INAUGURAIi ADDRESS, 29 



in touch with industrial life. I consider that this is a lesson of 

 fundamental importance; of all the mistakes that could be made in 

 the management of the universities in these States I do not think 

 there could be a greater than tliat of allowing them to shut them- 

 selves up, or to drift away, or to be cut off from tlie daily life and 

 tasks of the people. Not that the so-called " utilitarian"' side of 

 university life should be encouraged to abnormal gro\\i:h ; very much 

 the contraiy. The point is that pure science and technical science 

 draw life each from the other, and must on no account be separated. 

 Te<;hnical prol)leins are most naturally and successfully attacked when 

 there is constant touch Avith the professors and the metliods of pure 

 science; for the very novelty of the technical problem implies that 

 some law of pure science has not been obeyed, or is perhaps yet undis- 

 covered; and, on the other hand, the advances of pure science are 

 often due to attenipts to solve the ju"oblems which arise in industry 

 and commerce. I know there are those who think that our universities 

 should be kept free from the touch of sordid industiy, and that their 

 professors should teach only that which is '" useless,'' to use a historic 

 phrase. I am convinced that this is not the noble view, but the 

 narrow one. If the State imiversity is to live its full life, it must 

 Tiot separate itself into the wilderness, like the hermit of old; but 

 must mingle with the people and draw strengtli and inspiration from 

 the, attempt to minister to their needs. 



Let us then do all that we can to keep our universities in touch 

 ^vith the applied science of the country. If I were to define too exactly 

 my suggestions as to liow this should be done, I might defeat my own 

 purpose, since the circumstances are too varied to admit of uniform 

 treatment. But in the first place let me repeat that research scholar- 

 ships will induce young graduates to take up work for a while under 

 the direction of those Avho are face to face with the problems to be 

 solved, whether they are university professors or Government experts. 

 The young men are in general only too glad of the chance to win their 

 spurs. Again, let us tiy to keep the State expert in touch with the 

 Tmivei'sity; sometimes it may be desirable tliat he should actually he 

 a member of the university staff, sometimes that the connection should 

 be less rigid. For example, he might from time to time give special 

 courses of lectures on subjects of interest and importance which he 

 ]ias met with in the course of his work. In some way the results of his 

 own first-hand observations should be made to illustrate and give point 

 to the subject of the university curriculum, and the student should 

 become interested in what he is doing. 



