178 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN INSTITUTE [VOL. XI 
APPENDIX. IV. 
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL OF THE 
DOMINION OF CANADA APPROVED BY HIS ROYAL 
HIGHNESS THE GOVERNOR GENERAL ON THE 
6th JUNE 1916 
The Committee of the Privy Council have before them a report, dated 23rd May 
1916, from the Minister of Trade and Commerce, to whom was referred a despatch 
from the Right Hon. A. Bonar Law, Secretary of State for the Colonies, calling attention 
to a scheme of scientific and industrial research for the United Kingdom, as embodied 
in Parliamentary Paper Cd. 8005, attached hereto, and a copy of the Order in Council 
approving of the same. 
The Minister observes that this scheme, proposed by Mr. Arthur Henderson, con- 
templated the appointment of a Committee of the Privy Council which should be 
responsible for the carrying out of the same, and a small Advisory Council responsible 
to the Committee to be composed mainly of scientific men and men actually engaged in 
industries dependent upon scientific research. By Order in Council, 28th July 1915, 
effect was given to this scheme, and the Committee and Council proposed therein were 
appointed and their respective duties set out. The scheme was to be applied to the 
United Kingdom as a whole and was not intended in any way to interfere with the 
arrangements already made by the War Office and the Admiralty in respect to obtaining 
scientific assistance for the improvement of munitions of war, but was designed to 
establish a permanent organisation for the promotion of scientific and industrial re- 
search. 
The Minister observes that after this scheme had gone into operation, suggestions 
were made from various sources that it should be extended and made applicable to the 
Overseas Dominions or even to the Empire as a whole. These suggestions were ap- 
proved in principle by the Committee of Council, and a memorandum was prepared 
intimating certain preliminary steps that might be taken to bring about gradually co- 
operation of effort and co-ordination of research throughout the Empire. 
On the 20th January 1916 the Minister of Munitions caused to be distributed to 
educational institutions in the United Kingdom a circular letter inviting co-operation 
in the improvement and invention of appliances for the prosecution of warfare, and 
copies of the same were sent to certain universities in Canada. As a result these 
universities have given full information on the facilities they possess for carrying on 
research work in respect to the specific purpose of the Minister of Munitions. They 
express willingness also to co-operate and assist in the work of industrial research, and 
are of the opinion that some department of the Government of Canada should under- 
take to co-ordinate and supervise this work and act as a medium of communication. 
The Minister desires to point out the urgent necessity of organising, mobilising and 
encouraging the existing resources of industrial and scientific research in Canada with 
the purpose of utilising waste products, discovering new processes—mechanical, chem- 
ical and metallurgical—and developing into useful adjuncts to industry and commerce 
the unused natural resources of Canada. At no period has the importance of such united 
and thorough action been so evident as since the conditions brought about by the war, 
when the scarcity of certain compounds and processes has caused confusion and paraly- 
sis in industries and greatly added to cost of living. Canada has educational and 
scientific institutions more or less well equipped for conducting this research, which 
have already done much along their several lines and are willing and anxious to equip 
