76 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



cation committees now being appointed under the new Act. The educational 

 section of the association having been but recently added, the corresponding 

 societies have as yet not had much opportunity for taking part in this branch 

 of the association's work; and in view of the reorganization in education now 

 going on all over the country your committee are of opinion that no more op- 

 portune time is likely to occur for the influence of scientific organizations to 

 make itself felt as a real factor in national education. . . . 



I believe that if these suggestions or anything like them — for some 

 better way may be found on inquiry — are accepted, great good of sci- 

 ence throughout the Empire will come. Eest assured that sooner 

 or later such a guild will be formed because it is needed. It is for 

 you to say whether it shall be, or form part of, the British Association. 

 We in this Empire certainly need to organize science as much as in 

 Germany they find the need to organize a navy. The German Navy 

 League, which has branches even in our Colonies, already has a 

 membership of 630,000, and its income is nearly 20,000Z. a year. A 

 British Science League of 500,000 with a sixpenny subscription would 

 give us 12,000/^ a year, quite enough to begin with. 



I for one believe that the British Association would be a vast 

 gainer by such an expansion of one of its existing functions. Increased 

 authority and prestige would follow its increased utility. The meet- 

 ings would possess a new interest; there would be new subjects for 

 reports; missionary work less needed than formerly would be replaced 

 by efforts much more suited to the real wants of the time. This 

 magnificent, strong and complicated organization would become a 

 living force, working throughout the year, instead of practically lying 

 idle, useless and rusting for 51 weeks out of the 52 so far as its close 

 association with its members is concerned. 



If this suggestion in any way commends itself to you, then when 

 you begin your work in your sections or general committee see to it 

 that a body is appointed to inquire how the thing can be done. Eemem- 

 ber that the British Association will be as much weakened by the 

 creation of a new body to do the work I have shown to have been in the 

 minds of its founders as I believe it will be strengthened by becoming 

 completely effective in every one of the directions they indicated, and 

 for which effectiveness we their successors are indeed responsible. The 

 time is appropriate for such a reinforcement of one of the wings 

 of our organization, for we have recently included education among 

 our sections. 



There is another matter I should like to see referred to the com- 

 mittee I have spoken of, if it please you to appoint it. The British 

 Association, which as I have already pointed out is now the chief body 

 in the Empire which deals with the totality of science, is, I believe, 

 the only organization of any consequence which is without a charter, 

 and which has not His Majesty the King as patron. 



