18 K. GREIG-SMITH. 



State Representation. 



While the future individuals of the nation are being 

 imbued with a scientific spirit, work can be done in investi- 

 gating matters of immediate importance. The proposed 

 Institute of Science and Industry has had suggested to it 

 certain questions for consideration by the Preliminary 

 Advisory Council, and as time goes on other matters will 

 naturally be brought forward. As one who is keenly 

 interested in the scheme, I should like to see it progress 

 rapidly and smoothly, but at the present I have certain 

 misgivings. If we were a united Nation, the scheme would 

 be certain to succeed from the start, since it should be 

 entirely under the Commonwealth wing. But we are not 

 a unified Nation, and it appears to me that there are cer- 

 tain vested interests that may delay the full realisation of 

 the objects desired. At the present moment, the Com- 

 monwealth has the laboratories of the Customs and Excise. 

 The States have the various departmental laboratories 

 directly under their control, and indirectly they control the 

 Universities through the public purse. I am sure the origin- 

 ators of the scheme look to the universities to do much of the 

 necessary research work, until such time as the Common- 

 wealth is able to establish its own research laboratories. 

 Looking at the matter in a critical way, I do not think 

 these State Governments have been sufficiently considered, 

 and as they have the vested interests of laboratories and 

 finance, I fear the scheme may not rapidly eventuate. If 

 the staffs of the Universities are to have more time for 

 research work, it will entail the appointment of assistants 

 to ease the present teaching routine, and the new appoint- 

 ments will necessarily mean increased funds. If these 

 funds are to be supplied by the Commonwealth, my criticism 

 falls to the ground, but, so far, I gather that the Common- 

 wealth intends only to supply the necessary laboratory 

 equipment that is lacking. The inculcation of science into 



