SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15750, 17 November 1916, Page 2

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.

vTHE PROPOSED CONFERENCE JOURNAL TO BE PUBLISHED. Replying to a reporter's question on the subject, the Hon. G. W. Russell, Minister of Internal Affairs, stated yesterday that matters connected with the proposed conference o n the subject of science and industry had reached the stage that he hoped soon to have a preliminary conference between himself and the Minister of Mines and Agriculture (Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald), and the Minister of Education (Hon. J. A. Hanan). The proposals for submission to this preliminary conference were ready, but pressure, of Departmental work had, so far, prevented the Ministers getting together. The conference originally proposed, in respect to which Mr Rus f sell communicated "some time ago u'ith Professor Benham, president of the New Zealand Institute, would be held after the preliminary one. On the subject of scientific research Mr Russell said that at a meeting of the Standing Committee of the New Zealand Institute last week, it was decided to submit to him three proposals in connexion with the vote made bv Parliament for scientific research. These three proposals, which were forwarded by the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury to the Standing Committee were: (1) Research in connexion with the discovery of phosphatic rocks m the provincial district of Canterbury ; (2) in connexion with the cool storage of fruit and as to its effect on the keeping quality of fruit, and (3) in connexion with experiments in electricity as a means of warding off damage by frost to orchards. Mr Russell stated that these proposals would be handed over to three separate investigators, who would, during the coming season, carry out their research studies in connexion with them. Th o Minister has approved of the necessary expenditure being undertaken from the Government vote, and the matter of making the arrangements for the research has been left in the hands of the Standing Committee of the New Zealand Institute. "The Minister expects that other proposals for scientific research will be made, and these will be considered immediately they are received:

"A new departure i s to take place in connexion with science in New Zealand," the Minister added, "in the form of tlxe publication of a quarterly journal. It will be devoted especially to the publication of information dealing with science in New Zealand, and the heads of Government Departments which deal with scientific methods will supply papers for publication in the journal which have been approved by their respective Ministers instead, or being, as at present, included in departmental reports. It is intended to utilise the journal for the purpose of disseminating information amongst scientific men and even amongst amateur scientists and t 0 do for pure and applied science what is d.one for the farmers, the pastoralists and the dairymen of New Zealand bv the 'Journal of the Department of Agriculture.'" ;