“THREATENED DISASTER”

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 231, 16 September 1935, Page 8

“THREATENED DISASTER”

Loss of Dr. Cunningham

FRUITGROWERS CONCERNED Grave concern at the possibility of the Dominion losing the services of Dr. G. H. Cunningham, mycologist at the Plant Research Station, Palmerston North, was expressed at the annual Do minion conference of the New Zealand Fruitgrowers’ Federation last week. The conference decided to send a deputation to the Minister of Agrical lure, the Hon. C. E. Macmillan, to im

press on him the necessity of "avoiding this threatened disaster.’’

The question was raised after an ad dress had been delivered to the conference by Dr. Cunningham. Mr J. Dicker, Nelson, vice-president, referred to the great benefits the fruit industry had derived from the work of scientists. Ulearned with consternation that there was a probability of the Dominion los ing the services of Dr. Cunningham. New Zealand had lost good men in the past to other countries and there was a danger of it happening in the future. Mr Dicker moved a motion, which was carried, that the conference learn cd with consternation that the Do minion was likely to lose the services of Dr. Cunningham and favoured send ing a deputation to the Minister of Agriculture to impress on Km the necessity of avoiding this disaster. Mr T. C. Braseh, president, also e* pressed concern. He thought everything should be done to avert the need for Dr. Cunningham leaving t) e country. It is learned that an offer of an np pointment in Australia has been n ceived by Dr. Cunningham.

Dr. Gordon Herriot Cunningham was bom in Otago in 1892 and educated nt Victoria University College, Wellington, taking the degrees M.Se. and Ph.D. He joined the Dcpadtment of Agriculture in 1917 and has been mycologist continuous ly since 1919, and was transferred to the Plant Research Station at Palmerston North in 1928. He is n specialist in plant diseases and the systematics of New Zealand fungi. He was elected a Fellow- of the New Zealand Institute in 1929, nnd was New Zealand representative at the Imperia] Mycology Conference in 1929. Reserved on Gallipoli, where he wns wounded. His publien Jons include "Fungous Diseases of New Zealand,’’ and 100 papers.