THE SCIENCE CONGRESS

Otago Witness, Issue 3854, 24 January 1928, Page 51

THE SCIENCE CONGRESS

NEW ZEALANDER HONOURED.

AWARDED MUELLER MEDAL. HOBART, January 17. At the first meeting o f the Association for the Advancement of Science it was announced that the Mueller medal for reseaich had been awarded to Dr Leonard Cockayne for his researches in New Zealand botany, extending over a period of 2o years, and published chiefly in the transactions of the New Zealand Institute.

It was decided that the next meeting of the Science Congress should be held at Brisbane in May, 1930. Mr E. C. Andrews, of Sydney, was chosen presi-dent-elect of that congress.

The work of the conference will b<j divided into 15 sections. Professor H. G. Denham, M.A., M.Sc., D.Sc., Ph.D., of Canterbury College, Christchurch, will deliver the presidential address for the chemistry section. The president of the education section, Mr M. P. Hansen, M.A., LL.B., of the Education Department, Melbourne, is to deliver an address on “ Education of To-day,”, and Professor A. J. Perkins, president of the agriculture and forestry section, will speak on A Plea for Nation-wide Research into the Economy of our Various Agricultural and Live-Stock Industries.” Ths president of the veterinary science section, Mr Max Henry, M.R.C.V.S., will deliver an address entitled * The Problem of Pleuro pneumonia Contagiosa in Australia.” Professor L. A. Cotton (New South Wales) will be the principal speaker in the geology and geography section; zoology, Dr Colin Mackenzie (Victoria) ; history, Mr T. Dunbabjn, M.A, (New South Wales) ; anthropology, Dr R. H. Pulleine (South Australia); economics, Professor R. 0. Mills (New South Wales); engineering and architecture, Professor R. W. Chapman (South Australia) ; medical science and national health, Dr L. H. L. Cumpston (Victoria); botany, Professor T. C. R. Osborn (South Australia) ; physiology, Professor H. G. Chapman (New South Wales) ; pharmaceutical science, Mr Edward Mayhew (West Australia). The secretary for “New Zealand is Professor C. Coleridge Farr, D.Sc., F.2.N., Inst., Canterbury College, Christchurch.

CLOSING DISCUSSIONS AT \ HOBART. ARBITRATION SYSTEM CRITI- - CISED. HOBART, January 20. The Hobart Science Congress hag ended. A tentative scheme for the interchange of lecturers between America, Australia, and Japan was announced to the education section. It was suggested ■ that New Zealand might be asked to cooperate with Australia. The proposed period of exchange was two years. Professor Tocker (New Zealand), during a discussion by the economic section of the merits and demerits f the arbitration system in Australia and New Zealand, said that unemployment in New Zealand had been very severe during the last two years. This was partly owing to depression caused by the heavy fall in prices of exports, and it had added force to certain criticisms of State regulation' or industrial relations. Last rear a Bill was introduced by the Government to amend the law, but protests from both: employers and trade unions caused most of it to be withdrawn pending an aquiry into the operation of compulsory arbitration.

He went on to outline the salieut points of the inquiry into the net material production of New - Zealand, ami said that at least 70 per cent, was primary production for export. Trad< uniong as a whole had enrolled only one c rter of the wage-earnes in New Zealand, au<l these were largely in sheltered industries not meeting with oversea competition. The system ‘of compulsory arbitration’ was almost confined to manual workers in sheltered industries, but the standards laid down tended to become the standards for many employments beyond the immediate scope of the court, ami farmers found that they had to give similar rates and conditions. The court had adopted the cost o, living as a basis,, and had a stereotyped standard of living. It had not succeeded in j-eventing strikes, partly because certain militant unions chose to remain beyond its scope. The court operated over a pari o. industry where it was not required to prevent industrial strikes, but failed to operate where it was most required for that purpose. It had fostered unionism rather than mutual ageement.

Professor Tocker thought that the disappearance of sweating and the improvement of conditions generally were due to «>■ increase in prosperity rather than to the court. A critical time had como with the fall of 20 per cent, in prices in the biggest export industries. Another New Zealand delegate said that the arbitration system to some degree was responsible for the higher cost of living, but it would be risky to make drastic changes in industrial legislation in Australia and New Zealand, where the system of arbitration was so firmly established.

Mr M. Fraser (New Zealand Government Statistician) said that the object of arbitration in the Dominion was to increase wages.

Professor Tocker holds the chair of E'onomics at Canterbury College, and Economics at Canterbury College.