664 



NATURE 



[February io, 191 6 



and does not extend to the whole range of articles 

 included in the class ; and in a number of cases the 

 exports of United Kingdom manufactures included 

 under the same general heading are larger than, or 

 nearly as large as, the foreign imports. This is so as 

 regards paper for printing and writing ; printed paper 

 hangings ; stationery (other than paper) ; cutlery, china, 

 and earthenware ; telegraph and telephone apparatus ; 

 unenumerated electrical goods and apparatus ; and elec- 

 trical machinery. The only cases in which the values 

 of the imports of foreign-made goods are largely in 

 excess of those of the exports of United Kingdom 

 manufactures included under the same general head- 

 ings are — paper for packing and wrapping; jewelry; 

 fancy leather manufactures ; flint glass and manufac- 

 tures thereof; toys and games; and magnetos, which 

 have been practically a German monopoly. 



We proceed to the consideration of the detailed re- 

 presentations as to the ways in which Government 

 assistance might be given to the various branches of 

 industry which have been under our examination. 



The value of scientific research in industry and the 

 desirability of Government assistance in the promotion 

 thereof, was generally recognised both in the memo- 

 randa furnished to us and by the witnesses who 

 appeared before us, though it was admitted that British 

 manufacturers and workmen have not always shown 

 themselves in the past sufficiently appreciative of the 

 value of scientific investigation into industrial 

 problems, or of technical training. In a number of 

 cases reference was made to the valuable assistance 

 given by technical institutions to German industry, 

 and, though no very definite evidence on the point 

 was adduced, we see no reason to doubt the validity 

 of the opinions expressed. As regards the particular 

 British industries with which we are now concerned, 

 very valuable work is being done in respect of glass 

 by the University of Sheffield and the Institute of 

 Cheinistry (by the latter body especially as regards 

 chemical glassware and optical glass) ; in respect of 

 hard porcelain, and china and earthenware generally, 

 "by the School of Pottery at Stoke-on-Trent, which 

 Is an interesting example of combined trade enterprise ; 

 and in respect of paper, by the Manchester Institute of 

 Technology, which, however, though fully equipped, 

 is stated to exercise only a local influence and not to 

 "be utilised by the trade generally. All these institu- 

 tions are said to be handicapped by inadequate finan- 

 cial resources. The representatives of the paper- 

 making industry expressed a strong desire for 'Govern- 

 ment assistance towards scientific investigation as to 

 substitutes for resin size and aniline dyes, and for 

 paper-coating materials hitherto imported, and also in 

 the manufacture of parchment, grease-proof and other 

 special papers. In the case of the printing trade we 

 were informed that much assistance could be given 

 Tjy research work in respect of colour-printing and 

 the application of photography to printing and litho- 

 graphy, whilst as regards the Birmingham jewelry 

 trade it was stated that research into certain metal- 

 lurgical problems and into the production of semi- 

 precious stones would be advantageous. The electrical 

 Industry, of course, provides a very wide field for 

 scientific industrial research. 



At an early stage of the inquirv our attention was 

 directed to the fact that an extensive scheme of State- 

 aid for industrial research had recently been estab- 

 lished by a committee of the Privy Council, and is, 

 we understand, to be carried out by that Department 

 in close communication with the Board of Trade. 

 We are informed that a strong advisory council has 

 "been appointed, and that a number of applications 

 (including requests for assistance from the Sheffield 

 University, the Institute of Chemistry, the Stoke Pot- 

 tery School, and the British Electrical and Allied 

 NO. 2415, VOL. 96] 



Manufacturers' Association) are already before that 

 body, and that the first grants are being made. We 

 were accordingly able to refer to the new council and 

 the funds at its disposal those witnesses who expressed 

 the desire for State assistance in this direction, and 

 to point out to them -that the council in its considera- 

 tion of any applications for help to any particular trade 

 would no doubt be largely influenced by the extent 

 to which the trade had already shown or would show 

 a disposition to help itself. The new scheme is neces- 

 sarily experimental, but it is capable of much enlarge- 

 ment, and we have no doubt that if British manu- 

 facturers are ready to co-operate with the Government 

 in this matter and to avail themselves of the facilities 

 put at their disposal, the operation of the scheme will 

 be of very great value to British industry. 



The Electrical Trades' Association urged that a 

 Government inquiry should be instituted into the desir- 

 ability of adopting decimal coinage and the metric 

 system, both for this country and in the Dominions. 

 The use of the metric system is, of course, already 

 permissible; as to any Government action beyond that 

 we are aware that opinion is divided ; and we content 

 ourselves with recording the suggestions. 



The representatives of the stationery, silversmiths', 

 fancy leather goods, mechanical and other toys, glass 

 and magneto industries all urged upon us that many 

 manufacturers, in putting down plant and finding 

 capital for lines of manufacture which hitherto had 

 been mainly or entirely German or Austrian, either 

 to supply tiie home deficiencies caused by the cutting- 

 off of the foreign supplies or to endeavour to supplant 

 German trade abroad, were reasonably entitled to 

 expect that the Government would safeguard them 

 from the efTects of unrestricted foreign (especially 

 Gerinan and Austrian) competition after the war, 

 especially as their action had been undertaken with 

 direct Government encouragement, and in some in- 

 stances (notably chemical glassware and magnetos) 

 had been of substantial service in the conduct of the 

 war. 



In this connection we desire to direct special atten- 

 tion to the case of magnetos. Briefly, the facts are 

 that prior to the outbreak of the war the trade in 

 magnetos, which are of great importance for all forms 

 of motor-cars and aircraft, as well as for other pur- 

 poses, was virtually monopolised by the Bosch Com- 

 pany of Stuttgart, a very powerful organisation with 

 great resources. The result was that at the sudden 

 commencement of the war there were no manufac- 

 turers in this country where the normal demand was 

 about 5000 magnetos per week ; since then it has 

 substantially increased, especially for military and 

 naval purposes. A number of British firms took up 

 the manufacture, and with the assistance of Sheffield 

 in respect of the production of magnet steel, the'- have 

 [ succeeded in making magnetos which have passed tho 

 Government tests and are asserted to be as good .t-- 

 I the Bosch products. The firms are receiving lartjo 

 j Government contracts, and there seems to be no doubt 

 j that in this instance (which is specially important a> 

 I being one of a "key" industry) a considerable British 

 1 manufacture could be built up which inter alia would 

 ! guard against a repetition of the, serious difficulties 

 j caused -in the early stages of the war bv our depend- 

 ence on foreign supplies. The one obstacle is the 

 i reluctance of the firms concerned to commit them^ 

 selves to further capital outlay, and the unwillingness 

 of outside capital to come to their assistance, unless 

 assured of some security against the strenuous efforts 

 ' which the powerful Bosch concern will undoubtcdiv 

 make after the war to break down the new Britisli 

 enterprise. 



The representatives of this industry asked thnt 

 Government assistance might be afforded them in th" 



