RESEARCH WORK

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 87, 9 October 1935, Page 12

RESEARCH WORK

DOMINION ACTIVITIES

LINKS WITH OVERSEAS

DEPARTMENT'S REPORT-

The Ministerial statement contributed by the Prime Minister as a foreword to the annual report of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, which has been tabled in the House, contains a very comprehensive review' of the position of research work "in the Dominion, and stresses the need for consideration with research activities overseas.

"During my visit to attend the Imperial Conference in 1930, and again during my recent visit," says ' Mr. Forbes, "I felt it my duty to take advantage of every opportunity to investigate at first hand various research activities and organisations in Great Britain, not only because of their relation to allied research activities in New Zealand, so that such money as we have available may be spent wisely with a minimum of overlapping, but also because a general picture of developments in both primary and secondary industries which are likely to influence our own industrial progress in New Zealand can best be obtained by personal visits to British research institutions and to new industrial organisations, and by talking to the experts and leaders in the actual atmosphere of these experimental undertakings. AMAZING DEVELOPMENTS. "Although my investigations in. Great Britain in this direction were of necessity limited, I have been more than ordinarily impressed with what I have seen and heard, in its relation to our own future in New Zealand, and it appears desirable that in this.connection I should in this, review of the activities of the Department include a consideration of the relation of some of the researches in Britain to our own activities and needs. There have been amazing developments, for example, in food storage and transport, which are of. vital interest to our own industries; similarly' in regard to fuel, textiles, etc. In many directions there is an immense fund of new information in Great Britain of use to us, and at present there is perhaps too little general realisation in. New Zealand of what is being done and how the results of this work in all aspects of industry and social well-being may be translated and put into practical use for our benefit. "It has been brought home to me that, in order to reap the benefit of all the research and development work being done for us in Great Britain, we must provide our own technical and research machinery for the application of these results in New Zealand. It will, of course, be appreciated that the fundamental researches on which industrial developments are ultimately based are international in character and origin, and that we in New Zealand have to take account of progress in all countries; yet, in so far as we are bound to Great Britain by our marketing interests, there is special need for continued co-operation and linkmg-up with the research activities «r the Mother Country, particularly on common problems. There are however, owing to special local conditions many directions in which we in New Zealand need to take a lead on our own behalf. Moreover, a full understanding of research results abroad necessitates that we should give our own men the required amount1 of train-: ing so as to appreciate the fundamental principles involved, in order that the application of research results' to the special circumstances in New Zealand may be exploited with more certainty." ' .... ' ■. • ■ ■ . -.. TWO MAIN CATEGORIES. "The work of the Research Department," he points out, "falls into t#o main categories. First, those activities concerned with the provision of the scientific services on behalf of the other Departments or those proper to Government on behalf of the community; and, second, the research work which comes under the direction of the Research Council. The cooperation with industry in researches aimed at a long-range provision for the future progress and efficiency of those industries.

"The Department of Scientific and Industrial' Research itself is not charged with the administration of any governmental regulations, but rather with the provision of information which may be of assistance in framing regulations of a technical character or for the proper administration of such regulations. The extent of the work in the former category is not generally realised." - ' ' .

The report deals at length with research work under specific headings and shows that during the year, under review the expenditure of the Department totalled £81,229. "Financial difficulties," remarks the report, "Were experienced as acutely as ever during the year.and were accentuated by. the decision reached by' the Imperial Economic Committee to maintain certain of the research organisations established by the Empire Marketing Board by means of definite apportionment of the costs between the United ' Kingdom, Crown colonies, and Dominions concerned. This decision increased the actual expenditure of the Department during the year by some £3600, assistance being given towards the Cambridge Low Temperature Research Station, Farnham House, Dried Products Research Station. Slough, and the Wool Research Institute, Torridon. A grant of £5000 was received from the. Unemployment Board towards the cost of geophysical surveys carried out in the gold-mining areas of both islands.

'.'There has been a steady increase in the amount of miscellaneous work which the Department has been called "upon to undertake during the year. Despite restrictions of staff and facilities all of these demands have been met as fully as possible, and the Department has been glad to be in a position to have rendered what is hoped to be very real assistance to a number of industries during a period of difficulty and economic stress."