The Hawera Star. SATURDAY, JANUARY 15, 1927. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 15 January 1927, Page 4

The Hawera Star.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 15, 1927. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.

Delivered every evening by 5 o’clock in Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa Eltham, Mangatoki. Kaponga, Alt-m Hurleyville, Patea, Waverley. Mokoia. YVha.kamara, Oliangai, Mere-mere, Fraser Road and Ararata.

Tito most encouraging evidence to date of the Empire’s determination to expand within itself and to develop latent resources is provided by the adoption of. the Research Sub-Committee’s report to the Imperial Conference. Heretofore we have heard a good deal of the potential resources of the Empire, and we have all, at some time or other, been made to realise, in a general way, that llie countries within the Empire were capable of increased production. On occasion we have ben shown by men of large vision how the Empire’s economic position could be Improved by the elimination of waste and by the tapping of sources of wealth till now unsuspected, but the average man realised that it would be necessary to make visionaries of governments before any of the schemes could be put into operation—the schemes were too big for individuals, no matter how enthusiastic they might be. Our knowledge of governments did not give us grounds to view the prospects of future developments on sweeping lines with any degree of optimism, and to some it appeared that the developments would come only when the representatives of big capital had need to look around them for fresh fields to conquer. But in our pessimism we have done British enterprise an injustice, for the report of the Research Sub-Committee to the Conference has demonstrated that British scientists and business men can, and do, think and plan on a large scale. The report has ben called an epoch-making document, and ir is certainly that for it turns a new page in the romance of Empire-building. It opens a new vi-r.a of conquest, but of peaceful conquest. It does not offer new lands for subjection, but it does offer scope for a more complete mastery of the potentialities of the countries already within the British Commonwealth of Nations. In introducing the report to the Conference, Lord Balfour said: “The Empire includes States and territories of the most varied economic, capacity, possess ing every gradation of climate and soil, every species of mineral wealth, suoject in parts to special diseases with which only science can hope to deal; enjoying in parts unique natural advantages which only science can fully develop. It. posseses distinguished investigators in every branch of research.

It has therefore everything to gain from full scientific co-operation, yet we can hardly flatter ourselves that we practise this, either within Great Britain or throughout the Empire.” This reference to the ability of our own investigators and to the Empire’s tardiness in recognising the part they can play in future development is in itself one of the most encouraging indications that our scientists have had that the Empire is ready to avail itself of the benefits they can undoubtedly confer upon it. The first fruits of the scheme, so far as New Zealand is concerned, are represented by the adoption of a proposal whereby scientists will be given a free hand to investigate ways and means of eliminating noxious weeds without, having to worry about the financial aspect of the work. The Empire Marketing Board has offered the sum of £2OOO a year for five years on condition that the New Zealand Government grants £3OOO a year for the same period and the Cawthron Institute a similar amount. There is thus provided a guaranteed income of £4OOO a year for five years for research into ways and moans of eradicating blackberry, gor.se, convolvulus and other noxious growth that, is occupying the surface of good land to the exclusion of pasture and crops. Dr. R. J. Tillvard, biologist of the Cawthron Institute (who represented New Zealand on the Research SubCommittee) has just returned from abroad where he spent some time in entomological research with the object of learning more of the possibilities of controlling noxious weeds in New Zealand through the agency of insects. The expenditure of £20,000 will be more than justified if it can be .shown at the end of five years that the research department has made definite progress in the campaign against only one of thd chief weeds, and if, as a result of the department’s work, land which is at present given over to blackberry is brought into a state of productivity even ten or twenty years hence the expenditure will be justified a thousandfold. The primary producers will have to be patient and the scientists will have to exercise care, for this young country already has many introduced pests and we must not repeat the mistake of those who brought in' weasels and stoats to keep down rabbits, but the scientists will not be blind to the dangers with the results of the mistakes in acclimitisation and pest-eradication of the past to guide them.