May 20, 1920] 



NATURE 



157 



support of the public, they cannot be expected to 

 produce scientific instruments to compete with the 

 standard of excellence obtained on the Continent — for 

 several reasons, amongst which the following are 

 the most important where microscopes are concerned. 



The number of skilled lens-workers capable of 

 making high-power objectives is very small, and to 

 train suitable labour for, say, making i/12-in. oil 

 immersion objectives of the ordinary achromatic series 

 could not be accomplished in less than three or four 

 years. A dozen or so of these skilled workers could 

 be given employment immediately. 



The profit on microscopes is not very remunerative, 

 and unless some protection such as importation undei 

 licence is established, no fresh capital is likely to be 

 forthcoming; and even if it is, some years will elapse 

 before those investing their money will see any 

 return, on account of the time required to train 

 labour for this highly skilled occupation. 



If some protection is granted to the trade, the 

 manufacturers must set a higher standard of excel- 

 lence on their goods than they did before the war, 

 otherwise they cannot expect support from the public ; 

 but if support is forthcoming we feel sure manufac- 

 turers will reciprocate by turning out goods not only 

 at a lower price, but also of a better quality. 



It was chiefly on account of the excellent standard 

 attained that Continental manufacturers obtained the 

 lead before the war. Individual pieces of apparatus 

 have been made in England equal to any produced on 

 the Continent, but, unfortunately, only a very small 

 percentage of the supplies ever reached the standard. 

 If English manufacturers will only pay more 

 attention to inspection, and set a much higher 

 ^tandard of quality than they did before the war, 

 there is no reason why the purchasing public should 

 buy foreign-made instruments. There is also no 

 reason why any instrument previously manufactured 

 on the Continent should not be produced here. 



C. Baker. 



244 High Holborn, London, W.C.i. 

 May 14. 



We do not think Prof. Bayliss and Mr. Munby 

 will find that the prices of British-made laboratory 

 apparatus have increased to the same extent as have 

 those of some other manufactured articles — for 

 example, leather or metal goods, soap, stationery, etc. 



Last week a catalogue reached us from a well- 

 known German firm specialising in certain optical 

 goods. The pre-war prices are subject to an advance 

 of 200 per cent., the basis of payment being 

 20 marks = if., and cash to the value of 50 per cent, 

 of the order is required at the time of placing it. 

 Thus such imported goods are three times as costly 

 as before the war. 



At present the prices of our instruments are from 

 75 to 120 per cent, above pre-war German prices for 

 instruments which are now admittedly more con- 

 venient and efficient. This is particularly the case 

 in regard to one instrument, which for forty years 

 prior to the war had been built by a German firm 

 practically upside down. 



Again, we supply certain optical testing instruments 

 which are set at the National Physical Laboratory to 

 an accuracy six times greater than was found in the 

 standard instrument of German origin. 



It would seem essential that the manufacture of 

 scientific apparatus in this country should be encouraged 

 to the fullest possible extent in order that trained 

 workers may be available in emergency ; for even 



NO. 2638, VOL. 105] 



supposing war to be impossible in the future, if such 

 manufactures become the monopoly of another country 

 we shall, sooner or later, be paying still higher prices 

 by reason of that monopoly. 



As no specific kind of apparatus is mentioned by 

 Prof. Bayliss or Mr. Munby, we have replied as 

 makers of two particular classes of optical testing 

 instruments. These instruments are entirely British 

 as regards optical and mechanical design, as no pro- 

 gress is to be made by adopting and copying designs 

 which have easily demonstrable shortcomings. 



Bellingham and Stanley, Ltd. 



71 Hornsey Rise, London, N.19, May 10. 



I With regard to the letters by Prof. Bayliss and 

 Mr. Munby in Nature of May 6, we would say that, 

 generally, we are in agreement with the report of 

 the Branch Committee on Scientific Apparatus, of 

 which I was chairman, an abstract of which is pub- 

 lished in the report of the Engineering Trades (New 

 Industries) Committee of the Ministry of Recon- 

 struction. 



We have very little sympathy with those who would 

 bolster up our industry by levying heavy duties on 

 imports, and, generally, we think that the result of 

 such a policy would be to increase the cost of home- 

 made goods without improving their quality ; but 

 there is a good deal to be said for preventing goods 

 made abroad being dumped in this country at prices 

 lower than those prevailing in the country of their 

 origin. The inevitable result of permitting this is to 

 discourage or kill our own industry, and this is well 

 exemplified in the case of our watch industry. 



Scientific men cannot, however, have dumped and, 

 consequently, cheap scientific apparatus from abroad 

 and at the same time a flourishing apparatus industry 

 at home producing goods of the highest quality at 

 the lowest prices. 



Wm. Taylor. 

 (Taylor, Taylor, and Hobson, Ltd.) 



Leicester, May 11. 



With reference to Prof. Bayliss 's letter in Nature 

 of May 6, members of this association are in com- 

 plete agreement that scientific workers should be able 

 to obtain the very best quality apparatus. 



I quote the wording of our communication to the 

 Board of Trade (Scientific Instrument Branch) in 

 connection with the proposal to form a special 

 Licensing Committee on which scientific authorities 

 would be represented : " They would have power to 

 allow the imports of all apparatus which cannot be 

 produced of efficient quality or in sufficient quantities 

 in this country to meet the demands." 



But the menace to British manufacturers is the 

 abnormal rate of exchange with Germany, which en- 

 ables apparatus to be brought in at anything from 

 one-fifth to one-tenth of the normal value. 



No workshop organisation or economy can possibly 

 compete with "such values, and it is during this_ un- 

 precedented and abnormal state of international 

 finance that British manufacturers are asking for tem- 

 porary prohibition of imported apparatus at purely 

 artificial prices. 



H. W. ASHFIELD, 



Secretary, British Lampblown Scientific Glass- 

 ware Manufacturers' Association, Ltd. 

 2-3 Duke Street, St. James's, London, S.W.i, 

 May II. 



