THE CAWTHRON INSTITUTE

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 March 1920, Page 3

THE CAWTHRON INSTITUTE

IMPORTANT PROGREbb. STAFF APPOINTMENTS. A WISE SELECTION. Tli3 Rt. Rev Dr. Sadlier, Anglican Bishop of Nelson, is at present on a visit to Greymouth, and a “Star” reporter took tire opportunity of gleaning from His Lordship the progress that has been made in puttmg the Cawthorn Institute. Nelson, into working order APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTOR. The war is over, said Dr. Sadlier, and it has been decided to get the Institute fully equipped and staffed. The most important matter is the. appointment of a Director. In carrying out the research work which will be the main purpose of the Institute there will be two great departments —the chemical and the biological. PROFESSOR EASTERFIELD. Professor Easterfield, Professor of Chemistry, Victoria College, has ■been appointed Director of the Institute, and I am convinced, said Dr. Sadlier that we have been very fortunate in securing the services of such an able man. Before the appointment was decided upon a thorough investigation was made, and while I wag in England during the war I interviewed a good many men and visited Manchester, Newcastle, Cambridge, and Surrey for the purpose of consulting scientists regarding the appointment of the Director, and discussed the quail- ' fications of the men available. Fin- : ally we came to the conclusion that Are could not get a better man man 1 Professor Easterfield, the character 1 of whose work is known all over the t world. He has been in New Zealand < 20 years, and during the Avar did im- c portant investigations' in regard to j industrial questions. For instance, ( he carried out important researches c in connection the flax industry, c It has always been recognised that t the considerable quantity of -waste products might be put to a mercan- e tile use. Professor Easterfield made f important discoveries, and found* a i method of extracting alcohol from ] the waste products of flax. This t

will he of considerable commercial importance to New Zealand. Professor Easter field is an M.A., Clare College, Cambridge. Pit. D. Wurzburg and F.I.C. London. Ho also holds many honours from other Societies 1 and institutions. He is also President elect of the New Zealand Institute. The Institute will he careful that in its research work nothingwill he introduced into the 'Dominion that may prove harmful. THE CHEMICAL DEPARTMENT. While Professor Easterfield will ho Director of the Institute, hewrill also take special charge of the Chemical Department. At present there are two men engaged in chemical research work, Professor Easterfield and Mr. Rigg M.Sc. (N.Z.) with, first class honoursin chemistry, who went to England, and entered Cambridge, under Professor Wood. He carried out important research work his special sphere being “The Market Gardens of Bedfordshire and their soil character.” As the result of his work the University of Cambridge gave him the B.A. of Research on two year’s work, Mr. Rigg belongs to a Quaker familjp and during the war period he was appointed Director of Agrictnlture in Northern France for the Government. He was then sent to Russia wherfc he did Red Cross work. When the Bolshevist rising took place he left Russia and returned to London last February. • Professor Easterfield will deal with pure chemistry while Mr. Rigg will go in for soil research. The latter is at present 'investigating the Waimea and. Mooter© Orchard field. His work with the Institute commenced on January Ist. BIOLOGICAL SECTION. In the Biological Department the various lines of research will demand the appointment of various experts. There will bo investigations ih the following spheres: —Entomology,

Iff moulds, bacteriology, and diseases oi u the plant itself. The head of the (Biological department will be Professor Tillyard. DR. TILLYARD. Dr. Tillyard is a graduate of Queen’s College, Cambridge, where he « did the Mathematical Tripos. He then took up entomology and is now regarded as the leading entomologist in the Bri- > tish Empire. His work on Dragon Flies is considered the most complete . on this subject. , Dr. Tillyard is also D.So. Sydney, , So. D. Cambridge, F.L.S., F.E.S., and holds a number of other diplo. mas. Dr. Tillyard is at present the Linnean Fellow of Sydney University and has been engaged by the New Zealand Government to investigate the Trout Fisheries. Dr. Shipley, the great biologist, Tice Chancellor of Cambridge and Master of Christ College, spoke very . highly of Dr. Tillyard’s abilities, and strongly recommended his appointment. Dr. Shipley advised us to secure Dr. Tillyard’s services, as men such as he were in great demand and he would soon be snapped up. During hig stay in New Zealand he has delivered lectures on various (subjects in his own special sphere. In Nelson he delivered a wonderful lecture recently on “The Biological control of Blights.” I consider that the Institute was specially fortunate in securing his services. AN IMPORTANT APPOINTMENT, Last Tuesday, said Dr. -Sadlier, Professor Easterfield and I waited on Mr. Massey and placed before him the fact that Australia and New Zealand were asked to send scientists to represent them at the Economic and Scientific Congress at London 'in May. The Cawthorn Institute placed : the services of Dr, Tillyard at the 1 disposal of the Government. The 1 offer was immediately accepted, the ( conditions being that the Institute 1 pays Dr. Tillyard’s salary and the 1 Government pays his expenses. The 1 conference will be a most important ! one for all the entomological work in the Empire will be co-ordinated. After the conclusion of the conference Dr. Tillyard will visit the great fruit growing areas in California, and inquire into the latest scientific methods adopted. 'He will then attend the Pacific Science Congress at Hone-

lulu in August. Ho avIU prepare a report for the Government and will bring back the finest and best information available for New Zealand. Dr. Tillyard will take up his residence in Nelson in November. LITIGATION. j The Trustees of the Cawthron Institute have recently been engaged in litigation on an appeal from the decision of the Commissoner of Taxes and Mr. Justice Chapman delivered . an elaborate judgment outlining- the powers of the Trustees in the will ot the late Mr. Cawthron. One result | of the judgment is that the intention ( of the Trustees to give scholarships outside of the Institute has been j blocked. This means that all admit- j ted must possess the degree of B.Se. They will be admitted for two years j as Cawthron Scholars at £l5O per: year. Should their progress merit it they will be given an additional two years as Cawthron Fellows at £250 per annum. The work done will be wholly research work. J It will be necessary to appoint as- ( sistants to Dr. Tillyard when he ar- < rives in New Zealand in November, 1 and we already have the men in view c It will not pay to have an expert and 1 waste his time doing simpler work. It ( will be necessary to establish an in- i seetarium, t ANOTHER. EXPERT. J The last appointment in the meantime is that of micologist. Micology is the science that deals with moulds. Miss Kathleen Curtis, M.A., (N.Z.) with first class honours in Botany has received this appoint- - ment. She has worked for some years at the Imperial College of Science, London. She , has just concluded an important in- 1 vestlgation on blights and moulds.

'S She is the first scientist who has 3 been able to describe the life history - of the disease “Wart” in potatoes. She received the degree of M.So. from the University of London and for her thesis on “Blight in Potatoes” she received the degree of * D.Sc. 3 THE CURATOR. ' 3 The Curator of the Institute will j be Mr. W. C. Davies, lately head mas - ter at the Grey town School. He i is not a University man, but it is j agreed by scientists in New Zealand who are familiar with his work that ( he is the best all-round man obtainable. He was for some time instruct- . tor in tlie Agricultural Department. , He is a bacteriologist of no mean ■ order. He is also very good at preparing and photographing specimens, , an’ important qualification. TEMPORARY BUILDING. The Cawthron Institute is anxious to get to work at once, and it is impossible to wait for the construction of buildings at ‘Anneshrook.” It is realised that the sooner work is commenced the better for blights are increasing in the Dominion and tlie “fire blight” in Auckland has caused great uneasiness. The Trustees have i therefore purchased the commodious .residence of the late Mr.. John - Sharp in Nelson. This cost £3OOO, and it will cost £ISOO more to fit it up for the purposes of the Institute. It will contain the library and laboratories and there work will be carried on in the meantime. Professor Easterfield and Messrs Rigg and Davis are already at work Dr. Curtis will start at the end of March and Dr. Tillyard in November. DEATH DUTIES. If the Trustees had not been compelled to pay £40,039 in death duties it would have been possible to appoint a bacteriologist. Two more experts are still required—a first class bacteriologist and a pure plant pathologist. Dr. Curtis will work at plant ‘ pathology in the meantime, hut it will be necessary to give bier in assistant.