THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18713, 20 May 1924, Page 6

THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE.

The proposal to amend the constitution of the Imperial Institute has interest" for all the overseas territories of the Empire. Founded on the initiative of King Edward VII. when Prince of Wales, "as a permanent memorial of the Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887, the Institute was from the first a thoroughly Imperial venture. It was from contributions made by all parts of the Empire that the Institute's building at South Kensington was erected and a capital sum provided for an endowment. L Subsequent contributions from public bodies in the I United Kingdom, including the commissioners of the 1851 Exhibition and certain metropolitan companies, enabled an investigation departI ment, with research laboratories, to be established. But the Institute's aim to become a clearing house for investigation and information on the natural resources of the Empire and a promoter of Imperial commerce and industry was not realised until, in 1900, the British Government accepted, a controlling responsibility. In 1902 the Board of Trade was given by legislation the chjef share in management, and in 1916 this passed to the Secretary of State for the Colonies. The legislatures of the Dominions have /been represented, since 1902, on the Institute's council, our High Commissioner acting for New Zealand. Under the constitution -now proposed that representation ; will continue. To- j gether with Samoa, this Dominion has a permanent exhibit in the Institute's public galleries, the attendances at which have recently totalled 100,000 a year. A number of questions- concerning New Zealand products have been the subject of investigation. As a result, a memorandum on- the utilisation; of waste wood has been furnished, and our Forestry Department has been assisted with reports on kauri and beech and on the methods of preserving structural timber from attacks of \ boring insects. ,'■ Clays from the Auckland region have been examined with a view to their employment ; in the manufacture ; : of aluminium, porcelain, pottery and tiles. Other tests of minerals have been the ; subject of valuable reports. Samoan kapok, ; copra •;•; and t cocoa, Cook Island candle-nuts arid the suitability of our ? island ■ dependencies for the introduction of the African, oil palm v, have had '■■ scientific attention. A committee for New Zealand, consisting of certain New \ Zealanders now resident in England, has closely co-operated with : the Institute's | executive officers in these matters. j The bill now before the House of Commons strengthens the ministerial i quota ;in the management ,/ without j appreciably increasing the repre- ; sentation from ; overseas;' but this| should riot'• prejudice- the truly Imperial nature of the work done. The proposal to amalgamate the Imperial I Mineral Resources Bureau with the Institute ■/ should make for , both economy and efficiency in research. The Institute has had for some time a highly competent mineral resources committee very actively ; engaged, and - can readily undertake the whole service previously divided '.between two bodies. ~ : -; ■';■ /■'; . '' '■ ■ '-'.■. ; :