SCIENCE SIFTINGS

New Zealand Tablet, 27 February 1919, Page 46

SCIENCE SIFTINGS

By “Volt.”

REGARDING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. Before the Industries Committee at Wellington last week Dr. J. Allan Thomson, Director of the Dominion Museum, gave evidence as to the arrangements made for scientific research in the British dominions, particularly in Australia and Canada. He referred also to the organisation in the United States, France, and Italy. Practically New Zealand was the only one of the Allied countries which had not set up an organisation of scientific research to keep in touch with the industries. Probably the blame was due to the lack of co-ordination between the various departments, including Internal Affairs and Education. The matter of research had been referred by the Government to the National Efficiency Board, which asked the New Zealand Institute to formulate a scheme. The institute set up a committee, whose report, which was adopted by the institute, could be regarded as the well-con-sidered opinion of New Zealand scientific men. The committee had recommended that a fund of £IOO,OOO should be invested in trust for the encouragement of scientific research. The report, with a few amendments, was approved by the Efficiency Board. The institute adopted a resolution to the effect that the board which would administer the trust fund for scientific research should be able to do so without interference by the Government. However, the Minister of Internal Affairs had objected to the resolution. Professor Easterfield said that New Zealand had suffered for the lack of encouragement of science. People did not know what science could do for them. There was no doubt that New Zealand had . the right young men to train. New Zealand scientific men were known throughout the world. He referred to a number who had achieved the highest status as experts in subjects and to men who held very high positions in other countries. New Zealand was losing these brilliant brains because of the lack of appreciation of science. He referred to the need of a real scientific library in New Zealand. He believed that local advisory committees would not require payment except for the actual cost of the research work undertaken in the public interest. The grant for a central scheme of research should be statutory. He believed the proposed board could be very beneficial to New Zealand. It was absolutely necessary to have encouragement of pure science and practical science. He did not know of any commercially successful process of obtaining industrial alcohol from wood except when the industry was a side-line of the wood-pulp paper industry.