SCIENCE CONGRESS PRESIDENT

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 88, 10 January 1923, Page 5

SCIENCE CONGRESS PRESIDENT

MR. KNIBBS AND HIS WORK. ■ \ Mr. G. H. Knibbs, 0.M.G., presi-dent-elect of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, who arrives to-day by tho Ulimaroa from Sydney, has lately been placed in charge of an undertaking or considerable prospective importance to Australian industry. It will be remembered that, during the latter part of tho war period, tho vital importance of science to industry began to be generally recognised in consequence largely of tho absence from tho market of the German scientifically controlled industries. At Home and. in the Dominions overseas the leading scientific men of the community were asked by the Governments to draw up schemes for the furtherance of pure and applied science. In Australia the scheme drawn up was adopted in the main and there was established the Commonwealth Institute jif Science and Industries. Th© director of the Institute is Mr. Knibbs, who after fifteen vears’ service as Commonwealth •Statistician, was appointed to his new position in 1921. It is hoped that while he is in Wellington, Mr. Knibbs will give some, account of the very important work that tho Institute has already done. In New Zealand a committee drew up a scheme that, in its principal features, was similar to the Australian scheme. It was the outcome of an immense amount of deliberation and of careful and arduous work, but has met the fate that too often befalls such work, and now rests in some pigeon-hole. The Commonwealth Institute is already investigating many problems with a practical bearing, requiring more prolonged research work than the ordinary Government Departmental expert can possibly give to them—such as the cattle tick pest, preservation of timbers, manufacture of paper pulp, tho testing of road-making materials, mining problems of several kinds, and engineering standardisation. Local scientists are hopeful that Mr. Knibbs's visit may load to a revival of interest in the New Zealand project, for a similar institute, which it is folk could undoubtedly be made of great service to the Dominion,