OUR INDUSTRIAL EFFICIENCY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2992, 1 February 1917, Page 5

OUR INDUSTRIAL EFFICIENCY

DEPUTATION TO THE ACTING-PRIME MINISTER AN IMPORTANT SCHEME NEW BOARD MEETS TO-MORROW , 'An. important statement regarding [Jthe formation of an Industrial Efficiency Boardi wji3' made by the'Acting■•Prime Minister (the Hon. J. Allen). Ho a. deputation from the New Zoaland jflnstitmte last evening. Tho deputation !liad come,to ask for the creation of ,V board for the purpose of-i-esearch in relation to industry. It ( Jrra-S headed by the president of the insstitute, Professor Bonham. I Professor Benham said tho deputation wished to urge the need for the /establishment of. a hoard for the prosecution of scientific research, in relation to New Zealand industries. j For ■BOme fifty years the New .Zealand Institute had been the eolo means of 'promoting scientific. research in ; the -.'Dominion. Practically all that was t'known of tho country on tho scientific Jade had,been published- irrst in the j'tecoTds of the institute, which had mjteluded in its membership very niany Notable men.- The institute was formed ■fat various bodies throughout New Zealand, . and was a representative body hi soientific opinion. The. deputation ifelt.that-the Government ought to lookto snoh an organisation for advice and ■ Assistance in matters ■ pertaining;to re'searob. of various, kinds. . The Jmpo;rtence of the co-ordination of scientific (research with industry was widely refcognised, and the establishment of a. iboard of the kind suggested' would Jnake for the advancement of New Zealand in very important respects. •. Mr. G. M. Thomson said that the Minister of Internal Affairs had taken 'Up a very sympathetic attitude, towards scientific research, and if the ; Cabinet as a body could be induced to take ,-up a similar attitude tho ■. prospects [would bo bright.: The institute was its services at'the disposal of Jthe Government,- and was prepared to fco-operate heartily "in the promotion of 'tecientifio research. The .development '•of. the resources of. ! the', counky, the (prevention of waste, and the organisation of effort.; The suggestions of the institute were (l)'that scientific research ilshould be endowed to a much greater tertent than in. the past; (2) that reSearch in pure science should be recogmised as of equal importance with applied science; (3) that as a definite [step towards / the endowment of rejseareh adequate provision should be Pmade for tho appointment of fuliy- ■ qualified assistants to the professors of science in the'-four university colleges; (4) that a Board of Science and Industry should bo set .up, te : consist«f members of the institute, representatives of the scientific departments of ("the Government,- and business men •with, practical knowledge of New Zealand industries. ". I 'Professor Easterfield emphasised the (Importance of the study of rjiire science las the basis of applied science. The meld of -work awaiiSng attention in iNew Zealand was enormous. Dr. Cockayne said that nothing was JSnore likely to bring increased 1 prosSperity to Now Zealand than tho scionStifio etudy of plant life and the laws plant breeding: A know- ■ (ledge of those laws would enable tho to develop the plant forms best /■suited to its. needs, and would open a i limitless prospect of increased production. . :,, : . ... ..- ._'„■ . ..■-..- . ;. Mr. Allen's Reply. . i> The Hon. J. Allen, in reply, said Ithat he hadi full sympathy with, the rc'quest of the deputation, and ho believed that Bomo action, -would 1 bo taken by the Government in the near future. Ho realised that pure science ought to he encouraged, and that the conditions created by the war were making it imperative that 6cience should be brought to the aid of industry. IA few days previously, said the Minister, Cabinet had considered some proposals ho had brought down with regard to industrial efficiency. ; Though Eis colleagues had not agreed with all iis proposals, they had allowed him to take one step. They had consented to: the creation of ah Industrial Efficiency Board. : ' . V . ' : The New Board. This board had been formed, and hvoiild meet in Wellington on. the following- Friday.. . It was composed of. •four prominent, and experienced bujsipess men,' ivho had been asked to give their time, without" fee,- in the service (of the State. They had consented to j»ive the whole of their time free of coet. The members of the hoard' were men who had been successful in their own businesses, and they would take into the further proposals the Minister had placed before Cabinet. The Ministers Bitting in Cabinet had not felt ablo to say whether the proposals were sound or not, but the board would ■consider tho whole matter, and make nny amendments in the proposals that Were deemed necessary. A part of the Scheme he had submitted to Cabinet, added Mr.' Allen, was the creation of just Bnch a board as the deputation 'had suggested to him. He believed that a board composed of scientific and Business men might render very important service to New ■ Zea.land by suggesting industries that might bo established immediately after the declaration of peace, thus -assisting to solve the problem of, the'distribution of' the returned soldiers. 'Every part: of the Empire, particularly the United Kingdom, was giving attention to tho question of industrial,and scientific research in view of after-war developments, and lie had been specially impressed by the Australian proposals. Cabinet was quite prepared, he thought, to assent to tho creation of such a board as tho ooputationproposed, and ho agreed that the assistance of tho New Zealand Institute ought to be secured.: when the fechcnio took a definite form. The Minaster of Public Works had taken a Email vote for the assistance of scientific research on tho estimates of the previous year, and though the sum not considerable, it was an enrnest that tho subject had received real consideration. Tho Minister of Education, too, was fully awako to the importance of scientific study. In conclusion, Mr. Allen asked the members of the New Zealand Institute to await developments. Ho hoped thai within Ihn noxt low weeks the .Industrial Efficiency Board would have comnleted its consideration nf. his proposals,, and that he would bo able, then to re-submit them to Cabinet,.possibly in an amended form. If Cabinet then consented . he would proceed to Bet up machinery that would'meet the wishes of the institute and promote soientific. industrial research on sound lines. The Government would iioed !he assistance if the , institute when that Utno canio, and would gladly accept the offer th;it 'bad been made.

ROLL OF HONOUR

. YESTERDAY'S LIST The deaths in the Noir Zealand Forces which, wore Toported yesterday were six in number, aJid included one member of Uio Maori Contingont. l r ivo men were reported wounded, and a hospital and progress report wae issued'. Tho names of next-of-kin aro given witliin parcntbeBcs, tlio relationeMp boinf denoted by m. for mother, f. for father, sis. for Bister, b. for brothor, w. for wife. Particulars aro as. follow:— . i COURT OF INQUIRY REPORT. - The following is (ho finding of a Conrt of Inquiry:— Provioiisly Eeported Miesing. Now Killed in Action. Wellington Infantry Battalion. Jones, E. A., 10/3311 (J. A. .lonas, GisTxjine, £. Sopt. 16). Previously Benorted Kflasonablo to f^p- ,1 pose Dead. "Now Killod in Action. Wellington Infanli? Battalion. Martin, Lco.-Corpl. A. W.. 10/2233 (A. ■Martin', •Southeud-on-Sea, f. Sept. t&). Previously Keported Missing. Now Eeasonablo to Suppose Died of Wounds. Wellington. Infantry Battalion. Cress, L. J., 10/2567 (.T. Gress, Palraovstoß North, f. On or. about Sept. l^. DIED OF DISEASE. Canterbury Mounted EiSe-j. jVlardon, . W.. 7/1635 (C. Matdon, Pelmorston North, f. Jan. 26). New Zealand ' Field Artillery. Fraser, N. D., 9/407, [W. R. V. Frsser, ,' Mpsjjiel, f. Jan. 27). WOUNDED.CB.nterbury Infantry Battalion: . Wai-d, A. A., 15,052 (Mrs. A. E. .Ward, Spreydon, m. Jun. 14). Gobmbs," H., 21,659 (Mrs. B. Coombs, Sydenham, m. Jan. 20). ■Otago Infantry Battalion. i'Matheson. W., 27,5J4 (Mrs. D. Matheson',. I Invergoi-den, Scotland, m. Jan. 18). .'.. .Correction. ; Previously Eeported Woiindsd. Now Accidentally Injured. K.Z. Field Artillery. Hardaker,. G., 7/2023 (Mrs. Goleman, Christchiirch, m.). Slightly AVounded, Accidentally. Eβmaining with Unit. Canterbury Infantry Battalion. Hunter, Sergt. H. G., 6'289 (J. Hunter, Whangarei, f. Jan. Jl). MAORI CONTINGENT DIED OF DISEASE. Kuka, W., 19.30S (Ikara, Puka Puka, EarotoDga, m. Jan. 28). ' HOSPITAL AND PROGRESS REPORT . . . OANGERdUSLY ILL. Spooner, G. E., 11/1060, Riccarton. SERIOUSLY" ILL. M'Minn, Sergt. W. E., 18,593, Palmerston North, REMOVED FROM DANGEROUSLY ILL LIST. M'Loiighliu, W. J., 6/1361 a, Tasmania. REMOVED FROM SERIOUSLY ILL LIST. 'Faletan, Lce.-Corpl. S., 20,799, Ponga. ; M'Noil, J. D., 23,493, Dunedin. ; PRONOUNCED OUT OF DANGER. Clark, J. P., 13,313, PutamaW ; SEVERE CASES. ' Addis, T. H., 10/55, Wuipawa. . Andrews, A., 23/2147, Kanio. Armstrong, A., 23,778, ■ Petonc. Beale, E. L., 7/1955, flnstings. Ktzroy.C. S., 2/MB2, Havolook Nortn. Flaherty, J., 9/615, Cheviot. Freeman, I. L., 25/427, St. Albans. Greener, Sergt. A. H., 15/44, Waiiganul. King, T., 6/i287, Dunedtn. le Comto, Corpl. H. 8., 24/821, Linwood. M'Lauohlin, J., 15/23, Wellington. Ttfacey, E. J., 21,524, Birkenhendi ' ' Oldridgo, G. J., 7/1646,-Clirietchnich. Eobson, T.; 10/4181, Owhango. Scott, W. H., 10/2308, Gisborno. ■ Stemson-Merritt, J., 23'916, Whakatano. Thomson, T.-Sergt. J. 41., 15/722 a, Fcatherston. Wallis, A.-Bomb. A. V. H., 2/1685, Thames. . Wells, C. T., 10,114, Sydney. Winkler, G, T., 6/171, Chriatchiirch. NOT SEVERE. Arinitage, 2nd Lieut. E. G., 11.5GG, Linwood. . • Anderson, B. A., 23,3i!8, Ngunguru. Ball, Loe.-Corpl. C, 25,266, Waverloy. Cameron, Sergt. W. C., 12/522, England.. Coward, C.S.M. 0., 22,694, London. Gordon, C, 11,207, Waverley. Harrison, H. C, 6/2656, Blenheim. M'Leod , , N., 23/2244, Te Kopuru. M'Math, A., 26/868, Ponsonby. j Motion, -A-.M.Sergt. W. A., 8/153, St, Clair. Baxworthy, R. W., , 6/4131, Riccaikn. Eearden, E. J;, 13/943,' Iria. . . Eeid, H., 11/126, Shannon. Boss, Corpl. J. 7)'., "1T,781, Eichmond. Sexton, M. D., 23,442, Remuera. Smith, G. ,J;, 6/5«, London. ! Stunnell, F., 11/1862, Pukeraii. Valentine, W. J., 8/3421, Bluff.