SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

Evening Star, Issue 16231, 28 September 1916, Page 2

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

5 - I n ACTIVITIES IN .THE 'PAST. i e SOME UNSATISFACTORY. ASPECTS. \ t 'J L- [SPECIAL TO THE ' SXAIl.'] « g CHRISTGHUCH, September 27. { In the important uiatler of encouraging ,i scientific research in the Dominion, Processor J Beriham, oi' Dunedin, presidont of the Ne.vv S Zealand Institute, has been asked by the r 'Minister of Internal Affairs to take the £ advice of tbe council of the institute as to I ,_ the hest manner in which can bo expended a ; the vote of £250 made by Parliament last <; '» year for the purpose of encouraging scien- i tific research. The Minister has also indi- ': >" cated his willingness to conveue a conference of representative scientific v men from all , n over the Dominion to discuss the question ; of the development of the natural wealth. * > s and resources of New Zealand. A represen- ' tativc of tile "Evening News' endeavored r a to ascertain what had been done at Canter- 5 bury Coilego in the 'matter of scientific < . research, with the result that it appears ( • that in the past the practical encouragement' ( i has not been so satisfactory a3 it might n have been. Dr Charles Chilton, professor of biologv, s . lniormed the reporter that the Canterbury * Philosophical institute are working at the * k) question in conjunction with the New Zea- 1 land Institute, who havo referred it to their a Cumraittec in Wellington, and that t body arc also understood to be considering 1 > the matter. .. Referring to the research 1 work aone some years ago by Miss B. D. f Cross, M.A.. of Tiiuaru (now Mrs L. K. Jennings), Professor Chilton, after referring ' , to the (ken regret ho felt at the news at ' . tier husband's (Lieutenant L. S. Jenuing*) l death m action, remarked that Miss Cross's 1 r paper on New Zealand flax had not been 1 punished in its entirety, though a resume . had appeared in the institute's ' Proceed- •' mas. Ho was of opinion that its publica- c , Uobi wou.d,.. 1:1 ail probability, have resulted m iYUss Cross's work being followed up by • others, and would have led, in all likelihood . to important results. However, the. insti- \ s tute hoped to be able to induce the authori- J ties co give wider publicity to the results of c tins and ■similar researches. ■> l)r } y :. !'• Kvans. professor of chemistry, " > was inclined to take a rather pessimistic r view of ihe matter as regards Government i _ -iclp. . At least, so it seemed to the re- i it soon became evident that Dr '- j-.van.s nad some excellent reasons for his aUiaide Dr tvans remarked, respecting tu„ results ot scientific research attained - by tnose who took up national research scholarship, -that they became the nbso-~ a lute property of the Government, and <o iar as the work done by his students n .u. concerned, nothinsr had been vet published. As tar as he knew, since Miss C-oss's 3 work .above referred to) all the National sscho.arship work done at Canterbury Collce Had been done by chemistry students, and anything published of the results attained ■>.> them had been published in distinct op. position to the Government regulations. One ot x,be great incentives to the yomio- ril „ n ), Who took up this work was. undoubtedly, the anticipation of the publication of the results L . of their hoors. They had to work on the line of research selected for two years, and , £ it, alter attaining certain results, their reports ~o mafter how hishly epoken of they might be by those qualified to sit in iudgwent on them,-were pigeonholed in some '• Government office it could not be truthfully , s ?; ld ™p they, or others who might be in- -- clmeu t© cake up similar work-, were receiv--11 Img nrncn encouragement, Dr Evans cited as an exampio of what he meant, the case f. or the _ work undertaken bv Mr Eands in connection with the brown coals of New L Zealand. Mr Rands completed the full term ot bis scholarship and duly submitted his in , P° rt " ft wa«, in turn, submitted to ProSidney Young, an English chemist of tne highest standing, who depressed the opinion that, the information it contained was hke.y to be of great economic value to .'J the Dominion, Mr Rands's report was in the Government's hands in Juno. 19H, hut X. sines then, as far as Dr Evans knows, notniua has been done in the matter of its t ) publication. Another chemistry student, Mr - lip ; 3 T iseilr ch work in connection

■'VUh the Dominion’s ironsands and also in connection with milk products, but he only worked on these subjects for a. comparative'v ottof period before leaving for Home to take ’’•P a more valuablo scholarship. In the opnnon of Dr Evans, the treatment of those research scholars is absolutely unfair. On the general aspect of ‘the subject Dr t-vans expressed some strong opinions regarding the respective capabilities of English and German students engaged in scientific research. The English student, he said, was generally superior to the German one, but I m England the man who engages in scientific i research the view of assisting industry j e ’ “ an -' en c°uragement, due to the facts that there is no link between him «ncl those interested in the development of mdusifV, and that the last-mentioned are not prepared to compensate adequately the student for tho work done by him. In Germany on the other hand, there k complete co-ordination between the men engaged in scientific research and those interested in industrial progress, and where there is one man m England_ engaged in research .work there are 20 in Germ-iny. The German* student. however, restricts himself to one par- ! ticnlar point on a given line of research I r!u though nof - 50 clever or able as the Engl j hsh student, there are more practical results ' from his work, owing to the co-ordination I referred to and the adequate remuneration ! he receives for his work. j Speaking generally. Dr Evans said that iiritisn scientists have, according to their i numbers, undoubtedly contributed more than an honorable share, but the people as a whole, being ignorant of science, .have mktnisied and looked askance at those “who alone could enlarge the scope of their induatriea and increase the efficiency of thenlabors. ’ And so we had, in the past, an appalling and_ needless waste of the national resources. There axe now welcome signs i that the country is awakening to a sense'of ! its past deficiencies, but, though Government aid is needed, it will do nothing until the mental outlook and attitude of the whole people towards _ science is changed. The crisis through which so many countries are now passing may perhaps bring home to ns how we. as. a nation, have hitherto failed to recognise the indicate denendenco of our national prosperity on a knowledge and appreciation of the facts and principles of science and their application to industry. If it does, then we shall have one more reason still for thinking that our sacrifice has not been made in vain.