630 



NATURE 



[February 4, 191 5 



(2000 francs), for the relief of unfortunate scientific 

 men or their immediate relations ; the Gustave Roux 

 prize (1000 francs), for a young French scientific 

 worker; the Trdmont prize (iioo francs); the Wilde 

 prize (one prize of 4000 francs and two of 2000 francs), 

 awarded without distinction of nationality for work in 

 astronomy, physics, chemistry, mineralogy, geology, 

 or experimental mechanics ; the Lonchampt prize (4000 

 francs), for the best memoir on work on the diseases 

 of man, animals, or plants from the special point of 

 view of the introduction of mineral substances in 

 excess as the cause of these diseases ; the Saintour 

 prize (3000 francs), for work in the physical sciences ; 

 the Henri de Parville prize (2500 francs) for original 

 scientific work or publication ; the Victor Raulin prize 

 (1500 francs), for assisting the publication of work 

 relating to geology and palaeontology ; the Houlle- 

 vigue prize (5000 francs) ; the Cam6re prize (4000 

 francs), to a French engineer for improvements in the 

 art of construction ; the Jerome Ponti prize (3500 

 francs) ; the Bordin prize (3000 francs), the subject 

 proposed for 1916, researches relating to the deter- 

 minism of sex in animals ; the Parkin prize (3400 

 francs), for researches on the curative effects of carbon 

 in various forms, and more especially in gaseous form 

 of carbon dioxide, in cholera, the different forms of 

 fever or other diseases, or, as an alternative subject, 

 for researches on the effects of volcanic action in the 

 production of epidemic diseases in the animal and 

 vegetable kingdoms and in causing abnormal atmo- 

 spheric disturbances; the Jean Reynaud prize (10,000 

 francs) ; the Baron de Jouest prize (2000 francs), for 

 a discovery useful to the public welfare ; the prize 

 founded by Mme. la Marquise de Laplace (a complete 

 collection of the works of Laplace) to the first student 

 leaving the Ecole Polytechnique ; the Felix Rivot prize 

 (2500 francs), divided between the four students leav- 

 ing each year the Ecole Polytechnique with the first 

 and second places in the section of Mines and of Ponts 

 et Chauss^es. 



T' 



THE ENGLISH CERAMIC SOCIETY.^ 



HE English Ceramic Society, to judge from the 

 latest issue of its Transactions, still continues 

 to do excellent work. Although the present number 

 contains no article of first-rate importance, it is 

 obvious from the general character of the communi- 

 cations, and the nature of the discussions by which 

 they are followed, that the members are fully alive 

 to the value of the society in promoting exchange of 

 experience and opinion on the many obscure problems 

 with which the art and craft of the potter is beset. 

 No indication of the health and vigour of the society 

 could be more significant than the manner in which 

 individual knowledge and experience are made to con- 

 tribute to the general benefit of the industry. Such 

 a spirit has been far from the rule in times past, for 

 in no other industry have trade secrets and little 

 details of practice been more jealously guarded than 

 in potting. The enlightened example of the society 

 will do much to break down this absurd exclusiveness 

 and short-sighted selfishness. If each thus contri- 

 butes to the common stock, the general welfare is 

 increased, and the position of the industry as a whole 

 is enhanced, to the collective benefit of the manu- 

 facturers and the country generally. In this respect 

 we have something to learn from our enemies. The 

 spirit of co-operation has largely contributed to raise 

 manufacturing in Germany to the formidable position 

 it has gained. If we are to maintain, and especially 



1 "Transactions of the English Ceramic Society," Vol. xiii, Session 

 IQ13-14. (Stoke-on-Trent : Hughes and Harber, Ltd., 1914). Price to 

 non-members, 30?. 



NO. 2362, VOL. 94] 



if we are to increase our pre-eminence as the largest 

 traders in the world, this spirit of co-operation and 

 mutual helpfulness must continue to prevail, and to 

 grow. 



The communications in the present issue of the 

 Transactions call for no special comment. The " Sym- 

 posium on Fineness of Grinding " brought out a con- 

 siderable difference of opinion as to the relative merits 

 of cylinder- and pan-grinding, and as to the influence 

 of the fineness of the particle on plasticity, contrac- 

 tion, texture, porosity, and " crazing " — all of them 

 points which are capable of a satisfactory solution if 

 attacked experimentally in a scientific manner. These 

 are typical of the kind of problems with which the 

 County Pottery Laboratory at Stoke-on-Trent may 

 be expected to concern itself. The discussion on 

 grinding bore unmistakable testimony to the influ- 

 ence of the human element, especially in pan-grinding. 

 That influence was no less marked in the course of 

 the discussion on " firing," and of the relative import- 

 ance of "tops" and "bottoms," where opinion was 

 equally divided. The average " fireman " may be (and 

 evidently is in the opinion of some) a rather perverse 

 and obstinately conservative kind of individual, wholly 

 wedded to traditional practice, but if this volume falls 

 into his hands, he may at least be able to retort that 

 he knows more about firing than his betters seemed 

 to know about French on the occasion of their visit 

 to the pot-banks of our Ally ! Verb sap. T. 



EDUCATION IN RELATION TO INDUSTRY 

 AND COMMERCE.^ 



Our First Purpose. 



'VXJE are now in the midst of the greatest struggle 

 * * that the British Empire has ever been engaged 

 in. The outcome of the struggle involves not only our 

 existence as a nation, but the existence of those prin- 

 ciples and ideals of life and government which we 

 hold dear. Our energies, individual and national, 

 must for the moment all be turned to one purpose, to 

 bring the war to a successful conclusion. The men 

 who are fighting at the front are doing magnificent 

 work, but it is for each of us in his own sphere to do 

 his share in order that at the earliest possible moment 

 the world may be free from the terrors of the war. 



In time, peace will come. With that peace there 

 will be renewed the international struggle for trade, 

 and British enterprise must be ready to take full ad- 

 vantage of the great opportunities that will then occur. 

 Individual effort will not be of any great use. Con- 

 certed action is essential if we are to retain the fore- 

 most place in the world of trade ; and just as we are 

 vigorous in the pursuit of the present war, so as a 

 nation must we be vigorous in the pursuit of indus- 

 trial and commercial supremacy. 



The Industrial Army. 



How is this supremacy to be attained? It is 

 primarily a question of education. We must have in 

 the first instance an industrial army, capable, alert, 

 and well trained. The production of this army must 

 begin in the elementary schools. The leaving age of 

 school children, for urban districts at least, must be 

 raised to fourteen years, and age must be made the 

 only leaving qualification. Moreover, the children 

 should leave at the end of the educational year in 

 which they reach the leaving age, or, at any rate, 

 they should leave only at the end of the school term 

 in which the leaving age is reached. For this reform 

 we must look to Parliament, as it is impossible for a 



1 Address delivered before the National Association of Education Officers 

 on January i by the president, Mr. James Graham. 



