1T.—34

MINISTER'S STATEMENT The Department's activities during the year have continued to be concentrated on problems arising out of the war. The year has seen the fruition of a number of projects which previously were only in the developmental stage. For example, both the Dominion PhysicalLaboratory and the Radio Development Laboratory have been established in improved buildings and provided with such additional skilled staff as is enabling them to provide greater assistance to the three armed Services and to the munitions industry. Moreover, both of these laboratories have been designed and equipped so that in post-war years they will function to provide a sound fundamental basis for servicing the manufacturing industries of the Dominion. Important defence scientific units have been established at the University of Otago and at Auckland and Canterbury University Colleges. Several up-to-date units of scientific equipment have been provided for use in the South Pacific area. The year has also seen the coming into operation of the first commercial dehydration plants for butter, vegetables, and meat. All these plants are producing very satisfactory dried foodstuffs, largely because of the scientific effort put into their design and to previous testing on pilot plants by the staff of the Department. Investigations have not been limited to the dehydration operation alone, but have extended to examination of the raw materials being used, their pre-treatment to conserve their food values and vitamin content, and their packaging in a form suitable to retain high quality, when used as A liny rations by troops operating in difficult field conditions. Work on an up-to-date fruit-dehydrating plant is well advanced and it is anticipated that the first commercial unitwill be used to process some of this season's apples. Work on dehydrated butter and preparation of butter for use in the tropics has continued satisfactorily. Maps showing the soil types occurring in the North Island have now been completed, and based upon these maps others showing soils which will respond to lime treatments in different degrees have been prepared. A map of the areas suffering from erosion in the 10,000,000 acre mountainous region of the South Island has been completed. Three of the important linen-flax districts of Otago have been soil surveyed and the information made available in a ready form to guide this industry as to the selection of the best soils for this important wartime crop, since it has boon found that fibre yields are largely dependent on soil type. Officers of the Department are also providing assistance on soil and pasture problems associated with aerodrome turfs throughout the Dominion, and it has been possible to establish and maintain turfs in a greatly improved manner to withstand the very severe strains to which they are being subjected under wartime conditions. In view of the importance of building in the post-war period, the Department during the year has established a Building Research Committee which is giving consideration to the numerous problems which will arise and will require investigation in connection with materials necessary for the construction of the large number of houses to be erected after the war. The Department has maintained its policy of co-operating with all other State Departments on many projects which have from time to time required the assistance of scientifically trained staff. Of great importance also has been the close association of the Department's activities with similar activities in progress in Great Britain, in other Dominions, and in the United States of America. With all these, association has been maintained by regular correspondence and exchange of reports and, where possible, by staff visits. T desire to express to the staff of all branches of the Department my appreciation of the good service which they have rendered during the year in carrying out the heavy responsibilities which they have had to undertake. D. G. SULLIVAN, ' Minister in Charge of Scientific and Industrial Research Department,

2