1.—12.

74

[l. c. gunner.

Tuesday, 18th February, 1919. L. E. Gunner, Post Office Official, examined. I have come before you to make a suggestion that may be of practical value to those engaged in the sawmilling industry —namely, the utilization of sawdust waste. Some time ago Professor Maclaurin, of Wellington, had samples submitted to him from the Auckland gumfields of pieces of trees which had been lying in bogs for many years. From this material he extracted a percentage of product of good value. In the second place, the residue may be used as a fertilizer. The fluid is extracted, and the material that is left may be utilized. In the third place, the material might.be used for making compressed bricks, or in the manufacture of tars, or to mix with sand. It is a material that does not deteriorate. Rev. Andrew Cameron, Chancellor of Otago University, examined. I wish to bring before you the claims of the University colleges in relation to the work of scientific research. I speak chiefly for the University of Otago, but much of what I say applies also to the other colleges. I. In the scheme presented to you by the Efficiency Board for the encouragement of scientific research it is provided that the Research Board should seek the help of the colleges in the work of research. So far as it goes that is good, but it is not sufficient. Under this proposal the several colleges would, probably receive temporary grants-in-aid to enable them to prosecute some particular research, but in all other respects they would remain poverty-stricken and understaffed. Not so are we likely to secure the best results from scientific research. To-day we have in our University colleges men fully qualified to undertake researches which if successful would multiply the wealth of the Dominion, but though they are eager to face these problems and to help in their solution they find their hands so full of the teaching-work of their departments that they can scarcely hope to enter on the work of research. To remedy this, each of the colleges should receive from the Government such an increase in its income as would enable it to provide its professors with well-paid assistants who could help them with their class-work, and also in the prosecution of important researches. This point is emphasized in the report of the Privy Council for Science and Industry Research for the year 1917-18. Sir Joseph Thomson's Committee pointed out that although " one cannot hope to get great discoveries simply by paying for them, yet, the most hopeful way of promoting them is to ensure that the laboratories are as efficient as possible, and that the professors and other teachers who work in them have enough free time for original research." Here, then, we have high, authority for saying that the most hopeful way of scouring successful research is to properly staff our University colleges, so that the teachers may not continue to be overburdened with routine work, but may have free time for original research. Again, the Committee of the Privy Counoil says, " Unless access for all wellqualified students to our universities and technical institutions is made easier than it is at present, and unless they are generously supplied with the large funds which arc necessary for their work, our efforts are foredoomed to failure." Thus it seems to me that temporary grants to the University colleges from the llesearch Board with a view to special researches is not enough. In the interest of industrial research and in the interest: of higher education as a whole the University colleges should receive from the Government such an increase of income as would enable them to provide well-paid assistants for those of the professors who are prepared to undertake such research as is likely to be of value to the whole community. Another reason why we should do all that is possible to free the hands of our professors for research work is the recognized shortage in the Dominion of persons capable of research. If capable investigators are few, then surety the right thing to do is to press into the service of research, as far as possible, the teachers in our colleges, who are best qualified for this important and hopeful work. This reform can be secured not by annual doles from the llesearch Board, but by the permanent increase of the income of the colleges. In support of this view let me quote the resolution passed by the. New Zealand Institute at its annual meeting in January, 1917, as follows: "That as a definite step towards the endowment of research adequate provision be made for the appointment of fully qualified assistants to the Professors of Science in the four colleges." The better staffing of our University colleges would not only set free the professors for part of their time for the work of research, it would also result in the training of a larger number of expert investigators. The pirofessors engaged in research would gather round them eager and capable students, who would become in turn ardent researchers. At present there is little or no encouragement for a student to undertake research. A. scholarship of £100 per annum is offered him for two years. This enables him to take his higher degree, then leaves him to seek, a school, or to turn his back on science for something more profitable. The multiplication of well-paid assistantships in our colleges would do much to encourage our best students of science to become expert workers in class-room and in laboratory, and so help us to secure an ever-increasing band of expert investigators. 11. In the past there has been much talk about research, which talk has led nowhere. We have been talking at large. On behalf of the University of Otago let me say that we are prepared to undertake specific researches at once, provided the Government comes to our help with such an increased annual grant as will enable us to provide the necessary assistance for teachers and additional laboratory equipment. (1.) In the Medical School : The health of the worker is of supreme importance not only for his own comfort, but also for his industrial efficiency, and so questions of health may well come under the consideration of this Committee. (a.) During the recent epidemic, while the staff and students of the Medical School rendered invaluable help to the whole community, some of the staff devoted their whole time to the investiga-