CAWTHRON INSTITUTE.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14625, 1 February 1918, Page 6

CAWTHRON INSTITUTE.

ijiPORTAXT K-K.SKAIICJ] WORK

j Sonic iufnrnuilion regardiv.p; the Caw-! thrc.n institute, winch is.t-o'be establisluni lwv.r Aoisut'., v.-;i.s pla.<vd before the Boaid of tUn oriup-. <»: iho iNewj Zealand Institute no Wellington'by tho president. (J-:role:ssor lk?nhi>.m). "J'ne trustees npixmm-u to administer the Cawthron bequest appointed a com-> mission to draw up a scheme for the working of the institute, and fciiey aro now working on ;:ho line a laid down by! tills commission. ! The institute would' b<> ewied when' tho war was ended close to Uie-city of Nelson, saiti .i/roU-v>:;or hvninun. The', work undortakea would be scientific re-1 search into the prohJoms oi agriculture, particularly us alfeoliu;.-; 'jJio-grow-; niir in •ran-. ; t' was ."'c:p«.l Unit- m the future ■ agrieuUuraJ '.problems of all kinds v.'ouia oo studied .ut tue, institute—fclio teeting of live,*, the improvement of cult "are, "die cUemiiitry p. ml physics' of soils, the tievekipiiiont, of forest trees, etc. Tiie work Might, b'.'- o.nU ruled in. other directions. .Hitherto wo iustitu-. lion in .Sow Zealand had been wholly'; or- even mainly ghon up to scientific' research. The* Gawthron Institute, would be. equipped, organised and financed for this purpose alone. Hie sum of! money at the <.!isi.H>:-..;'.l of the trustees! was about .1200,000, and tho trustees, | who for tho mo-st part wore business! men, were determined tiiat the annual! expenses should not exceed the income from the principal. Tho interest that was now accumulating would be used fco erect the necessary buildings after the director'had been appointed, and in consultation with him... Tho site had already been purchased find surveyed. The control of the institute, added Professor Benham, would be undertaken under the supervision .of the trustees by an advisory board acting with the -director. Hie bodies represented on the advisory board would be the Cawthron trustees, the Board of Agriculture-, the Nelson Institute, the Board of Studies of the .New Zealand University and th<? Governors of the New Zealand Institute. It was. hoped to secure as director a hrst-class chemist from England, but this appointment probably would not bo made before -the end of "the war. The full staif. would include experts in plant physiology nnd plant pathology, and economic zoology and geology, but that would be in the future. The director at. the outset would be assisted by a plant pathologist and an orchardist, to whom adequate salaries would be paid. JPravision would be made for the award ot scholarships, and every encouragement ■would be* given to students properly qualiiied to pursue research in agricultural matters.