NOTES 473 



recognised that the training of research workers must come 

 within the province of the Board. He referred to the £4,000 

 grant already given by the Government for research, as well 

 as the £7,000 grant to the National Physical Laboratory. 

 He fully recognised the present unsatisfactory state, but 

 by aiding the universities in such ways as improving their 

 equipment, aiding the staff, and by State contributions much 

 could be done within a few years to stimulate scientific workers. 1 

 The matter was further ventilated in Parliament by a debate 

 which took place on May 20, and shortly afterwards concrete 

 action by the Government was outlined in a Memorandum 2 

 issued by the new President of the Board of Education (Mr. 

 Henderson). This Memorandum intimated that an Advisory 

 Council of Industrial Research would be appointed, and that 

 the estimates for the current year would include a sum of 

 £30,000 for the purpose of aiding research work. This Ad- 

 visory Council has now been appointed, and it has been made 

 responsible to a small Committee of the Privy Council in whose 

 hands lie the control of the expenditure of the Parliamentary 

 grant mentioned above. 



Time alone will show the efficacy or otherwise of this scheme, 

 and in the meantime the Council must receive the goodwill 

 and co-operation of all concerned — scientists, manufacturers, 

 and general public — in the arduous tasks which lie before it. 

 To a nation spending five millions a day, however, the grant 

 of £30,000 per annum for research so fundamental to its 

 prosperity seems ridiculously small, although a considerable 

 advance on the former endowment. Still, a start has been 

 made in earnest, and the Council must press for larger grants 

 as the organisation expands. 



The demand for organisation has by no means been limited 

 to the two Societies already mentioned. Organisation has 

 been the theme of the presidential addresses at Manchester 

 last year of both the Society of Chemical Industry and 

 the British Association. Prof. Henderson made a sterling 

 appeal for academic and industrial co-operation by the estab- 

 lishment of some such scheme as that inaugurated successfully 



1 A full abstract of the proceedings of the deputation to the Government, as 

 well as the text of the memorials, will be found in the Trans. Chem. Soc. 191 5, 



107, 974- 



1 White Paper (Cd. 8005, price hi.). 



31 



