INTELLECTUAL LEVELLING

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25738, 25 February 1949, Page 8

INTELLECTUAL LEVELLING

COMMENT ON N.Z. BY U.S. SCIENTIST

“ ALL RIGHT IF YOU WANT IT THAT WAY”

“There is nothing wrong with having every New Zealander as good as the other, but you have tried to make the intellectual level the same. That is all right if you want it that way; but you won’t get the top men if you do.” This comment was made by Dr. Herbert E. Gregory, an American visitor to the Science Congress, in an address to the Canterbury Junior Chamber of Commerce yesterday. He is a former professor of geology at Yale and a former director of the Bishop Museum, Honolulu. “The centre of world activities is sliding over tc the Pacific and if New Zealand is going to play in the regional and international game it will have to change its methods,” said Dr. Gregory. He said that in America there was an impression that New Zealand was not part of the Pacific. New Zealand did have ties elsewhere, but there was no need to break them. All that was wanted was a re-adjust-ment.

“You have become a famous exporter of meat and wool —and brains,” Dr. Gregory added. “Intellectually your standard is high, but there is no provision for picking out and training .‘top-notch’ men. Why is it that New Zealanders who have made themselves famous overseas are not famous here? If you want it that way, all right. But your scientists are certainly not encouraged and given opportunities in New Zealand.” Dr. Gregory said that he had asked two New Zealand scientists whether they would like to go to America. Their reply had been: “When is the next boat?” He had also asked men from the United States, Scandinavia, Canada, and England attending the congress whether they would accept chairs in their respective sciences at any New Zealand university. The unanimous reply had been: “No.” “It is not a matter of salary, but. your professors have to teach most of the time, have littie time for study and research and have great difficulty in getting equipment and literature,” he added.

American scientists had little doubt about the ability of New Zealanders, but wondered to what extent they could count on the co-operation of New Zealand in the Pacific, said Dr. Gregory. The congress had been very successful in many respects, but the community had not entered into the proceedings: in fact it had appeared that the public had been excluded, added Dr. Gregory. Motor tours had been arranged for overseas delegates only and in the proceedings of the conference there were many discussions the public should have attended.