SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19061, 4 July 1925, Page 13

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.

A PLEA FOR EXTENSION. • WORK AT THE UNIVERSITIES. GOVERNMENT'S SYMPATHY. t>X TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. Friday. In the House of Representatives to-day the Hon. R. F. Bollard laid on tho table a copy of the "Transactions of the Now Zealand Institute."

Mr. T. K. Sidey (Dunedin South) strongly urged the Minister to say what he proposed to do in the matter of systematising scientific industrial research in New Zealand. There had been muny requests for. this but nothing had been done. They had the Cawthron Institute at Nelson and each of the university colleges had good scientific laboratories which might be utilised but the professors were bound down to the drudgery of teaching ' and had little opportunity for research. Scientific research should be encouraged but in order to prevent duplication of effort tho whole position should bo systematised. Mr. H. Atmoro (Nelson) said tho work of the Cawthron Institute had last year saved the fruitgrowers £IO,OOO by the introduction of the natural enemy to the woolly aphis. This saved tho great cost;of spraying trees. Mr. W. A. Veitch (Wanganui) maintained that even if scientific research did not enable us to increase the volume of our wool clip it might lead to improving its quality and so increase the price. Sir James Parr, Minister for Education, said it was a mistake to suppose the Department of Education was doing nothing to encourag" scientific research, but he agreed that there was need for some board to co-ordinate tho work. That was being done. In his opinion university professors were the proper men to do research work. They should givo less time to the actual work of teaching and more time to research. He was not able to find all tho monev required but of his education vote, but if the Department of Internal Affairs would find some of it much more could be done than was being done which would be of practical value to the people. The Hon. .W. Nosworthy said the trouble was that the war left them with heavy financial liabilities and it was impossible to find the money for everything thai, Minis|ers would like to see pushed on. Scientific research was probably one of the matters that had to wait but now that the pinch was over the Government was not losing sight of it. They were constantly helping various phases of research and when more money was available more would be done. The Hon. R. F. Bollard, in reply, said he was glad to see that the House was at last taking an interest in scientific re-search-and in the transactions of the New Zealand Institute. A great deal of money was being spent and a great deal of work was being done, but the trouble was that tho people took no interest in tho subject. The printing of these transactions cost money. Copies were sent all over the world. If members would give him a guarantee that they would read and study it ho would present them each with a copy. DANGER OF LIVE WIRES. PROTECTING THE PUBLIC. s. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. Friday. In reply to Mr. dc la Perrelle, the Hon. J. G. Coates said lull inquiry was always made into accidents which occurred in connection with electric installations. As to the danger from live wires falling on roads that was always difficult to overcome, but he would see what further precautions could be taken to protect the