LABORATORIES IN DOMINION

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22005, 1 February 1937, Page 6

LABORATORIES IN DOMINION

CENTRALISATION ADVISED ADVANTAGES OUTLINED BY MELBOURNE SCIENTIST [THE PRESS Special Service.! WESTPORT, January 30. Interesting comment on the organisation of scientific laboratory work in New Zealand was made in an interview to-day by Mr H. F. Holden, research chemist, of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Melbourne. After having attended the recent Science Congress at Auckland, Mr Holden is now touring New Zealand, and is studying the work of the various laboratories in the chief centres of the Dominion. "The extent to which decentralisation of laboratory research" work has been brought about in a country, of this size is very marked," said Mr Holden. "and there is no doubt that, generally speaking, better work could be done, and improved facilities would be made available if some of the eeparate laboratories in each centre were centralised in one institution. I also believe that there are distinct advantages in associating scientific research as far as possible, with the universities. Not only does this again tend to the desirable end of greater centralisation, but it gives students the valuable advantage of being in actual touch with advanced research workers, and provides a stimulus to those students who have special aptitude for this department of ssience. Saying that in at least one centre he had visited there were no fewer than four separate laboratories not associated with the university college there Mr Holden declared that this involved separate equipment and staffs for each laboratory, which meant a greater total expense than if some of these laboratories were combined. The absence of adequate scientific library facilities—a very necessary .adjunct to research work—was also mentioned by Mr Holden. He said tins difficulty could be overcome in New Zealand if the system used in Australia were adopted. There each of the research institutions subscribed to a quota of scientific publications which were available to the whole of the Commonwealth. Part of the scheme involved the publication of a irecuently revised catalogue, which contained the titles and the whereabouts of every scientific work, so that any wanted book or journal could be borrowed by post. The cost to individual associations was not high and by co-operating in the manner described they could provide a much more comprehensive scientific library than would be possible for any single mstiThe' entire work, of the EHza Hall Institute is devoted to the advancement of medical science, and Mr Hoiden's special study is the proteins in the blood stream, especially their supposed association with immunity from disease. ___________«_