120 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



disunited and almost without any influence with the body politic. These remarks 

 do not apply to German or rather Prussian scientists, who were attracted to and 

 favoured by their Government, and who, if moderately competent, had no fear as 

 to their livelihood. It is superficial criticism to remark on this that, if Prussian 

 scientists have united with their Government and the Great War is partly owing 

 to that co-operation, then disunion is preferable ; for we have to face the fact that 

 such a union, however maleficent, does make for strength — and economy." 



The kind of Science Guild recommended by the author, however, has a very 

 much more important object than has been contemplated elsewhere. In fact, the 

 scheme includes an entirely new form of government by which a small House of 

 Assembly would be elected as at present, and there would be a new kind of Senate 

 of which the Members are elected by the various Guilds, or professional or 

 industrial corporations, which make up the vital activities of the country ; and 

 many of these Members would be elected by the author's proposed Science Guild. 

 The suggestion appears very worthy of consideration, as it would imply that a 

 " House of Lords " would consist of men who are acquainted with the whole 

 round of affairs, and not of heredity peers as in Britain, or decayed politicians as 

 in other countries. 



The Empire's Assets and how to use them 



Mr. Alfred Bigland, M.P., read a paper on this subject before the Colonial 

 Section of the Royal Society of Arts on February 27th in order to elucidate his 

 views as to the best method of paying off the national war debt after the 

 declaration of peace. He discarded the idea of increased direct taxation as a 

 useless measure and one which would impoverish the country. In its place he 

 wished to substitute schemes for industrial development on the lines laid down in 

 the Manifesto of the Imperial Resources Development Committee. The central 

 idea of these schemes was that individual enterprise should give place to state 

 enterprise, thereby ensuring the necessary capital to create new industry on a 

 large scale ; and he showed that, by these means the state would in ten years 

 recoup its losses during the war, and at the same time increase the prosperity of 

 the country. The following are some of the sources of new wealth which were 

 in his opinion at the command of the British Empire. 



(1) Mr. Moreton's Frewen's scheme of an Empire Farm which proposes to 

 develop millions of acres of " new wheat lands, favourably situated as to climate 

 and relatively accessible from Hudson Bay" to be sold at considerably enhanced 

 values after such development. By this means "the Empire would be made more 

 nearly self-supporting in respect of wheat, and the manufactures of the home 

 country would find a new market." To make this successful, import duties on 

 wheat from countries outside the Empire would become necessary. (2) Further 

 development of the British possessions in West Africa, especially in regard to 

 palm-oil (an industry which was rapidly drifting entirely into German hands 

 before the war) and cocoa. (3) Considerable extensions of the fisheries, those 

 round Canada in particular. 



He pointed out that the cause of labour would be furthered by such operations, 

 as the State would be able to meet the needs of the individual worker better than 

 a single employer or company can, and that steps would be taken to see that this 

 part of the organisation was properly carried out. During the discussion that 

 followed the lecture it was suggested that a development of the Indian railway 

 system, now very inadequate, would raise the prosperity of that country, and, in 

 consequence, its power of purchasing from Great Britain. 



