MINERAL RESOURCES

Hokitika Guardian, 22 April 1922, Page 4

MINERAL RESOURCES

WORK 0E THE IMPERIAL BUREAU LONDON, Feb. 28. “Before the war, Germany had organised investigation to such an extern that • her people knew not only the mineral resources of the German Empire, but. the resources of other countries as well.” This statement was made by Professor AY. T. Gordon, a governor of the Imperial Mineral Resources Bureau, at a lecture given zefore members of the Royal Colonial Institute. His subject was the bureau and the work it has undertaken, and perhaps it was this incidental statement more than others which showed to necessity for some central body of this kind if the Empire is to make full use of her natural resources and compete satisfactorily with the other countries of the world.

New Zealand, along with the otlier Dominions and colonies of the Empire, contributes to the upkeep ot this organisation, and perhaps it is well sometimes that those who are chiefly responsible for the results should remind the public that it is something liiore than a distributor of technical inlormation. In the first place, and this the lecturer was at pains to emphasise, it is not a Government Department, Hut

an Imperial body supported by a subsidy from the British Government and by contributions from overseas Governments. The bureau was brought into existence during the war, alter consultation with the various Dominions and with India, its object being to collect. co-ordinate, and disseminate information ; to ascertain the existing agencies for obtaining such information and 1o prevent overlapping; to advise in what wav the existing agencies could be improved; and to advise on the mineral developments and the mineral resources of the Empire. Professor Gordon explained how the information was .collected and co-ordin-ated. Throughout the Empire there are 150 agents and representatives. The bureau is also ill touch with the geological departments of all the universities and with technical associations in every country. In England there arc twelve governors, and four standing committees —an Intelligence and Publications Committee, a General Purposes and Financial Committee, and a Legal Committee. Sir James Allen is one of the governors and represents New Zealand. Information is collected from the correspondents, and reports on various subjects are sot down in typewrite* il form and sent out to the members of various sub-commit tecs specially qualified to deal with the particular subjects. After a fortnight the copies of the report are sent hack with alti rations, corrections, and suggestions. The permanent stuff again go through the icport and incoipoiate the experts’ opinions and corrections, and then it is sent to the printer. In pageproof form flic leports are again sent out to the experts, and further corrections and suggestions are made. Then follows a round-table conference of the members of the sub-committee, and thus, to each subject is brought the opinion mid knowledge not only of produce) s in all parts of the Empire, hut of the inamifaclurers, and of those interested in the subject from an aca- j hemic noiuL of view.

Prolessor Gordon gave some illuminating examples of how Ibis pooling ol knowledge had cleared away many difficulties and misnimlcrslaiulingS, and certainly it must be acknowledged that 1 lie system should ensure the most accurate of commercial knowledge being disseminated throughout the Empire hv means of the published reports.

The quesiion naturally arises whether such a comprehensive system could not be applied to other lesources ol the Empire. It may he mentioned that none outside the permanent stall is a salaried official, hut the expert committees noverl lieless bring an enthusiasm to their work which poiluips is not always to he found ill well-paid Government Departments.