504 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



Australia," in which Australians are exhorted to make the art of talking subservient 

 to the art of doing. The writer says, " We have to realise that our ultimate salva- 

 tion depends, not on high duties, or on loud oratory, or on vigorous flag-waving, 

 but on the patient and noiseless application of sound scientific methods to our 

 business and our commerce. Some people talk as if all that is necessary in order 

 to ensure prosperity is to build a tariff wall and then sit down in its shadow and 

 wait for the good times that are sure to follow. In the opinion of this paper, even 

 were the tariff wall as high as heaven, it would avail nothing, unless on this side of 

 the wall there happened to be an abundance of industrial energy, guided by science 

 and sense." The writer also deplores the "pathetic trust in politicians," main- 

 taining that this " belief in the magical effects of Parliament and legislation is one 

 of the superstitions of the age." In a short article entitled "The Philosophy of 

 the Drink Question," the introduction into public-houses of the sale of tea and 

 coffee and light refreshments as well as alcohol is brought forward as a possible 

 remedial agent for the present pernicious influence hitherto exercised by these 

 institutions. Dr. R. Greig-Smith's Presidential Address read before the Royal 

 Society of New South Wales is introduced under the title of " Science and 

 Industry : What one might do for the other," and amongst much valuable matter 

 an excellent suggestion is made that the public who are unable, through lack of 

 special training, to read scientific papers in the form in which they are originally 

 written, should have their main facts presented to them by a "scientific journalist," 

 who should "'write up' the proceedings of the scientific societies for the news- 

 papers." The manufacturer and commercial man are catered for in the following 

 articles: "Activated Sludge ; a Modern Miracle," in which it is claimed that a 

 practical system of converting garbage and sewage into land fertilisers has at last 

 been found ; " Handling Materials in Manufacturing Plants : The Wool Industry," 

 etc. Many pages are also devoted to Current Tenders and a Buyers' Guide, and the 

 reader is furnished with a Table of Contents and an Index to the Advertisements. 



This and That (The Editor) 



During the last quarter many events of the first importance as regards the 

 business affairs of science have occurred. The proposal of the late Govern- 

 ment to consider the whole subject of Electoral Reform is evidently fundamental 

 for the proper development of science in this country. In this number of Science 

 Progress Mr. Cowan gives us a carefully reasoned and valuable study of the 

 subject from the Parliamentary point of view, and I am convinced that most 

 scientific men will agree with his conclusions. His suggestions for reform are 

 simple and immediately practicable, and would place the whole government of the 

 country upon a better and more truly democratic basis. But some of us think 

 that the reforms should go further, and should strike at the very root of the whole 

 system of party politics, so distinctly opposed both to reason and to good adminis- 

 tration. It is not possible to consider such points here, but, personally, I think 

 that the party system should be rendered directly illegal by the suppression of 

 party caucuses, party funds, and the clearly unwise methods of touting for votes 

 now used. There is no genuine democracy in this country at all, and the voter is 

 able only to choose alternative names from among the lists of candidates presented 

 to them by the caucuses — so that, in fact, the caucuses, which have no real standing 

 in the constitution, are practically able to prescribe to the voters whom they shall 

 send to Parliament. This and the large expenses of elections suffice to keep out 

 of Parliament numbers of the very best minds in the country, while many persons 



