NEGLECT OF SCIENCE

Nelson Evening Mail, 18 September 1916, Page 2

NEGLECT OF SCIENCE

REMEDIAL MiOV EM.ENT. P-RQrTESSiORi SEGAR - S VIEWS'. •DOMINION'S BEST COURSE. DEVELOP AGRIGU LTURJE. The development of /applied science in the whole field of agriculture is the most practical course for New Zealand to take in the movement having for its object the placing of Britain and her Dominions in a better position after the war to prevent Germany gaining the advantages she has gained in the past. This is the opinion expressed' .by one of the professorial 1 members of the committee set up .by the Auckland l Institute to advise as to the best means of organising science in its relations to industry and education, says the New Zealand Herald. Professor H. W. Segar, in approaching discussion of the subjevit, expressed the opinion that the more efficient labour was the more New Zealand would produce, thus the first essential was to render labour efficient. The better education was the better the efficiency. Nbt only was 'better education required but greater earnestness on the part of .both capitalist and worker. Given that the British Empire and: Germany were, roughly speaking, equally efficient —as they probably would be, for British higher and technical education were making great strides, and would make greater strides —he saw no practical wavi in which Germany could be prevented from cutting a great figure in the industrial world —unless, of course, by force. GERMAN® UNA.BILE TO' CRUSH OTHERS. "There is a notion abroad that if one nation is doing well at must be at the expense of other nations. That notion lis utterly absurd," said' Progessor Segar. "If all the nations in the world except one were in a very bad way it is not likely that the one exception would be very prosperous. It is the prosperity of the world which makes the prosperity of the individual nation. We have the idea that 'if German trade is prosperous we are being robbed. But how can that be so? Take the case of smaller nations snch as Belgium and Holland. If that idea were correct, ought they not to be poor with. Germany so near a neighbour? Bat are they poor? Is it not only wilihin the past four or five years that New Zealand's exports per head of population passed those of (Belgium? This shows that the vast trade of Germany does not smother that of the smaller nations. EDUCATION AMD ORGANISATION. "'Leaving theory a'one and only taking facts, the more prosperous the larger nations are the more prosperous are the smaller ones. The explanation is that it is a matter of economics. Even the tariffs of the larger nations do not destroy rhe smaller ones. The Belgians and the iDmtch were not crushed by Germany's trade Is Britain going to be crushed, therefore? What we have to do is to watch other nations' efficiency, be jeal oil's of 'it, and' rival 'it, and our trade will take care of itself. The matter, therefore, resolves itself into one of education -and orgrfTiisat-ioh, and science comes in as a -particular means to thatend. A

AGRI£ULTUBAL RESEARCH SCHOOL, NEEDED. * "As regards the application of science to industry/ all our industries in New Zealand are small and' diversified." continued Professor Segar, "except those reflated) to the land.. Agriculture is our one great industry, so what, we want to develop in applied science is in the direction of agricultural investigation. We want the schools where youths can learn practical farming and: which, already exist, and l we also want agricultural research colleges of university rank. These latter need not be in the country, in fact theyi should he in the cities where they would be handy to other scientific departments. "It is time a scheme was carried out to provid<e an agricultural research college of university rank. In Auckland we are eventually to benefit .by the late Sir' John Logan. Campbell's bequest of £20,000 for agricultural education, but that sum is not yet available, and in any case will not be sufficient to keep an agricultural college going. GOVERNMENT URGED TO ACT. i i "The Government should establish the institution after the war, and subsequently the 'bequest in question would he in the nature of a windfall. There should be facilities for tflie staidly of agricultural science and encouragement for research. : Of all the researches which will influence our industries or commerce t'he vast /majority] wild be connected with the land and its products. There is room for continuous research in connection with the ■land, and the Dominion would benefit enormously by it. Such a college as I advocate would educate a- number of- instructors as well as farmers', and thus turn out scientific agricultural experts. 1o my mind., research in agriculture should be divorced from, practical farming, and should' ,be carried cut where other research work is 'being carried Dut."