February io, 191 6] 



NATURE 



665 



shape of (i) an undertaking that the Government 

 Departments concerned in motor transport and the 

 air services would undertake to make use only of 

 British magnetos made (so far as practicable) only 

 of British parts — such undertaking to be for a term 

 of years after the conclusion of the war; and (2) the 

 «'xtension to all magnetos of the import duty of 33^ per 

 <ent. imposed upon magnetos imported as parts of 



uotor-cars. We reported to the President of the 

 Board of Trade that, in view of the importance of 

 the manufacture of magnetos for military and naval 

 purposes, its position as a " key industry," the efTorts 

 which the manufacturers have made, and the un- 

 doubtedly severe competition from the powerful Bosch 

 interests which they will have to encounter after the 

 war, we were unanimously of opinion that Govern- 

 ment assistance might be given in the two forms 

 desired by the industry. 



Apart from proposals for the imposition of import 

 duties on foreign goods, other suggestions put before 

 us for the protection of British manufactures in other 

 ways included the restriction of British Government 

 contracts to British goods, or a preference to such 

 gxjods in respect of price. The reasonableness of this 

 claim was strongly urged upon us by representatives 

 of the new magneto industry, and also in the case of 

 table glassware. In this connection we were informed 

 that at the instance of the British Science Guild a 

 large number of educational institutions and authori- 

 ties have already undertaken not to purchase any 

 chemical glassware of foreign manufacture for a 

 jioriod of three years after the war, provided that an 



dequate supply of British manufacture is forthcoming. 



ReCOMxMENDATIONS. 



Scientific Industrial Rcscarcli and Training. — (a) 

 Larger funds should be placed at the disposal of the 

 new Committee of the Privy Council, and also of the 

 Board of Education, for the promotion of scientific 

 and industrial research and training. 



(b) The universities should be encouraged to main- 

 tain and extend research work devoted to the needs 

 of the main industry or industries located in their 

 respective districts ; and the manufacturers engaged in 

 those industries should be encouraged to co-operate 

 with the universities in such work, either through 

 their existing trade associations or through associa- 

 tions specially formed for the purpose. Such associa- 

 tions should bring to the knowledge of the universities 

 the difficulties and needs of the industries, and give 

 tinancial and other assistance in addition to that 

 afforded by the State. 



In the case of non-localised industries, trade asso- 

 ciations should be advised to seek, in respect of 

 centres for research, the guidance of the Advisory 

 ' "ouncil of the Committee of Privy Council for Scien- 

 iic and Industrial Research. 



(c) An authoritative record of consultant men of 

 cience, chemists, and engineers, and of persons en- 

 gaged in industrial research, should be established and 

 maintained by some suitable Government Department, 

 for the use of manufacturers only. 



Copyright. — The United Kingdom copyright law 

 should be brought into line with that of the United 

 States. 



Patents. — (a) The efforts which have been made to 

 • cure uniformity of Patent Law throughout the Em- 

 pire should be continued, (b) The provisions of the 

 law as to the compulsory working of patents in the 

 United Kingdom should be more rigorously enforced, 

 and inspectors should be appointed to secure that such 

 working is complete and not (as has frequently been 

 the case) only partial, (c) The fullest possible in- 

 formation as to enemy patents should be given to 



NO. 2415, VOL. 96] 



British firms during the war, and every practicable 

 assistance for their use. 



Trade Marks. — All German and Austrian goods im- 

 ported into the United Kingdom should be required 

 to be marked with an indelible mark, " Made in Ger- 

 many " or "Made in Austria-Hungary," and goods 

 imported from other foreign countries should be simi- 

 larly marked either with the country of origin or with 

 the words "Foreign Made" or "Not British." Such 

 marking should be in all cases on the actual goods 

 and not merely on the package. 



Transport. — A definite policy for the improvement 

 and extension of the canal 'system of the United 

 Kingdom should be formulated, with a view to its 

 being carried out so soon as the national finances shall 

 permit. 



Financial Assistance.— {a) The joint stock banks 

 should be invited by his Majesty's Government, so 

 soon as opportunity offers, to consider the possibility 

 of affording a greater measure of assistance to British 

 industrial enterprise. (b) All Government Depart- 

 ments, local authorities, and statutory bodies entrusted 

 with the "control of moneys raised by taxes or rates, 

 should be under legal obligation to purchase, so_ far 

 as possible, only goods produced within the British 

 Empire. . . 



Trade Exhibitions.— The following broad prmciples 

 should be adopted in respect of future trade exhibi- 

 tions :— (a) Trade exhibitions should be held under 

 the control of the Board of Trade; (b) exhibitions 

 should be exhibitions of manufacturers' wares for 

 traders, and should not be organised with the view of 

 attracting the general public; (c) exhibitions should 

 not be too general in scope, but should be for a limited 

 number of branches of industry at a time, according 

 to the importance and dimensions of each particular 

 industry in this country ; (d) at least one year's notice 

 of the intention to hold any particular exhibition 

 should be given to manufacturers. 



Establishment of a Ministry of Commerce.— Uis 

 Majesty's Government should be urged to consider 

 anew the advisability of establishing a separate 

 Ministry charged solely with the safeguarding and ex- 

 tension of British industry and trade, and freed from 

 the regulative duties in respect of railways, shipping, 

 and harbours, and the duties in respect of labour, 

 which at present devolve upon the Board of Trade. 



Extension of the System of Trade Commissioners.— 

 The appointment of Trade Commissioners, respon- 

 sible, and reporting directly, to the Board of Trade, 

 should be extended to the principal foreign countries. 



The Consular Service.— The organisation of the 

 Consular Service should be dealt with so soon as pos- 

 sible after the completion of the report of the Royal 

 Commission on the Civil Service, with a view to the 

 increase of its commercial utility. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 

 Aberdeen.— At the recent meeting of the University 

 Court, intimation was received of a munificent bene- 

 faction to the University by Sir Alexander McRobert, 

 Cawnpore, India, and of Douneside Lodge, Tarland, 

 Aberdeenshire. Ten years ago Sir Alexander instituted 

 a research fellowship in the University for the purpose 

 of encouraging the "investigation of the cause, preven- 

 tion, and treatment of cancer. An annual sum was 

 placed at the disposal* of the University to meet the 

 salary of the fellow and necessary working expenses. 

 The 'fellowship has been held in succession by Drs. 

 Bertie R. G. Russell, Alex. Greig Anderson, and 

 Harold A. Hnig, and ^"'i^'- ;nin,^rt.-.nt inv..<tic^'(tioni 



