ECONOMY IN INDUSTRY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3755, 2 March 1926, Page 17

ECONOMY IN INDUSTRY.

APPLICATION OF SCIENCE. SIR FRANK HEATH’S TOUR. Some valuable sidelights on economy in industry by the application of organised scientific research Mere presented to the New Zealand University Senate by Sir Frank Heath on Thursday morning. The subject had a direct bearing on \e relationship of New Zealand to Great Britain, and the members of the Senat i listened with the keenest interest to an address that was illuminating and com- ) reuensive to an unusual degree. Sir Frank said that he was not quite sure how he could best approach the subject in M'hich he was concerned, but it was unnecessary to explain his present tour of the Dominion.- He had visited New Zealand at the invitation of the Prime Alinister. He supposed that if a suggestion for a consultation between the representatives of two British Governments for the purpose of considering how research could best be encouraged and promoted in relation to industry had been made 15 years ago most bodies and persons would have considered it pother. The advancement of knoM'ledge and research in industry and the application of science and economics to manufactures, thus eliminating previous errors, Mere aimed at. A large number of people at Home still believed that the organisation of research M*as hopeless and was even a damaging policy. He had the idea that that view Mas held rather strongly by some universities; the reason was that the universities realised better than the majority of the people that they could not organise an attack upon new knowledge for their own sakes. Investigations in pure science must move where the spirit willed it. The best work in the spheres of research M r as carried out by the mau who moved in the direction whither his interest and personal inclinations urged him; the man also needed a sense of the organisation of research. Behind that was the question of using the results of the pure scientific investigations in application to the practical needs of humanity. The progress of modern industry and modern social science, such as hygiene and medicine, was made much slower if it were not left to the individual effort. There M'ere two questions—what could bo done to encourage and organise workers in tho field of pure science? and what could be done to organise the application of science to industry? In Germany, the solutions had been approached in the individual ways of the workers. When the State was richer, it had supported universities lavishly. The duties of the professors were interpreted in a generous manner by the State, which had encouraged them

to pursue their researches in the servictf of industry in their spare time. Sir Frank said that he knew of a number of men in universities in England who were retained by German manufacturing concerns to communicate anything they discovered in the course of their work that might be of interest. The German Government, he added, supported industry by cheapening tailway rates and by giving access to raw materials, and the result was that the great corporations came into operation with capital to retain great research facilities, and to encourage work in laboratories.

What Mas true of Great Britain was even more true of New Zealand. There was no machinery available now in Great Britain to bring about this systematic organisation of science—the encouragement of pure science was neglected in Great Britain. The progress of the universities Mas slow and cautious. At Home the Board of Education for a long time took no interest in university education, but when the State began to support university education by giving grants it Mas found that the vast majority of people was interested in such instruction. It M'as necessary, however, that sufficient funds should be forthcoming to promote original research, and the need for that was not limited only to New Zealand. There Mere problems arising now, he continued, affecting interimperial relations and trade which could only be solved if they were attacked at both ends. They should be assailed at the source first, and carried on to tho other end. He suggested that the attempt to encourage original research in pure science Mas likely to be a failure. “When you come to the problems at Home,” he said,, “you must realise that in any country at all the man-power available is likely to be insufficient. That yvas certainly the position at Home, and it still is in many instances. He disputed the idea of setting up a great central organisation in which the work done was bound to weaken the position and destroy much interest in the movement. A strong and keen interest in local affairs M'as very necessary. If the scheme were to succeed they must do their utmost to make usa of existing facilities. Though he believed that there should be a nerve centre, this should operate as an aid, assisting and coordinating, not as a central bureau machine. That was not to say it would not be necessary to establish in time a central institution, but it did not follow that a centre, in the scientific and intellectual sense, should be central in the geographical sense. They must be careful to avoid any action likely to diminish the initiative.

Strong suggestions should be made to the industries to attack their own problems through their Own people and to tinance themselves. At the same time the State should be prepared to help industries in new schemes affecting particularly big conditions for a limited period of time. The principle of the department with which he was connected was to watch destroying influences affecting the industries. At Home there were certain aspects which could not be handled by a single firm, by a com* bination of firms, or the whole industry. There were problems of the modern world of such enormously wide range and significance to every man, woman, and child in the country that the only solution lay in their being attacked at the expense of the ratepayers’ pockets. The department also gave authoritative and indepen* dent advice in the settling of any dispute that might arise. Geological surveys had also to be taken up in order to obtain further knowledge of the mineral wealth of the country. Even in New Zealand, where hydro-electric schemes were in the process of development in all parts of the country, fuel was the root of industry for the amount of power and heat derived from fuel was three times as great as that derived from electric power. Intellectual and temperamental co-operation vvaa required in the industries. After repeating that a proper policy of encouraging industries to help themselves should be adopted, Sir Frank said that a general feeling existed that something more should be done by those engaged in. industries at Home, and that co-ordiuation and a long campaign of education were necessary. He spoke of his department, and said that it gave advice to, and unofficially yet effectively co-operated with, the Minister of Industries, who was ibua enabled to deal single-handed with difficult problems. However, the greatest difficulty would be experienced in some parts of the world in forming similar departments. So far as he had seen, the people of New Zealand were, temperamentally and intellectually, more like the people of England than the populations of any other Dominion. Those responsible for the establishment of industrial research! in England, which was a new phenomenon for the Government, felt that it was impossible to make this big study merely through the machinery of the usual governmental departments, because, although able, skilful, and loyal, the civil servant did not possess the skill or experience necessary in advising a Minister of the Crowm. Sir Lindo Ferguson thanked Sir Frank Heath for his address. He went on to say that the Government had shown signs of awakening to the value of research, and in the last couple of years had been stirred to offer financial help. He sincerely trusted that Sir Frank would stress in his report to the Government the necessity for some definite policy, in this direction. The Hon. George Fowlds said that lie was sure Sir Frank Heath’s visit to New Zelaand would be of incalculable benefit, to the country. After a vote of thanks had been passed, the Chancellor (Professor J. Macmillan Brown) moved—“ That the Senate of the University of New Zealand is convinced that the encouragement of research and application of its discoveries to the the practice of the primary and secondary industries, and the solution of economic and social problems, are necessary to the well-being and prosperity of modern com** munitics. It accordingly urges the Gov« eminent to take steps to promote these related and in so doing to enlist the co-operation of all existing bodies or organisations, particularly the uni* versity collegia, that are actively engaged in work to those ends” The motion was seconded by Sir RobecJ Stout and carried.