WOOL RESEARCH

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19666, 25 June 1938, Page 16

WOOL RESEARCH

“FOOLISH OPPOSITION”

RESPONSIBILITY ISSUE

A GOVERNMENT JOE

SJJEE PEA I?MENS’ A TTITUDE

“I think we have been badly let down on this matter of research. We previously urged that threepence of the sixpence per bale wool levy should be devoted to advertising and publicity, and the other threepence per bale earmarked for research in this country. There is nothing binding on the Wooi Committee, and there is no intention on the part of the committee to go in strongly for research,” said Mr. C. H. Williams, president of the Poverty Bay-East Coast Sheepowners’ Union, at a meeting of the executive held yesterday afternoon.

The president added that he had been informed that in the United Kingdom provision was made for one veterinary officer to 18,000 head of live-stock. The position in New Zealand was that there was one officer to 575,000 head of live-stock.

'['he necessity for research had been widely recognised, he pointed out, but neither the Wool Committee nor the Meat Board would give it support. The fact was that if the sheepowners of Poverty Bay wanted a problem investigated, they had to put their hands in their own pockets on behalf of the whole industry.

Mr. L. H. L. Maclean strongly supported the president, Mr. S. D. Reeves, a delegate to last year’s electoral college of the Meat Board, said that the opinion at the council meeting was that if the industry took over research, it would be doing a job which by rights belonged to the Government. He believed that the farmers should press the Government to take up research.

Affected By Political Issues

Mr E. R. Black took the opposite view, pointing out that Governments could not wait for results from scientific research. They had to hace something to dress their windows .with, and would not allow research workers to carry out their investigations in their own way—the way that would lead to results. Research workers under any Government must be affected by political issues and 'political pressure. He fully agreed with the recommendations of Sir Francis Heath, an English authority previously quoted by the president that each industry should carry out its own research.

"We have been lulled to sleep by assurances that we have the best meat, lamb, wool, butter and honey in the world,” said Mr. J. C. Graham. “Now the Government says that, we have the best Government in the wo'Td. and that there is nothing to worry about. But there is a lot to worry about.

Mr. Graham declared that, owing to the limitations imposed by politics. Government research workers had got nowhere with either facial eczema oi with any other of the serious Problems facing the farmers. They woulc; have to get public opinion behind research.

I,oss Of Good New Zealand Brains

Other speakers agreed with Mr. Graham, and the president mentioned that the attitude of Governments towards research was too niggardly. The loss of good New Zealand brains, attracted elsewhere by better salaries than were offered in New Zealand, was a serious one, he added.

Messrs. W. G. Sherratt and Reeves pointed out that it would only be possible to get to work without Government authority and encouragement. Mr. Reeves argued that the Wool and Meat Boards were opposed to research with the farmers’ money, on the grounds that it was a Government job. Unless the farmers pushed the Government, no start nvould be made for three years, at least, and possibly for many more. Mr. G. V. Smith held that if the farmers worked for research at their own expense, the day might come when the wool levy would, reach 2s Gd per bale.

"1 only want to wipe out this foolish opposition to research, no mattei how we do it,” said the president. "People object to spending money on research, 'because they do not see immediate results.”

Mr. Williams added that delegates to the conference of the Sheepowners’ Federation would do what educative work they could, and that Mr. Reeves would do his best on the Meat Board electoral college.