THE NEW ZEALAND 
JOURNAL OF SCIENCE 
AND 
TECHNOLOGY. 
Vol. II. Wellington, January, 1919. i > No. 1. 
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4 P D 
EDITORIAL. 
\ $ p. 
Training Research Workers. 
The Great War has led to an awakening throughout the English- 
speaking world as to the material value of science. In New Zealand, as 
elsewhere, there is a good deal of somewhat loose talk of the relation,;:.of 
science to industry, of scientific research, and of the value of pure and 
applied science. (It is now generally recognized, even, that applied 
science could not exist and cannot advance except coincidently with 
pure science.) A now nearly forgotten committee of the New Zealand 
Institute went the length of laboriously formulating a scheme for the 
organization of scientific research. The fact, however, is liable to be 
overlooked that the visible supply of research workers in this Dominion 
is a very small one. 
When a sum of money allocated for a research remains unexpended, 
perhaps not applied for, it is by no means correct to assume that the 
research is not needed : it may be a matter of life and death. Whatsis 
revealed, however, is the absence of a suitably gifted and suitably trained 
worker to undertake it. Were £100,000, or even a tithe of that sum, 
available to-day for scientific investigation, the dearth of investigators 
would be at once apparent. 
Here is a real difficulty, one of the greatest encountered by organizers 
of scientific and industrial research. 
It may be objected that the position cannot be improved, as the 
scientific investigator is born and not made. This is undoubtedly true ; 
but it is also true that, after being born, he must be recognized and trained. 
There are no statistics to show the number of potential scientific workers 
diverted by lack of opportunity to other walks of life. It may be that the 
number of such would have amply supplied the need. 
If, then, we are willing to grant that the supply of “ raw material ” 
is forthcoming, it remains only to select and use it. Under our system 
of free and compulsory education it may be assumed that at least a fair 
proportion of our scientific “ raw material ” qualifies for entrance to the 
University. At this stage a serious leakage occurs. The New Zealand 
youth loathes to remain longer dependent upon his parents for bare 
1—Science. 
