequate provision was one to which much consideration has been given for some time past, but this period of careful thought has served a .rood purpose in that it has produced a verv practical plan for conducting research into the problems affecting the dairy industry. . “To deal with the scientific needs of the dairy industry, the Government was faced with a threefold problem. First of all the growing requirements of the Department of Agriculture in regard to its routine work connected with the administration of regulations and with its dairy instructional service had to be provided for; secondly, adequate provision had to be made to enable those attending the courses,* whether for diploma or degree purposes, or other shorter courses for factory managers, factory assistants and dairy farmers at agricultural colleges, to receive that v ractieal and theoretical instruction neeessarv to enable them to play an important part in the future of the industry; thirdly, and most important of all, provision was very urgently needed to allow of the part-time services of research, workers to be used to deal 'with, such problems as those which beset the dairy industry. Finally, the close interrelation existing between these three sections and the strong desirability of their acting in co-ordination scarcely needs emphasising, as it will be very fully and generally realised that such is the degree to which science is. now entering into modern industry that it is realised that research is very important in order to enable us to produce such amounts of dairy produce, and of such a quality, that we can capture and hold the position in the world’s markets which is the country’s due. With an eye to future developments, therefore, it was very necessary to make an immediate beginning on our major research problems in order to achieve this result

A PROMPT START.

"The routine laboratories will be under control of the Department of Agriculture, and the Agricultural College Council will direct the work done in the instructional laboratories and wiU control the dairy factory, the herd, and the necessary equipment. Nevertheless the arrangement decided upon admits of these latter facilities being available to research workers and to officers of the Department of Agriculture. It is proposed to proceed with the appointment of a bacteriologist and a chemist at the earliest possible date, so that an attack may be made upon the major research problems during the present year. _AII these place limitations upon the industry, but scientific research methods A should help to remove these. Pending the erection of necessary buildings, the staff will co-operate with the work at present being done in the_ district laboratories at Hawera and Hamilton. For the present these laboratories will concern themselves with problems of milk and milk products, but ultimately the extension of research facilities at Palmerston North and elsewhere will permit a co-ordination of these problems with those connected with animal nutrition, animal breeding, top-dressing of pastures, all of which are obviously of much importance to the dairy industry. It is significant that many of the problems that now appear as factory problems can be traced to an origin which centres in an individual herd, beast or field. . "The adoption of this scheme ushers in a new policy of research. Hitherto the Government departments have shouldered the entire responsibility for the conduct of any research deemed necessary in connection with any of the industries of the Dominion. In this instance, the dairy industry itself, through its representatives on the Dairy Produce Board, is making a substantial contribution towards the cost of researches done on its behalf. What is still more important is that the representatives of the Dairy Produce Board will form part of the research management committee, and this will directly guide and have a voice in the research work done in the laboratories. This policy, wherever adopted, overseas, has been very productive of good results, and similar advantages may also be expected to bo derived in New Zealand. The Government is firmly convinced that the interest arising where the industry itself is directly concerned with any project, both financially or in a con-’ trolling capacity, is invaluable, both to the success of the project and to the industry itself. It is estimated that the cost of the first year’s operations will not exceed £6OOO. This is a very reasonable sum when the extent of the industry for whose advantage the expense is being incurred is taken into consideration’. The management committee will meet at an early date and then will go into the details of the scheme. After that the actual work may be commenced as soon as possible.’’