A NEW ZEALAND FAULT

Hokitika Guardian, 8 September 1927, Page 4

A NEW ZEALAND FAULT

‘TOO LAZY TO LOOK FOR JOB.”

AUCKLAND, Sept. G.

“The bright young men you arc training in the University are not staying in New Zealand. I meet New Zealanders in good jobs all over the world. I am not arguing in favour of turning the universities into industrial' laboratories, but the men in the universities are the ones who can help industry.” This is the opinion of Dr M. A. Hunter, Professor of Electro-Metallurgy at tho Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the United States, who addressed the Auckland Chemical Society on the general question of the application of science to industry. Dr Hunter, who has been in the United States for the past twenty years, graduated at Auckland University College, and is therefore in a position to present the point of view of both the American and the New Zealander on the matter of calling in the scientist to aid the manufacturer.

“ The old English tradition was that the scientist was a man who was abovo industry,” said Dr Hunter. “That was prohabfv based on tbe case of Faraday, but the greater number of men are not Faradays. While most of us like to he scientists and dwell apart, wo are driven by economic necessity to have something to do with industry. That old tradition never, I think, became very deeply rooted in the United States, and one of the reasons for the success of American industry was that it realised what science could do for it. The training of the youth of America is based on that idea. Certain advantages were to be gained by encouraging professors in universities to turn tlieir attention to industrial research.

“ T do not consider that 1 have prostituted the science in which T am working, or that I lowered my dignity in any way hy having contact with industry, although I would have thought so at one time,” said the lecturer. “ The trouble, as I see it, in New Zealand is that industrialists are not being educated to tho necessity for employing chemists,” said Dr Hunter in the course of the discussion that foll'owcd his address. “ How to go about that may be a hard problem. The question is for you. T am inclined to think that the fault is with the scientist. Ife wants to do some evangelical work. When you go into a restaurant you are asked, ‘ What will you have? ’ and you reply ‘ What have you got?’ It is the same in this instance. The industrialist wants to know what you have got, and you have to tell him. You want someone with what you would call ‘ Yankee push ’ to start it. It seems to me that the New Zealander is too lazy to look for a job, or, if he has one, he is too lazy or too indifferent to develop anything out of it.” Professor P. F. Worley: Ho is toe well off. Tlie American youth was not satisfied with a little money, said Dr Hunter. He did not chase the “almighty dollar” in order to have tho dollar, hut for the sake of what it would bring him in return.

“ It is our laziness which has failed to develop the mineral resources ot New Zeai'and, although the universities are turning out men competent to do tho work,” remarked a member of the audience.

“ Then, as far as agriculture is concerned. we have no definite soil surveys. \Ye have been too well off to worry much,” said Professor Worley. While farming flourished no effort was made to secure scientific control, but when hard times came tho aid ot science was sought. The Professor added that he considered the dairying industry in New Zealand to-day furnished a good example of the benefit science was to industry.