The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1931. VALUE OF RESEARCH.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 October 1931, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1931. VALUE OF RESEARCH.

’(The remarkable advances that have been made in industries as the result of scientific research was referred to by Bt. H. G, Denham of Canterbury College in the course of ’ a recent address, He referred to chance discoveries of the past, but stated that the world to-day was faced with problems fraught with dire peril to civilisation, problems of a social economic and industrial nature, which could no longer be isolated within the bounds of any one State, but in these days of internationalism must have their repercussions throughout the civilised world. He said that rationalisation was really a type of industrial policy based upon exact methods of science as applied to industry. This involved scientific research upon materials and machinery as well as the scientific re-planning of a business concern both as regards its managerial and its financial organisation. It appeared to him as a layman that the trend of modem British life was breaking down the traditional British habit of isolation- and independence. The spirit of co-operation between former rivals was coming more and more into evidence, thus leading to more effective control of sources of supply and of markets in general. The ranid development which the industrial world of the United States had experienced during the past two or three decades was generally attributed to the organising ability of a few supermen of the Ford type, but there was another factor of equal importailce_the intense application of science found in her factories. Particulars of a number of large industries which owed their development to the application of science were given by the speaker. Not only had America spent profusely in research of a private nature, but she had been even more prodigal in her expenditure on public or semi-public research programmes. ■ It is now some years since the Govern- , m ent of New Zealand first turned its attention to the application of. science to industry, and under the control of Dr. Marsden as permanent secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research has already contributed its quota towards the ertswhile prosperity of the Dominion, but before considering avenues along which 1 this Department may be expected to benefit industry, may T draw your attention to another method by which 1 the business community may derive scientific assistance —the use of our University Colleges. In each of the four large centres there is situated a reasonably well-equipped University (College, each of them ready and wil-

ling, to do its best to afford help to the community. That help is, of course, sadly restricted by the heavy harden of teaching and lecturing laid upon the staff; for example, the ratio of staff to students in many of the science deparments is about one to fifty-live, whilst in Australia, England and America it averages about one to fifteen, or even less. This regrettable fact arises from the very limited resources at the disposal of the controlling authorities. Speaking of the position of a government in- relation to the scientific control of industry, Dr. Denham -said that as a rule one resented undue interference with private enterprise, hut there were certain aspects of this matter which might justify such interference. In this connection he referred to the work of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research in New Zealand and to the activities of the research stations in Great Britain. New Zealand, he said, was far too small a country to he in me position to set up large institutes for fundamental long-range work > except in problems which were peculiarly her own. A much better proposition was for a small technical staff to watch such developments abroad, /and to pass cm the information to tho r e interested locally. One the other hand, institutes founded by co-operative effort of those concerned, working under the aegis of the Scientific and Industrial Research Department, held out an element of real hope. The trade research associations which had been founded at Homo had already done yoeman service in many branches of industry.