THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH.
THURSDAY,
APRIL
1985:
SCIENCE MENACES SOCIETY
TOO RAPID RATE
OF CHANGE
SIR DANIEL HALL
"The Pace of Progress" was the Litto of the Rede Lecture given by Sir Daniel Hall, Director of the John Innes Horticultural Institu tion, at Cambridge Univeralty ro- cently.
Canada annually sees an internatioski Dog Derby whan racing dog'teams from distant points father at Quebec to race over a long anow covered route. Here is one team speeding along with their light racing sleigh toward the finish.
Sir Daniel Hall said the pace of material progress based upon wore making trials of the same plen science had become so rapid that in dealing with surplusca 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 potatoca culture of those European States was being handed over to the un- which were based upon a peasant employed. They seemed to be ten- system of farming. State Inter-tatively approaching a solution of vention followed in one form or the problem of over-production another with the object of preserv- that there were, people to absorb ing the pensant structure; and it any supposed excess If only they was this State control, extending could get the gooda to them. to all industry bealdes agriculture, that would provide the agency
CONTROL OF INDUSTRY
All the systems of organisation effectually to reduce the rate ofdopted to-day, whether autocratic. change.
Fascist or Communist, whether nerely regulatory as in the polley of this country, and, an far as could be discerned, the United States were
Pre embarked upon, envisaged the control of each industry by a single organization of the type either of a Civil Service or of n public utilliy
Dr. Whitehend had discussed the effects of the shortened time-span. which now prevalled in human affairs. In the early atoges of civilization the great technical changes, such na the substitution of bronze for flint, or iron for bronze, involved a time-span of the order of a thousand years. Even at individual entrepreneurs was to company. The competition so, the course of progress was sub- ject to Immelse setbneks. The eliminated as resulting in in- rapidity of scientific discoveries stability within the industry and social disorder. Such control would! had diminished the time-span to a inevitably slow down progress and few years. But the texture of
the rate of change. Research human nature responded slowly to should be the inspiration of great these changes in its environment. monopolistic corporations, the driv Consequently, na Dr. Whiteheading power that should replace the argued, society had ceased to be profit-molive.. But he was con- stable, because the material pro- vinced that no research would make gress that used to be spread over
for the suppression of the cntre- many generations now occurred within single lifetime. Nos convinced, too, that in longer was it n sound hnals for hierarchies, whether Government services or otherwise, research Government to assume that life would constantly be called to defer would be carried on in the near to expediency. In any service, the future as it had been in the im- man of science with his passion for mediate past. It had become a "thorough" would always be finding commonplace that the march of himself baffled by other considera- science was no longer wholly bene-tions which would not be allowed ficial but was developing aspects to weigh making, money wore the destructive of their accustomed prime object. Progress would
economy.
doubtless be pursued, invention would be allowed to go on; always provided some irrelevant condition was satisfed at the same time; and it was these secondary considera- tions that would damp down the fire of research.
ECONOMIC STANDSTILL Agriculture at the present time afforded an example of an industry brought to a world-wide economic alandstill because of their inability to handle the enhanced powers of
It was through the growth of production due to selence. On the
such industrial organizations, to hand, they had European ceun which all civilized States were bo- one trica "freezing their peasant soing driven, that he saw emerging cial structure by tariffs and other
fiscal expedienta; on the other, they by science which the world appear the check to the changes Wrought had the exporting countries adopted to nued. "We must manage to ing fantastic measures-Brazi!assimilate the tempo of change of burning coffee and the United human habits, and character to that Staten ploughing up cotton and paying bounties for "not raising" hour.
The other industries afforded
of material progress, and at pre- sent the only way seems to be to slow down the pace of the latter."
But "the course of science has to
kindred examples. The normal be broadened, not arrested: Sparta sequence of an improved process achieved social stability and died, was the destruction of a certain the spirit of Athens in yet active in amount of capital and the tempor- every field of human endeavour." nry throwing of labouring men out of work. But credence should not bo given to the idea that over-pro- duction was the cause of the world depression; the theory of over-pro- duction postulated a static society and an Inelastic demand. They might agree that the world's re- quirements of bread and Intterly been over-supplied, but the surplus production of wheat was converti- ble into milk, eggs, bacon, &c., of
SAVE UP YOUR TIME
FAMOUS ACTRESS GIVES ADVICE
which no one would suppose men "I can't possibly find the time !"i and women the world over were get-How olten one hears this stupid ting thele fil
utterance Where has the time
To the disturbing effects of gone? Hero we are living in a selence 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 lighton all sorts of work, and yet the power thua attainable by big we have no timel says Miss Ger business, the eficiency it could trade Lawrence, the famousi acquire in the translation into actress. action of the material advances The complaint is us old as the promised by, scientific discovery, hills. Throughout the age wo
that had caused science to become rend of this supposed lack of time. a standing menace to the orderly There. are so many things to do, atructure of society.
so much to see, and so little time
FANTASTIC CONDITION
to appreciate what wo have done
Coming to the question of econ- and seen, so little time to think omic self-sufficiency, Sir Daniel and to commune with oneself on Hall remarkel that whon French Government bought the Ono experience rushes on to the the the real essentials of daily life. wheat of its farmers at 66s. a quar-other, and we are left in a whirl ter and had to sell the surplus beat the end of the day. yond the requirements of its own
One of the best ways to find
millers at 208, a quarter; when the time Is to eliminate the waste of Czechoslovak beet-sugar cartel had it. One of the greatest lonkagek
to charge its own countrymen of time is wholly useless gossip. 41⁄2d. a lb. for sugar in order to self In this case a "still tongue will the other half of its output to
make a "wiss hood," and, in-
Baschall aboard the U.S.5. Saratoga, giant aeroplane carrier, is no novelty. There's ample room.
summer.
They're off in the Elephantine derby. These men and mounts will race on behalf of European circuses this
......
Great Britain at id, a lb., it must cidentally, save quite a lot of time. be concluded that these expedients It is necessary to keep a sharp she goes on. had some purpose behind them, however immediately fantastic they are on the minutes wasted, and the appeared. The position had grown hours will look after themselves.
up step by step through opportunist
In fact, be careful never to waste
Men of Signer Mussolini's Camel Corps stop to sip a cup of tea in the cool of the evening.
NO DISCRIMINATION
Thero is another aspect of all
n thousand and one unimportant dozen and spoil the lot. A poet things in time,
From this worry springs the legislation that did not look beyond and you will save a deal of time craze to see this and that, mostly fear. It is born of failure to givaj
a minute on non-coaential things, this useless ruah, this censolor greatest enemy of modern life- the Immediate situation it was designed to moot 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, dnd-fundamentals of life No time to to reach the logical
pople have the most, time. This anything is good enough so long-sit down and think things out if the effect of the organisation that is true. Ask a busy woman to do as it fills, however incompletely. Wo lose the centre of our being quired to keep an Industry in boing a job, and it is done without any the passing moment. More ser and a grip upon ourselves.
Someone will say, "So much to Was the generation of a surplus fuss. But ask a woman who "has lous still, we are-inducing what is unsaleable internally, it would give no time" and la 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 is caused by far better to do two things well rather than to foreignore. They job will never be done to time worry the worry of trying to do than to moandor about with a
voices the position beautifully- "If I had time to find a place And sit me down full face to face: With my better salf, that cannot
show
It might be then I would aos my a my daily life that rushes on:
soul
Was afumbling still towards the
ahining goal;
I might be nerved by the thought
sublime
If I had time}";
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