SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 
opinion that better research work could be done by one central body. There are 
not many men in the world who are experts in these matters. They are very 
difficult to obtain. If one State were able to get the services of the most 
experienced man to go into researéh work, the other States would be unable to 
avail themselves of his services. Although I am very jealous of the sovereign 
tights of the States, at the same time I think this research work could be 
better done through one central body. I should be prepared to fall in with 
any arrangement that might have that object in view, seeing that it is in the 
interests of my own State that it should be done. There are many difficult 
problems which we shall have to deal with in Australia in the future, and they 
could be better dealt with by one central body.” 
The Premier of Victoria, Mr. Lawson, was strongly in favour of 
co-operation between the Commonwealth and the States in scientific 
research. He said as follows:— 
“T confess to a large measure of sympathy with the President’s views as an 
expression of an abstract principle. It is; perhaps, possible that the Common- 
wealth, in the exercise of this right, might logically take over certain other 
‘matters which are specifically State functions, but I do not fear that. I think 
we might reasonably welcome this institution as capable of doing something 
which, unfortunately, the States have not succeeded in doing. .In the State 
activities and State inquiries there have been overlapping and duplication; but, 
by means of centralization, more satisfactory results can be achieved. Mr. 
Swinburne’s memorandum, which the Acting Prime Minister read, states the case 
fully. We want concentration and co-ordination, and we ought to leave it to 
one body to make specific inquiries, instead of all the States independently 
investigating the same subject, thus making for duplication. I say let 
us welcome the Commonwealth, and work hand in hand with it in this matter.” 
This shows quite clearly, not only that all reasonable steps were taken 
by the Commonwealth Government and by those in charge of the work 
of the temporary Advisory Council to obtain the sympathy and 
co-operation of the State Governments in the work of the proposed 
Institute, but also that the States, on the whole, cordially welcome the 
Commonwealth proposals. A brief survey of the activities of the 
Institute will now show how these proposals for co-operation have been 
carried into effect, and we shall see that a large part of the work of 
the Institute is now being carried out in co-operation with one or more 
of the States. 
First of all there is the prickly pear scheme, which involves the 
expenditure of a sum of £8,000 per annum for five years. Both the 
New South Wales and Queensland State Governments have agreed to 
co-operate with the Commonwealth in the scheme, and each of these 
States will contribute a sum of £2,000 a year towards the cost of the 
work, thé business side of which will be controlled by a small Committee — 
representing the Commonwealth and the two contributing States. 
Though the feeling of the Premier of New South Wales was, in 1918, — 
somewhat opposed to co-operation with the Institute, much has since 
been done to secure co-operative research in that State. Not only has 
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