120 The N.Z. Journal of Science and Technology. [Aprii 
UNIVERSITY AND SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 
Jubilee of the Otago Institute. 
The Otago Institute celebrated the attainment of its jubilee by a con¬ 
versazione in the University Buildings, Dunedin, on the evening of the 
11th November, 1919. 
The Hon. G. M. Thomson, President, received the guests on arrival, 
and as the various physical, chemical, and physiological laboratories and 
rooms, and the Mining School, were thrown open to them the visitors 
spent two pleasant and profitable hours enjoying the lecturettes and 
demonstrations provided. 
At 9 o’clock the assemblage gathered in the Allen Hall, where three 
short addresses were delivered. 
The President referred to the fact that he had been elected to the 
position he occupied because he was the senior member on the Council, 
having been elected to a seat on it in 1876. The first meeting of the 
Institute was held on the 20th July, 1869, when the President, Mr. Justice 
Ward, delivered an address on the natural resources of the young colony, 
and their development. The Institute started with eighty members, and 
five of that number were still alive—Messrs. A. Bathgate, D. Brent, A. D. 
Lubecki, and John Ross, and Sir Robert Stout. 
The speaker referred to the fact that in a new country the whole trend 
of research was bound to be in the direction of natural science, and this 
was the line taken by most workers in the Otago Institute, as in all the 
other branches of the New Zealand Institute. He emphasized the fact 
that of the papers read in the early days of the existence of the Institute 
some had a direct bearing upon matters of commercial importance, while 
others were purely scientific, embodying research and study undertaken 
solely for the purpose of gaining knowledge. There was no ulterior view 
of money value in such research. He referred specifically to some of these. 
There was a tendency at the present time always to exalt the commercial 
aspect of things, and when research was spoken about it was largely said 
that research must take some form that would be beneficial to the 
industries of the country. An Institute such as theirs stood more for the 
development of pure science than for the development of applied science, 
and the former was studied con cimore and without any idea of ulterior 
benefits to the students. While a commercial spirit pervaded everything 
at the present time, a great deal of the best work had come from the 
development of pure science. The late Mr. Maskell’s work had been done 
solely for pleasure, and it was his work that had to be gone on with in 
attempting to cope with the insects that destroyed our orchards. He also 
quoted Mr. D. Miller in a similar connection. Mr. Miller had worked for 
pleasure, and his work had had a great effect upon the health and wealth of 
the community. ■ They were entering upon an age of research, not by private 
individuals only, but organized research, which would be promoted by 
the Government, and institutes such as theirs would be asked to co-operate 
and assist. They wanted to train up in all the centres people who would 
be prepared to enter upon scientific research, and that could not be done 
without assured finance. It was necessary that a sufficient sum of money 
should be set aside annually to ensure the training of students, and use 
