SCIENCE CONGRESS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18761, 15 January 1923, Page 6

SCIENCE CONGRESS

MORE VALUABLE PAPERS. VARIETY OF SUBJECTS DEALT WITH. (Pbb tINiTED Press Association.) WELLINGTON. January 13. Before tho geographical and research sec+ll i of the Science Congress to-day Prc--1" or Griffith Taylor delivered the preside' tial address of the section, taking as his s ■ ject “Geography and Australian National Problems." Geographical research in Anstr ;in within, the last few years was first oribotl, and the need for a thorough s ■ -’ntilic survey of the Melanesian Islands iv tho interests of ethnology was stressed. ■» realm of geography was next defined, a geographer being described as a correl- ];■ ■ir par excellence. Ho studied the natural ii- ;ions of tho world and their relation to S' dement in the light of such sciences as w >logy. meteorology, biology, economic?, «’ I history, the speaker pointing out that 11,0 unscientific opinions of stockmen exit rers or untrained observers were of little v 'uo in these days of accurate maps and <i a. The distribution of population in / stralia was next dealt with, the arid T( -ions being shown as losing population r- ile only lands fit for close sotleinent v. re progressing. The lecturer then proct ded to show that the central regions i ■ Australia were analogous in origin

r d climate to those of northern Africa, A goira being very similar to the northern A istralian uplands. Tropical settlement was i. xt considered from the point of view ot health, mortality, housing, economics, and future crops. An interesting reference was made to the Australian desert which ranks n >xt in area to the Sahara, and to Us I oaring on climatic conditions. Tho future settlement of Australia was discussed, and a i attempt was made to show how p'opulaf on would be distributed in a century or less. Charts, which the speaker claimed v.ould bo of some assistance to future statesmen in deciding where to spend public moneys, were displayed. A brief description of the zones of coloured people in northern Australia raised the question whether "a white Australia’’ policy in Us strictest form is to be the best for future generations, the lecturer contending that it was absurd to judge present and future problems by what had happened with the negroes in the United States. Coming back to the question of the settlement of Australian lands, the speaker said_ the commonwealth was capable of sustaining some 50,000,000 white settlers, but settlement would take place within the regions already mostly alienated. Australia had, in fact, practically reached the age of the resumption of land so far as noteworthy settlement was concerned. During the course of his lecture Professor Taylor stressed the importance of establishing a chair of geography in connection with the New Zealand University, predicting that if this were done it would soon prove one of the most popular schools amongst our seats of learn-

mg. Mr F. V. Knapp, of Nelson, read a most interesting- paper before the ethnological (section on “The Canoe Building Tools of the Tasman Bay Maoris,” illustrated by the exhibition of a largo number of apeciimons, the whole series of which, Mr Knapp eaicl, might be taken as an indication ci the genius and industry of the ancient canoe builders, who took pride in their work since they elaborated and brought into use such a iwonderful variety of implements to enable them successfully to execute the detail and finish of their canoe ornamentation.

"Some Aspects of New Zealand War Finance" was the subject, of a paper read to the statistical section by Mr ,7. M. Twit, 8.A., of Christchurch. The lecturer showed that while taxation increased from •1891 to 1914 from £2.200.000 to £5.900,000 and the net public debt jfrom £57.500,000 to £91.500.000 from March, 1914, to March, 1919 —the war period taxation grew from £5,900,000 to £13,800,000, and about £31,500,000 was borrowed for war expenditure, at an average rate, including sinking fund, of 5.6 per cent. Adding a conservative estimate for pensions and a small loss on soldiers lands ■would make the total cost of the war to (New Zealand by the time the debit was paid off about £235,000,000. The most alarming feature was the enormous interest payment —one over a period of 40 years—and the lecturer made a plea for a largei contribution to the sinking fund tc enable an earlier clearance to bo made. He also protested against the present system ot ‘•surplus” financing, which made funds available for expenditure, which would never he countenanced if subjected to a proper scrutiny. He held that the accumulated ■urpluses of the war period had led to much reckless expenditure. The period under review had brought a great change in the distribution of taxation, and the whole system now stood in urgent need of scientific revision. Amongst other papers read vvas one by Mr S. H. Jenkinson on “Train Resistance on the oft 6in Gauge.” Though the paper •was of a highly technical nature, it created jjreat interest in the engineering section. General papers of a technical nature ■wore read on the subject of “Wireless,” byMr F. Robinson, F.A.S.S., who dealt with radio directional maps. The paper was of special importance at the present time m view of the proposal to establish wireless directional signals from the lighthouses in ■Now Zealand. Professor P. W. Burbridgo (Auckland) read a paper by Mr W. Green on “The Measurement of Intensity of Wireless Signals.” This is an important subject, which has a practical application to the best sites for wireless stations and the best type of apparatus for installation under various conditions. The chief point of discussion ■was the difference of radio transmission by night and by day, and the influence of the so-called ionised conducting layer at a height of about 60 miles in the atmosphere. The determination of longitudes by wireless was dealt with in a paper prepared by Hr C. E. Adams (Government Astronomer in New Zealand). Proposals, he said, had been made by General Ferric, of Paris, for a comprehensive scheme of longitude determination by wireless of three points jn the Northern Hemisphere (Algiers (Shanghai, and San Francisco), and of one point in the Southern Hemisphere (Wei lington). Preliminary experiments at Wei. lington had proved that wireless time signals sent by the French station at Bordeaux were received at the observatory. The signals reached Wellington about 7.30 a.m (Now Zealand time). Experiments in March, April, and May last gave the preliminary rvalue of a longitude of llh 39m 4.25, while ithe adopted value was llh 59m 4.275. Tho adopted value was determined by observations made over the submarine cable. To carry out the complete scheme it was essential to have all observatories similarly equipped with suitable telescopes, clocks, and wireless apparatus. A similar experiment carried out last December showed that fiignals were satifactorily received every day, while corresponding Morse messages were not always received. A paper road before the physics Bection by Mr A. M. Wright described in technical detail electrical methods of seasoning timber. The paper dealt •with experiments in which by application of a large electrical direct •voltage (about 3000) it had been found possible to drive s«.p and moisture out of certain New Zealand timbers such as white pine, and on the other hand to drive cer tain preserving salts into the pores of timber. It is considered possible that the method may be a commercial success. The experiments also have an important theoretical bearing upon the method of the ascent of ’ sap in living trees, and showed that electricity plays an important part in the growth of trees. Captain L. Macintosh Ellis (director of forestry) dealt with the question of New Zealand forestry in retrospect and prospect. The paper was a lengthy one, and has been specially printed for the widest circulation. Mr J. C. Anderson presented to the authopology and ethnology section tae results of his investigations into “the independent evolution of the expression of thought as exemplified in Maori string figures.” A number of string figures were shown, the patterns being identical, though the figures were secured in countries far separated. One pattern was common to the Maori and the North American Indian, another to the Maori, Caroline Islanders, the natives of Now Guinea, and New Calo don inns, and a third to Europeans, Samoans, ami North American Indians. While, bow ever, the final patterns were the same the methods of obtaining them were quite different, showing that they had been worked out independently, and did not necessarily imply contact of peoples. The human mind, working independently witii the same materials, was likely to emve at the same or similar results, though the intermediate stops might be quite different. This, he j-emarked, applied markedly to the string figures and in a degree also to the language itself and to the myths. It was. therefore, important in putting on record the arts and crafts of any people that their methods of producing them should be placed on record ab the same time. The various methods of weaving, for instance, were of great import-

an co for comparative purposes. The finished articles showed the thought aimed at, and the method showed how tho end desired, was attained.

One of the most expensive posts to farmers in Australia, and particularly in Now South 'Wales, is tho sheep maggot fly, which was tho subject of an address delivered by Professor T. Harvey Johnston, of Australia, before the biology section. The industry, he said, was penalised to the extent of about £1.000,000 annually as the result of tho attacks upon sheep by various species of blowfly, which were probably first attracted by tho presence of soiled wool. Not only was there a considerable direct loss of wool, but also an interference with the general health of the affected animals, many of which died from the intensity of tho infestation. Additional expense was necessary in order to treat, flyblown sheep. Various poisons and tho method of applying them were reviewed. The utility of traps was referred to, but their utilisation did not seem to have diminished the prevalence of the fly to any apnreciable degree. Special attention was paid to the biology of the flies themselves mid life stages of tho insects. The lecturer also gave an account of his investigations into tho life history of a number of wasp parasites, which attack blowflies during either their larval or pupal condition. ami dealt with the possibility of utilising certain of them in the campaign against blowfly posts. Tho prevention of waste of New Zealand lumbers was the subject of a. lecture by Mr A. R. Entricau (engineer), who stated that only 12.75 per cent, of the cut tree or 30 per cent, of the log issued in a ut disable form. The lecturer traced tho establishment of the forest service products branch, which was designed to prevent waste. Some of the means proposed were the standardisation of mill cuttings, the scientific use of wood according to structural strength, and the avoidance of the use of green timber. A preservative against borer and the uses of New Zealand limbers were dealt •wi th.

Tho control of injurious insects was the subject of an address delivered in tho Town Hall this evening by Dr R. J. Tillyard, F.L.S., who lectured under the auspices ot the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr Tillyard said that man in his efforts to improve his own food supply was always unwittingly making new opportunities for his insect enemies. As an example of this the lecturer mentioned the well-known pest the oodlin moth, which attacked apples. Before the era of civilisation the little moth lived in the thickets and forests of (ho northern hemisphere, and this caterpillar bored its way into the inside nf wild crab apples, and lived on the contents. With the improvement in the apple by man the codlin moth got its opportunity, and quickly seized lhe chance to spread and damage all the beautiful varieties of apples which man had produced. Man thus was faced in all directions with problems of his own making and of the very greatest importance to his future welfare by the control of the various insect pests which interfered with his food supply. The lecturer then went on to deal with various methods by which control of the pest was attempted. .Sometimes tho effort was attended 1 by signal success, and sometimes with disappointing failure. These methods might he classed roughly as me chanical, chemical, and biological. Under the heading of mechanical methods the lecturer gavo illustrations of a number of interesting devices which have been made use of, particularly in America, with grs.it success. Two of the most striking of these were tarred paper discs, which were used to control the cabbage root maggot, and ingenious cages for the control of the pine weevil. In the chemical division there were numerous sprays, vapours, dusts, a:ul gases for fumigation. Tho lecturer passed these over fairly rapidly, as he said they would lie mostly familiar to tho audience, hut ho mentioned particularly the high power spraying u c ed for valuable forest trees in America and the recent development of spraying from an aeroplane. He also mentioned iho recent development of the use of chemicals in the soil, which vapourised- and gavo off gases which repel certain insects. Tho chief portion of the lecture dealt with the biological methods, which were being improved and brought into me and winch consisted broadly in n careful scientific study of insect post and its own numerous enemies and the utilisation of these enemies lo control the pest. In this connection ho gavo a detailed account of the wonderful work which has been done in America in the control of the gipsy moth. This moth was introduced from Europe, and rapidly began to attack all kinds of forest trees, threatening colossal destruction in iho Eastern Stales. Huge suras of money had been spent in controlling it. and from 20 to 50 different natural enemies both predatory and parasitic, were now being liberated in countless numbers lo help to check the pest. After giving other striking example? cf the sneesses achieved by the Americans, who. ho said, were undoubtedly far ahead of the rest of the world in this branch of work, the lecturer Merit on to give a short account cf the more modest efforts which are being undertaken in Now Zealand by the Government biological laboratories in'Wellington and by the Cawthron Institute in Nelson. Of considerable interest in this connection ivas a detailed account of tho introduction, acclimatisation, and distribution to all parts of New Zealand of the valuable little parasite of the woolly Aphis known as Aphelinn? niali. The lecturer concluded by giving some instances of urgent problems not yet solved in New Zealand. and stressed the point that only by continuous application by devoted bands of scientists could they hope to cope with those extremely difficult, problems, which were of far more importance to every nation than the people generally realised.