FUTURE OF SCIENCE IN INDUSTRY

NZ Truth, Issue 1262, 6 February 1930, Page 6

FUTURE OF SCIENCE IN INDUSTRY

New Zealand's Problem Is To Keep Best Brains In The Dominion

BUT STEADY DEVELOPMENT IS ASSURED

(By Dr. Marsden, F.N.Z.1., Director of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Kesearch, m a Special Interview with "N.Z. Truth.") . il'iiiiiniiiiiii iiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinii if mi rim i iiiiitiiiniiiioiiiiiimimiiiiiiimiiiiiiiniimiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimu'iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimimiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii|

I do not think we can look for many great advances m fundamental science to originate m New Zealand; we. are too small to keep sufficient scientific brains m the country, and our best men either go abroad or cannot be provided with .the necessary laboratories and equipment. We, shall be fully extended to keep pace with, apply, and utilise overseas scientific discoveries, to solve local problems, incidentally carrying out smaller problems of- fundamental research incident thereto.

INDUSTRIAL, development is becoming less and less a matter of accident so far as basic scientific data are concerned. A few years ago new ideas came into industry largely as the result of the <work of independent inventors experimenting empirically or as the result of work m university laboratories. To-day the idea of organised industrial research is thoroughly established m Government or university laboratories, and m many industrial enterprises and co-operative undertaking's. It is m the application of science to all our Industries that we may look to large advances m the next ten years. Research and study, the orderly classification of knowledge, joined to increasing skill — well may ' make better control of our economic system a possibility. The problems are many and difficult, but the degree of progress m recent years inspires us with high hopes. Improved organisa- . tion of industry and informed leadership is- even more vital, together with a more general appreciation of the public for the research method. It is, of course, up to the scientist to make good and thus justify the more complete confidence and support of industry. .We have seen the great advantages \of standardised products m. the. dairy and m the meat. .industry; .we have seen the success of the herd-testing movement iri establishing standards of production. ~ . ' It seems quite .probable that this standardising 1 movement will extend, particularly with regard to seeds and pastures, and to animal production, e.g., the 3001bs. cow. This will lead- to a standard on which a greater utilisation of land resources will be developed. The work of scientists will be to see that these standards of advance are. not spurious, but .that they may have a proper scientific basis, which shall take into account the fundamentals of plant and

animal breeding and the variations of our land and climate. ' One may confidently assert that . m New Zealand the science of Genetics, which underlies the improvement of plants and .animals for agricultural purposes, is destined to help realise vast possibilities m the immediate future. . The primary sciences of chemistry

and physics are. helping by providing tools for these great advances, and 'by providing a better understanding of the soils and fertiliser effects; but plant and animal 'breeding for both larger production and for development of immunity certain diseases, appears to offer untold possibilities. One has only to consider the work carried out m wheat-breeding, m Canada or the work carried out m the growing of sugar-cane, m ■ Java, to

realise, however faintly, what may be achieved. With co-operation with, and realisation of the scientist's work, and an awakening to the problems involved, there is no reason why production should not double within the next decade, and unit cost of production decrease. Another great advance, will be the increased mechanisation of agriculture, which will eliminate much of the drudgery of unskilled work, and tend towards increased leisure generally. We are far from saturation point for many electric and mechanical laborsaving devices. In secondary industries, it is unfortunate that we have not the newer industries built up on recent scientific discoveries, such as telephone, radio, motor-car, rayon, and chemical and electrical industries, but , associated with these as their products become more generally utilised local industries'will spring up to utilise more and more labor. Our secondary industries must expand generally, and probably will come more into line. with those' abroad m organisation arid attitude towards mechanical developments. One general development which must come about as industry increases and becomes better organised is an increased utilisation of waste both through by-products and by reclamation and re- use. i Another science which appears to be on the ew of its application m New Zealand to our wellbeing is that . of nutrition, an increased general knowledge of which will make many diseases of stock and human beings r» sign of bad management, while the labor for the housewife involved m the preparation and preservation .of fop.i will be considerably reduced. , * , j The essential factors to our development are co-operation and .informed leadership; also better large-scale organisation of industry. With these and proper scientific services, we cannot but develop, m spite of temporary, setbacks, a considerably higher standard of . general living, comfort, and happiness.