XXXVIll PROCEEDINGS. 
In reference to this aim I may be allowed to make some additional 
suggestions : 
1. We should have a scientific library easily accessible to scientific 
workers in every part of the Province. At present we have nothing of 
the kind. A collection of partially catalogued, somewhat inaccessible 
reports of scientific societies cannot be said to be such a scientific library 
as the majority of workers need, however useful it may be to those 
engaged in original research. 
We require not less than 5,000 volumes of the latest books by the 
ablest men of science ; 10,000 would be better. In addition to this 
there should be complete sets of all the scientific periodicals in English, 
French and German. 
Such a collection of standard science textbooks, supplemented by 
government reports on agriculture, forestry, fisheries, etc., and the 
reports of scientific societies, and managed by a competent librarian, 
would be of incalculable benefit. JI have no hesitation in saying that I 
believe it is the duty of our government in its encouragement of 
technical instruction to establish such a library. If there existed an 
intelligent appreciation of its value the cost would not long be a 
hindrance, for the number of books required would not be large, and 
probably many of them would be received as donations. 
But why should the government provide a science library any more 
than a law library or a historical library? Because science in some form 
or other lies at the foundation of suecess in all the industries of the 
country, so that the government would be justified and supported in 
making an expenditure which would result in such general benefit. 
Facilities for scientific research would lead to discoveries which would 
pay the cost a thousand fold. Pasteur’s discoveries were worth untold 
millions to France. 
Although Nova Scotia is not large, populous or rich, yet her natural 
resources are so great and varied as to warrant the government in 
following the examples of other countries in respect to technical 
education; and the establishment of a good science library would be but 
the first and most natural step in that direction. 
Recently I wanted to consult twenty or thirty scientific works and 
periodicals. In the three largest public or quasi-public libraries of 
Halifax I was able to find but one of them. No wonder that our 
ablest young men are lost to the Province when we deny them the 
opportunities for research which they readily obtain elsewhere. 
