SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18899, 27 June 1923, Page 8

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.

IMPORTANCE TO THE DOMINION. VALUE OF FISHING INDUSTRY. During the course of his speech in the Legislative Council last week the Hon. G. M. Thomson said the position of scientific research in this country was not very satisfactory. On the outbreak of war the scientific ability of the German nation was of the greatest service to it. The British army officers were drawn chiefly from men with classical, not soientifiic, educations. x\t the commencement of the war there was hardly any scientific Government organisation, though private enterprise saved the day. Germany, through Britain’s apathy, had monopolised the dye industry of the world, and therein had a vast supply of war chemicals. When the Government did act, in 1915, the paltry sum of £25,0C0 was voted, the following year £40,000. Then a million was expended on a scientific branch, .tonally wo beat the Germans in every department of sicentific research. Early in tais the dominions were asked to organise their scientific investigations. Something was done in Dunedin, Auckland, Christchurch, and, Wellington. In 1917 a report was made by the head of the Eeducanon Department, and many schemes were brought forward to endow "scientific research tn a greater extent. No definite action was taken by the Government, and tile matter stood there to-day. Research workers could not bo produced in a day. It was of no use training a man in scientific work unless a life-work were guaranteed him. At the beginning of the year a request had come through the High Commissioner from the Home organiastion of scientific research to encourage research here. It should bo eagerly responded to. The body receiving the small sums given by the Government hitherto was the New Zealand Institute. There was also the Cawthron Institute, purely a research institution. The Marine Fisheries and the four colleges wore doing good work. Research covered many departments. Agriculture. State forestry, geological survey, the Dominion Laboratory. mines, the Electrical Department, and Public Health Department were all doing some research work. The Railway Department, he understood, ' was also doing some research. Notwithstanding the vast sums spent on research by America (second only to Germany), where enormous electric installations were in use, it was loft to Dr Farr, with a £ICO grant, to solve the problem of coping with the porositv of electric insulators. 'lbe discovery had already saved more than had been spent in New Zealand in live years in industrial research. He stressed the importance of the maritime population to Britain. Here we should encourage our fishing industries for that reason. We should aim at an export trade in fish. Ho made a strong plea for the encouragement of the fishing industry on the same lines as assietance had been given the Forestry Department, and advocated the placing of the marine and river fisheries under the control of one man, preferably an imported exnert.