King Country Chronicle. Thursday, October 4, 1934. WOOL RESEARCH.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4605, 4 October 1934, Page 4

King Country Chronicle. Thursday, October 4, 1934. WOOL RESEARCH.

It is rather surprising that the amendment to the Scientific and Industrial Research Bill was dropped in the House owing to the unfavourable report of the Agricultural Committee. The reasons for this adverse report have not been made public, beyond a bare statement that nothing should be done until a poll of wool-growers had been taken on the matter. It will be generally conceded that there is an urgent need to improve the quality of the wool of this Dominion, and this is only possible by organised and systematic research work on the part of an organised body. The amount of the levy, 4d a bale, to carry out the work is infinitesimal, and should prove a sound business proposition for all directly concerned. One member in the House suggested that the reason for the opposition to the measure may have been an aversion to another Government Board, and interference with freedom of action. If this is the reason for the antagonism towards the amendment then the woolgrowers are not fully alive to their own interests. There will be nothing compulsory about the measure beyond the payment of the levy. It can be taken for granted that there will be no interference with personal freedom. Experts would be appointed carry out research work, and advise the sheep-owners, and it would be for them to take advantage of this advice. There is a big scope for investigation of sheep raising in this country, and in order that all should bear their fair share of the expenses of carrying out these investigations in the most comprehensive manner, a compulsory levy is the only equitable method of dealing with the matter. As in all other branches of farming science must be applied to sheep-raising to obtain the best results both in regard to meat and wool. If the sheep-growers can arrange for the investigations amongst themselves all well and good, but as in many other instances some will be reaping benefits and contributing nothing towards the work. As the Leader of the Opposition stated, this country must pay more attention to science, and could not afford to blunder along in the old rule of thumb methods.