SCIENCE CONGRESS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1648, 15 January 1913, Page 7

SCIENCE CONGRESS.

CONCLUDING DAY. AGRICULTURAL PROBLEMS. By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright , Melbourne, January 14: At tbo Science Congress Mr. A. Richardson read a paper on "Wheat Improvement." Tho time was not far distant j when wheat would bo eoM on grade, like butter, frutt, and other produce The production of drought-resisting varieties was a problem of peculiar importance to Australia. Mr. Richardson added that f unproted methods of grain culturo had c placed tho wheat industry of the Com- « monwcalth in a very secure position « The Hygiene and Sanitary Science sec- t tioa decided to urge tho Governments of c the Australian States and" New Zealand 1 to hold a conference of the chief medical i veterinary officers, with a viow to Teport- t ing on uniform measures for tho control j of tuberculosis in cattlo and pigs < Several papers on general problems of 1 soil fertility in Australia were read. The ( general, opinion was that fertilisers in i Australia were seldom worked out of cul- 1 tivatcd land. Practically tho whole of « what was infused by tho crop remained ' as a permanent addition to the soil with- ] in rune inches of ,the surface. j " A STATISTICAL PAPER. , Mr. Smith, Acting-Government Statis- ] tician of New South Wales, in a paper ' on the subject of tho cost of orphans' annuities in Australasia, stated that at the ajre of 43 years nino out of every ten men in tho public service of New South i Wales, and eight out.of every ten in the public service of the Commonwealth, wore married. The,number of children Tinder 16 years of ago to every 100 males between the ages of 21 and 70 m the public ser- ( vice of Now South Wale* was 132, and in that of tho Commonwealth 127. Amongst tho general population of Now South Wales the nmber was 70, and of ■fto Commonwealth, 80 THE CONGRESS ENDS. fIOW THE MOUNT LYELL VICTIMS WERE TOUND. (Rec. January 14, 11.45 p m ) Melbourne, January 14. Thß Science Congress has ended. The president, Professor David, claimed that in tho importance of the papers read and tho \aluo of the work dono the Congress was not surpassed by any of the previous gatherings. The Congress adopted a recommendation that in view of the rapid decrease in the numbeTs'of tho Australian aborigines it was important in the interests, of science to secure further records illustrative of their beliefs- and customs. 'The strict enforcement of ' the law against the indiscriminate export of scien'tiflc' specimens was also supported, "A committee _was appointed to cousidor ■the best, means of securing the efficient teaching of English pronunciation in Australian universities, colleges, and / schools. ' Dr. Love, in a paper dealing with the North Mount Lyell mining disaster, stated that a large number of the victims lay peacefully with their heads pillowed on their arms and their bodies composed as for sleep. a Others ivefe tha aar-boxes,, with the air playing ,on, their Reacts and faces. Their eyes were bright, imd their cheeksrros y with" the Jips as cherry-red as thoso' of health/ infants. j , Dr. Pnrdy, Chief Hoalth Officer of Tas-' mania, stated that a probable result of ,the disaster would be the recommenda- , tion that the Transvaal mining regulations Bhould bo'adopted throughout Australasia. ' These regulations include the provision of oxygen knapsack arid pump, and an air-mask, and ' oxygen ■ breathing apparatus' of an approved typo for each miner. '