SCIENTIST’S TOUR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25581, 7 July 1944, Page 6

SCIENTIST’S TOUR

DR MARSDEN RETURNS TRIBUTE TO BRITISH WOMEN (PA..) WELLINGTON, July 6. After six months abroad studying scientific developments in relation to defence, the Secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr E. Marsden, has returned to Wellington. He landed in New Zealand from a Liberty ship eight weeks and a-half after its keel had been laid in Mr Henry Kaiser's Richmond yards. The ship took three’ weeks to build, one week to test, two weeks to load, and three weeks to travel to New Zealand. Dr Marsden said that as it was a welded 9hip it did not creak. It was not very fast, but was extremely economical. While abroad, Dr Marsden visited the Pacific islands, where a number of the officers of his department are engaged. He then went on to London and later to Washington. Women in Industry The thing that most impressed him in Britain, Dr Marsden said, was the work of women in industry—the wide range of tasks they undertook and the cheerfulness and efficiency with which tney performed them. Everyone in Britain was going “ flat out ” preparing for the invasion when Dr Marsden left about a week before D-Day. The invasion was not talked about, though everyone knew it was coming soon, ana there was a feeling of tense expectancy ill the air. Every country lane was packed with war materials, but the preparations were well camouflaged, and there was nothing to give the layman any indication of what particular ports would be used. There were hundreds of thousands of American troops in the country, and they got on splendidly with the British people. Dr Marsden said he had studied with interest the preparations which were being made in Britain for post-war housing. Model houses were being erected in many places for inyestigation with a view to standardisation and the mass production of the component parts. Insulation against heat, cold, and noise, and every factor making for comfort in the home were being carefully considered. Some of the houses had built-in refrigerators, which, incidentally, were estimated to cost only £4. There was tremendous interest in emigration, Dr Marsden added, and he had many inquiries about conditions in New. Zealand from people desiring to come here to settle after the war. Eritain had her own problem of a declining population, however, and a Parliamentary Commission had recently been appointed to inquire into It. War and Science Dr Marsden said that fundamentally the war had had no effect on scientific research, though it had undoubtedly ■stimulated the application of research to industry. There had been great development in Britain of chemical drugs, such as penicillin. Incidentally, he mentioned that a New Zealander, Dr McLean, worked at St. Mary’s Hospital. London, as chief collaborator of Dr Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin. In Washington, Dr Marsden added, he found that the American troops who had returned home from the Pacific had spoken well of New Zealand and its people, who were held in high regard.