SCIENCE CONGRESS

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20718, 31 January 1939, Page 9

SCIENCE CONGRESS

RETURN OF DELEGATES CO-OPERATIVE RESEARCH EXCHANGE OF WORKERS (By Telegraph.—Press Association) WELLINGTON, Monday Problems of mutual Interest to New fealand and Australia, including the' Jbvelopcnent of a plan for the exchange f scientific research workers, were scussed by the chairman of the New tealand Council of Scientific and Infostrial Research, Professor H. G. lenham, with the Commonwealth (ouncil of Scientific and Industrial Refearch in Sydney recently. Professor Denham, who is professor of chemistry nt Canterbury Univerty College, was a New Zealand deleate to the science congress in Canerra. He returned to Wellington toay hv the Awatea. Associated with frofessor Denham at the discussions tere the director of the Cawthron InItitate. Sir Theodore Rif**, and Mr F. 1. Brogan, of the Department of tcicntiflc and Industrial Research, who nso attended the congress. Problems of Mutual Interest In an interview Professor Denham laid the proposal for the exchange of fesearch workers was an extension of ( principle already in operation at the Dairy Research Institute, where an Australian representative had been Irtively engaged in research problems fa butter for the past three years. “The agreement we have is that Inhere there are problems of mutual nterest to the two countries the main Attack will be made in the country which is most interested in the problem. *’ Professor Denham said. “The |ther country is to co-operate by puling one nr more workers Into the )eam. Results, of coiu\se, are to be Available to both countries. The idea fc to secure a really greater return for the money spent in the two counties by preventing unnecessary dupliatlon and intensifying the whole proramme. (Animal Research "One cannot hut he Impressed by he highly-effleient team of workers chich Australia has got together dealng with many phases of animal relearch in the McMaster Laboratory tnd its field station. It Is doing exsremely fine work on such problems Is sterility in stock, which is of trehendous Importance to the dairy formers of New Zealand/' Professor Denham said It was hoped Jhat before an Intensive campaign was ■eveloped in New Zealand effective fo-ordinatlon with Australian work f’ould he effected. One could not hut e impressed by the extreme readiness with which the executive of the Australian Council of Scientific and Industrial Research was prepared to reciprocate to the fullest extent in developing such a plan of campaign. Commonwealth Council The Commonwealth Council, he said, held in very high esteem in the Iclentiflc world in Australia. One eould see that its results had been luch that it now commanded the support of all political parties and that meant the support bf all the people. At a recent session bf Parliament a capital grant for btiildhgs of £250,000 had been passed without a single dissentient vote In etiher House. t “An important point of difference between Australia's organisation and bur own lies in the executive, which. In the Commonwealth, has power to Implement all its resolutions,” said Professor Denham. “It is more than f. mere advisory body. In New Zeaand the organisation is advisory, although in a large measure our resoluJons have generally been put into Iractice.” SOIL CONSERVATION AUSTRALIA’S MEASURES (By Telegraph—Press Association) WELLINGTON, Monday “The importance of soil conservation is now being realised in Australia and steps are being taken to conserve soil by afforestation, by limitaV tion of stock on dry pasture areas and I ' by river control measures like those that are necessary here in New Zealand,” said the director of the Cawthron Institute, Nelson, Sir Theodore r Rigg. in ap interview to-day on his return by the Awatea after attending the recent science congress in Canberra. “ One of the most valuable opportunities the congress provided was that it enabled r.e to meet my colleagues in agricultural science in Australia,” Sir' Theodore said. “On the animal side agricultural science In Australia is becoming quite strongly organised and it is certainly very necessary for New Zealand to take up work on a comparable scale. It is partly a question of finance and partly of organisation, requiring expert assistance/’