NOTES 469 



have patriotically and intelligently contributed their share to 

 the national effort. With the Navy predominant and strict 

 economy a matter of common prudence, all reasonable needs in 

 food supply will be forthcoming. 



The sectional meetings were productive of several interesting 

 and some highly important papers and discussions, from 

 amongst which it is only possible to allude to the following : 



Chemical Section : — Smoke prevention ; Scientific gas-fire 



construction ; Homogeneous catalysis. 

 Economics Section : — Industrial harmony. 

 Botanical Section : — Application of science to the cotton 



industry. 

 Educational Section : — Industry and education ; Military 



education. 



C. S. (jr. 



Government and Chemistry 



Not the least valuable result of the present devastating 

 war is the realisation by our Government of the urgency of 

 the co-ordination of science and industry on national lines. 

 The need for the proper recognition of the fundamental import- 

 ance in the life of the nation of the scientific worker and 

 researcher has long been apparent even to moderate intellects, 

 but it has taken the calamity of a world war with scientifically 

 endowed enemies to open the eyes of our authorities to our 

 backward position in this respect. Happily, too, the Press 

 is beginning to realise the importance of the scientific profession, 

 and if such enlightenment continues, we hope that the days 

 will not be far distant when this long-slighted profession will 

 be elevated to its proper place in the national life alongside 

 its already honoured relation, the medical profession. 



Some progress towards such a happy denouement has 

 been made as the result of the memorials presented to the 

 Prime Minister and the Government on March 1 of last year 

 by the Royal Society and the Chemical Society co-jointly. 



The memorial of the Royal Society to the Prime Minister 

 pointed out the supreme national importance of our chemical 

 industries, and the comparatively backward state of certain 

 of these. Speaking as the chief representative of science in 

 this country, the Society alluded to the following as the chief 

 causes of this deplorable state of affairs : 



