The Dominion WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1917. SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 37, 7 November 1917, Page 6

The Dominion WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1917. SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY

The roport on the organisation of scientific and industrial research presented to Parliament shortly before tho end of tho session is an interesting and valuable paper. Jt contains much useful information legarding the effort*} "which aro beiug made in various parts of tho British Empire, ana in the United States, to apply - moro thoroughly than over bofore the methods and discoveries of modern science to tho chief branches of trade and industry. It gives a comprehensive sketch of schemes which have already been adopted, and contains somo well-considered suggestions for further developments in tho same direction in tho near future. Science is now coming to its own. The war has shown lis with convincing power that science is capable of playing a tremendously import, ant part in tho practical evorydaj.' life of men and of nations. Bofore tho war tho peoples of the British, Empiro rendered abundant lip service to science, but they wero slow to give it tho high place it deserved in business and commerce. They wero too much inclined to regard it as a wonderful toy. Thoy marvelled at its discoveries, but found it difficult to beliovo that is could roally help them in the great commercial war they wore waging in for the world's markets. The general opinion seemed to bo that scientific research was a matter for

tho univorsities. Tho idea that no large manufacturing business could

bo considered as adequately equipped unless a trained and qualified expert in scientific research was a regular member of its staff was not readily accepted. For years past Germany has been an example to us in this respect, but wo have been strangely unwilling to profit by tho object-lesson sho has given us, showing tho enormous yalue of the direct application of science to industry. When the war broke out the Germans made it only too plain thai) they roalised that it was possiblo to make science as potent a factor in war as in peace. The British Empire, fortunately, was able to command tho services of the best scientists in the world, and as soon as they settled down to war work they proved that they could do everything that tho German scientists could do, and could do most things better. Tho war has made us realise that what science can do to help the Empiro to win the war it can also do to help us to hold our own in tho great commercial struggle which will begin in deadly earnest as soon as the Allies have beaten the Central Powers on tho battlefields. The report of Mr. Hogben and Mb. J. Allan Thomson makes it

clear that the British Government

recognises that the work ol organising scientific and industrial research must not be postponed until the war is over. It must be commenced now, and it is of tho utmost importance that the start should be made on the right lines, so that whatever schemes may be adopted will be capable of development and expansion in accordance with tho needs of the future. An Advisory Council was sot up in Britain in 1915, and requested to make proposals for instituting specific researches, for establishing or developing.special institutions or departments of existing institutions for tho scientific study of problems affecting particular industries and'trades; and for

the establishment and award of research studentships and fellowships. For the first year of the council's operations £26,000 was voted, and the first annual report shows that aid "was givon to eleven researchos already in progress and to nine new researches. The voto for tho second year (1916-17) was £40,000, but during this period tho Government established .the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, and tho appropriation took an amended form. For salaries, wages,, and al-

lowanccs £7250 was set apart; for travelling and incidental expenses, £800; grants for investigations carried out-by learned ana scientific societies, £24,000; grants to student* and other persons engaged in research, £6000; scientific and industrial research (grant in aid) £1,000,000. The last-mentioned sum is to be paid to the Imperial Trust for the Encouragement of Scientific and Industrial Research, and is intended to cover expenditure for the r.ext five years. The advantages of co-operation between the Mother Country and the overseas Dominions for the more thorough development of tho resources of the Empire have long been recognised, and the publication of the British proposals naturally caused public men in various parts of the .Empire to ask whether it would not be- possible to expand the scheme and make it applicable to the whole Empire. In response to representations made, by the Governments _ of New South Wales and Victoria, the British authorities agreed to the suggestion for an Imperial scheme, and invited' each of the Dominion Governments to constitute some body or agency having functions similar to those of the Advisory Council which acts for the United Kingdom. Tho opinion was expressed that any body or agency that might bo established should have really responsible functions and substantial authority, and that a close connection should be established between it and the public education system and institutions of the country concerned. As a result of the action of the British Government, advisory councils were set up in Australia, Canada, and South Africa to work in consultation and co-operation with the British Council. The Imperial scheme has been carefully considered by tho Government of New Zealand and by several of our scientific institutions. Dr. Thomson placed bofore the Minister of Internal Af- ' fairs a comprehensive schemo for the organisation of research, including a now Department of Sciencc and Industry, an Advisory Council, and a Research Institute. These proposals were considered by the Government as too ambitious to be brought into operation during the war, and a simpler scheme wast sought. Some valuable suggestions have since been made by the Now Zealand Institute, the General Council of Education, and ffib Wellington Philosophical Society. The problem now is to evolve a sound, workablo scheme, applicable to the special needs and resources of this Dominion, out of the wealth of ideas and suggestions which have been placed beforo the Government.

The order of refcrcnco of the National Efficiency Board included the duty of inquiry as to tho advisabil-

ity of adopting improved methods for_ the instruction and technical training of workers, with a view tc securing more cflicicnt service, and generally as to the necessity'for further technical education, and foi scientific research with respect tc tho maintenance, development, or establishment of industries. It is also part of tho duty of the board to inquire as to the advisability of establishing new industries in New Zealand, or of developing existing industries whether during or after tho war. The board requested the Now Zealand Institute, in conjunction with other scientific men, to deviso a schemo that would provido a, maximum of efficiency with a minimum of overlapping or duplication of scientific work. As soon as tho institute's report is received tho Government ought to take definite action. Hasty and ill oorißiderod measures are, of courso, to be deprecated, but tho time for actually doing things ought not to be indefinitely postponed., Tho problom that has to be solved is a very big one, hut it is imperatively necessary to find a solution in tho near, future. Tho British Government has set the rest of the Empire a good example. In spite of the tremendous strain of war it has given «■ great deal of attention to the whole question of aducation from, the point of view of national efficiency in tho broadsst sense. The British Government recognises that if tho Empire is to progress as it might and should do, ind maintain and improve tho commanding position it holds in the world, it must accept, freely and fully, the help that science is offering it so lavishly. Tho results of tho comparatively small _ efforts which have alroauy been tried are now beginning to bo seen, and they are encouraging indications of the vastly greater things that may bo jxpectea when tho new scheme of scientific research has been fully developed. Tho second annual report of tho British Dopartraont of Scientific and Industrial Ecsearch announces that thrco new_ kinds ot optical glass have been disooverod; a new, hard porcelain from British materials has been produced; researches into tho recovery of tin ire expected to savo tho Cornish industry £30,000 a year; and investigations rogarding light alloys, such as aluminium, zinc, and copoar, havo been commenced which may have important results as regards tho manufacture of flying marines. A good deal of useful if unostentatious research work •is it present going on in Now Zealand. During the recent session of Parliament the Minister of Infernal Amaihs stated _ that one of ;ho Government had been liaking investigations which would orobably prove of very great value x> tho kauri gum industry. But jur scientific research work must be thoroughly organised and widely attended before it can be truthfully said that the systematic developnent of tho resources of the Dominon has been plaoed on broad, sound, md fruitful foundations.