INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16141, 20 February 1918, Page 10

INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION.

I 'OST- WA R PR OR I.K.MS. Tin? Canterbury Industrial Association met last night. Mr A. W. Jamie.son, the president, occupied the chair, and there was n moderate attendance of members. Jt was decided to hold the annual meet in}; in April. Alter the disposal of a little routine business the meeting proceeded to discuss certain post-war problems that were considered to be of moment. I SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. In the absence of Mr L. Bivks, Mr G. H. Hoiford read a paper on his behalf on the question of set tin;; up a committee of research in the Dominion. The writer asserted that the necessity of .enlisting tho services of science in the industrial field was a crying need. In tho past the scientist had been regarded as nioro or less of a faddist, and lie had been confined to the less expensive "tools," such as the retort and the test tube. Notv there was a decided reaction in regard to the connexion between science and industrial ! pursuits, and there seemed to be' a chance that the scientist would be able | to work with the more expensive tools, such as the lathe, tho traction engine, the automobile, and the threshing machine, which were equally the tools of science. There was no particular mystery about tho science which was demanding such recognition. Science was simply an exact and full knowledge of the facts, and all the facts associated with any - particular matter under consideration. That was all it was, and the avoidance of scientific investigation by the British industrialist in tho past had been, in the ultimate analysis, due only to sheer laziness— an indolent dread of the hard work and steady concentration required to ascertain and master all tho facts associated with his business. The converse to scientific knowledge was tlic- so-called popular or incomplete knowledge—a thing to be dreaded by the industrialist like a mad dog. A really useful scientific knowledge could only be attained by hard work, thorough study at home, in the workshop, in the lecture room and laboratory, and In working societies for the special studv of special subjects. Scientific knowledge should be in the hands of every industrialist, but the opportunity of attaining it was not now available to every man as it should be-. If it was taken in hapd properly, it would probably.result in. the.discovery of new industries, new processes, and fresh markets. The industries of New Zealand were, in the main, managed by keen'and capable men, but they had not the time to devote to scientific research. A complete staff of men capable of scientific research could not be maintained by any but the greatest of New Zealand industries—such as the | freezing works—but he thought that by I cooperation between Dominion indus-1 tries, the colleges, and the Government ] Departments, under some such scheme ! as-that set up in Great Britain, a re-i search committee could be organised j which would attain extremely valuable j results. Of course, tho setting up of! tho committee would not result in an industrial millennium, but they might do a little better than they were uow doing, and that little would be well worth while. After a little discussion, a committee, | consisting of Messrs Iveir. Ollivier, Bjrks, Hoiford.- and Black. was set up with a view to co-operating with the Committer! already appointed bv the New Zealand Institute, the National Efficiency Board, und the local Philosophical Institute. BANK OF COMMERCE. Sir H. P. Goodsir spok c on tho establishment of a banli of commerce and industries, for the purpose of financing and extending tho industries and commerce of the country. His main argument was that, as the expansion of industries had a vital connexion with the solid prosperity of a country, it was a weak proposition to allow industries to languish for the want of capital, which might have been avail- ! able had a properly organised indus- i trial bank been established. With the money that would be available from ! institutions such as these —which had j been successfully established in other coun tries —those willing to conduct new businesses or extend old ones could be helped, the bank itself would benefit, and the country also. CITY AND PORT. Mr J. R. Havward's subject was the necessity of better communication between Christchurch and the sea.' At the present time, and for many years also, the city had laboured under very severe disabilities in its communication with the sea. A sentence in the report of the Canal Commission, which referred to the great congestion .n

goods traffic, lioth at Cliristohu rcli ,tnd Lyttelton, was enough to prove the handicap under which the manufacturing community of Cbristchurch laboured in having such an. inconvenient and inadequate method \of handling goods to and from th© port. Though the report had been made in 1912. right up to the present time the Kailway Dejpartmenb bad done little or nothing to alleviate the trouble. He thought this showed that the Railway Department was not serious in the conduct of its business, and until something was done, the industries of Christchurch could never expand to their full capacity. The speaker said that Mr ' H. S. Bourn, of the Chamber of ComI mcrce, had expounded a scheme for a I motor road to Lyttelton through 'tho [ hills, and lie considered that tin's was i a rather better proposition than the ■ canal scheme, as we had cheap and amplo electric power for motor purI poses. He considered that the best I thing they could do at present would ' be to push forward the idea of a good motor road from Christchurch to Lyttelton. the project being, in his opinI ion. of equal-importance with the com-, plction of the Otira tunnel, so far as forwarding the interests of the Canterbury industrial world was con'cerncd. ! In the idiscussion.' which followed, a I good deal of support was given to the j canal scheme, but the motor road proposition seemed more popular, its chief I critics being Mr W. AV. Charters and |Mr .T. A. Frostick, who, while admitting that the work could bo done, considered that the space available at Lyttelton was not- enough to allow of large .numbers of motor vehicles working and handling cargo and goods at that end of the road. Mr Frostick considered that the electrification of the tunnel was a very feasible proposition, which, if done, would relieve the pressure considerably, though ho believed that sooner or later .Christchurch must have direct communication with the sea. Referring to the question of scienti- ' fic research and the establishment of commercial banks. Mr Frostick indicated that the importance of both subjects had not escaped the notice of the National Efficiency Board, which had made- investigations into, and recommendations upon iboth subjects to the Government. The chief speakers of the evening ] were accorded a hearty vot© of thanks, . and the meeting 'terminated.