H.—34.

SECRETARY'S REPORT. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research held five meetings during the year. The personnel of the Council, prior to Ist January, 1937, was as follows : — Professor Henry George Denham, M.A., D.Sc., Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry at Canterbury University College, Christchurch (Chairman). Mr. Alfred H. Cockayne, Director-General of Agriculture, Wellington. Mr. George A. Duncan, Executive Commission of Agriculture. Professor John Malcolm, M.D., Ch.B., Professor of Physiology, University of Otago, Dunedin. Mr. George A. Pascoe, Industrial Adviser, Department of Industries and Commerce, Wellington. Professor William Riddet, B.Sc. (Agric.), N.D.A., N.D.D., Massey Agricultural College. Mr. Theodore Rigg, M.A., M.Sc., F.1.C., F.R.S.N.Z., Director, Cawthron Institute, Nelson. Mr. Archibald M. Seaman, F.P.A.N.Z., Public Accountant, Auckland. Mr. Hugh Yickerman, D.5.0., 0.8. E., M.Sc., M.lnst.C.E., Wellington. Dr. Ernest Marsden, M.C., C.8.E., D.Sc., F.R.S.N.Z. (Secretary). During the absence abroad of Professors Denham and Riddet, who represented New Zealand at the British Commonwealth Scientific Conference held in London during September-October, 1936, Mr. T. Rigg was Acting-chairman, and the temporary vacancies in the Council were filled by Messrs. L. J. Schmitt and J. M. Ranstead. The term of office of the Research Council having expired on the 31st December, 1936, it was reappointed, with certain changes in personnel, for a period of three years from Ist January, 1937. The changes in personnel were the replacement of Messrs. A. M. Seaman and H. Yickerman by Dr. J. C. Andrews and Dr. R. 0. Page, and the appointment of Mr. J. M. Ranstead in place of Mr. G. A. Duncan. Mr. T. H. McCombs, M.P., attended meetings of the Research Council as the special representative of the Hon. the Minister. The expenditure of the Department during the year was as follows : — Permanent Services — Head Office, Publications (including New Zealand Journal of Science and Technology), Research Scholarships, and grants to the Imperial Agricultural Bureaux, the Royal Society of New Zealand, and the £ Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science) 9,212 Dominion Laboratory (with branches) .. . . . . 17,261 Geological Survey . . .. . . .. • • • • • • 7,409 Meteorological Office .. .. .. .. •• 12,069 Apia Observatory . . .. . . .. .. • • 2,241 Dominion Observatory .. .. .. .. 2,130 Magnetic Observatory . . .. .. .. • • 2,295 Canterbury Agricultural College .. .. .. .. ■ • 5,107 Research Investigations .. .. .. .. •• •• 74,233 £131,957 The funds devoted to research work were derived from the following sources : — £ Imperial Economic Committee .. . . .. .. • ■ 411 Industries.. .. .. .. •• ■■ •• 13,268 Sales and miscellaneous recoveries .. .. .. •• 13,243 Consolidated Fund .. .. .. • ■ • • .. 47,311 £74,233 As in previous years, grants were made to the Cambridge Low Temperature Research Station (£3,000), the Imperial Agricultural Bureaux scheme (£1,394), Farnham House (£750), the Imperial Institute of Entomology (£400), the Imperial Mycological Institute (£300), and the British Wool Industries Research Association, Torridon (£300). A grant of £200 was made towards the cost of a British expedition to Peru to collect new varieties of potatoes for the purpose of crossing with cultivated varieties in order to improve their disease-resistant qualities. A grant was also made to Massey College for assistance in work on some of the causes of sterility in sheep. The biennial meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science was held in Auckland in January, 1937, and a grant was made by the Government, through the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, to meet the cost of travelling concessions to overseas delegates and the printing of the official Handbook, programme, and other material. The meeting was attended by the majority of the professional officers of the Department, many of whom delivered scientific papers and took advantage of the opportunity of public and private discussions with Australian research workers on common problems. As indicated by the increase in expenditure over that of last year, there has been a marked expansion in the work of the Department during the past year. The improvement in economic conditions generally has brought about a corresponding increase in industrial activity, which is reflected in the increased demands made on the Department for research investigations and scientific services.

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