SCIENCE CONGRESS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXII, Issue 15511, 11 January 1911, Page 10

SCIENCE CONGRESS.

AUSTRALASIAN ASSOCIATION. SCIENCE AND AGRICULTURE. United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. : ' SYDNEY, January 10. At the Science Congress Professor Angus, of Adelaide, in his presidential address to the agricultural section, on the subject of the relation of science ,to the further developments of Ausfcralian.agriculture, dealt with the great need, for research work to meet the special problems of the country. Particularly, he said, any farming that was applicable to light rain areas should be Investigated. They did not want a Royal Commission to report on the Various problems, but a' body of trained workers should tackle the matter on systematic lines. ■ The scientist and farmer must become co-workers. He ftrongly praised the system of experijnent farms, and suggested the establishment of central research stations. the problem of UNEMPLOY- ■' MENT. (Received January 10, 8.50 p.m.) , My E. Fowles, Brisbane, read a paper on unemployment. He reviewed the history of the legislation of different,countries to deal with the question, »pd pointed out that.as far as Australia is concerned;there is very little unemployment. On the contrary, there is a scarcity of labour in a number of trades. In referring to New Zealand, he said that the dominion’s Department of Labour had more than justified itself. The labour bureaux of Australia and New Zealand were of exceptional value in directing workless men to places where they could find work. The prosperity of the past four years had resulted in almost all applicants finding permanent work. ’ THE BIRTHRATE. Mr J. Stonham, of the Victorian Statistical Bureau, read a paper on w Statistical Sidelights on Australian Morality.” Statistics showed, he said, that Australia was sharing what practically appeared to be a world-wide tendency to restrict the birthrate. The average number - of children per married mother was between three and four, while the potential average was •stimated to range from five to seven. Without further inquiry, however, he pould not raise the cry of race suicide. After reviewing some causes usually associated with restriction, he pointed aut that the death rate ..was rapidly declining, so that the problem of the world’s food supply must, even at the present rate of natural increase, sooner qr later become acute. Could it, therefore, be said that Nature herself was providing against too rapid increase by (imitation of productiveness? PUBLIC HEALTH. Dr Norris, Commonwealth director i t quarantine, in the course of an exhaustive paper on public health ideals, laid that disease and death were the price man paid for his guidance of natural laws and preference for halftrutha instead of precise scientific truth. There was but one way out: deepar and wider knowledge of the relation of Nature to man, and studied, deliberate, unswerving application of that knowledge to human problems. He strongly urged the claims of science and hygiene. AUSTRALIAN WHEAT GROWING. (Received January 11, 12.30 a.m.) Mr Sutton, a New South Wales wheat experimentalist, in a paper appreciative of the work of the late Mr w. Ferrer, a wheat expert, said that fa.a result of Mr Farrer’s efforts, Australia could now grow strong as well gs white wheat, and need not fear the disastrous ravages of a rusty season 88 It did before Mr Farrer’s success Stad been aohieved.