SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY

Hokitika Guardian, 4 August 1926, Page 2

SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY

PRINCE OF WALES’ ADDRESS.

(Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.]

LONDON, Aug. 3

The Prince of Wales delivered the Presidential address at the British Association meeting at Oxford. After making an apology for addressing such an audience of experts, the Prince of AVales said that he proposed to recall the practical applications of science which he. had seen in peace and war and during his world and other tours, and particularly the aid which the state was rendering to scientific research.

The present debt of society to science, lie said, could be estimated by the fact that two million workers in Britain to-day were living on the brains of Michael Faraday, in conserjuence of Faraday’s discovery of benzine. which was the basis cf the dyeing industry, and the discovery of the laws of electrolysis.

The establishment of the Development Commission in 1908 had greatly strengthened the interaction between science and the state. The llotliamsted Station had now expanded, to cover the whole field of nutrition and disease iu plants. The Institutes dealing, with aspects of agriculture were not- only training their own farmers, but were forming a training ground for the agricultural experts required in the Dominions, in India and in tho colonies, which no longer had to look abroad for experts. At the Plant. Breeding Institute at Cambridge, Professor Sir Rowland Biffon had provided two . new .wheats, wherefrom the extra yield alone bad already repaid the whole expenditure upon agricultural research. Since then tho Institute had established investigations into potato disease and fruit tree pests. In connection with milk, also, there had been a most valuable reform. The rationing of cows had -alone increased tho yield of each cow from one hundred to two hundred gallons per year. The co-ordination of medical research, lias been of the greatest use.

The Prince of AVales instanced Canada’s gift of insulin to humanity, and the discovery of vitamins. The committee of the Privy Council for Scientific land Industrial Research, he said, now consisted of eleven Boards, to which thirty-six committees wore affiliated. There were also 20 Industrial Research Associations, under the supervision of an Advisory Council. Tho Food Investigation Board now directed other committees concerning meat, fruit, and vegetables preservation, while the National Physical Labo:(vtory was considering the refrigeration problems on "the Australian ships, along with the Low Temperature Research Station at Cambridge. Tho new attitude of the State towards the sciences, ho said, was bearing fine fruit in the Dominions. Nothing but good could come from contact between the overseas workers and British workers. The British Association sought to develop this. Not the lc/ist desirable feature of tho present meeting at Oxford was Hie large number of distinguished guests attracted, from overseas, to whom lie extended a most cordial welcome.