SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

Otago Witness, Issue 3774, 13 July 1926, Page 27

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

£ THE HEATH REPORT. ' WELLINGTON, July 9. The House of Representatives spent most of the afternoon discussing Sir Frank Heath's report. The Prime Minister referred to the importance of science and research in connection with the primary and secondary industries of the country. In connection with research, he said that what had been done in the war indicated a greet advance. England had since done a great deal in the matter of scientific research, and Canada and other countries were following on the same lines. Sir Frank Heath's report, he felt sure, was of very great value. There were laboratories attached to the colleges and university colleges and dairy institutions. It was not intended to interfere with these, but there was no means of gathering together the varied work that was being done. The proposal he had to make w as that we should concentrate our efforts into one source as far as possible. Sir Frank Heath had said the spirit of co-operation at present did not exist. The question was, would they agree to the Government providing sufficient money to initiate the scheme in some centre in one of the districts in which were the principal industries—the primary industries. The question of localities was apt to blind our vision. So far as he was concerned he did not think it mattered twopence where they had the centralising point, provided it was attached to some suitable institution. In regard to an agricultural college, there was Lincoln. It was managed by a board of directors, and was in no sense a State institution. It was true the Government had assisted it from time to time, but only in a very small way. Would the board be prepared to hand that institution over to the State? He knew it would not. It was not a national concern. It was intended for Canterbury, and he did not think that should be lost sight of, for it had uses, and valuable uses, in that connection, and should be brought up-to-date. The building was not satisfactory. In connection with the general scheme, he knew the question of money would be brought up, and they could not do it all at once. He wished in connection with this matter to direct attention to the biggest industry in the country—that of its primary products, upon which the Dominion must depend for years. There were in addition the secondary industries, and they would have to do aU they could for them in-so-far as they provided for our own people, but they could not for some time to come be the main consideration. Lincoln College could fill the bill in regard to the primary industries in Canterbury. It was primarily an agricultural college, endowed for Canterbury, but one of the chief industries was the production of dairy produce, and Canterbury was not what they could call a dairy centre. Sir Frank Heath bad drawn attention to that and he said the new college should be somewhere in the centre of the North Island, not in a town, but near it. Lincoln should be retained in connection with agriculture, but the dairy industry would have to be dealt with in the North Island, where they were in the thick of it. Sir Frank Heath, however, did not go into the question of site. The Government, which knew the conditions of the country, must be responsible for that, and it had practically decided upon the location which would be in accordance with Sir Frank Heath’s report. The central college eventually must be the senior college as time went on, but diplomas and degrees would still be issued in Canterbury. It had never been their intention to interfere with the granting of degrees and diplomas, but in regard to looking into the future they could not say that this would not be altered. Mr Coates then went on to deal with the question of organisation as recommended in the report and the establishment of a Board of Control. The department, he said, would do all it could in the interests of the secondary industries, but any industry that wanted any work done would be charged for it, as was the practice in England, America and Canada. The institution would provide the men to do the research. The principle was that it would co-operate. There would be an interchange of officers between England, the Commonwealth and Canada, and they would get a knowledge of the requirements that were being carried on throughout the world. The great point was to avoid duplication of the staff. The staff in a little country like this could not do everything. There must be interchange to make the scheme apply all round and geo the knowledge available from the different part 3 of the Empire. In regard to the agricultural college site ho said that the executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, which had been worrying about a central agricultural col lege for years, had come to him and said it did not care where the site was to be, but it wanted the matter fixed, and a college for scientific research. Mr Coates quoted what Australia, Canada, and the United States of America had already done, and the large amount of money they hod expended in this connection. What they had decided in regard to the ®ite in New Zealand, he added, would permit of agriculture being dealt with at Lincoln, which was > nst suitable for that purpose, and dairying would be dealt with at the North Island college. The head of the new department, he said, need not necessarily be a scientific man, but he must be a man with n capacity for organisation. They must get a good man before they could make a success of it. If he hud scientific knowledge as well, so much the better. a Sir Frank Ileath himself was not a scientific man, but anyone who knew him could not but be impressed with his ability and his great knowledge and the commonsense manner in whioh he got out his report It was a most valuable report, and would be a greut help to New Zealand if it followed tne principles laid down. Mr Coates, who, on the motion of the Leader of the Opposition, was given an extension of time, went on to speak of the importance of tne timber industry and forestry in which research could do a frreat deal in New Zealand. New Zeaand, he said, was especially adapted for forestry, for trees would grow here in 30 years in comparison with 70 or 80 years in other countries. This was important be-

cause the timber supplies in several countries in the Old World were being rapidly exterminated, and the time would come when they would be almost dissipated. Europe would have to look to a wider field for its timber than it did to-day. New Zealand could safely look forward to the future to bear a hand in providing for the world’s markets. Connected with the timber industry were also important by-products. Speaking generally in regard to the scheme he said that suooess could only come from the co-operation of all our people. Mr H. E. Holland agreed that the report was a valuable one, though he did not know if there were a great deal that was new in it. He thought it a pity that Sir Frank Heath did not consult those engaged in the secondary as well as the primary industries of the colony. Sir Frank Heatn made the suggestion that the Prime Minister should be the head of the department. Mr Coates: That follows Great Britain, Australia and Canada. Mr Holland said he thought the Prime Minister had too many irons in the fire to devote the necessary time. As the head of such a department they should choose the best man. A good deal would depend upon the amount of money available. The Government would have to come into the picture a good deal more than had been suggested. In regard to the carrying out of the work the men and women in the industries should also have representation on the board. He commended the recommendation for a central record office library which would be most valuable. There had been too many small industries, but there were certain industries such as textile and by-products that could be made to serve the interests of the people more than they were doing. The manufacture of woollen goods was one that could be largely developed. The boot industry was another that had not been run on economical lines. The people had to pay an abnormally high price for footwear with not very dissimilar conditions to those prevailing in Australia, and yet the New Zealand industry said it could not carry on without further protection. One of the most important recommendations was the one regarding the agricultural college. That was a matter of such supreme importance that he felt sure no one would look at it from a parochial point of view. The most suitable locality m New Zealand, from every viewpoint, should be secured Intensive cultivation would be brought about in New Zealand as the result of scientific research, and intensive cultivation would get rid of the rabbit and of the noxious weeds. It would also bring greater production to New Zealand. He hoped that when the central agricultural college was established Lincoln College should not lose its status in any way, and that the work of the experimental farms would also be extended. Referring to the coal industry and its by-products, Mr Holland said there was much need for research which bad done so much in South Wales and in Glasgow. The City Council cleared in one year £150,00G in by-products from the gasworks. A department of finance would also do good work even to the extent of helping Parliament itself. The bread supply of the country was another important matter. New Zealand could grow all the wheat it needed if the- wheat growing and industry were properly organised. At present we could get wheat from Australia, but if Australia experienced a great drought, as it sometimes did, and the wheat harvests there failed, then New Zealand would be likely to suffer enormously unless we organised matters so that wheat production in New Zealand was brought up to the local requirements. Mr Holland concluded by saying that in its essentials his party would give the proposals its hearty support. Every help for those recommendations which are for the good of the country was promised by Mr George Forbes, Leader of the Nationalists. He agreed with Sir Frank Heath as to the want of co-opera-tion in our various institutions. If we could get co-operation we would get far greater value for the expenditure on research. There was a certain amount of jealousy, but it was co-operation that was needed. Mr F. Waite (Clutha) wished to be assured that the recommendations of the report would not be carried into effect till the whole organisation was complete. For instance, he would not agree with a removal of the Government subsidy to the laboratory at Hawera. Rather would he see the operation of the Hawera and Waikato laboratories continued in the dairy industry, and another such institution created in Southland. There were many branches of research which required the attention of more than one department of scientific knowledge, and in order to secure the necessary co-operation the central organisation would become essential in the development of secondary industries. Care should be taken to sponsor those which were based on the primary industries, so that no mistake wo .Id be made and application could be made later for protection. Protection, he said, was cultivating a tendency towards inefficiency in the factories. The Hon. D. Buddo contended that apart from the Agricultural College there should be several independent scientific institutions. Lincoln College could do all that was requisite for the southern districts, the Cawthron Intitute could do the work for Nelson, Marlborough, and the West Coast, and there should be similar distribution of educational institutions in the North Island. Taking a broad view of the whole subject, he saw no reason how anyone could object to an extension of agricultural education, and he believed the House was prepared to go to any reasonable extent to achieve that end. Mr W. S. Glenn said the period of virgin soil in New Zealand had passed, ana the deficiency would have to be made up by resort to scientific research and increased agricultural education. This justified the clamour for an agricultural college, which should be placed, not on rich land, but on medium class land. He regretted that the Government had not shown commendable courage in fixing the site of the college. In this respect it was playing the part of the “ town major” in the army who went down into his deep dug-out and stayed there. He complained of the price of manures, which, he said, were making cheap production impossible, and yet the Minister of Agriculture was doing nothing about it. Mr Glenn also urged that fuller weather forecasts be supplied to farmers. Mr J. A. Lee (Auckland East) argued that one of the most important phases of the subject was the establishment of re-

search scholarships. There also should be some means of co-ordinating and classifying the results of the scientino experiments which were being made in New Zealand, so that they might be available to those interested. The Hon. O. J. Hawken (Minister of Agriculture) stated that Sir Frank Heath had been much struck by the possibilities in New Zealand for forest growth. What was preventing further development was money, whioh was more urge tly needed for public works. Five million acres of land in New Zealand were suitable for reafforestation. Sir Frank Heath’s report regarded research work in the primary industry as of first importance. No doubt the Agricultural College would centraliso the research works, though there would be outside stations as well. The college should be in a good central position. We spept £150,000 yearly on university education, out nobody objected, and when the primary industries were considered we should spend enough money to educate those who were engaged in them. Mr E. A. Ransom said the scientific treatment of our herds and pastures would result in an increase of 50 per cent, in production, which would go a long way towards meeting die increased charges on the public debt. Mr H. G. Dickie (P&tea) said he did rot favour the setting up of a central laboratory in the Dominion. He doubted whether we were justified in entering upon the huge expenditure required to establish agricultural colleges at a time when economy was so imperative. Mr H. T. Armstrong (Christchurch East) aaid the Government had a record in the matter of rejecting commissions’ reports, and he doubted whether it would give effect to much of this report, which was largely compiled from information gathered from Government officials. Before a second agricultural college was established, Lincoln College should be assisted and brought up-to-date. , ~ _ The Prime Minister, in reply, said he was pleased to find the general tenor of the speeches were in favour of the report and in approval of the Government’s attitude towards it. He was fully convinced that the Prime Minister should be at the head of the department, as he thought his general control of the departments put him in the best position to supervise it. The council of experts would be New Zealanders, and he was confident they could get a New Zealander to act as its permanent head. There were at present four research scholarships awarded. These were worth r.bout £IOO each. This number, he thought, would be doubled. He wished again to affirm that it was not intended to interfere with Lincoln College. So far as the fuel problem was concerned, they had sent quantities of coal to Great Britain to see whether some means could be discovered by which we could use our lignite' coals on our railways, as the Government was most anxious to do. Scientific libraries would be established-and jxtensions of the Meteorological Department were contemplated Mr Coates then moved that Sir Frank Heath’s report be referred to the Government for consideration, which was agreed to on the voices.