New Zealand Institute Science Congress. 
239 
1919.] 
past few days I have received a personal telegram from the Governor- 
General of the South African Union, taking exactly the same view as 
myself, and asking me to forward suggestions on these lines to His Majesty’s 
Government at Home. I have not had an opportunity to mention the 
subject to the Minister of Public Health in New Zealand, but from what 
that gentleman has said to me I am convinced -that he will be of the same 
mind. 
Another subject on the list will be dealt with by Mr. W. H. Skinner 
It is afforestation in New Zealand. I do not wish to go down to posterity 
as a “ crank,” but during the hearty welcomes I have received through¬ 
out the Dominion I cannot help noticing the manner of dealing with the 
country’s timbers. What a tremendous waste of good material has taken 
place ! I do not say that it could be helped, but it must be obvious to 
everybody that there has been an enormous waste. The time will come 
when this country will feel the want of the timber severely, from a 
utilitarian as well as a scenic point of view. 
The third subject on the list I wish to refer to specially is the develop¬ 
ment of the oil industry. About two years ago a committee was appointed 
under the auspices of Lord Harcourt, Secretary of State for the Colonies, 
to deal with the shortage of oil deposits in the British Empire, and some 
four months ago a despatch was sent to New Zealand asking it to do all 
it could to help the industry. There is no doubt that the development 
of the industry in New Zealand has not gone on apace. It is a vital 
question, and will become more vital as time goes on, and as more vessels 
are converted to be used for oil instead of coal. The whole trend of events 
is to encourage the nation’s resources within the Empire. There are three 
main places from which oil is taken—Rumania, the country surrounding 
the Caspian Sea, and Mexico. If some means could be found to get supplies 
from other places it would be of immense value to the Empire at large. 
A fourth important subject is the development of the Dominion’s 
fisheries. The Hon. G. M. Thomson has shown me at Dunedin what was 
being done in connection with sea-water fishes such as were known in the 
waters around the United Kingdom. When I first came to New Zealand 
I read of the Dominion’s trout-fishing. The trout is the best of the fresh¬ 
water fishes, with the exception, perhaps, of the salmon, and it was stated 
that New Zealand trout-fishing was the best in the world. During the 
time I have been in New Zealand fishing here has deteriorated enormously. 
I hope that scientists will develop a scheme by which New Zealand will 
maintain her reputation in that respect. I am pleased to declare the 
Congress open. 
Address by the Hon. G. W. Russell, Minister of Internal 
Affairs. 
I have to thank Your Excellency for opening this Congress, which 
marks an important advance in science in the Dominion. I trust a Science 
Congress will in future be held annually. Hitherto we have not as a people 
sufficiently realized the importance of scientific knowledge. We have 
depended almost entirely upon the primary products—wool, meat, butter, 
cheese, flax, and cereals. The great war, however, has brought home to 
us the lessons that if we are to carry our financial burdens successfully 
we must have more population, we must develop our latent mineral 
