H.—34.

SECRETARY'S REPORT. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, has held five meetings during the year. The personnel of the Council is as follows : — Professor Henry George Denham, D.Sc., M.A., Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry, Canterbury College, Christchurch (Chairman). Professor John Malcolm, M.8., Ch.B., Professor of Physiology, University of Otago, Dunedin. Mr. Theodore Rigg, M.Sc., Director, Cawthron Institute, Nelson. Mr. Hugh Yickerman, D.5.0., 0.8. E., M.Sc., M.lnst.C.E., Wellington. Mr. George A. Pascoe, Chairman, Development of Industries Committee. Mr. Archibald M. Seaman, F.P.A.N.Z., Public Accountant, Auckland. Mr. Alfred H. Cockayne, Assistant Director-General of Agriculture, Wellington. Professor William Riddet, B.Sc., Massey Agricultural College. Dr. Ernest Marsden, M.C., D.Sc., F.R.S.N.Z. (Secretary). Mr. George Shirtclifie, owing to ill health, resigned from the Council during the year, and Professor H. G. Denham was appointed Chairman in his stead. Professor William Riddet was appointed to the vacancy created on the Council. The resignation of Mr. George Shirtclifie was accepted with regret by the Council, and opportunity was taken to place on record its deep appreciation of the signal service rendered by him to the country in his capacity as Chairman. During the year the Development of Industries Committee was reorganized and now functions under the chairmanship of the Hon. the Minister of Industries and Commerce, the Council beingrepresented thereon by the Secretary. The Department has been regularly called upon to undertake certain of the investigations required by this Committee. The expenditure of the Department during the year was as follows: — Permanent services— £ Head Office, publications, Research Scholarsliips, and miscellaneous . . 6,125 Dominion Laboratory (with branches) .. .. ■■ ■■ 11,766 Geological Survey .. .. •• 4,935 Meteorological Office • • • • ■ • • • • • .. 6,998 Apia Observatory .. .. ■ ■ • • • • •• ■ • 1, 949 Dominion Observatory .. .. ■■ ■■ ■■ •• 1,485 Magnetic Observatory .. • ■ • • • • ■ • 1 > 906 Lincoln College .. • • • • • • • • ■ ■ • • 4,772 Research investigations ... . . . ■ • ■ ■ ■ . . 41,293 Total .. •• .. i. .i •• •• 81,229 The funds devoted to research work were derived from the following sources : — £ Empire Marketing Board .. .. .. •• •• •• 2,592 Industries -■ •• •• •• •• •• 10,456 Sales and miscellaneous recoveries .. .. •• ..11,111 Consolidated Fund .. .. ■■ •• •• •• 17,134 Total .. ■ • ■ • • • • • • • • • ,293 Financial difficulties were experienced as acutely as ever during the year and were accentuated by the decision reached by the Imperial Economic Committee to maintain certain of the research organizations established by the Empire Marketing Board by means of definite apportionment of the costs between the United Kingdom, Crown colonies, and dominions concerned. This decision increased the actual expenditure of the Department during the year by some £3,600, assistance being Given towards the Cambridge Low Temperature Research Station, Farnham House, Dried Products Research Station, Slough, and the Wool Research Institute, Torridon. A grant of £5,000 was received from the Unemployment Board towards the cost of geophysical surveys carried out in the gold-mining areas of both Islands. There has been a steady increase in the amount of miscellaneous work which the Department has been called upon to undertake during the year. Despite restrictions of staff and facilities all of these demands have been met as fully as possible, and the Department has been glad to be in a position to have rendered what is hoped to be very real assistance to a number of industries during a period of difficulty and economic stress. DOMINION LABORATORY. The Dominion Laboratory, and its branches in Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin, has been called upon to perform an increasing amount of analytical work for all Government Departments except the Department of Agriculture. Each year sees the need for further chemical attention being devoted to a whole range of problems connected with the very diverse activities undertaken by Government Departments. The staff of the Dominion Laboratory has been selected, trained, and has that wide experience which enables it to deal with a very wide range of problems. The close watch which the Health Department maintains upon the quality of the food offered for sale in the Dominion results in that Department making the greatest use of the Laboratory services, well over eight thousand separate analyses of various foods being made. Milk-analyses figure prominently in this total, and it is gratifying to note that a steady trend towards higher-quality milksupplies is manifest. A marked advance during the year has been the definite establishment of the

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