PROMOTION OF INDUSTRY

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 27, 31 January 1917, Page 6

PROMOTION OF INDUSTRY

iThe -matter which figured most prominently at the annual meeting of the Board- of of -the New Zealand Instit-nte "yesterday was one of the possible concern for the -statesmen and "the man ia the street" no less than for the man of science. There is only one way in- which thel terrible 'wa6fce arising from the concentration of so-much of the'-energy of the -world during the last .two .years and a-half upon the work of destruction can'be repaired, and that is by a greatly increased" production. Andi<tho mosb-obviousi'way in which the pace, of production can be accelerated, is by bringing the resources ■of science more systematically to bear upon the •promotion iof industry. Tire British, peopie-have -been accustomed to pride themselves upon their practical ■character, .and upon the-success ■which ■'has attended;' their rule of thumb methods. But if there- -is • one ■ tesson winch-.the i war (has - brought- iiome^tovthe ■ least imaginaffve- of--our practical meneib,*ids that the supposed contrast between,.! '•• the -and- ifoe-.-scientific Is,sin ■■■&«• (•main-.a'fallacy,.-and".that..if Britain had': '.'not- called science to her aid in the* greatest -practical task -with which, she-;avas..ever'confronted,.-shemust have-,gone ■• Kundetf months ago. By. analogy even- tho> *mosfc unscientific -of us can. see-that in-, the economic reconstruction -which will ;:'be*one--of the supreme labours of peace,* '■the British Empire will need' all'the'help that science can-supply if we-are to repair our losses and hold'our-own. Never'l had science a better chance-of getting•a fair hearing -from the mostunatter-of--.fact and complacent of peoples.

"We have spoken, of the scientific shortcomings of tne British people, but, though in this young, country it > should be easier to keep the mind open.*to newideas., New Zealand is for the most part a chip of the old block in this respect. "Jfew Zealand,"' said Professor■Benhain. yesterday in. his presidential address to. the Board of Governors of the Institute, "has made -very littlo progress in the cooperation o£ science-and industry." IK may, however, be inferred from his address that we are on the way to better things. The Institute has taken np-the promotion of scientific research in a serious spirit, and it ia good to hear that -tliiytermatir l n-oJ-pnmmit( r< .qfa,-_4hsniUX--

pose in the four centres has aroused, at any rate in Dunedin, "a certain amount of enthusiasm." In Auckland also the outlook is favourable, if we may judge from tne v v.ery interesting review of theposition which was submitted by the> Auckland- Committee yesterday. "Much of the research required in the DominionV' says this report, "can be best carried out in connection with the University Colleges, but it will be obvious that the present staffs are unable to deal with the volume of work." it is suggested that demonstrators should be appointed in the scientific laboratories, whose duties will include research work, teaching, and popular 1 lectures. The combination of teaching and research :-has, as the Auckland Committee points ■out, been found most fruitful in the Universities of Great Britain, the United States, and Germany. It seems to-be the opinion of our men of science, as represented by the New Zealand Institute, that agriculture should be given a 'prominent place in any scheme of scientific research. The practical man will certainly concur with the man of science on this point As a producing country and one which has its own special problems to face, New Zealand must work out these problems hefrself, or they will be to a large extent neglected. But the exact nature of the endowment to be provided of course admits of wide differences of opinion. It was stated by Professor Benham yesterday that if the Cawthron trustees are guided by the scientific men whose advice they invoked, an institute will be established m which certain agriculture problems will be investigated under a highly-trained scientific staff. This is good news, which should stimulate other testators and the State to follow the good example. The Auckland committee urges the establishment of a Government laboratory in each of the foui- centres, and the endowments of Chairs of Agriculture, with associated experimental stations in connection with at least one University College in each island. Professor Benham himself was emphatic on the need for a Central Research Institute, in wM'ch business knowledge should be combined with scientific knowledge, so as to give the necessary turn to the investigations of the experts. The New Zealand Institute is doing an invaluable work in forwarding and guiding a reform of the first magnitude, .and has already made good the claim for something better than the modest £250 ivhich the Minister of Internal Affairs was able to gee on to last year's Estimates for this purpose,.