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 Vickerman, D.5.0., 0.8. E., M.Sc, M. Inst. C.E., Wellington. Mr. George A. Pascoe, Industrial Adviser, Department of Industries and Commerce. Mr. Archibald M. Seaman, F.P.A.N.Z., Public Accountant, Auckland. Mr. Alfred H. Cockayne, Director-General of Agriculture, Wellington. Professor William Riddet, B.Sc, Massey Agricultural College. Dr. Ernest Marsden, M.C., C.8.E., D.Sc, F.R.S.N.Z. (Secretary). Professors Denham and Riddet were granted one year's leave of absence to enable them to proceed overseas in order to keep in touch with the latest developments in research. Professor Riddet, at the request of the Government, will pay special attention to methods of marketing and handling dairy-produce in the main competitive dairy countries. The consequential vacancies in the Research Council have been filled by Messrs. L. J. Schmitt and J. M. Ranstead, and Mr. T. Rigg assumed the office of Acting-Chairman. The expenditure of the Department during the year was as follows : — Permanent services— £ Head Office, publications, Research Scholarships, and miscellaneous .. 6,868 Dominion Laboratory (with branches) .. .. '.. .. 12,327 Geological Survey .. .. . . .. .. .. .. 5,708 Meteorological Office .. .. .. .. .. .. 9,255 Apia Observatory .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,329 Dominion Observatory .. .. .. .. .. . .. 1,687 Magnetic Observatory .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 ( 822 Lincoln College .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5,042 Research investigations .. .. .. .. .. .. 46,306 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 91,344 The funds devoted to research work were derived from the following sources :— £ Imperial Economic Committee .. . . .. . . . . 1,358 Industries .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 11,225 Sales and miscellaneous recoveries .. .. .. .. .. 12,363 Consolidated Fund .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 21,360 46,306 As in previous years, grants were made to the Cambridge Low Temperature Research Station, Farnham House, the Dried Products Research Station, Slough, and the Wool Research Institute, Torridon. A grant of £2,5Q0 was received from the Unemployment Board towards the cost of geophysical surveys carried out in gold-mining areas, mainly at Reefton. The work of the Department is steadily expanding, and the services which it can render to industry are limited mainly by the amount of finance available. What has been achieved in the past year is due in no small measure to the loyal co-operation of all scientific workers, and the staff of the Department as a whole. Their efforts are here gratefully acknowledged. DOMINION LABORATORY. The increasing amount of work which the Dominion Laboratory, with its branches in Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin, is called upon to perform for Government Departments is indicated by the fact that the total number of samples dealt with this year shows an increase of 400 over last year's total. An exceptionally large number of samples for the police were examined, covering a very wide range of criminal investigation work, and, in a number of cases, the analyst's evidence was largely relied upon to secure a conviction.

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