782 



NATURE 



[December i, 1923 



Associations^ the co-oni he research 



},,„.r.k »i,<. v...i,.n,i| pIp, i ,,,,... , the various 



(1 ' iitions, and the <)r^anis;itiun (on- 



triiUiiig grunlji t" imliv ulual UDikcis. arc all pu&scd in 

 review. On tli<- uIimI' tin iKurd li one ut continuous 

 progress. Ihiinuhi l)een overcome and ad- 



vances made in muny di ■ I'ml Research 



Board has been weakciK tinnuiit of Sir 



Georgf I'.'ilhv, who has for seven years guided its 

 actixitir, •• and laid the foundations of a striu turr of 

 ncu knu\\lr(L'f ol j^rtai sif^'nificanre for the lu.dili and 

 industrial urUare of tlii. idiintrw" Dr. Lander 

 sui reeds linu as director, ulnlc .sir Kichard Thrclfall 

 heconu > tiiairni.ui dt the llnard. Tin- uratilvin^ l.u L 

 is recorded that, ai the Imu rnatiim il (1 inference on 

 Radin-Tclrirraphyat Unis>( k la>t \tar, ihc programme 

 ol work i)ri[)arrd lor lla- I'.ritish delegates by the 

 Radio Research Board found a ready acceptance as 

 the basis of international research. 



The appointment of Sir William lira-- to the 

 FuUerian professorship at the Royal Institution is 

 noted, and the arrangements by which he is to have the 

 help of a staff of skilled assistants are referred to. 

 lioth he and tin- Ad\isory Council are to be con- 

 gratulated on this ; we may look forward to the 

 Royal Institution and the Davy-Faraday Laboratory 

 becoming the birthplace of a series of discoveries no 

 less notable than those which have already made its 

 name famous in the annals of science. 



The committee which, in co-operation with the 

 railway companies, has been set up under the chair- 

 manship of Sir Alfred Ewing to investigate the stresses 

 on railway bridges due to moving loads, has undertaken 

 a difficult but important task. The weight and speed 

 of trains have increased many fold since most of our 

 bridges were built. Stress conditions are much more 

 serious, the large factor of safety designed for is 

 much reduced, and, while there may be no grounds 

 for anticipating serious risks, investigation and fuller 

 knowledge are urgently needed. 



Growth of another kind is indicated by the purchase 

 of land at Teddington for extensions of the National 

 Physical Laboraton.^ and other government institu- 

 tions. 



Only in one section is the note less assuring. ^\fter 

 describing generall\ the scheme under which the 

 Research Associations were established, the report of 

 the Council continues : " The anticipations made at the 

 inception have failed to be realised owing in large 

 measure to industrial events since that date." The 

 Associations were started during the last year of the 

 War, four being founded before November 1918. It 

 was hoped that they would be a flourishing product of 

 the boom which was to follow and to last for five years 

 NO. 2822, VOL. 1 12] 



at least. This hope has not 

 lasted two years, du ri"" 

 associations came into < 

 of intense depression, onl> on 



>(•< u fulfdlcd : the boont 



!,;, !, .„ ,;,.,! seventeen 



/2o, a period 



itaj» been added to the 



list. Tlie five vears for \slii< h the j^nints u«t«- made 



'Ut. 



-Milliun Fund, 

 :.■ ? !■'< u if anv 



' .in end ; lund-. 

 '1 h' .\ •.. lat: 'lanced froni ti 



and the (juestii • . What is 1m ' . , 



really can stand alone ; ^^ 

 sufficiently promising to jusliis iiu' 

 ance e\(i) it it be possible to frnrl r 

 Advisory Coun< il i 



rralisinir that •• the um .r.u ^i -r-'ni 

 he in-nl!i' i'-nf Jn man 

 ot tl 



. X- 



Ihe 



1, while 



j)pear likely to 



( a^es to fulfil the original hopes 



ided that there is no justifica- 



tion i-i ..Mim.i. -i_'inal rnntrarts. Existing 



agreements, there!' > he terminated at the end 



of the quintiuennial period ; should any association 

 apply for a further grant, the rase will ' . ,.^-\.\.....a ...^ 

 its merits and an in(|uir\- will tie m<i(h 

 stances. New ;:rants may as the result of this Ik: nmdc, 

 but in no case, ii is laid, should the grant <vt.nd for 

 more than an additional live \ear>. 



The position is a difficult one ; the circumstances of 

 the past three years have been such that the srheme 

 has not had a fair chance. \\ hat will tin l)e 



in the next five years ? The inquiries to be set un foot 

 will throw some light on this question, and the nlan 

 proposed is probably the best that can be <; 

 But there are other difficulties, as the report pomts 

 out. Scientific inquiry is coming to be rcrocnised 

 more and more as the basis (in whicli in 



industry rests, while the calls of industry are no small 

 inducement to science to advance. But co-operation 

 in industrial investigation is novel. In Germany, in 

 pre- War days, ^rcat firms could maintain their staffs 

 of skilled workers ; the same is possible in America 

 now; but there are few concern- r^ge 



and so flourishing as to bear the i ajhu-^ ^i .i jnnate 

 research laboratory. Such (an prohat>ly l)e counted 

 on the fingers of one hand ; the Urown-Firth lalx>ra- 

 tories, the G.E.C. works at Wendiley. and the lal>ora- 

 tories of Barr and Stroud are well-known ixamples. 

 Such firms do not participate in the work of the Associa- 

 tions ; and amomr those who do the differences of 

 position are \ er\ marked. By some the need of 

 scientific inquiry is fully grasped : others have scarcely 

 realised it. Some through long experience have gained 

 a store of useful practical knowledire ; why should 

 they share it with others less happily placed ? We give 

 much, we gain little, they may not unnaturally say ; 

 wherein do we profit ? 



Yet we find that w here there have been mutual trust 

 and confidence ; w here each member of an Association 



