PRESIDEXTIAr. ADDRESS SF.CTION C. 49^ 



The Rhodesian Government has done remarkably well in 

 this matter, and has brought together a fine body of experts in 

 the sciences of zoology, botany, bacteriology, and mineralogy. 

 The trouble is that in a country of small population with limited 

 revenues it is necessary that nearly all of these men shall devote 

 the major part of their time to work of organization and 

 administration.' If it could possibly be arranged, it would be 

 ^n immense advantage for each department, in addition to the 

 officers engaged in actual control, to have attached to it at least 

 one man whose sole duty and interest would be in the prosecu- 

 tion of research work. Taking the several branches of our 

 particular section in the Government Departments of this and 

 other countries, it, will generally be found that all the stafif is 

 fully occupied on the economic side of their special study, 

 whether it be bacteriology, botany, entomology, mineralogy, 

 or forestry. It may be said that research is not the function of 

 Government, and should be left to private enterprise or to institu- 

 tions specially endowed for that work. This devolution of 

 function may, and does, operate with some success in older 

 countries, but in young countries there are seldom to be found 

 any individuals of leisure qualified for and inclined to carry on 

 research work. It also rarely happens that a country in its 

 early stages of development possesses special institutions adapted 

 for this purpose. And yet, as I have said, in young countries 

 the need for research and investigation is much more urgent than 

 elsewhere, and therefore it follows, if my argument is sound, 

 that the endowment of research, on however modest a scale, 

 must in these circumstances devolve upon the Government. 



Section- D.— ANTHROPOLOGY. ETHNOLOGY, EDUCA- 

 TION, HISTORY. MENTAL SCIENCE, PHILOLOGY, 

 POLITICAL ECONOMY, SOCIOLOGY AND STATIS- 

 TICS. 



President of the Section. — G. Duthie, M.A., F.R.S.E. 



THURSDAY, JULY 6. 

 Xot [printed 



