PROFESSOR SCOTT'S INVESTIGATIONS

Otago Witness, Issue 2651, 4 January 1905, Page 33

PROFESSOR SCOTT'S INVESTIGATIONS

— «» . EXPERIENCES,. VIEWS, AND CRITICISMS. . (Feom Ottb Own Cobbespondeht.) LONDON, November 19. "Yes, I have indeed had a most interesting and useful and instructive time in Germany," remarked to me Professor R. J. Scott, of Chrisfcchurch, the other day on his return from the Continent. "It has been a greai awakening for me — quite a revelation, in fac£ of the wonderful progress that has been made abroad in science and in science-teaching. The completeness and elaborateness of all the arrangements and 1 appliances *nd the intense zeal and earneetn«6S alike of the instructors and of the students went beyond anything I could' have anticipated. It seems to me that all parts of i the British Empire have veiry much to learn '"in these respects from Germany." What were the principal places you t'isited? " Well, I spent three days as Essem, replied the Professor, " devoting practically the whole time- to a careful inspection of the famous Krupp works. I was greatly ' impressed by the admirable character of the methods adopted and by the perfect order and splendid system adopted at those enormous works. Then, of course, I spent some time at Berlin, where I visited the } Oharlottenberg Technical. High School, also : the Government te*ting and research laboratoriet, »nd the institutions for electrical, | physical , and! chemical research, also those . where iron, steel, and materials of construction generally are tested. In thes» laboratories some of the mosb distinguished scientific men of the day are continuously employed on research work with the view to the application of their result* to the . industries of Germany. 1 ' <

How were you treated by the authoi'itiesl Did you find any Anglo-phobism? " Nothing could possibly have been kinder, more courteous, or more attentive than their behaviour. "' answered Professor Scott. " They seemed as if they could not dp enough for me, and appeared to grudge no expenditure of time or trouble that would assist me in obtaining the information of which I was in search. By-the-bye, I also visited the Siemens works and electric railways, and finally the experimental highspeed railway, upon which such unprecedented velocities have been attained. I did that .under the guidance of Dr Einhardt, the designer of one of the systems under trial."' And after Berlin- :r -? ' On to Leipsic," replied the Professor, " where I inspect ed the new physical laboratory. Next, I proceeded to Dresden, where no less a sum than fo»* million marks has been expended on the new Technical High School buildings, which ara not yet completed. Experimental work is— ■ being carried on here with engines, turbines, and generators of considerably ovei 100 horse-power each. That will give you some idea of the scale on which they conduct experiments in Germany! From Dresden I went to Munich, where I had a good look at the Technical High School. I next crossed into Switzerland., and visited Zurich, where I spent several days, taking each department in succession. I inspected the principal scientific institutions and engineering works; 1 also visited the favnoua electric installation, whose power is provided by the falls of the Rhine near Schaffausen. * My next objective point was Lucerne. While I was there I went up Mount Pilatns by the mountain railway, which, as no doubt you are aware, is on the immensely steep gradient of 1 in 2—2 — 50 per cent, grade, as the American call it. - Geneva ivas the • next place I visited, devoting my principal attention to the great power-station on the River Rhone, ateo to the hydraulic installation and the electric steep-grade railway up Salive. Leaving Geneva, I shaped my course next for Karlsruhe. spending 1 a day,- at-ihe Technical High School there. Going next to Darmstadt,-! visited that Technical High School, with which my visits of inspection to Continental universities and technical schools concluded. And I returned to London by way of Wiesbaden, Cologne, and Paris." A most-i nteresting trip indeed! And now I should be. glad to hear any opinions you ■ may have formed or ideas ' that may have occurred to you as the result of your investigations. "First of all," said Professor Scott, "I should like to say again that throughout Germany and Switzerland I met in every case with the greatest kindness^ and attention, i was invariably escorted round the different laboratories and institutions by the professors' themselves,-" who spared no' i .trouble ''to make clear to me their method I o£ practice. •• " Many of these, -men. are >of | world-wide reputation, but all the same- spirit ,as' did, one of the .greatest, physicists' of Germany. .He is a man. well flip in -years, ' and so as he 'was obviously .tired after, walking me through a- string p£ ' i laboratories, I ventured, to to him .tha't,\L' sfrould be passed' on \to- an- assistant for the -of my ■visit/ 'But I" in. i stantly received the" "reply, ' What I have ! done myself, I wish to show you myself.' " I* ""Next, as the resulfc' of my tour,'\ con- [ tifliied the Professoi*, " I may say that in " addition to the absolute knowledge I have, .gained during my trip, I have learned i, enough to convince' me that if t Germany is right in her ideas of what technical education should be, then we in England are all i wrong! Germany spends pounds on education and research where England spend* | only the • fractional portion of- a penny. | Germany devotes her maximum effort to [ training the educated man ; England too I often contrives to teach applied science to i those- who know practically nothing of the j science itself. Germany's instructors now- [ adays" are" drawn from the. topmost ranks of those who are actually practising {he- profession trhich they • will be called upon to teach. Many of our English instructors have only an academic knowledge of their subject." You have indeed set forth a striking contrast, and not a pleasant one ! " Yes," said Professor Scott, " and I would add -this : If we are to accept the unanimous opinicn of Germany, her enormous expenditure on education ' pays'. * Every German to whom I have spoken on the subject firmly believes that the Kaiser was correct when, in opering tbeyiew Technical College at Bantzig, he sstidr^'lt is no* to chance invention but to systematic training ahd research that Germany "owes her present industrial position among nations.' " Directly after our chat .Professor Scott pajd , a yteit to Cambridge, and on his. return to London he said to me: "I have- just, come across from Cambridge, but oh ! the" laboratories there scon 60 small and poorly 'equipped} after those of Germany I And the" provision which the Government has thought fit to make at Bushey foi* the National Research Laboratory, where also I was the other day, would be thought inadequate for -a second-class German province." It is to be hoped that Professor Scott's careful and intelligent inspection of Continental methods and his strong realisation of the inevitable contrast presented by English ways of science teaching, may bear good fruit when he returns. to New Zealand, and may be effective in strengthening the hands of those who desire to see New Zealand hold a more worthy place in this r«apect than, unhappily, " doe« the - Mother Country.

—Of all newspapers in the world 68 in every 100 are printed in tbc English !an< gu&ge. — The Englishman, even the quite unscientific Englishman, is known to have a pardonable pride in his country's railway engines. He misses thorn in foreign port*. Their sides are smooth,- their funnels are squat, their action stately; they do nas bristle with accessories, they do not fret ; they snort deliberately and with resonance-. Yet it seems that in sheer activity and length of wind the fussy Calais engine is as good as they. Sorao time ago the Great; "Western. Railway Company ordered, from. France, on trial, an express engine liko | those recently set going on the Chemins ■de Fer thi Nord. Now, after fair trial', this engine (according to the Manchester Guardian) lias behavedi so well that the company has given the order for several others like it. Clearly it is not everything to look the part. You may have th« . get-up of a traction engine with the mov«- * menta of a swallow.