Organisation for Industrial Expansion in South Africa

Abstract

IN an article on “The Co-ordination of Research “which appeared in NATURE of December 6 mention was made incidentally of the issue of the South African Journal of Industries. Copies of the first number of this journal have now reached this country. Before alluding to the scope of the new journal it should be explained that the Scientific and Technical Committee appointed by the Department of Mines and Industries of the Union of South Africa has for its principal functions the conduct of an economic survey of the natural resources of South Africa, the extension of provision for industrial research, co-ordination of industrial investigation, the elimination of overlapping in such work, and the provision of means for taking advantage of facilities for investigation not available in South Africa by co-operation with similar organisations in the United Kingdom and the other British dominions. The committee has so far made two chief recommendations, viz. (1) the appointment of various authorities in South Africa to report on the natural resources of the country, and (2) the publication of an industrial journal to give publicity to the reports and data collected under the committee's auspices. The first of these recommendations is being carried out, and the second has been given effect to in the issue of the South African Journal of Industries.