l6 I'KKSIDEXt's ADi»RESS. 



rica ; in carrying out an economic survey of the natural resources 

 of South Africa, and in furnisliintj advice in reg'ard to the b€St 

 methods of utilising suoh resources ; in furnishing advice with 

 regard to the best method of attacking industrial problems ; in 

 inducing industrial improvements and facilitating and encour- 

 aging manufactures in suitable localities ; in co-ordinating various 

 industries to obtain the best combined results and exchanging 

 between user and manufacturer manufacturing improvements 

 and Dperating exj)erience ; and generally in advancing the work 

 of the Department on the sicentific and technical side. 



The action of the Government in advertising for a technical 

 adviser, at a salary commensurate with the importance of the 

 position, is one which must l>e cordially welcomed as an indi- 

 cation that it realises the importance of the present movement. 



The Scientific and Technical Committee held its first meeting- 

 at Capetown in A])ril of this year. The published list of fifty- 

 two subjects on which it is ])roposed to obtain the earliest and 

 fullest existing information irom the most competent authorities 

 available, gives some idea of the programme which the Com- 

 mittee has outlined apart from an indication of the latent po- 

 tentialities of the Union as a manufacturing country. Time 

 forbids detailed reference, but it vvill be observed that the in- 

 vestigation of raw materials and products from the agricultural 

 and pastoral industries, together with various valuable bye- 

 products, hitherto neglected, bulk largely amongst the subjects. 



It is of some interest to note that all the ten members of 

 the Committee are members of our Association, and that five 

 are members of the Council. 



The Union Government has followed the policv ad(j]Jted by 

 the British Government, whicli in July. 1915. formed a Com- 

 mittee of the Privy Council, and constituted an Advisory Council 

 for Scientific and Industrial Research. The first report of the 

 Advisory Council, issued last September, is worthy of the most 

 serious consideration ; it has been stated that a million sterling 

 ])er annum is to be appropriated to promote its objects. 



Referring to the absolute necessity of promoting and organ- 

 ising scientific research, with a view to its application to trade 

 and industry, the report says : 



It needed the shock of the war to make the need m.inifest. Tlie out- 

 break of war found us unable to produce at home many essential materials 

 and articles. We were making less than a couple of dozen kinds of 

 optical glass out of over a hundred made by our enemies. We could 

 hardly make a tithe of the various dye-stuffs needed for our textile 

 industries, with an output of two hundred and tifty million sterling a 

 year. VVe were dependent on Germany for magnetos, for countless drugs 

 and pharmaceutical preparations, even for the tungsten used by our great 

 steel makers, and the zinc smelted from the ores which our own Empire 

 produced. 



After reviewing, at considerable length, the position in 

 (ireat Britain with regard to technical education, facilities for 

 research, the general position with regard to industrial concerns 



