xxxviii 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 requiie 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. I 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 1 Because science in some form 

 or other lies at the foundation of success 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. 



