Otago Institute. - 565 
one that can legitimately be discussed by the Institute. Many of the failures that have 
taken place might have been averted and thousands of pounds saved, had the matters 
been fully investigated beforehand; for example, the Taranaki iron-sand. It is well- 
known among scientific and practical men that, although repeatedly tried in other places, 
these sands have never been profitably reduced to metal in large quantities. If the 
existence of this fact had been generally known throughout New Zealand, the chances are 
that the great Taranaki experiment had not been made—an experiment that has caused 
much heart-burning and loss to the shareholders of the company, and brought discredit 
on the whole colony in the eyes of the scientific world. 
There are negative benefits that would be conferred by the discussion of questions 
relating to manufactures. On the other hand such diseussions would confer positive 
benefits on the community by indicating the channels into which these industries could 
be turned. There are many articles of manufacture which could be profitably produced 
in New Zealand with native materials, now lying dormant, and nothing but a full know- 
ledge of the case is wanted to establish the trade. 
To summarize the position, a wide and intelligent investigation and discussion of the 
question, such as an Institute of this kind should be capable of bestowing on it, is sufficient 
to make or mar any scheme of colonial manufacture that is proposed. 
In connection with this part of the subject, Tam often struck by the comparison 
between my ideas of manufactures in 1866, already referred to, and what the realization 
is in 1879. I then talked of, as in the future—manufactures to produce the necessaries of 
life— flour, beer, leather, and woollen goods.” We have long passed that stage; we 
produce more of them than we can consume, consequently they are becoming articles of 
export. If our progress in this direction for the next thirteen years is in proportion to 
the past, the question of manufactures will become of vital interest to the colony at large. 
One of the most powerful aids in the development of our resources, and their utiliza- 
tion in the arts, is the establishment of an Industrial Museum in Dunedin. The one we 
have is practically a Natural History Museum. As such it is an invaluable and necessary 
adjunct to the machinery of the University; consequently the one I suggest does not 
come into competition with it, their objects being quite distinct. An Industrial Museum 
in New Zealand should constitute a complete compendium of our information on the 
economic resources and manufacturing progress of the colony, inscribed not only in 
written records, but in a systematic arrangement of specimens and samples of all kinds 
and from every locality; and in order to facilitate comparison, each class should be 
accompanied by types from other countries. 
In addition to the information usually given, such as analysis, weight, strength, nna 
other inherent properties, the extent of supply and cost of production, as compared w 
the imported type, should be shown on each article. 
An objection may be raised to such a museum on the ground that it might degenerate 
into an advertising medium. Possibly it would be used by producers and manufacturers 
as such, but that isa minor evil. While the community is benefited to however small 
an extent, the question of personal profit may be disregarded. And if we analyse critieally 
the moving power in the great exhibitions of all nations in older countries, it will be 
found that advertising and individual preferment generally are the main springs in those 
grand machines whose pulsations vibrate through every artery in the industrial world. 
In addition to raw materials and ordinary manufactures, the museum would contain 
models and drawings of mines, machinery, and engineering works. 
One great drawback hitherto to the establishment of an Industrial Museum in 
Dunedin was the want of a director, but that want has lately been supplied in Professor 
