BILL NOT CONTESTED

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 256, 27 September 1945, Page 3

BILL NOT CONTESTED

CUSTODY OF MEASURES,

(Press Assn.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 26 The second reading of the Scientific and Industrial Research Amendment Bill was moved by the Minister in charge (Mr Sullivan) when the Jtluuse of Representatives resumed at 7.30 tonight. iur Sullivan said that the whole purpose of the Bill was to transier the custody of the standard weights and measures from the Labour Department and the Surveyor-General to the Department of Scientific and Industrial research, which would _ retain those weights and measures in the Dominion Physical Laboratory, where there was the necessary skilled staff to maintain them in the best condition.

The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Holland) said it was a simple measure and the Opposition would facilitate the passage of the Bill. The Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) welcomed the co-operation of the Opposition. He paid a tribute to the Minister and his department. The fact that the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research was responsible for the production of radar in New Zealand was an achievement of a very high order which would not have been thought possible before the war. Mention had been made in the House recently of German patents, added Mr Eraser. It was very important for this country that we should get by way of reparations every assistance we could for our industrial and economic life., That matter was being 'looked after at the moment, but we must bring our patent law up to date to enable us to get bur share of new scientific developments which would be vital to our. industry in the post-war period. Mr W. J. Poison (Nat., Stratford) asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the fact that the research in the field of atomic energy had been pioneered by a New Zealander, consideration had been given to the question of some special work in that fieid being done in New Zealand to commemorate the late Lord Rutherford. lylr Eraser said that about a dozen of our young scientists had been working on atomic research, some in Britain and some in the United States, but owing to the sectionalising of this work one group of scientists did not know what another group was doing. Mr Poison’s suggestion should be ‘looked into further to see if we could develop research —perhaps in radio-activity—-which would suitably commemorate Lord Rutherford’s work in splitting the atom. Hon. A. Hamilton (Nat., Wallace) said we were so accustomed to standards of weight and measure that we tcok little notice of them in everyday life. It was a great pity we could not get a definite and exact measure for the pound note. The man who could provide such a measure was the man we wanted.

The Bill was read a second time) went through the remaining stages, and was passed.