The Daily News TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1904. PROFESSOR RUTHERFORD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 273, 22 November 1904, Page 2

The Daily News TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1904. PROFESSOR RUTHERFORD.

The high honour conferred on Professor Ernest -Rutherford by the Royal Society must be a cause of pleasure to all New Zfealanders, and tin encouragement to all our aro/bitious students. Tlmt such distinctions in themselves are of no intrinsic value detracts in no degree from the credit which attaches to them, but rather enhances it. As the literary genius, Milton, has said,

"Fame is the spur which the clear spirit doth raise To scorn delights and live laborious days,"

and no man can be other than highly gratified when his Contemporaries recognise his merits by .such distinctions as they can bestow. Professor Rutherford is only thirty-three years of age, and therefore the period of his original work has been comparatively brief, lie has not had long- to wait for the world's recognition of his abilities, and in that respect is more fortunate than many of; his equally great predecessors. That he should have done so much in such an early stage of his career certainly marks him as a genius. Exactly constitutes genius is hard to define, but if it be no more, as (Jar)yle has said, than "an infinite capacity for

taking pains" it is none the less a quality which comes to only one in mill:. The uncommon intellectual power accompanied by persistent ardour for work which enables a man to push himself rapidly to world fame is no mere chalice product. As Galton has shown in his gtrwrt work on "Hereditary Genius" eminence of intellect is a result of the meeting in parents of certain Qualities, which, though tlioy may have gone personally unrecognised by the world, haw yet their reward in the distinction of a great child. More philosophically practical than the European race the people of China have long had the custom of rewarding the merit of the son by honouring the parents who guve his abilities to the world. Though we wpke no out-wnrd manifestations of a similar kind, enlightened sentiment among us must always attribute honour to the parents of a great son. It is therefore a source of pride to the people of New Zealand to reflect that among our oivn small commuaity we have had the honour to number those who have given the workl an intellectual giant. It must also be counted to the credit of our educational institutions. and particularly to Canterbury College, that, without many of the facilities 01 okl world centres of learning, t'hey yet sent out a young 'man so mentally equipped as to be able almost immediately to take a place among the most eminent scientific men of a scientilic age. Professor Rutherford's work in original research began in Ivis student days, before he had left this country, and wisely specialising and concentraiting) his splendid powers on the investigation of the phenomena of radioactivity, he has in a few years produced results of the most momentous importance. Through a long series of original experiments he has arrived at exact conclusions, which are set forth in his book 011 "Kadio-ac-jtivity" a work which the Nestor of British physicists, Lord Kelvin, has characterised as "wonderful, and-full

of marvellous fad." Not only does this great work t-mjbbciy jnagnificivivt and exact inductions, but it suggests hypotheses of the most farreaching consequence—theories which if subsequently confirmed must set the scientiJic work! working on entirely new lines of thought. Though I'rofessor Kutherford was already at work on the subject of ru'dio-activity previously to Madame Curie's great discovery of radium, that discovery rapidly cleared the way foe his best work, ami his genius was not slow lo seize upon tile opportunity. The differentialion of the modes of action of radium are due (o the keen insighl .iii.l rare e\|)erimenlal skill of i'rofessor Rutherford and his assistant, Mr Soddy. Jt is chiefly in rei cognition of the work done in these i investigations that tile Kumford medal, which perpetuates the fame of Count Huml'ord, another great scientist of past times, has (been conferred on I'rofessor Rutherford. Tlis rapid achievement of work of the highest distinction is, as we lmve said, J a credit lo himself, to his parents, and lo those concerned in educating I him for his great work. That in a world where thousands of ardent investigators are continuously at work a young' New ZJealander should have so soon araiiuired tile highest fame, shows, as the American man of'ibVisiitcss says, that "there is always ■ room at the top." That I'rofessor Rutherford may go on to greater [heights, and conlinue lo benelit the world, and win yet wider fame by the brilliancy of his powers must be the least wish of everyone of his countrymen, as well a.s the greater world abroad, a large measure of whose honour he so well deserves and has so early won.