NOTES 147 



The Guild appointed a Special Committee also to consider 

 and report upon the best means to be adopted for securing 

 (i) increased financial support from the Government for higher 

 forms of intellectual effort, and (ii) the adequate remuneration 

 of scientific workers and learned societies for services rendered 

 in connection with Royal Commissions, Departmental and other 

 Government or public committees, the remuneration of repre- 

 sentatives of the Government at Congresses, etc., and of expert 

 advisers and witnesses in Government inquiries, lawsuits, etc. 

 The Committee instituted an inquiry as to the practice adopted 

 by the principal Government Departments, municipalities, and 

 other public bodies, and, following the receipt of replies, the 

 Guild issued a general letter asking the heads of such depart- 

 ments and authorities to recognise the principle that no expert 

 advice be taken without the payment of some kind of fee in 

 addition to travelling and maintenance charges. 



The Committee is at present making inquiries in regard to 

 the remuneration and terms of employment, etc., of scientific 

 workers in universities, university colleges, etc., with a view to 

 securing some improvement in the same, and a report will be 

 issued in due course. 



J. C. B. 



(Copies of any of the Reports and statements referred to above may be had on 

 application to the Secretary of the British Science Guild, 199, Piccadilly, W.) 



War Inventions 



It is difficult for those who cannot possibly know the actual 

 facts of the case to imagine what the Governments now 

 engaged in the war are doing to encourage, consider, and 

 utilise inventions which may quite possibly finally prove deci- 

 sive in the struggle. The forces opposed to each other are so 

 evenly matched that any invention which at first sight appears 

 to be quite trivial may turn the tables. Men of science, who 

 know from experience how much often depends upon trifling 

 improvements of instruments or of technique, will know what 

 this remark implies. Thus Tycho Brahe's improvements of 

 astronomical instruments almost founded modern astronomy, 

 and the discovery of oil-immersion lenses almost created 

 modern pathology. Similarly, modern warfare is really based 

 upon mechanical inventions, and even strategy has been forced 

 to conform itself to them. May not further mechanical inven- 



