SPECIAL INTERVIEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10416, 14 April 1897, Page 3

SPECIAL INTERVIEWS.

RECENT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.

A TALK WITH PROFESSOR THOMAS. Ik these days, when men are becoming eo accustomed to periodical announcements of marvellous discoveries that they are in real danger of losing their capacity for wonder, many changes occur in the realm of science during a period of fourteen years. Of course, even in New Zealand, which may be regarded as on the outskirts of the scientific world, ordinary people become acquainted with the more ssriking reeults of the researches of specialists working at the great centres of learning, and those whose business it is to follow tbese matters more closely may keep pretty well up to date with the help of the first-class text books available; but nothing can really compensate for a periodical visit to the centree referred to, and for personal intercourse with men known only through their printed works. Considerations luch as these led Professor Thomas, of the Auckland University College, to pay » necessarily hurried visit to England, after an absence of fourteen years. He returned early in rase week, and a Herald reporter waited upon him in the hope of obtaining some particulars of general interest regarding bis observations, Needless to say the reporter was courteously received by the Professor, who expressed his willingneßß to give any information in hie power, ", Your trip home was nob altogether for holiday purposes, I understand," remarked the Hekald representative. " I endeavoured to make the most of the time at my disposal—which proved all too short—in picking up all I could with regard to the latest scientific ideas and in noting the progress made since I came out to New Zealand fourteen years ago," replied the Professor.

"I suppose you noticed a great advance ?"

"Oh yes; there has been a great advance in scientific matters, especially from an educational point of view, due in some measure to the increased interest in tuelinical education. There has been a remarkable improvement, too, in scientific teaching at the Universities—in the number of subjects taken for instance na well as in the methods of instruction. One very significant feature in that at Cambridge the largest tripos (I he honours examinations for the degree) is now the scientific tripos, science having displaced classics and mathematics for this position." "Of course you visited the Universities?"

" Yes; I wenb to Oxford and Cambridge, and saw what there was to be seen in London, though the time of the year was not favourable, as I was in England during vacation. One thing I was specially interested in was the work of the School of Mines at the Royal College ot Science at South Kensington, of which Profesaor Judd is in charge. 'J'lio curriculum was rather astonishing, and Auckland people would be surprised to sue tho kind of work a mining engineer is expected to do thero. To a large extenb it is on the lines of tho work Auckland students for honours are required to do." Professor Thomas was then asked whether the la»t year or two were generally regarded by scientific men as fruitful or barren years from their point of view. "Well," he replied, "the thing which strikes the public most is the Rontgen rays. That discovery is nob exactly in my line, but it will certainly have biological developments when it is brought to a greater state of perfection. Though used at present mainly for medical purposes, the possibilities of the discovery are by no means exhausted."

" Coming to your own special line, Professor Thomas, I understand the Indian plaguo was the subject of special investigations ?"

" Yes! Here is a creditable thing. Here is a plague seriously affecting the prosperity of our Indian Empire, and Germany sends out four scientists to study the disease, and Franco and Austria are also represented; buc nobody comes from England. Scientific investigation is left in the hands of foreigners, though it concerns us infinitely moro. This shows that England is etill behind in the scientific investigation of diseases. I know it is said the plague bacillus has bean discovered, but I have not the means of forming an opinion on the question. 1 urn afraid I can toll you nothing new about that." "Have you noticed that tho commercial value of scientific discoveries is being increasingly demonstrated ?" "Of course, the application of biology has been mainly confined to agriculture and fisheries. By such means, the Americans have greatly increased the value of their fisheries, and something in this direction is now being demo in England." Professor Thomas proceeded to point, out, in a most interesting manner, the importance of biology in the tnanutacturo of cheeso and tobacco, and also referred to tho fact that in Germany, cultivations of bacteria were being sold as nil article of commerce, to supply the wants of various leguminous crops." Thie suggested the question of German commercial competition, and in answer to a question, Professor Thomas said that in f.pito of all attempts to " pooh-pooh" (Jerinun rivalry, it was a factor that would have to be taken into account). If an article both dieap and good was required, German manufacturers generally supplied it. He noticed this spocinlly in the caso of microscopes. This was the result of widespread scientific training. Mowa-days almost every foreman of an important German workshop—the scientific director of the practical department -was the holder of a University degree. One's patriotism might incline ono to choose un English instrument, but t!ie German make was too often far better and cheaper. The Professor wenton toremark that the Auckland College was similar to the colleges of the English manufacturing towns, but in the colony the colleges were not taken advantage of so much for technical purposes. The majority of our technical students did not pursue their studies so far. Professor Thomas greatly admirod the splendid collections of skoletons in some of the American museums. He spent a few days in the Rocky Mountains, and secured specimens of the rarer and more valuable mineral tollurides, which would be valuable for purposes of comparison with New Zealand ores. While in England he ordered some appliances, including an optical lantern of the newest description, which lie hoped to use for popular lectures. Hβ regards his trip as being on the whole a most enjoyable and helpful one.