An adventure in applied science - IRRI books - International Rice ...

100 History of the International Rice Research Institutegovernmental and private organizations where they have attained higherlevels of rank and salary than would have been possible had they remained atIRRI. Today, I feel that in general, the research assistants at the Institute arehappy in their work and are gratified to be a key part of an international centerthat has developed a worldwide reputation for its achievements.Although IRRI’s senior staff had generally high morale and were enthusiasticabout their work, there naturally were certain dissatisfactions. A coterieof senior scientists usually met for a midmorning coffee break, which gavethem a chance to air their views (some of which no doubt would have tippedaskew any halos the administrators might have been foolish enough to fashionfor themselves on the basis of fair judgment and sound policies!). I stayed awayfrom these gatherings, partly because I wasn’t much of a coffee drinker andalso because I felt the discussions should not be inhibited by the presence of thedirector.While on the subject of complaints, one incident is amusing enough to berecalled. On an evening in 1966, Jennings, Tanaka, and Jackson (all fortified bya few drinks) had a talk session at Tanaka’s house that went on until midnight.Jennings, one of IRRI’s finest scientists, and Tanaka, who was doing anexceptional job as plant physiologist, mutually admired each other’s abilityand philosophy. Jackson, an excellent editor and science writer, was not reallycontent at IRRI and tended to side with those who were feeling somewhatnegative at the time. As the three men became more worked up in theirdiscussions, they decided, shortly after midnight, to awaken the director, lethim know what was bothering them, and see what could be done about it.At their far-from-silent approach, I got out of bed and climbed into mytrousers to go down to see what was the matter. Before I could finish dressing,however, Mrs. Tanaka arrived on the scene and marched her husband home— his two confederates trailing behind. Somewhat later, at a cocktail receptionat the director’s house, I learned from Tanaka the principal cause for theaborted visit. It seemed that Tanaka felt discriminated against because theAmericans were hired by the Rockefeller Foundation with different perquisitesfrom those of IRRI-hired non-Americans. I explained that it wasRockefeller Foundation policy not to hire non-Americans on a permanentbasis and nothing could be done about that, but that IRRI gradually wouldmove to a policy of direct hire for its entire staff, Americans as well as non-Americans, with the same benefits for all. Tanaka seemed satisfied with thestatement and did not bring up the subject with me again — except when hehad a martini or two under his belt. Jennings, Tanaka, and Jackson, it must beadded, were by no means habitual or heavy drinkers. Like most of the rest ofus, they simply tended to be less inhibited after they had had a couple of drinks.In fact, I rather welcomed such spontaneous revelations from the staff as ameans of discovering what was bothering them, so that if possible, thesituation could be improved.The event that marked the only real trouble that IRRI had with its employeesduring the tenure of its first director was a one-day strike that occurred on 5March 1970. It involved the Filipino employees, from research assistant level