EXPERTS NEEDED

Hokitika Guardian, 24 July 1931, Page 5

EXPERTS NEEDED

VALUE OF RESEARCH

DR. MARSDEN’S ADDRESS

WELLINGTON,. July 22

That New Zealand’s need to-day was more experts in industry, was the opinion expressed at the half-yearly meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce last evening by the Director of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research; Dr E. Marsden. New Zealand, he said, in the past; had aimed at educating the masses instead of turning out experts who could lie depended uponto control industry. • If the Dominion is to hold her place during the next tew years of low prices, said Dr. Marsden, she would not only have to improve her products, but start .fresh industries, and there must be trained and expert men to see that- these new industries had a. chance of succeeding.. There had been tod much of hit-and-miss methods, in the past, he said.

Much had been done to improve production by better grasses and fertilisers, but in. spite of this we had allowed our cheese to deteriorate. Borrowed money had kept men in work, continued Dr. Marsden, but now that the loans were no longer available there was unemployment. Someone should have seen this sooner, There were many ways in which work could he provided in this country. Much might be done by an extengsioti of" the flax growing industry. The trouble was that research was a slow process, and manufacturers did not always pull together. When money was required for research, t lie re was usually some who would "rat.” It might be a good thing if there were not so many small industries in' the Dominion. They heard a gGod deal about Government, interference with business, but there must he co-operat-ion between the Government and the manufacturers if anything like successwas to he attained. Those industries which had associated themselves with the Government had resulted in good to both parties,. .

Before new industries-could he started, there must be fundamental spadework by experts, concluded. Dr. , Marsden. He instanced the strides which., the sugar industry'had made in Java as the result of research, and stated that many things such as sheep-dip, could be manufactured in the Dominion if they had the men for the job. All that was'needed was co-operation, sympathy, and a little patience.