248 The N.Z. Journal of Science and Technology. [July 
unmindful of the call of science ; full well does he know its inestimable 
value to the nation. Already has he greatly assisted the Institute by 
special grants for economic science, and now he has promised to do his 
utmost to place the New Zealand Institute on a firm financial footing. 
Thus it seems not unlikely that this Congress heralds a new era of usefulness 
for the Institute. 
The New Zealand Institute possesses a library of scientific works, at 
present housed in that worn-out wooden building—a true fossil—called 
“ the Dominion Museum.” The Transactions of the New Zealand Institute 
since their commencement have been sent to a great number of the leading 
scientific bodies throughout the world. These in like manner send the 
Institute their publications. It stands out clearly, then, that an important 
collection of scientific literature is in the possession of the Institute, and that 
it is being added to year by year. For years there have been no funds for 
binding, the resources of the Institute having been strained to breaking- 
point to pay the rapidly-increasing cost of its Transactions. The Museum 
authorities certainly do their best to make the library available for 
scientific workers, but any one who has occasion to use it knows that it is 
of little benefit. This the Board of Governors fully realized some time ago, 
and an offer was made by them to the Government, which was accepted, 
to hand over the library as a nucleus of a real scientific library as soon as 
a proper building was erected and a qualified librarian appointed. Nothing 
has been done as yet with a war raging it was not to be expected—but 
we live in hope. With the power of exchange possessed by the New 
Zealand Institute through its Transactions virtually all the publications 
of every scientific society throughout the world could be acquired. But 
this would not be enough, for equally important are the many scientific 
journals which can only be acquired by purchase. Then there is the host 
of books, constantly appearing, essential for scientific progress. Obviously, 
the maintenance of such a librarv is far bevond the income of the Institute, 
ts */ 
were that quadrupled. But the Institute could supply the lion’s share 
of the acquisitions. Much also could be done by the various scientific 
Departments of the Government, whose libraries should also be added to this 
central library. I do not know r of anything that is so greatly needed for 
scientific research as such a library, and if it were only of one-half the value 
to the nation which I am claiming for it this evening no money should be 
less grudged by the people, and no money would be better invested. As 
it is, every serious worker must at his own expense greatly supplement 
the scanty literature available ; this has been done for years willingly, and 
it will continue to be done, but it does not seem to me an altogether 
creditable state of affairs. 
This fundamental question of an adequate scientific library leads me at 
once to other aspirations of the New Zealand Institute—that body of 
scientific folk, and believers in science, who are banded together to add some¬ 
thing to human knowledge and to advance thereby the interests of this 
glorious country of which they are citizens. Next to provision for the 
library, the Institute desires recognition by the people of New Zealand as a 
body devoted entirely to their interests, both material and intellectual—a 
body ready at any time to advise the Government on scientific matters, and 
to assist to the utmost in any national service for which science is required. 
In the early days of the Institute most of the scientific workers were 
amateurs. These, it is true, were endowed with the holy fire of enthusiasm, 
but had their limitations nevertheless. At the present time highly trained 
men—not holders of degrees merely, but men trained by years of experience 
