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for a prompt report on the scientific man-power position precluded a detailed investigation of the particular needs of the separate branches of scientific work. In this report on the New Zealand position an attempt has been made to assess these moredetailed requirements. It is estimated in the Barlow report that there will be by 1950 about 55,000 trained scientists against a requirement of 70,000. By 1955 the demand will have grown to 90,000, but the supply, on present plans, only to 64,000. Before the war British Universities were turning out about 2,500 scientists a year. The Barlow Committee propose that this rate should be increased to 5,000 a year. In Great Britain this target of 90,000 scientists would represent approximately I*B scientists to every thousand of population in 1955, or approximately 1-6 in 1952. In dealing with the future supply of scientists, the Barlow report comments on the low percentage of the total population receiving a University education in comparison with other countries. It is obvious that, with the differing conditions in the training and employment of scientists in Great Britain and this country, the findings of the Barlow report cannot be applied to New Zealand. The need for an inquiry based on local conditions is apparent, 111. THE PROBLEM IN NEW ZEALAND The terms of reference required us "to consider the policy which should govern the use and development of our scientific man-power resources during the next ten years." For the purposes of this report we have adopted the following definition of a " scientist" : "A person holding a University degree or equivalent qualification in science, home science, or agriculture," This includes a member of a recognized scientific institution and a graduate in arts in the various scientific disciplines. We have excluded from this report consideration of graduates in medicine, veterinary science, and engineering.* This definition was adopted after considering views obtained from thirtyfive leading scientists in New Zealand. We felt that no satisfactory answer to this problem could be attempted without prior consideration of the following specific topics : 1. What is the demand for scientists ? 2. Is there a supply forthcoming sufficient in quantity and quality to meet the demand ? 3. Having regard to New Zealand's economy, are there fields in which scientists are not at present employed, but in which use should be made of their services ? 4. Is the present training of scientists adequate, both basically and in specialized fields ? 5. Is a proper use being made of scientists ? IV. WHAT IS THE DEMAND FOR SCIENTISTS? To obtain a satisfactory answer to this question it was necessary to know the trends in the employment of scientists during the last twenty years, the number of scientists employed in scientific work at present, the nature of their qualifications, the
* The question of the supply of medical graduates has been investigated by the Health Department ; the Veterinary Services Committee has reported exhaustively on the supply of veterinarians, and a forthcoming report of another Committee will deal with the training and supply of engineers.
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