very approximate figure then would indicate that there are (without taking account of University, College and Secondary school laboratory and field station facilities), at least one hundred and forty laboratories and field stations in the Dominion equipped for scientific purposes.

The funds set aside by the Government annually for scientific purposes in the Departments of Scientific and Industrial Research, Agriculture, Marine, Internal Affairs, Forestry and Air at present is estimated to be of the order £1,750,000–£2,000,000 annually. To this must, of course, be added the expenditure on scientific education and the outlay made by all other organizations mentioned earlier which have scientific interests.

A very imperfect and cursory examination of the position therefore reveals that to-day some 1,350 persons are directly concerned with some phase of scientific activity, that there are at least 140 laboratories and field stations available for other than teaching purposes and that there is a Government expenditure of the order of at least £1 ¾ million for scientific purposes.

Association of N.Z. and Overseas Scientific Effort

Having now summarised rather sketchily the extent of the effort as measured in terms of manpower, facilities and money devoted to scientific effort in N.Z., it is hardly necessary to point out that it is impossible to segregate the result of this effort from that reaching N.Z. from the rest of the world. N.Z. has always drawn heavily on overseas sources for her scientific advances and will continue to do so. Her people have shown remarkable versatility and ability in adapting overseas results into N.Z. practice. In every phase of N.Z. industry a very alert watch is kept on overseas advances which may possibly have some application locally. Agricultural science is exceptionally well provided for in this direction by the Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux and Institutes which maintain a world coverage of all agricultural advances, and reports them regularly, in the abstracts issued.

How Are The Results Of Scientific Advances Brought To Fruition

It seldom happens that the findings of the scientist either in the laboratory or in the field or from overseas, are in a form suitable for immediate application. The scientist embodies the results of his work in a scientific paper which is published. This paper may well be written in language which is obscure to many readers and fails to impress—as did Mendel's papers on his experiments in the breeding of peas. In order to widen the range of interest the paper generally needs re-writing in more popular language by the author himself, or by someone else, whose approach could well be less analytical and more synthetical than that of the author. The effect of this widening of the range of interest is to bring in the active assistance of technically trained personnel whose ability to adapt the finding into practical use is of immense advantage—and the number of such versatile people is large.

It is therefore of prime consideration, once a new principle is discovered, to have this published widely, so that as large a field as possible of scientific and technical interests can be assembled in order to get the discovery adapted for practice. Such improvements can at times be made by technicians that these almost seem to be of more importance than the original discovery itself.

To-day scientific journals, trade journals and the Press are generally ready to give liberal space to new reports of discoveries. Often indeed, they are too generous, make claims that cannot be substantiated and cause embarrassment. Nevertheless the Press plays an important educative role in preparing the general public for coming advances or developing an attitude of receptiveness towards new things which embody progress.

The radio and the film, themselves the products of recent scientific effort, now also help greatly in the introduction of new advances and speed up the tempo of their adoption.

In the sphere of agriculture, New Zealand's chief industry, the extension officer, the demonstration plot, the short courses of instruction, the special conferences and demonstrations, all are most important measures which ensure the application of the research workers' results.

Basic to all this is, of course, a good standard of education throughout the community and hence the interest which the scientist should take in educational affairs. This interest should certainly not be confined to the science subjects only, but should be much wider and embrace the humanities and cultured subjects. Denmark was brought within a century from one of the poorest European States to one of the most prosperous and probably the most advanced scientific agricultural country, by Pastor Grundtvig's system of education which was biassed towards literature and art rather than towards science.

New processes, discoveries, new plants from overseas are seldom in a form ready for immediate adoption in N.Z. Many serious losses have occurred in the past when such have been introduced by optimists who were unaware or oblivious of the vexatious teething stages to which all such acclimatisations are prone. It is at this very stage that a comparatively small amount of scientific guidance can be so helpful.

Analysis of the Present Effort Into its Different Components

there follows a series of misapprehensions. It is concluded that as this department has a vote of £1,000,000 and a professional staff of some 400 that this represents a very large effort indeed for N.Z. in the realm of research. Recently the activities of all branches of the Department were analysed and it was found that about 40% of the effort was devoted to research and 60% to the provision of scientific services to Government Departments and Industry. It is, of course, true that in some branches of the Department the effort is almost wholly research, but there are few branches which do not provide some scientific service which is not strictly research. In the Agricultural Branches of the Department taken as a whole some 80% of the effort is devoted to applied research work. There are many discoveries of which it is reasonable to expect that they will become rapidly assimilated into agriculture or industry and no longer need the attention of the research man. On the other hand, there are a great many more which however much they are adopted into practice, still need regular continuing attention from the scientist. In New Zealand by far the greatest effort is devoted to problems of applied science, and such fundamental work as is being done arises for the most part from the applied problems. In agriculture and in industry a very wide range of applied problems is receiving investigation and the results of the work are being fed to those who seek it.

Scientists with a flair for research are sufficiently rare to justify a policy of restricting them to research work and restraining them from becoming immersed in the application of their findings, in which sphere in general they are not regarded as being very apt. On the other hand in a small country such as N.Z. the scientist and the industrialist can come together easily so that it often happens that research is extended into the provision of scientific service. It would be preferable, if possible, for the research scientist to hand over to a service scientist or a technician the technical work necessary to bring his discovery into practical use.

3. Scientific Service to Government Departments.

Scientific service is that guidance which Government Departments and modern industry regularly requires on day to day problems. Plants, rocks, insects require identification; waters, milks, paints, gas, road materials demand testing; time, weather forecast services have to be provided and as all these and many others can only be done by specialist scientists, of suitable qualifications and experience, these tasks remain in the hands of scientists and the public expect to-day such services as a normal part of modern civilisation. The extent to which such services are provided is much greater than is normally believed. It is good that there are such demands, some of which appear likely to continue indefinitely while others will become superfluous with the passage of time. Scientific service provides excellent opportunities for bringing together the scientist, the problem and the originator of the problem.

State Departments with their very wide range of activities in N.Z. make large demands on scientific services which often contain research problems. A glance at the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Annual Report reveals the extent of this demand as it affects the Dominion Laboratory. In this sphere the application of the results present little or no difficulty as it is settled by consultation between officers of the two Departments. This is typical of what occurs whenever problems of an inter-departmental nature arise. It

points the need however for non scientific Departments to have men on their staffs who are capable of defining problems, and then interpreting or applying the results of the laboratory or experimental station.

Governments must recognise that problems requiring more and more scientific attention are likely to arise in the future in all Departments. Many of these problems are likely to require a diversity of scientific talents to ensure their satisfactory solution and hence the need for developing an integrated group of scientists provided with such facilities as will make possible a combined attack on such problems. This will help safeguard sound Departmental administration which in turn may affect local industries profoundly.

4. Scientific Service to Industry.

(A) Agriculture.

A more complex situation arises when the results of scientific effort require promulgation widely to industry. Various methods are resorted to. If a scientific paper is published, this is written in more popular form and published in the Press, or as a leaflet and particulars broadcasted. If the discovery relates to agriculture, particulars are given in an article in the Journal of Agriculture which goes to almost every farmer in N.Z., and the assistance of the extension officers of the Department ensures that it is brought prominently to the notice of all those to whom it might be of interest. At a later date further publicity may be given by articles contributed by extension officers and farmers stating their experiences. The daily Press also opens its columns readily to new developments and it is well to remember that N.Z. is remarkably well provided for by a group of farm periodicals of high standing. Then the organizers of farmers' conferences always make a practice of including addresses on scientific topics in their agendas. In every year many thousands of farmers pay visits to the Agricultural Colleges, the experimental areas of the Departments of Scientific and Industrial Research and Agriculture and to Cawthron Institute, and there come in contact with the latest advances.

This very briefly indicates the methods used and the opportunities which arise for informing and instructing the agricultural community on all new advances in scientific agriculture and accounts for the eager attitude adopted by farmers towards new developments in this sphere.

Dairy farmers, wheatgrowers, fruitgrowers, tobacco growers and hopgrowers have formed with funds of their own and financial help from the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Research Committees or Associations to deal with the particular problems of their own industry. In these organizations, the farmers, in addition to providing half the cost of the scientific research work, have to participate in the preparation of the programmes, and in the periodical reviews of their progress. The effect of this is to bring a number of representative farmers into very close touch with the actual scientific work and they in turn influence a wider circle of their confreres so that the particular branch of farmers feels a very direct concern and interest in the results secured. This arrangement greatly promotes the speedy application of results.

Despite all this effort to publicise advances in agricultural progress complaints are many of its failure to “get across.”

(B) Manufacturers.

In the manufacturing industries the Research Associations, of which 5 are now established, provide by far the best method of undertaking research and

The Extent to Which Government Departments make use of Science

The magnetic re-survey made a few years ago is in use by the Lands and Survey Dept., the Marine Dept. and the Air Dept. in connection with their mapping activities. The Broadcasting and P. and T. Depts. make use of the Ionospheric data compiled by the Geophysics Division for modifications in their radio reception and transmission. The Works Dept. is making very full use of the geological and geophysical investigations in the Taupo district for the location of sources of steam to generate electric power. For many years every proposed hydro dam site has been the subject of intensive geological and geophysical investigations before actual construction work commenced. To-day such has been the advance made in the use of small scale models for interpreting the hydro-dynamic problems of power dams that no dam is planned until much investigation of this type is completed by the Dominion Physical Laboratory. The Works Dept. also calls on the Soil Bureau for soil stability investigations relating to sites on which large heavy structures are proposed to be erected and on the Dominion Laboratory for tests of the bitumen and concrete mixtures used for highway construction. During the war some seven officers of the Grasslands Division were seconded to the Works Department for the purpose of ensuring proper turf production on aerodrome runways.

A number of Government Departments seek guidance regularly from the Dominion Laboratory on problems of paint and corrosion and the Health Department makes constant demands on it for investigation into drugs, foodstuffs,

waters and milk. The Department of Industries and Commerce with its responsibility for the quality of the town gas supplies available calls in the Laboratory regularly for testing work, while the Mines Department looks to it and to the Geological Survey for scientific advice regarding coal and minerals. The Tourist Department has had the help of Dominion Physical Laboratory for radio telephone installation suitable for alpine regions and the Geological Survey for assistance in ensuring permanent supplies of thermal water at its various Spas. The same Department has also sought the help of the Entomological Division for methods of minimising the mosquito and sandfly nuisance present in so many attractive resorts.

The Post and Telegraph and Broadcasting Departments constantly draw on the services of the Dominion Laboratory and the Dominion Physical Laboratory in connection with corrosion problems, tests of routes for radio telephone installations and for quartz crystal oscillators. The Railway Department often requires geological guidance in connection with tunnels, embankments, cuttings and water supplies or help from the Grasslands and Botany Divisions on plant coverings which will assist in the prevention of soil erosion. The State Forest Services interest in the resin content of the extensive pinus plantations in its charge and in the insect pests which affect them, leads to it having recourse to the services of the Dominion Laboratory and the Entomological Station.

The list might be extended much further, but enough has been mentioned to indicate the wide content of which scientific service enters into the sound administration of a modern state. It can be said with confidence that the Heads of State Departments in New Zealand fully recognise the assistance that science can provide them in their problems and call freely upon this assistance.

Examples of the Application of Scientific Results in New Zealand

(1) Agricultural Industries:

These are some examples where, as the result of research work done in New Zealand, new industries have been established. For years, fish livers were completely wasted, but Dr. Shorland's interest and investigations revealed how rich these were in vitamins. This led to their being recovered and processed by several firms so that a new industry worth several hundred thousand pounds has been established and the fishermen collect some £25,000 annually for the livers they save.

Further work by the Dominion Physical Laboratory and the Auckland Industrial Laboratories has provided a molecular still capable of concentrating the crude liver oil and adding considerably to its value and use. To-day a small industry, using a raw material hitherto wasted, is producing very valuable vitamins which play an important part in the health of the community and an additional export.

Japan's entry into World War II deprived New Zealand and Britain of supplies of agar, a material of considerable importance for bacteriological and commercial use. The investigations by Miss Lucy Moore of the Botany Division on New Zealand seaweeds, revealed the presence of extensive beds of Pterocladia on the east coast of the North Island. Chemical processing by the Dominion Laboratory showed that this weed was a rich source of agar. Collection of the Pterocladia by Maori coastal residents provided them with additional income and the weed is now used by one firm as the raw material for the production of agar which is exported overseas.

very readily unless its moisture content is low, and so it was a very chancy export which often brought heavy losses to seed merchants. The smallness and the structure of the seed made it difficult to dry economically. The Chemical Engineering Section of the Dominion Laboratory investigated the whole matter and ultimately designed a drier which obviated the drawbacks of existing types of machines, had a good throughput and did not injure the seed. The driers are now in commercial production, and chewings fescue can be delivered to overseas buyers without loss of vitality.

Basic to all machinery manufacture is the provision of standard gauges. The Dominion Physical Laboratory holds master gauges and from these substandard types to meet the demands of manufacturers are prepared and issued. The importance of this scientific activity needs only to be mentioned to be appreciated.

High concentration of fish liver oil adds surprisingly to its value. The Dominion Physical Laboratory has designed and constructed two types of molecular distillation apparatus for this purpose, and these are in use in the plants processing their oil.

Woollen thread and garments suffer in popularity for their known propensity to shrink during washing. The Wool Industries Research Association, England, devised a means for treating wool to overcome this drawback, and the method was introduced and adapted to the New Zealand requirements by the staff of the Woollen Mills Research Association in Dunedin. To-day a number of mills have installed the equipment and are treating their products before sale, so that it is now possible to buy “non shrink” woollen garments.

Fuel problems affect almost every New Zealand manufacturer, whose profits depend very largely on the efficiency with which he uses his increasingly expensive coal. The Dominion Laboratory, following investigations of New Zealand coals, continued these into research on the acutual use of the coal in industries for generating steam power. Out of these researches emerged a Fuel Advisory Service which applied tests, devised as the result of the earlier work, which could be applied to all industrial steam installations. This resulted in the saving and better utilisation of coal and a reduction in the costs of operation in many plants throughout the Dominion.

This review of the application of science in New Zealand has grown too long and has referred too much to the activities of the Department of Science and Industrial Research. The scientific work done by the Marine Department's laboratory, by the Museums and Universities is used by many engaged in the fishing industry. The Wild Life Branch of the Department of Internal Affairs provides important scientific data for trappers and soil conservators. Cawthron Institute is in constant touch with the many and varied problems of the Nelson district, whose high productivity may be at least partly explained by this association.

Conclusion

An attempt has been made after imperfectly outlining the resources of manpower facilities and monies concerned in the Dominion's scientific effort, to indicate how the results of these efforts are promulgated for application in the national welfare and then finally a review of the association of the scientific effort and its actual application and value has been assayed.