SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 
Subsidization. | Where scientific work is being efficiently carried out, 
but is being hampered through want of funds, the Inst\- 
tute has come to the rescue with good results. 
Bureau of This has been established and efficiently manned. A} 
Information. manner of information of a scientifie and technica] 
character can now be obtained on inquiry. 
Scientific The object of this Journal is to assist in co-ordinat- 
Journal. ing the scientific work being done in the Common. 
wealth, to prevent overlapping of effort, and to afford 
an authoritative medium for the interchange of ideas. 
Problem =~ Careful inquiries have been made in each State as to 
Census. technical difficulties affecting the development and pro- 
gress of existing industries as a whole and of individual 
firms in particular industries. Information has also 
been collected regarding opportunities which exist foy 
the establishment of hitherto undeveloped industries, 
both primary and secondary. This is necessary spade 
work. 
Industrial A large amount of information, partly of a con. 
Census. fidential nature, has been collected under this heading, 
and this should prove of great value in connexion with 
future work. 
Research Work All the leading research laboratories of the United 
Abroad. Kingdom, the United States of America, and Canada, 
have been visited, and their organization studied and 
reported upon by a trusted officer of the Institute. The 
information thus gained will prove of great value later 
on. 
Co-ordinating By acting as the convener of conferences of scien- 
Work. tific men engaged in similar work in different parts of 
Australia much overlapping of effort has been avoided 
and greater clarity of vision secured. Several con- 
ferences have been held during the past twelve months, 
Fountain Head When Governments, Federal or State, or official 
of bodies require information involving scientific prin- 
Authoritative ciples, they immediately turn to the Institute. So the 
Advice. Defence Department, the Navy Department, the Go- 
vernment of Papua, the Commonwealth Board of Trade, 
and the British Board of Trade, have all sought and 
secured advice. 
Useful Not only is positive work useful; negative work is 
Negative also highly valuable. So the Institute has exploded 
Work. many wild-cat ideas, has tested many materials, and 
found them useless for certain purposes, thus avoiding 
much fruitless work in the future, e.g., proposals to use 
raw materials for certain purposes, inventions for new 
methods and processes have been shown to be imprac- 
ticable. 
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