NOTES 283 



metric measures. The following appeal is made to all who are interested in the 

 movement : 



"The present is a critical time in the life of the Decimal Association. Success 

 appears within our grasp, but to carry on the rapidly increasing propaganda work, 

 greater expenditure is required, and all those who are in sympathy with our aims 

 are earnestly requested to become members of the Decimal Association, or, if 

 already subscribers, to send a donation in order that this great opportunity be not 

 lost through lack of funds." 



The offices of the Association are at 212, Finsbury Pavement House, E.C.2. 

 The Twelfth Annual Report of the Executive Committee of the British Science 

 Guild (July 1918) contains a memorandum dealing with the same subject. The 

 sub-committee appointed to consider the question oppose any sudden change in 

 our system of units, and propose rather that the decimal system should be intro- 

 duced gradually by making it more convenient than that in present use. They 

 suggest that it should be used in Government announcements and contracts 

 beginning with easily practicable cases, which should be gradually extended until 

 ultimately all tenders, invoices, etc., for government purposes are compulsorily 

 expressed in the new system. It is further suggested that contract should be 

 made unenforceable in the Law Courts except in terms of the Metric System, and 

 that the expense of officially certified conversion into that system of the terms used 

 in the contract should be put upon the litigant seeking relief. An attempt has 

 been made by Kynoch & Co. to introduce the metric system into their works. It 

 had to be given up partly because no one would invoice to them in metric units, 

 and partly because the Railway Companies refused to accept goods for which 

 the consignment notes were expressed therein. As to this last it may be noted that 

 the Government has already power to insist on railway companies accepting 

 such goods. 



Another very important document included in the report of the Guild is that 

 signed by Sir W. A. Tilden dealing with the Dye Industry. It is there pointed out 

 that the share and debenture capital of the German companies has recently been 

 much increased, and that still further increases are contemplated. The total 

 amount is stated to be considerably in excess of fifty millions of pounds, while 

 to compete with this the amount employed by firms in this country is between 

 four and five millions only. Moreover, the financial aspect does not give a full 

 measure of the disparity in the two positions, for Germany has at her disposal 

 a large body of expert chemists trained and experienced in the processes ot 

 manufacture. In England the number of qualified chemists is insufficient for the 

 purpose of the dye trade alone, and out of this inadequate supply " many scores, 

 perhaps hundreds, have been taken for the army." (Since the report was written 

 there has been a further call-up of chemical students of low medical grade.) 

 Finally the German has realised the all-important fact that chemists must be 

 admitted to a position alongside the business men on the directorate of technical 

 companies. Until this is realised here also it will be impossible to cope with the 

 organisation of German firms. 



Further steps have been taken by the Government to aid the Dye Industry — 

 e.g. Nature, May 23, June 30, July 25. In the first place a sum of ,£2,000,000 is to 

 be distributed through the Board of Trade to those firms not helped at the time 

 when British Dyes, Ltd., was formed. Of this sum ,£1,250,000 is to form a loan 

 repayable in twenty years' time (or less if the profits exceed 9 per cent.); 

 ,£600,000 is to be used for the extension of plant and buildings, and ,£150,000 is to 



