498 



Agriculturai; Eesearch as a Career. 



[Sept., 



as that of a Professor or Header in a university. The establish- 

 ment is guaranteed by the Ministry so long as Parliament con- 

 tinues to provide funds, and the occupier of the post may expect 

 to hold it quajn bene. The tenure of posts of Assistant is, how- 

 ever, not guaranteed, and appointments as Junior Assistant are 

 m all cases temporary. With few exceptions a contributory 

 superannuation scheme is in force at the Eesearch Institutes, 

 and every permanent worker may look forward to a moderate 

 pension on retirement at the age of 60 or 65. 



Eesearch workers at Eesearch Institutes are in no sense Civil 

 Servants. The Ministry makes annually a contribution to the 

 funds of each institute, but this is purely a grant-in-aid, so that, 

 although the institute would in all probability be unable to caiTy 

 on its work, at any rate on the same scale, if the Ministry's 

 contributions were withdrawn, the final responsibiUty rests upon 

 the university or other governing authority, and the strict 

 liability of the Ministry ceases when its grant is paid. It is in 

 the highest degree unlikely that Parliament would cease to vote 

 money for the prosecution of research in agriculture or that 

 support would cease to be given to Eesearch Institutes : but 

 the adoption of the system of annual grants-in-aid ensures 



(1) that the institute retains its power of self-government, and 



(2) that the work and administration of the institute must 

 justify the support for which it asks. This method of control 

 by grant-in-aid without direct administrative responsibility is, 

 of course, a usual feature of the British system of administration. 

 By applying the method to agricultural research it is hoped to 

 combine the minimum of State interference with the most 

 favourable conditions for carrying out research. 



While it is theoretically possible to conduct research in a 

 Government Department, it hardly admits of doubt that the 

 ^itmosphere of the university is more conducive tc good work. 



" When one considers the nature of research, the slowness 

 and irregularity with which results of visibly economic value 

 accrue, the remoteness of its methods from those of a public 

 department, and particularly the character and personality of the 

 men who distinguish themselves in research, it will be generally 

 agreed that the looser system of control prevailing in a university 

 is the most appropriate. The true investigator is always some- 

 what anarchical in temperament, his work is apt to be contin- 

 uously destructive of accepted opinions and established 

 reputations. . . . The type of man wanted for research is 

 more attracted to a university than to a Department. . . . 



