Montana labor news., 1939-01-26

other surveying equipment used in
our summer field courses. The
equipment we have was adequate
when the enrolment in the field
courses was seven or eight students;
it is no longer adequate when that
has jumped to twenty
and thirty"
we need cameras, photomicro-
graphic equipment, darkroom ma
t%erials, lantern slides, and projection
apparatus. The sort of equipment
we have along these lines is old,
makeshift, and entirely inadequate.
Yet modern Photographic equipment
is absolutely indispensable in the
scientific pursuit of geological prob
lens and our work is greatly
hampered by the want Of it."
"One of our greatest needs is new
grinding and polishing equipment.
The study of minerals, ores, paleon-
tological specimens, rock suites, and
vein sections is carried out by the
preparation of polished and thin sec
tions of the material under consid-
Grafton and suitable polishing, cut
ting, and grinding wheels, and pol
ishing material are necessary for
such work. Most of our polishing
and grinding equipment is hand
made and makeshift; we could use
$4,000 for the purchase of suitable
apparatus"
I'm addition to all this, we need
maps, models, charts, and diagrams
for visual education. We need
chemicals, minerals, blowpipe APP
paratus, spectographs, and a whole
host of scientific appliances too
numerous to mention here. It is
safe to say that $4,000 could be
used, without exaggeration, to bring
our department fully u%p-to-date."
"How does your department func-
ton efficiently when there is such a
lack of equipment and materially"
1T functions efficiently because
the type of student we get here is
r%esourceful and self-reliant. For
example, if a student undertaking
a research problem finds that he
needs a certain piece of apparatus
which he knows isn't available, due
to our small budget, he makes it, if
he can, out of any available ma
terial. A student can use a poor
microscope, if he has to. But in
neither case is efficiency being fully
served. I could site you numerous
cases in which the students have
bought material and apparatus
themselves rather than see their
work suffer. That shows a COM
m%endable spirit but it is a function
which should be undertaken by the
state and not the student"
"The same thing can be said Of
the instructors. Their salaries are
much smaller than they should be,
they work long hours, they struggle
with makeshift equipment, and they.
too, give freely of their own time
and money so that the students will
be adequately trained. They would
be poor teachers if they didn't do SC
but again such activities should be
functions of the state and not Of the
teacher. Certainly an attempt should
be made by the state to remedy the
conditions which make such sacri-
fees necessary"
Or. Perry, you have presented
the facts very well and given us
something to think about" we said,
preparing to leave.
"Thank you" said Perry. 81 hope
that next you will go over and talk
to Professor Gaudin and DR.. Wilson
in the Mineral Dressing and Metal
lurgy Departments. They'll have
much to tell you, too"
1--WE WILL" we said, and once more
trekked down the hill.
Next week you'll hear what Pro-
fessor Gaudin and DR.. Wilson have
to say.