BUREAU OF SOCIAL SCIENCE

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 147, 18 March 1937, Page 10

BUREAU OF SOCIAL SCIENCE

Government Approves Plan INVESTIGATING WELFARE PROBLEMS By Telegraph—-Press Association. Christchurch, March 17. The Minister of Industries and Commerce. Hon. D. G. Sullivan, has received Government approval for Ills plan to establish a bureau of social science. The bureau is to assist the Government in basing its decisions of a social character on scientifically established fact. It has been decided that the bureau will not function as a separate research unit but as a committee of the existing Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, and its work will be associated with the work of the council in investigating problems concerning the social welfare of the people of New Zealand.

The Aliuister indicated that it was intended to have members on the bureau representing all social research activities now going on in the country, as well as all those classes of the community affected by the investigations.

Appointments made to dale include the following: Dr. Elizabeth Gunn, Dr. C. E. Beeby, Air. E. 11. Langford, Dr. E. Marsden. Air. G. 11. Ormond Wilson, ALP., Mr. D. AVilson. Dr. Gunn is well known for her work as aeting-Director of the Division of School Hygiene. Dr. Beeby was formerly lecturer in psychology at Canterbury University College, and was acting-professor of education for some time. While at Canterbury College he became noted for his work in the industrial application of psychology. In recent years he has been director for the New Zealand Council of Educational Research established by the Carnegie Corporation. Air. Langford is attached to the secretarial staff of the Aliuister of Industries and Commerce, and is an economist closely interested in social science. Dr. Marsden is secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Mr. Ormond AVilson is one of the co-opted members working with the .Minister of Finance. Mr. AVilson is national secretary of the New Zealand Labour Party.

The Alinister said to-day that additional appointments would ensure adequate representation for the universities, where much valuable work on social research was carried out year by year, and there would probably be one or two trades union representatives.