68 



The first Conference was held on Thursday. September 10th, Mr. W. Whitaker, P.R.S., being in 

 the chair. After some preliminary remarks by the Chairman, Sir Norman Lockyei (President of the- 

 Association) spoke at some length, saying that he wished to take the opinion of the Delegates as to 

 some lines of work that he referred to in his presidential address as fit subiects for the British Associa- 

 tion to take up. He believed in using existing instifutions as far as possible, and if the British 

 Association deemed it advisable to take steps towards the formation of a Guild of Science he tboaght 

 it was important to see whether or no the existing organizations of the Correspondin<? Socifties ciuld 

 be made use of. These Societies numbered about seventy, with a membership of 25,000, and he 

 thought the number might be increased. He thought the present an opportune moment for action, 

 and the Corresponding Societies, through their members, were able to reach scientific gentlemen in 

 all parts of the country, who would be able to influence the deliberations of County, City, Borough, . 

 and other Councils in the direction of furthering scientific pursuits. At present be and other indi- 

 vidual gentlemen had been working for some forty years in this direction, but had produced no effect. 

 His idea was that the right thing to do was to "get hold of votes"; if they could control votes in tbe- 

 House of Commons and in the local governing bodies Science would be benefitted, and that would be 

 an important factor in the future national life. The gentlemen present were acquainted with the 

 varying local conditions, and he should like to hear their opinions. 



Principal Griffiths, F.R.S , Vice-Chancel lor of the South Wales University, thought the best way 

 to make progress was to address themselves to *' the man in the street." If they could show him how 

 Science touched his daily life by leading up to those inventions which helped him to gain his 

 livelihood, that would be a kind of missionary effort in which all the Corresponding Socitties could 

 heartily join. He had found working and business men quite ready to realize how pure Science and 

 Research had improved their conditions of life and increased their business opportunities. 



Mr. W. F. Stanley (Croydon) said we must begin with "the boy in the street," and advocated 

 giving children in the elementary schools and secondary schools a taste for scientific pursuits. 



Mr. A. H. Garstang (Southport) said the Southport Literary and Scientific Society had started 

 Science and Art Schools, which were afterwards taken over by the Corporation, and the University 

 Extension Lectures, now worked by a separate committee; so he considered that his Society had been 

 doing useful work towards the result aimed at. 



Professor J. W. Carr (Nottingham) said he believed that the University College of 

 Nottingham was unique, in that it rose out of the efforts of the Local Scientific Society which so 

 influenced the Corporation that they carried the matter through. He thought that lo3al soci^ities 

 could do much in influencing the educational bodies now being formed. He spoke of the necessity of 

 " getting hold of the children " and the advantage of popular lectures for working men. He also 

 thouerht that local societies by their museums and lectures might help to train teachers. 



The Chairman, Mr. Whitaker, spoke of the value of admitting boy members fr.>m schools to locat 

 societies and the good that mi^ht be done by offering prizes for collections, essavs, etc. 



Finally the following resolution was carried unaoimously: — "That, as urged by the President, it 

 is desirable that scientific workers and persons interested in science be so organised that they may 

 exert a permanent influence on public opinion in order the more effectively to carry out the third 

 object of the British Association, originally laid down by the founders, namely, to obtain a more 

 general attention to the objects of Science and the removal of any disadvantasresof a public kind which 

 impede its progress, and that the Council of the British Association be asked to take steps to promote 

 such organizations." 



Mr. W. M. Rankin, B.Sc, then read a paper on the methods and results of a botanical survey of 

 counties. 



The second Conference of the delegates took place on September loth. 



The Chairman stated that Sir Norman Lockyer had requested him to ask the delegates to submit 

 to their Societies that these SDcieties should do their best, in whatever way seemed most advaatageoas,. 

 to carry out his ideas. 



Mr. Cole then read a paper in which he advocated local societies applying to County Counc Is for 

 grants in aid of the various Committees of such Societies which were engaged in carrying out the 

 investigations proposed by Committees of the British Association. 



A representative of Section K (Botany) asked Delegates to bring bef.>re their Societies notice of 

 the fact that a Committee was now at work collecting and registering photographs of botanical 

 interest on exactly the same lines as the well-known committee on geological photogiaphs. As exam- 

 ples of what was wanted, he mentioned records of plant life and plant disease, trees of great age, trees 

 of curious growth, etc., etc. 



In conclusion, gentlemen, I will put three special points before you :— (1) As in duty bound I 

 must ask you to consider Sir Norman Lockyer's proposal and discuss the best rae^ns of aidinj; it under 

 your special circumstances, whether by "educatioe the man and the boy in the street," or by enlarging 

 thg scheme and scope of your work, or by influencing votes, or by getting members co-opted to 

 Educational Committees or other authorities who have control of the upbringing of the young, or by 

 such other methods as shall suit your special circumstances. 



(2) I would call your attention, more especially the photographers and geologists, to the report 

 of the Committee on Geological Photographs. Looking at the number of photogiaphs of geological 

 interest contributed by each County of England you will see that Yorkshire heads the list with 604 



