NOTES 505 



who really have small qualifications to enter it can easily do so. Thus, in my 

 opinion, the whole standard of government and of legislation is lowered. 



On December 1 a large scientific deputation headed by the President of the 

 Royal Society (Sir Joseph Thomson, O.M.) waited upon Lord Crewe, the President 

 of the Board of Education, at the Institution of Civil Engineers, in order to hear a 

 declaration from him on the policy of the late Government in respect to Industrial 

 Research. Lord Crewe was accompanied by members of the Committee of the 

 Privy Council for Research and of the Advisory Council. Sir Joseph Thomson 

 introduced the deputation with a very felicitous and wise speech, punctuated with 

 several brilliant epigrams — such as the statement that " applied science can lead 

 to reforms, but research in pure science leads to revolutions." He pointed out 

 also that assistance could not easily be given to pure research by granting sums 

 of money to individuals for current work — a common fallacy ; and showed that a 

 good way to pay for research was simply to help those who are engaged in teaching 

 to undertake it. The fact is that it is often just as absurd to pay a man for future 

 researches as it would be to pay a poet for future masterpieces. As Sir Joseph 

 Thomson pointed out, the results of research are always problematical, and will in 

 fact be frequently almost entirely negative, and I therefore think that payments by 

 the State for such are likely not only to be very often a waste of money, but also 

 to put the person paid in a false position. As a matter of fact, most men of science 

 are engaged in teaching, and a good way to encourage research is to pay teachers 

 of science so well that they can avoid the necessity of adding to their funds by 

 other means and may devote their spare time to investigation. 



Lord Crewe's declaration justified the hopes which were expressed in our last 

 issue, when he was appointed head of the Board of Education. The scheme 

 which he shadowed forth was nearly but not quite complete. Greatly increased 

 funds are to be given for industrial research, and money will also be available to 

 help workers in "an area of research which paid nobody in the pecuniary sense 

 for the time being," and " individual research workers who need grants to enable 

 them to go on at all." Exemptions from income tax will be allowed on contribu- 

 tions by traders to industrial associations which may be formed for the purpose of 

 scientific research for the benefit of various trades. A Royal Charter has been 

 granted to the official members of the Committee of the Privy Council for Scientific 

 and Industrial Research,^under the title of the " Imperial Trust for the Encourage- 

 ment of Scientific and Industrial Research." The Trust is empowered to deal 

 with funds, including sums voted by Parliament to that end, and can take and 

 hold land, etc. Dr. H. Frank Heath, C.B., has been appointed permanent 

 Secretary of this new Department, and all correspondence should be addressed to 

 him to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Great George Street 

 Westminster, S.W. 



When I heard Lord Crewe's speech, I remained in doubt regarding the exact 

 meaning of his words about the " area of research which paid nobody in the 

 pecuniary sense." Would they apply only to future work, or also to past work 

 which has not been remunerative to the worker but has been of advantage to the 

 public ? I therefore wrote directly to the Secretary of the new Department, and 

 he replies that " As regards your question about past work, I think I can supply 

 the answer, which, from what you tell me, will, I fear, be disappointing to you. It 

 will not be within the province of the Department for Scientific and Industrial 

 Research to institute a scheme of rewards for scientific investigations already 

 completed. The purpose of the Department is to promote further work whether 

 by individuals or by associations." 

 33 



