SOME PROBLEMS OF RESEARCH 1 7 



CO-ORDINATION AND CENTRALIZATION OF RESEARCH 



For the very reason that the greater part of Africa is still in the 

 early stages of development, the continent may offer the most 

 fruitful field in history for experiment concerning the place of 

 expert scientific knowledge in land planning. The formulation of 

 any such policy must depend upon close co-operation between 

 diflferent territories and between the technical departments in each 

 territory who are concerned in its application, in particular the 

 agricultural, veterinary, and forestry services. In India and the 

 British Dominions this need is met by the combination of these 

 departments under one executive head. 



The organization of the research work on which policy must be 

 based is also a question of major importance. Although scientists 

 in general are coming to agree that no valid distinction can be 

 drawn betw^een pure and applied science, there are many prob- 

 lems, often those the solution of which will prove to have most 

 valuable practical applications, which require detailed concentra- 

 tion for considerable periods. Such concentration is not possible if 

 the duty of the research worker is conceived as being confined to 

 the solution of problems of immediate policy. Accordingly there 

 is much to be said for the system applied in the Anglo- Egyptian 

 Sudan, of separating research organization from the executive 

 work of the technical departments and placing it under a separate 

 Director of Research. Such a Director would logically have the 

 same standing as the executive head referred to above. In a Grown 

 Colony it would be desirable that both should have seats on the 

 Executive Council. Taking the three subjects of Agriculture, 

 Veterinary Services, and Forestry, such an organization could be 

 represented as follows: 



■** Executive Head-i^ ^Executive Head -« 



of Research 



Forestry 



Adminis- Research U>»Admiru3- Research'^ Adminis- Researcli 



tration tration tration 



B 



