SCIENCE IN NEW ZEALAND

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24988, 24 September 1946, Page 6

SCIENCE IN NEW ZEALAND

SALARIES HELD > INADEQUATE “POOR LIVING FOR MOST PERSONS” (P.A.) . WELLINGTON, Sept. 23. New Zealand would never experience full benefits from science until research work was recognised as a national investment and the: cheapest safeguard against expensive > mistakes, said Professor L. R. Richardson, in his presidential address to the New Zealand Association Qf Scientific Workers to-day. Until such time, he said, science in the Dominion would continue, as in the past, largely by borrowing research results from elsewhere. and improving them to fit our own needs.

Science in New Zealand still provided a poor living for most persons. Statistics obtained through the distribution of salary questionaries by the association this year showed that over a 15 year period a scientist would have averaged an income of £5OO per annum. Taking into account his period of training, a scientist’s average income dropped below £4OO, a return which compared favourably only with incomes from unskilled occupations. The employment position was, as a whole, an unhappy one, said Professor Richardson. It was coloured throughout by utilitarian expediency, and showed little evidence of a comprehensive policy aiming at a complete science service in the community. Satisfactory conditions for the employment of scientists were fundamental to the development of science. An initial simple analysis of returns on the basis of salary earned indicated hat more than 85 per cent, of scientists in New Zealand were earning less than £B5O yearly. Actually more than half earned less than £650 yearly. . The influence of the war years was seen in the change in the loading in the lower salary categories from the £251-£350 bracket to the £351-£450 bracket. There were now twice as many scientists in the latter bracket as in the former. There had teen at least this improvement. There vas encouragement for initial entry .nto scientific employment in New Zealand but lack of a significant change fox* the higher groups pointed to early congestion and consequent dissatisfaction, which would more than offset the slight gain made. It must be kept in mind that this rise in starting salary was largely the result of the n mpower shortage, and could be as ~apidly lost as gained in the fluctuations of the open market and the ''absence of such controls as a professional award rate. Women Scientists It was the policy in New Zealand to grade women on a separate scale from men, said Professor Richardson. “New Zealanders take pride in the social advances made in this country,” he continued, “but in these returns there is evidence of continuing the fallacious tradition of the inferiority of the female. It is remarkable that this tradition has not disappeared in the employment of women scientists.” These women had competed equally with men in university studies. Many had gained scholarships in open competition with men, but in spite of these practical demonstrations of equal ability and equal intellectual attainment, the old tradition persisted. The policy of the association had to be “pay for work.” A policy of viewing women scientists as a cheap form of labour was not to be tolerated.

As far as could be ascertained from the questionaires about 200 scientists were employed in private industry. If this figure was correct it was obvious that industry in New Zealand was far from adequately availing itself of science and scientists in maintaining and developing production. If this was the case, New Zealand industry was at a grave disadvantage compared with other countries, where the employment of scientists for the maintenance of standards and efficiency, the development of new processes and production was a firmly established policy. *