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NATURE 



287 



.s the field of action of the State in regard to science, if 

 we point out that under one or other of these heads are 

 included all scientific questions affecting the army, the 

 naxy, the public health, the mercantile marine, public 

 works, Government scientific establishments ; the ele- 

 mentary instruction in science under the department of 

 education in primary schools, in the science classes con- 

 nected with the Science and Art Department, and in 

 secondary schools so far as they are subject to Govern- 

 ment control ; the aid which is now given, or which it is 

 desirable should be given, to universities and other bodies 

 not directly connected with the State, for the middle and 

 higher scientific instruction, and the control which the 

 State either does or should exercise over them in virtue 

 of such aid or otherwise ; the appointments to all scien- 

 tific offices in the gift of the Crown ; grants to museums 

 and their control by the State ; aid to scientific expedi- 

 tions of every kind ; the establishment and direction of 

 State laboratories and observatories ; grants in aid of 

 such laboratories not under State direction, and in aid of 

 scientific research ; and generally the allotment and con- 

 trol of public funds for similar purposes. 



" The majority of the witnesses who have given evi- 

 dence in relation to this branch of the inquiry, express 

 dissatisfaction with the manner in which questions under 

 the preceding heads are now determined, and either re- 

 commend the appointment of a special minister of science 

 or of a minister of science and education, 



" In most cases the witnesses recommend that such a 

 minister should, in regard to science, be advised by a 

 council. Others, however, are of opinion that the func- 

 tions of such a council might be exercised by an adminis- 

 trative staff of the usual kind." 



After adducing a mass of evidence with regard to this 

 subject, the establishment of a Ministry and Council of 

 Science, the Commission thus discusses it : — 



" We have given careful consideration to this part of 

 the Inquiry entrusted to us ; and, in the course of our 

 deliberations we have been led to attach much importance 

 to the facts stated in the first part of our report, which 

 show that the scientific work of the Government is at 

 present carried on by many different departments. 



" There is nothing to prevent analogous, if not actually 

 identical, investigations being made in each of these, or 

 to secure to one department an adequate knowledge of the 

 results obtained, and the circumstances under which they 

 were obtained, by another. 



" Investigations admitted to be desirable, nay, practical 

 questions, the solution of which is of the greatest impor- 

 tance to the public administration, are stated by the 

 witnesses to be set aside because there is no recognised 

 machinery for dealing with them ; while, in other cases, 

 investigations are conducted in such a manner as to 

 involve a needless outlay of time and money, because they 

 were originally planned without consultation with com- 

 petent men of science. 



" Passing to the question of the advancement of science, 

 we have arrived at the conclusion that much has to be 

 done which will require continuous efforts on the part of 

 the administration unless we are content to fall behind 

 other nations in the encouragement which we give to pure 

 science, and, as a consequence, to incur the danger of 

 losing our pre-eminence in regard to its applications. 



" These considerations, together with others which have 

 come before us in the course of our inquiry, have im- 

 pressed upon us the conviction that the creation of a 

 special Ministry dealing with science and with education 

 is a necessity of the public service. 



" This Ministry would be occupied (i) with all questions 

 relating to scientific and general education, so far as these 

 come under the notice of government ; (2) with all ques- 

 tions incidental to the application of national funds for 

 the advancement of science ; and (3) with all scientific 



problems in the solution of which the other departments 

 may desire external scientific advice or information. It 

 would also be desirable that the department should receive 

 information as to scientific investigation proposed by 

 other branches of the Government, and record their 

 progress and results. 



" It is not within our province to express an opinion as 

 to whether the subject of art should be included among 

 the functions of this department ; but we are satisfied that 

 the Minister's attention should not be distracted by any 

 immediate responsibility for affairs which have no con- 

 nection with science, education, or art. 



" We have considered whether the official staff of such a 

 Ministry, however carefully selected, could be expected to 

 deal satisfactorily with all the varied and complicated 

 questions which would come before the department. We 

 have given full weight to the objections which have been 

 raised against the creation of a special council of science, 

 and to the arguments in favour of referring scientific 

 questions to learned societies, or to special committees 

 appointed for the purpose, or to private individuals ; but 

 nevertheless we have arrived at the conclusion that an 

 additional organisation is required through which the 

 Minister of Science may obtain advice on questions in- 

 volving scientific considerations, whether arising in his 

 own department or referred to him by other departments 

 of the Government. 



" Such questions have from time to time been referred 

 to the Council of the Royal Society, in which the best 

 scientific knowledge of the time is fairly represented. 

 The Committee chosen by that Council for the adminis- 

 tration of the government grant of 1,000/. per annum in 

 aid of scientific investigations has performed its work to 

 the satisfaction of the Government, of men of science, and 

 of the public. But if much more is to be done for the 

 advancement of science than at 1 present, and if the 

 Departments in conducting their investigations are to 

 have the benefit of the scientific advice which appears 

 now to be frequently wanting, the Council of the Royal 

 Society, chosen as it is for other purposes, could scarcely 

 be expected to take upon itself functions which, it is true, 

 are not different in kind, but which would involve in- 

 creased responsibility and the expenditure of additional 

 time and trouble. Moreover, amongst the questions on 

 which the departments would require scientific advice, 

 there would no doubt be many requiring a knowledge of 

 the peculiar exigencies of the public service, which would 

 be more readily understood and solved if some persons in 

 direct relation with the departments formed a part of the 

 body to be consulted. It is obviously of great importance 

 that the council should be so constituted as to possess the 

 confidence of the scientific world, and we believe that this 

 confidence would be extended to a council composed of 

 men of science selected by the Council of the Royal 

 Society, together with representatives of other important 

 scientific societies in the United Kingdom, and a certain 

 number of persons nominated by the Government. We 

 also believe that such a body would deserve and receive 

 the confidence of the Government, and that it would be 

 well quaUfied to administer grants for the promotion of 

 pure science. 



"The general opinion we have expressed as to the 

 proper remuneration of scientific work would be applicable 

 to the members of this Council, but the degree and 

 manner in which the principle should be applied in this 

 instance must be so largely dependent on circumstances 

 that we cannot make any specific recommendation on the 

 subject. 



" It would be impossible that the Council should in all 

 cases undertake the direct solution, by itself or even by 

 sub-committees, of the problems submitted to it. In 

 many instances, especially when experimental investiga- 

 tions are required, its duty would be accurately to define 

 the problem to be solved, and to advise the Minister as 



