5 1 //? WILLIAM SIEMENS, F.R.S. 381 



I shall vacate this chair next year with the pleasing consciousness 

 that my term of office has not been devoid of a practical result. 



Sir Frederick Bramivell, F.R.S., said, it was his privilege, as late 

 Chairman of the Council, to move a hearty vote of thanks to the 

 present Chairman for his address. The society might be congratu- 

 lated on this occasion, on having for the chairman of its council a 

 gentleman who, of all others, had in recent years applied pure 

 science to the purposes of industry, and had done so with the most 

 marked success. Having regard to what the society was, and to the 

 objects which it pursued, a gentleman in that position was the one 

 who, if the choice were always open, would be selected for the 

 purpose ; but such persons were scarce, and very difficult to catch; 

 and he looked upon it as one of the greatest feats of the council, 

 over which he had had the honour to preside last year, that they 

 had caught his successor and had placed him in that chair. 

 Dr. Siemens, when applied to, put forward the feeble excuse that he 

 was about to become President of the British Association, and he did 

 not see therefore how he could be Chairman of the Society of 

 Arts. The council replied that this was no excuse at all ; on the 

 contrary, it was the very reason why they wanted him. Then he 

 said, as he had said that evening, that he should be pumped out 

 by having said all he had to say at Southampton, to which he 

 (Sir Frederick) replied that it would take not only Southampton, 

 but a great many towns, to pump Dr. Siemens dry ; and that the 

 Society of Arts would be well content with the practical residuum 

 after he had delivered himself of pure science. He was sure that 

 the meeting would feel that the address that evening justified that 

 answer, and justified the council for having insisted on Dr. 

 Siemens becoming their chairman. His address had been confined 

 almost exclusively to one subject one of many of which he was a 

 thorough master that of electric lighting. He had touched upon 

 a variety of topics in connection with it, but the address was 

 mainly a practical one, relating to that which so many wanted to 

 know what was possible to be done, what would be the cost, and 

 what would be the result. Everyone must have been pleased with 

 the information given. Dr. Siemens had himself said that there 

 were other skilled persons who entertained different views views 

 more favourable as regards area of districts served from one 



