THE SCIENCE CONGRESS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 222, 13 January 1911, Page 5

THE SCIENCE CONGRESS

FAUXA AND FLORA OF NEW ZEALAND. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Sydney, January 12. Professor Benham contributed an interesting paper on the zoological expedition to the sub-Antarctic Islands of New Zealand in 1907, chiefly referring to the Auckland and Campbell Islands. He pointed out the strong resemblance of the iauna and flora to that of New Zealand, which was explained' by the supposition that they were once connected. Professor Farr, of New Zealand, read a. paper on fish and artesian water.

TUBERCULOSIS AND PASTEURISATION. Received 12, 8.45 p.m. Sydnej', January 12. Mr. Macfie, of Melbourne, contributed a paper on the Federal note issue. In it he declared- that the Commonwealth Government had departed from sound economic and threatened the commercial and financial stabilities of the country. He predicted that the wheels of industry would become seriously clogged, bringing irretrievable disaster alike to rich and poor. Professor Siawart, of Sydney, in a paper on the repression of tuberculosis in dairy herds, said that momentary exposure of milk to a temperature of 170 deg. Fah. was not pasteurisation, but merely a commercial practice to keep it sound longer. Exposure, at 100 deg. for fifteen minutes was necessary to destroy tubercle bacilli. Untreated separated milk, mixed with milk received from public creameries, was one of the most prolific sources of dissemination of tuberculosis. It was very unwise, he said, to feed pigs and calves, on such milk, for it was possible thereby to widely spread the disease. He urged the necessity for proper pasteurisation of separated milk. Dealing with the methods of keeping herds from contamination, he declared' that veterinaries were inclined to regard infected pasturage as an important source of dissemination, and adopted occasional cultivation of grazing lands for sanitary reasons. THE NEXT CONFERENCE. A NEW ZEALAND WORK. V. Received 13, 12.55 a.m. l :, ~ Sydney, January 12. j The Science Congress chose Professor David as president of the next meeting, which will be held at Melbourne in January, 1913. Hobart was selected as the place for the 1915 meeting, an invitation from Wellington being withdrawn, as Tasmania had a prior claim. Wellington will endeavour to secure the 1917 meeting. On the motion of Professor Hedley, the Council decided that an investigation of the continental shelf round New Zealand and the islands south of New Zealand is a work of pressing necessity, both for scientific and economic reasons, and urginsr on the New Zealand Government the advisability of taking advantage of the .facilities afforded by the stay of the Antarctic exploring ship Terra Nova to complete the survey of the surrounding seas by soundings and dredgings as far as possible.

PARLIAMENT OF SCIENCE. The annual congress of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science may be termed a parliament of science, as there will be assembled over 500 members of the association, and delegates appointed by the various scientific societies throughout the Australian States and New Zealand. The business.of the association in this State (writes the Sydney Morning Herald) has (hitherto befn conducted by a local council, consisting of representative scientific men, and also those engaged in literary pursuits; but the affairs of the association will be controlled when congress meets by the General Council, which is representative of all the States and New Zealand. The reports of the research committees and all propositions involving grants of money will be reported upon by a recommendation committee, consisting' of the presidents of sections and the usual ex-officio members. The 'work of the congress will consist of the reading of addresses and papers, scientific and other lectures, and discussions. There will also be special excursions. These latter will be an important feature, and the longer ones will be to Mount Kosciusko and other places of scientific interest. There will be a number of social functions connected with the congress, including garden parties, to be given by His Excellency Lord Chelmsford and the principal of the Women's College of the University of Sydney. "In my view," said Mr. J. H. 'Maiden, the permanent hon. secretary, '"the principal utility of the association is in its social aspect, in that it brings men and women together from all parts of the Commonwealth and New Zealand, who have not seen each other for years, or possibly have never met at all, and matters of scientific and other interest can be discussed not only at the meetings but in less formal circumstances."