SCIENTIFIC BENEFACTIONS DIVERTED 83 



hitherto had been a mystery to me and left me frankly 

 astounded. I have formed the deliberate opinion 

 that it is useless for benefactors, like Mr Carnegie, 

 to give money for science and scientific research, 

 because under the existing- system it will be diverted. 

 Chemistry here would have been actually better off 

 under the system that was in vogue before 1889. 

 The wealth that has poured into the coffers of the 

 university, either from the Carnegie benefaction or 

 from State grants, passes it by. 1 It supports itself 

 practically by hard teaching, and the money it is 

 stated in the published accounts to get, and which, 

 if it did get, would enable something to be done on 

 the research side, are mere book-keeping trans- 

 actions. Either this must be rectified or, before 

 science can take its proper place in Scotland, new 

 universities for science and modern subjects must 

 be founded. 



But apart from the petty tricks and sophistries 

 by which those who claim to guard the eternal 

 verities against the encroach of modern heresies 

 have secured to themselves the benefit of monies 

 intended for scientific study and research, the general 

 attitude of this country toward science, whether 

 from dullness, ignorance or antipathy, is unworthy 

 of it. Of all the great nations of the earth none 

 have benefited more by scientific discovery, and none 

 have repaid the debt in more beggarly fashion. To 

 boast of what this country has done in science as 

 compared with other nations would be to follow the 

 bad example of Germany. To boast of what this 

 country has done for science as compared with other 

 great powers would be impossible. But it is legitimate 

 patriotism to be very proud and satisfied that, in spite 

 of the lack of adequate encouragement and support, 

 this, country can claim no mean or subordinate share 



1 See Appendix. 



