PROCEEDINGS FOR 1919 XV 



IV. — The Honorary Advisory Council for Scientific and 

 Industrial Research 



The work of the Honorary Advisory Council for Scientific and 

 Industrial Research has suffered during the last year through the 

 operations of the Military Service Act, as a large number of scientific 

 workers became engaged in military work either in Canada or overseas. 

 The Military Service Act even affected the number of those who are 

 awarded studentships and fellowships, as, out of twenty-five of the 

 latter available, only four were awarded at the beginning of the 

 academic year in October last. 



The deficiency in the supply of scientific workers caused some of 

 the proposals for scientific research, accepted by the Research Council, 

 to lapse, and some to be suspended. After the armistice was signed, 

 however, .many of the scientific workers engaged in military service 

 in Canada were released and, in consequence, some of the projects 

 of the Research Council along scientific lines w^ere taken up, but this 

 occurred too late to overtake the time lost through suspension of the 

 investigations for seven or eight months. 



It is expected that for the coming year, with the handicap that 

 the war imposed removed, the work of the Research Council will 

 develop very greatly and a large number of new projects will be taken 

 up which will involve considerable expenditure and the engagement 

 of a large number of research men. 



It is hoped, now that peace has come, that the universities will 

 be able to resume their normal life and make extensive provision for 

 scientific research and for the training of the very large contingent of 

 researchers who are necessary to the development of the industries 

 of the country. 



The Research Council has urged the establishment of a National 

 Research Institute at, or in the vicinity of, Ottawa. This organiza- 

 tion is to be on a modest scale at first, but will grow as the needs of 

 such an institute on a larger scale will develop. The sum of $500,000, 

 it is estimated, will be needed for the building, which will comprehend, 

 at least, fifty laboratory unit rooms, and some fourteen or fifteen rooms 

 for ofïïces, library, and so on, and $100,000 was asked for equipment 

 and another $100,000 for the salaries of the staff of the Institute for 

 the first year. 



The recommendation was accepted by the Reconstruction and 

 Development Committee of the Cabinet, but no action has been taken 

 thereon by the Cabinet itself. The matter is now before a parlia- 

 mentary committee appointed to investigate the development of 

 scientific research in Canada, and on its final recommendation will 



