THE HONGKONG
4. TELEGRAPH. THURSDAY, APRIL
1935.
-
SCIENCE MENACES SOCIETY
'TOO RAPID RATE
OF CHANGE
SIR DANIEL HALL
"The Pace of Progress" was the title of the Rodo Lectura given by Sir Daniel Hall, Director of the John Innes Horticultural Institu- tion, at Cambridge University yes- terday.
Canada annually asss an intárnational Dog Derby whan racing dog team, from distant points gather at Quebec to race over a long engw covered route. Here is one team speeding along with their light racing sisigh toward the Enish.
Sir Daniel Hall said the pace of
upon were making trials of the same plan based material progreas sclence had become so rapid that in dealing with surpluses in Great the social structure of the nations Britain; to relieve the milk market could not adjust itself quickly en-school children were being given ough to assimilate the advances. milk free or at an uncommercial This was most evident in the agri-price, and the excess of potatoes culture of those European Staten was being handed over to the un- which were based upon a peasant cniployed. They seemed to be len- system of farming. State Inter- tatively approaching 'n solution of vention followed in one form or the problem of ayer-production- another with the object of preserv- that there were people to absorb ing the peasant structure; and it any supposed excess if only they was this State control, extending could get the goods to them. to all industry besides agriculture, that would provide the agency effectually to reduce the rate of change.
CONTROL OF INDUSTRY
All the systems of organisation adopted to-day, whether autocratic Fascist or Communist, whether merely regulatory as in the polley of this country, and, so far as could be discerned, the United States were embarked upon, envisaged the control of each industry by a single organization of the typo either of
Dr. Whitehead had discussed the effects of the ahortened time-span which now prevailed in human affairs. In the early stages of elvilization the great technical changes, such as the substitution Iron for of bronze for illnt, Or bronze, involved a time-span of the Civil Service or of a public utility company. The competition order of a thousand years. Even
of individunt cutrepreneurs was to so, the course of progress was sub-be eliminated as resulting in in- ject to immense setbacks. The stability within the Industry and rapidity of selentifie discoveries social disorder. Such control would had diminished the time-span to inevitably slow down progress and few years; But the texture of the rate of change. Research human nature responded slowly to these changes in its environment. should be the Inspiration of great Consequently, as Dr. Whitehead monopolistic corporations, the drly- argued, society had ceased to being power that should replace the profit-motive. But he was con- stable, because the material pro- vinced that no research would make gress that used to be spread over
up for the suppression of the entre many generations now occurred within single--lifetime. No longer was it a sound basis for Government to assume that life would be carried on in the near future as it had been in the im- mediate past. It had become a
march commonplace that the
of
science was no longer wholly bene ficial but was developing aspects destructive of their accustomed
economy,
ECONOMIC STANDSTILL Agriculture at the present time afforded an example of an industry
convinced, too, that in hierarchies, whether Government Bervices or otherwise, research would constantly be called to defer to expediency. In any service, the man of science with his passion for
thorough" would always be finding himself baffled by other considera- Lions which would not be allowed to weigh if making money were the prime object.
Progress would doubtless be pursued. Invention would be allowed to go on, always provided some irrelevant condition was satisfied at the same time; and brought to a world-wide economictions that would damp down the It was these secondary considera- standstill because of their inability to handle the enhanced powers of fire of research. production due to science. On the one hand, they had European couns tries "freezing their pensant so-
It was through the growth of such industrial organizations, to which all civilized States were be
cial structure by tariffs and other driven, that he saw emerging the check to the changes wrought fiscal expedients; on the other, they had the exporting countries adopt-a science which the world appear- ing fantastic measures Braziled to need. "We must manage to burning coffee and the United assimilate the tempo of change of human habits and character to that Slates ploughing up cotton and
of material progress, and at pre- paying bounties for "not raising"
sent the only way seems to be to hoga.
slow down the pace of the latter."
The ether industries afforded kindred examples. The normal Acquence of an improved process was the destruction of a certain amount of capital and the tempor ary throwing of labouring men out of work. But credence should not be given to the iden that over-pro- duction was the cause of the world depression; the theory of over-pro- duction postulated a static society They and an inelastic demand.
might agree that the world's re
quirements of bread had latterly been over-supplied, but the surplus production of wheat was converti- ble into milk, eggs, bacon, &c.. of which no one would suppose men.
But "the course of science has to
be broadened, not arrested; Sparta achieved-ancial stability and died, the spirit of Athens is yet active in every fleld of human endeavour."
SAVE UP YOUR TIME
FAMOUS ACTRESS GIVES ADVICE
"I can't possibly Bud the time!"
and women the world over were get-How otten one hears this stupid!
ting their All.
utterance! Where has the time:
To the disturbing effects of one? Here we are living in a
science in the form of invention world running riot with additional and discovery must be added the transport, labour-saving devices, power conferred by advances in the Inventions which hurry up and technique of organisation. It was lighten all sorts of work, and yet the power thus attainable by big we have no time! says Miss Ger business, the efficiency it could trude Lawrence, the famous acquire in the translation into actress.
nction of the material advances The complaint is as old as the promised by scientific discovery, hills. that had caused science to become a standing menace to the orderly structure of society.
FANTASTIC CONDITION Coming to the question of econ-
Throughout the ages wo read of this supposed lack of time. There are so many things to do, so much to see, and so little time to appreciate what we have done and seen, so little time to think
omic self-sufficiency, Sir Daniel and to commune with eneself on
Hall remarked that when the the real essentials of daily life,
French Government. bought the wheat of its farmers at 655. a quar- ter and had to sell the surplus be- yond the requirements of its own millers at-20s. a quarter; when the Czechoslovak beet-sugar cartel had
One experience rushes on to the other, and we are left in a whirl at the end of the day.
time is to eliminate the waste of
Ong of the best ways to ind
One of the greatest lenkages
to charge its own countrymen of time is wholly useless gossip. 4d. a lb. for sugar in order to sell In this case a "still tongue will the other half of its output to make
a wine head," and, in-
Barshall aboard the U.S.S. Saratoga, giant noroplane carrier, is no novelty. There's ample room.
They're off in the Elephantine derby. These men and mounts will race on behalf of European circuses this
rammer. “
Man of Signor Mussolini's Camel Corps stop to sip a cup of tea in the cool of the evening.
With my hetter seif, that cannot
show
And sit me down full-face to face
Great Britain at Id. a lb., it mustcidentally, save quite a lot of time. be concluded that these expedients had some purpose behind them, It is necessary to keep a sharp
a thousand and one unimportant dozen and spoil the lot. A poot! howover immediately fantastic they eye on the minutes wasted, and these gous on
things in time. NO DISCRIMINATION
voices the position beautifully:-) appeared. The position had grown In fact, be careful never to wasto hours will look after themselvca.
"If I had time to find a place There is another aspect of all'
From this worry springs the up step by step through opportunist legislation that did not look beyond minute on non-essential things, this useless rush, this ceaseless greatest enemy of modern life the Immediato altuation it was and you will save a deal of time craze to see this and that, mostly fear. It is born of failure to give designed to meet. It had been in which to do things of im- of no importance. We are losing oneself time to appreciate the reserved for the Irish Free State portance. It is said the busiest the power of discrimination, and fundamentals of life. No time to to reach the logical conclusion that people have the most time. This anything is good enough so long sit down and think things out if the effect of the organisation re- is true. Ask a busy woman to do as it fills, however incompletely. We lose the centre of our being quired to keep an Industry in being fuss. But sak a woman who "has tous still, we are inducing what is! Someone will say, "So much le
A job, and it is done without any the passing moment. More ser and a grip upon ourselves. was the generation of a surplus unsaleable internally, it would give no time" and is always lamenting loosely called "nerves" in these do, so little done." Yes, but it is. it away to its own poor people the shortness of the day, and your days. This complaint la caused by far better to do two things will rather than to foreigners. They job will nover be done to time! worry the worry of trying to do than to moandor about with a
In my daily life that rushes on: It might be then I would see my
Boul
Was stumbling still towards the
shining goal;'
I might be nerved by the thought
aublim
If I had time!"
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