SCIENCE IN INDUSTRY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3888, 18 September 1928, Page 28

SCIENCE IN INDUSTRY.

OPERATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT. GRADUAL EDUCATION OF PUBLIC. XV ELLINGTON, September 11. The report of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research was presented to Parliament to-day. The report, which is a lengthy one, .states that in considering the financial cost of the department for the year (£44, 823) it must be remembered that the major portion of this sum (£30,606) is used in the maintenance of Government scientific services. These services are as follows : —Dominion laboratory, meteorological office, geological survey office, Dominion observatory, stone testing labora- _ tory and petrological service. Only a few of the industrial concerns or organisations in New Zealand at present *5 have the means or are willing to support the capital charges of laboratories and the salaries of the staff adequate to ensure a profitable proportion of major commercially successful results ; but even the smal* lest concerns can participate in the rewards of such investigation by supporting the work on a co-operative basis. In general, therefore, the policy of the department has been to endeavour to. prove to particular industries that research work is worth while, and that co-operation in this regard is a practical proposition in the case of . industries of national concern. By making grants' supplementing moneys raised for this purpose the department has aimed to encourage such efforts. While nearly all are agreed on the general principle that scientific effort in

industry is worth while difficulties sometimes are raised. The first of these results from the tendency of late years for industry to lean too much on the Government and to expect the latter to provide scientific services gratis. Apart from objections on general principles to this procedure there would appear to be no doubt Jhat such scientific services would be in danger of lack of direct application, and would get out of touch with actual major problems. Moreover, those directly concerned would fail to appreciate them and ultimately lose all interest in the work. The outcome of this would be failure to make direct application of the results in consequence of the absence of incentive to industrialists to “ get their money’s worth.” The second difficulty sometimes arises from those conservative individuals who, while quite prepared to admit that science has an application in every other indus-, try, declare that scientists can scarcely appreciate or grasp sufficiently their own particular practical problems. .. They feel conservatively averse irom any changes of plant methods or procedure which might result from scientific suggestions. Fortunately during the past two years this type of objector has become somewhat uneasy, and industry generally, viewing the question with an awakening interest, is adopting a more experimental and alert attitude to new processes and possible’ new technical developments. The operations of modern industry, both primary and secondary, tend more and more to be baseo on scientific knowledge of processes, and the undoubtedly increased realisation of this fact in New Zealand is one of the most hopeful auguries for future development. The third difficulty arises from mutual distrust occurring between the firms or organisations which comprise the units of our various industries. A fourth difficulty, fortunately rarely met with, is the fear of. so-called “ Government interference.” The policy of the department is that as far as possible industries should be encouraged to organise and conduct their own researches in a comprehensive yy, and ultimately to do this at their own expense. With regard to Government grants towards such researches, while public interest necessitates such control as will ensure that these grants are properly spent, it is realised that freedom and flexibility are essential conditions of fruitful research. It is the policy of the- department, based on its belief in the efficacy of scientific assistance to industry, to induce the development of a practical scientific attitude of mind among those connected with our primary and secondary industries. It is realised that this si not possible of immediate attainment, but that there is need for the department to play the role of educator to a certain extent, to render the financial assistance necessary to place the scientific equipment of industry upon a sound basis, and to endeavour to point out the possibilities whieh lie ahead. There is a very real danger in any industry where scientific progress is at a standstill, for then stagnation is not far distant.