A. D. Hall 321 



Agricultural Trust, secure in their independence and free from govern- 

 ment control and devoted entirely to free research. The state will provide 

 the funds and of course inspect to see that the funds are spent properly. 



(2) Departmental Investigation. Administrative research carried out 

 by the Ministry's staff of advisers and inspectors, but never becoming a 

 centre of fundamental research into plant pathology. For example one 

 may compare the Ministry's veterinary laboratory at Byfleet with the 

 proposed institute of animal pathology sketched in the Report of the 

 Development Commission. Again, the Ministry's laboratory for adminis- 

 trative research in plant pathology has been placed in Harpenden in 

 order that it may be in the closest possible touch with the free research 

 institute under the Lawes Trust. Attached to the Ministry's laboratory 

 there will be a flying corps of investigators who may be detailed for 

 emergency purposes such as sudden epidemics; these will live with the 

 disease, for successful action depends on close continuous watching. They 

 will require a mobile equipment in order to work on the spot. 



(3) Local Investigators. It is intended that the staffs of local in- 

 vestigators attached to agricultural colleges shall be strengthened and 

 means will be devised to bring these local workers into close contact with 

 the headquarters staff. In this connection there will be erected advisory 

 councils comprising administrative officers, free research workers and 

 local investigators and it is for these bodies to ensure diffusion of know- 

 ledge and combined attack in the face of emergency problems or those 

 which may give scope for team work. There will be no compulsory or 

 official connection between these types of workers, but only their sense 

 of the value of cooperation, which it is hoped will be such as to build 

 up an organisation wherein all the parts are in intimate working rela- 

 tionship. 



(4) Funds. Finally it may be stated that the Development Commis- 

 sion has funds with which to aid individual workers where necessity 

 arises. Unfortunately there is still a tendency for applications to be 

 made in cases where workers are merely carrying out routine investiga- 

 tions from which it is obvious that little or nothing of value can come. 

 The only remedy for this is to ensure that better men are attracted to 

 this work and for some time this has been a chief preoccupation of the 

 Ministry. It is hoped that this problem has been solved now that a 

 reasonable career can be guaranteed to every man taking up such in- 

 vestigations. This career may not perhaps com})ete financially with 

 careers in other professions, but it will be a reasonable reward and such 

 only is desired by those who have true research at heart. 



