SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.

Otago Witness, Issue 4014, 17 February 1931, Page 71

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.

NEW ZEALAND BUTTER AND WOOL. DR MARSDEN’S INVESTIGATIONS. WELLINGTON. February 9. Dr E. Marsden, director of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, returned to Wellington to-day by the Makura. The conference discussed the reported deterioration in the quality of New Zealand cheese and the result of its deliberations will be submitted to the Government as a report from Dr Marsden. “ Methods are being developed by which the process of the ripening of cheese can be followed chemically," said Dr Marsden. “ This is extremely important to New Zealand, as one of the faults of New Zealand cheese is its lack of ripening.” This was particularly so from the point of view of the “packet” cheese in which way New Zealand cheese was being'increasingly used. On reaching England the cheese was cleaned and scrubbed and was cut up and put into packets. This now was growing tremendously in popularity. “New Zealand cheese undoubtedly has not the good name that it should have with the dealers,” said Dr Marsden. “ This will be the subject of my report.” Dr Marsden also attended a conference of wool experts in Leeds and will duly present a report to the Government on this. In England and America Dr Marsden noticed many evidences of the present slump. In England they had the dole and in America the “bread lines.” He thought that a great deal of the trouble was caused by over-production. Taking one example in America the present capacity of the United States for shoes was 900,000,000 per annum, but the actual requirements were a third of that amount. What were they going to do with the balance?

Touching on the recent Hawke’s Bay earthquake. Dr Marsden said that as the members of the scientific staff would commence operations in finding the exact location of the shake and tracing from where the movement was proceeding.