THE NEW ZEALAND 
JOURNAL OF SCIENCE 
AND 
i SEf J l<M919 
TECHNOLOGY. Z , J 
^tent 
VOL. II. 
Wellington, July, 1919. 
Nos. 4 and 5. 
THE NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE SCIENCE CONGRESS, 
CHRISTCHURCH, 1919. 
The Science Congress' organized by the New Zealand Institute and held 
from the 4th to the 8th February is perhaps the most important scientific 
event in the history of the Dominion, and we owe our readers no apology 
for devoting a double number of the Journal to a record of the meetings. 
The importance of the event lies rather in the future than the present. 
The Christchurch Congress of 1919, successful though it was, is only the 
first of a great series of similar but larger meetings which will as time goes 
on profoundly influence the attitude of the people of New Zealand towards 
science, and will stimulate the men and women of science to wider and 
better endeavour. The co-ordination of research, about which we have 
heard so much during the last few years, depends largely on personal 
contact between the different workers, and these congresses will provide 
opportunities, hitherto lacking, for such contact. 
But, apart from its future promise, the Christchurch Science Congress 
was in itself an event of no mean importance. The attendance was large 
and fully representative of the whole Dominion. The Government showed 
its appreciation of the event by the presence of His Excellency the Governor- 
General and the Hon. the Minister of Internal Affairs, both of whom gave 
addresses at the opening ceremony. A particularly gratifying feature was 
the large delegation from Government Departments, and especially from the 
Department of Agriculture, proving the desire of the often-abused Government 
official to co-operate fully in scientific matters- with the University professor 
and the layman. Disappointment was, however, expressed that the Educa¬ 
tion Department was not more prominently represented in view of the 
importance of the position of science in education. The meetings were well 
attended, and the attendance at the evening lectures was very creditable 
to the people of Christchurch. The programme of papers was unexpectedly 
large, and served a useful purpose in impressing on the community the 
extent and variety of the scientific work being carried out in the Dominion. 
In this regard the exceedingly fine reporting of the Christchurch papers 
served to give the Congress a publicity it might have missed in a smaller 
town. The programme was, if anything, too large for the time occupied, 
and in future congresses this point will doubtless receive due consideration 
from the organizers. The shortness of time, too, prevented visitors from 
18—Science. 
