REPORT

Hokitika Guardian, 26 May 1926, Page 4

REPORT

’ OF SIR FRANK HEATH

ON ORGANISATION OF SCIENTIFIC ANI) INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH IN NEW ZEALAND. Sir Frank Heath has submitted a lengthy report -to the Hon. Prime Minister of which the following is a summary of the principal recommendations A new Department of Scientific and Industrial Research should lie established by Act of Parliament under the charge of the Prime Minister. The functions of the Department should be:—(1) To encourage scientific research and to organise its application to the primary and secondary industries.

(2) To maintain and administer (a] The Geological Survey; (b) The -Magnetic Survey; (c) The Meteorological Office; (d) The Hector Observatory (o) The Samoan Scientific Service ; (f; A .Laboratory for Standards and Tests, to include the present Dominion Laboratory (State Analyst’s Deportment), the Laboratory of the Public AVurks Department and Alain Highways Board, the testing laboratories of the Railway Department, .and such other local provision for similar work as may Ire thought desirable; ((g) Such other State laboratories as may hereafter he transferred to it; (h) Such special institutes as may hereafter lie established by Government for the application of science to the primary or secondary

industries. (Ill) To advise Government on scion

tilie policy. (IV) To hold and administer land and other property (whether under trust or not for the promotion of scientific or industrial research).

The Department should include an Advisory Council of not more than six memltcrs, who should not he Go\ernment officials, to he appointed by the Prime Minister after consultation with the National Research Council of New Zealand when this body has been established, and pending its establishment with the New Zealand Institute. The Chairman of the Council should he appointed by the Prime Minister and receive a salary for his part time services. The members ol the Council should receive a yearly honorarium and they should seek written ktwe of absence from the Chnidmnn from the Council

meetings. The Council should meet monthly with the usual recesses. The Chairman and members of Iho Council should he appointed in the first instance for 4 'years and retire thereafter according to a rota. The. Chairman and members of the Council and members of the Committees charged with the scientific supervision of laboratories, services or institutes under the administration ol the Department should receive the travelling and subsistence allowances usual in the public services. The quorum of the Council should be three.

The powers and dutio* of the Council should be:— (T) To consider and report to the Prime .Minister upon the scientific 'aspects of all proposals made to the Department for the encouragement of scientific research or the organisation of industrial research from whatever source they may arise; and to initiate such proposals themselves if they think lit.

(II) To submit annually to the Prime Minister a programme of the work, with the. estimates of cost for each, ol the scientific establishments under the control of the Department together with detailed estimates of all moneys proposed to he expended by the Department in grants to individuals otto outside bodies. (HI) The Council shall also have the power of rendering advice to the Prime A] ini star mi the scientific aspects of any proposals made, by other Departments affecting the scientific or industrial interests of the people. (IV) The Council may appoint such committees as they think fit. The permanent Secretary of the Department should he Secretary of the Council.

The several Departments of State concerned in any aspect of scientific work should nominate their Chief Administrative Officer to act as Assessor at I lie meetings ol the Advisory ( ouucil. An Assessor should receive the agenda panel- and minutes of-all ordinary meetings of the Council, and should have power to attend and Lake part in the. proceedings of the Council but not to vote. The Scientific Laboratories, ,Services and Institutes administered by t'-c Department should he under the .onmediate scientific* sHipervision of special Committees (appointed by the Council) who shall submit annual programmes of work togetner with estimates oi cast, for the recommendation of the Council to the Prime Alinister. Ti.c Committees of scientific supervision for Institutes should consist of (a) Representatives of science, (b) Scientific members of the appropriate Departments of State, :.md (e) representatives of the industry concerned nominated by the appropriate Board of Control for the industry where such a Board exists. The Department should forthwith appoint Committees to work out plans for and subsequently supervise .scientifically the .proposed laboratory of Standards and Tests, research into the transport of meat and fruit, into fuel and into forestry and forest products, fn making their plans the utmost use should he made of local facilities. The Government should invite a forester of the highest standard to visit the Dominion, survey the whole position of forestry, both native Hush and planted areas, and report as to the feasibility of a more extended forward policy. The first institute to he established should he that for dairying on the site of the proposed College of Agriculture.

The Department should encourage and aid the formation of co-operative research organisations by the Secondary Industries.

The Department should establish a section of Records under the Perma- | rent Secretary and a section for comi piling .and publishing a comprehensive catalogue ol all scientific hooks, pamphlets and journals in the public and, so far as possible, the private libraries of the Dominion. The Department should establish a central lending land reference library of scientific books and publications not found or available in existing libraries. The executive of the Department should consist, of a Permanent Secretary. of administrative experience and capacity and of such subordinate staff as may he necessary. The secretaries of the Special Supervisory Committees of laboratories, services and institutes ■and their executive officers should be members of the Executive Staff of the Department. The funds now available for National Research Scholarships should be transferred to the Department as part of a total provision of £2,000 a year for grants to students training in research and for grants to assist independent research work. , , . .. A National Research Council of New Zealand should bo established and affiliated to the International Research Council and a grant shouhl lie made to the National Research Council by the Government towards the cost of

the -necessary subscription on affiliation.

..The present grant to the New Zealand Institute should be continued and they should bo assisted to pay off their overdraft to the Government Printer and ho required thereafter to make their own arrangements for printing. Arrangements should be made between the Department and the Institute to prevent overlapping in the award of grants to individuals. Two technical field officers should be appointed to the Department of Industries nnd Commerce.

A well qualified scientific man should be attached to the High Commissioner’s Office in London to act as liaison officer between the official research oigunisations iafc Home and the New Department here. In contusion I desire to reord mj indebtedness to my Private Seretarv, Air T. J. Sherrard of the Department of the Public Service Commissioner, whose willing and quiet service has been of the greatest assistance to me not only throughout my journeys hut also in the preparation of tins report. PRIME MINISTER’S COMMENT PROPOSED GOVERN.MENT ACTION In dealing with the report by Sir Frank Heath on the “Organisation of Scientific and Industrial Research in New Zealand,” the Kit. Hon. the Prime Minister stated that it was generally recognised that feeling lias increasingly grown during the last few veai.s amongst progressive farmers and industrialists and others that the time had arrived for a better linking up of science with our national industries.

primary and secondary. Tt had also been recognised by Government that need existed for a central authority to exorcise control and to overlook the research work carried on by Government Departments; to suggest means for co-operation and coordination of the research work carried out by University Colleges, other Institutes, and private workers; to prevent overlapping, and to advise Government in the subsidising or endowment of research by grants, etc. The only agency undertaking any part of this work, other than research grants, at present is tho Board of Science and Art, hut that laxly. appointed primarily to control the Dominion Museum and Art Gallery, is obviously not the most, .suitable body to function ns a new Department. The difficulty which presented itself to Government, however, was to arrive at some practical method of reaching the objective. AVit.li this aim in view, a Committee of Scientific and Industrial Research, consisting of certain Heads of Government Departments and representatives of the Industrial Associations (''resided over hv Dr Afarsden. Assistant Director of Education). was formed early last year. While certain conclusions were arrived at, no definite programme was formulated by the Committee, the matter being held in abeyance pending visits to the Dominion by Sir Ernest Rutherford and Sir Frank Heath.

Sir Frank Heath is Head of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research in England, a Department specially created during the early stages of the AVer primarily to meet the national difficulties arising from the shortage of essential supplies previously secured from foreign .sources. On the occasion of hostilities it was realised that great, good would result in the work of reconstruction if the functions of the Department were enlarged, the success which had been obtained revealing more and more the necessity for the continued and systematic encouragement and organisation of scientific research in every phase of national life. Sir Frank Heath has been invited by the Commonwealth Government to enquire into the possibility of closer co-operation between Ipis Department' and similar organisations in Australia. and into the prosecution of .scientific research as it affected industry. Government felt ‘that opportunity should he taken of the visit of Sir Frank to Australia to ask the Home Authorities to he good enough to allow him to extend his visit to New Zealand, if only for a short time, so that we might have the advantage of his wide organising experience and knowledge.

■Considering the. short time spent in New Zealand by Sir Frank, the report is of great value, enunciating as it does broad -principles for the foundation of a far-sighted'policy in the mat-

ter of research. The report- has been carefully considered by Government, and immediate stops will he taken to give general effect to the recommendations which have been made, though in certain matters it " ill lie' necessary to obtain legislative sanction. The now organisation will ho constituted on. lines suggested bv Sir Frank Heath, and based largely on that followed in England in connec-

tion with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. The new Department will be entrusted with the better organisation of present Government scientific activities; it will aim at ensuring greater co-operation lietween existing scientific institutions with industries whose problems await solution, ifnd also at co-ordinating our activties with other units of the Empire in the solution of problems of common interest.

ft is not to he expected that the creation of this new Department will he a short cut to the millenium ; nor, as Sir Frank Heatli says, can extensive immediate results he looked for. In the first place, our supply of research workers fully competent to undertake immediately the problems awaiting solution is insufficient, and in the second place it is essential that there must he fostered a healthy spirit of eo-oporatinn amongst all concerned ; as has been said, the men of science, men of business, working men, professional and scientific societies, universities and colleges, local authorities and Government Departments all must he got together. ‘Teamwork’ is necessary to deal with the varied problems which arise, and "hir-h are too manifold nnd too complicated to he dealt with hv individual firms, associations, or Government Departments.

Sir Frank Heath’s report sets out the organisation for dealing with the problem, and I .think we can anticipate with good reason that our hopes will he fully justified by results, and that scientific research in this country will he placed on a sound educational and financial basis.

A long-sighted policy is the precedent and first essential to success. I propose therefore that the new Department will undertake as its first duty a careful review of the research work at present being carried out in the Universities and other research laboratories. Tt is essential for future progress that steps be taken tt> promote a full and regular interchange of information between the various research institutes on the methods and results of their experimental work; it will lead to concentration and economy of effort, and also of expenditure. The corner-stone of the whole structure of the new organisation is i research—organised research, and I am sure Government will have the whole-hearted'support, of the community in hoping that this stone will he well and truly ' ' ' ,

Government is concerned with the well-being of the people, and the'position immediately facing us is to ensure that they should be enabled not only to exist hut to prosper. Our wellbeing is largely dependent on the export and satisfactory disposal of our primary products. The secondary industries must not be overlooked; their operations are, however, largely confined to our internal market. Our efforts must in the main he directed to increasing the quantity and improving the quality of our primary products.

This problem, however, will not he near solution until producers generally recognise scientific research as essentially part and parcel of their oragnisation.

There is one particular matter to which special attention is drawn by Sir Frank Heath, viz., the creation of a new Agricultural College. The details in connection with the establishment of the College are practically finalised; and in connection with the establishment of the College the question arises as to the relation of the College to research. I intend to.refer at present, to one particular phase only, viz., that of the Dairy Ifidustry. Government fully recognises that, while very marked progress lias been made in Dairying on the instructional side, less lias been attempted on the scientific side than in the case of other industries.

Government has had under consideration the constitution of a special branch of the Department of Agriculture dealing solely with problems affecting the dairy industry. The proposal under consideration was to establish a special laboratory and staff at AVallaceville, "here the research -in dairying would be carried out in conjunction with the other activities of the Department.

T am, however, convinced that the proposal of Sir Frank Heath that this special work should be attached to tlio Central Agricultural College is the correct one, and immediate steps will he taken to give full effect to his recommendation.

One other matter referred to by Sir Frank Heath is that of a scientific .study of our fuel resources in relation to production and consumption. This matter was recently the subject of investigation by a special Committee, which dealt more particularly with the possibility of extending the uses of our coal supply by the Railway authorities. I am convinced that further special attention will need to lie directed to the use of our fuel supply to the best advantage, the pioper application of our various kinds of fuel to their appropriate purpose, and generally the adoption of the most economical and efficient means for the use of our fuel in industry. The matter has already received the attention of the Director of the Dominion Laboratory and the AI i nes 'Department, and a highly qualified officer of the staff of the Dominion Laboratory has been detailed to make investigations while visiting the United States and England.

’Phis matter is one of such great importance, and as I am advised our present facilities for research are .sufficient immediately to attack this problem, I propose to arrange that it shall receive the immediate attention of tlie new Department. ’

In so far as our Secondary Industries arc concerned, while I fully recognise that, there are certain matters in whicli scientific and industrial research is required T feel that the problem to he iacklcd in this Dominion is one more of investigation and adoption of improved processes and machine methods, lay-out, lighting, etc., rather than an expensive and extensive .campaign in the matter of scientific research. The main requirements are instruction and advice on technical matters of general importance, and the dissemination to manufacturers and others of technical information from overseas. In so far as there is a need for scientific research in the secondary industries. T ((insider that this can best he provided for by an extension of existing facilities. Provision will also require to lie made for the testing of raw materials and products in various stages of manufacture. Encouragement and assistance will, he given Tor the organisation of research associations in various trades and industries. Sir Frank suggests the appointment of technical field officers to the Department of Industries and Commerce, and I feel sure great benefit would result from the appointment of the ‘right man,’ not, merely to keep the Department advised as to difficulties experienced hut rather to keep manufacturers fully advised of the latest improved processes, and, where necessary. to instruct and advise them on modern factory organisation and practices.

The co-ordination under central ai; thoritv of the various scientific acti vities conducted hv Government wil lie given effect to as oarlv as po.s •sililc.

I look forward with confidence io the assistance and full co-operation of the Universities, since it is to the Universities that the country must primarily look for its scientific workers. Scientific research is a slow, long process, and a steady policy is far more important than an ambitious one. f cannot promise large grants for research in the immediate future. Tam convinced, however, that, from the viewpoint of’ the State, the expenditure of the public funds in the supervision arnf encouragement of .scientific research, particularly in its relation to primary industries, must prove an extiemoly profitable investment. As stated previously, the idea is to develop a policy, and having duo regard to the relative urgency of the problems requiring solution to do “first things first” ; to create a spirit of co-operation between farmers, industrialists, scientists, and others which will he helpful to all by increasing production and preventing waste.