PROPOSER CEREAL AND TECHNICAL LABORATORY.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 17756, 17 September 1927, Page 15

PROPOSER CEREAL AND TECHNICAL LABORATORY.

Fanners, millers, and bakers are all interested in wheat, but all regal'd it from.different points of view. Fanners think chiefly.of bushels per acre, millers, chiefly of.percentage of flour, and- bakers, chiefly of the eating quality of the loaf. Farmers, on the .one hand, and bakers on the the oilier, are quite unfamiliar with the needs and difficulties of each .other, and millers are in a trying -position in attempting to reconcile conflicting ideals.

! A suggestion has been made that the problems of grqwing better wheat, milling better flour and baking better bread should be the subject of research, and that,, instead "if each interest doing its own investigation, a ; Central Cereal and Cereal Products Laboratory would tend.. to bring together , the various inl.ej-ests,' remove misunderstandings and' help eh eh to take equal advantage of any progress made. The-hew Department 'of Scientific and Industrial Research was formed last year, to'-serve as a connecting link .between various classes of industry, to encourage and guide investigations such qs are here proposed and to' be a channel-of Government financial assistance 'to iridus'tries undertaking' scientific’ research.-* In view of these facts, a small meeting of farmers, millers and bakers, with Dr. Hilgendorf, of Lincoln College, Mr. Hadfield, of the Agricultural Department, and Dr. Denham, of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, was recently held in Christchurch to see if it were at all likely that a Cereal Laboratory could be established by the three interests for their common benefit. It was agreed that (he proposal was of value; that the time was opportune, and that the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research provided a fortunately impartial body to-place in charge of the work. Finance was an important consideration but a workable proposal was made. It was decided that if millers and bakers would approve of contributing a pemssf half-penny for every ton of flour they sold or bought, and the wheat growers a penny half-penny for every 50 bushels of wheat they sold for milling, a sufficient siini would be available for (be maintenance of a first class Cereal Laboratory. • For the first year, however, the building and equipment of the Laboratory would call for an extra contribution, of IJd per ton of flour and 5 0 bushels of wheat. It was hoped that the Minister of Industries and Commerce would legalise the collection of the levy by some such central agency as Distributors’ Limited, and that the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research would subsidise £ for £ all contributions received for research purposes, if the direction of the work were placed in its hands. Subsidiary points mentioned were the best men. it would be advisable for contributors to make their arrangements to cover a period of five years: and (2) that the original contribution of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research might take Hie form of providing the buikl;ing and equipment necessary so as to obyiate .possible/ difficulties regard’irig future' ownership. A committee was - appointed to present the proposals to the organisations representing the three interests concerned.