June io, 1920J 



NATURE 



469 



antidote for tht- deadenin^^ influence of the machine. 

 \\\ the latter portion of his address Lord Sydenham 

 emphasised the importance of a more general know- 

 ledge of science, especially amongst members of the 

 (loyernment and the Ciyil Seryice, and alluded to the 

 <rtorts made by the (iuild in the dissemination of 

 scientific knowledge and methods. He concluded by 

 quoting (iot>the's saying that "there is no more 

 dreadful sight than ignorance in action." 



Lord Sydenham then introduced the president-elect. 

 Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, who deliyered an address 

 on " Some National Aspects of Transport," and after- 

 wards occupied the chair. Lord Montagu remarked 

 upon the growing . difficulties of railways, which, 

 although subsidised by the State, were working with 

 a diminishing margin of profit owing to the vast 

 increases in cost of materials and in wages. Some 

 of the largest tramway systems, such as the L.C.C. 

 in London, were incurring actual loss, and a general 

 increase in fares and rates seemed inevitable. Some 

 economies might be achieved bv more scientific 

 methods of handling traffic and the elimination of 

 competition, but the saving from this source appeared 

 relatively small. The possibilities of road transport, 

 therefore, assumed importance. .Mreadv the compara- 

 tive cheapness of short-distance road-borne trf ffic had 

 deprived the railways of much revenue. Existing 

 roads, however, were unfitted to bear ver\- heavy 

 mechanical traffic. On a tar-macadam road the trac- 

 tive force was 40-4- lb. per ton, three times the force 

 on rails, and on bad roads up to 100 lb. per ton mav 

 be needed. In the pre-railwav period roads carrying 

 metal tracks 2 ft. wide were constructed for carts 

 carrying coal, minerals, etc. It might be feasible to 

 lav such a plateway from London to Birmingham 

 with a tractive force of only 20 lb. per ton. The 

 cost of a double track would be about the same as 

 for a single line of railway, as gradients up to 30 : i 

 could be used. The cost of operation would be on a 

 smaller scale than on railways, and £?oods could be 

 delivered direct from door to dopr. The idea could 

 be extended to other large towns, and it was con- 

 ceivable that overhead roadways, for the exclusive use 

 of fast-running vehicles, might be made from the 

 suburbs. The creation of such routes would lead to 

 a material increase in the value of property through 

 which they passed, and part of the cost might be met 

 by a local tnmsport benefit tax, applied in such cases. 

 Lord Montagu also referred briefly to other possible 

 developments, such as the use of the airship fgr long 

 distances and aeroplanes for shorter services, and the 

 possible use of gas suction plant for propelling loco- 

 motives, motor-lorries, and ships, and of .benzol and 

 alcohol in the internal-combustion engine. 



Tn view of the national importance of these 

 problems, the creation of a chair of transport at one 

 of the leading universities would be a deserving obiect 

 for private beneficence. The two Institutions of Civil 

 Engineers and Mechanical Engineers should be more 

 freauently consulted bv the Government in regard to 

 road transport, anii the National Physical Laboratory 

 had done excellent work. The problem, however, was 

 so vast as to demand continuous research at a special 

 establishment. 



The adoption of the annual report of the Execu- 

 tive Committee was proposed bv Lord Bledisloe. 

 and seconded by .Sir Gilbert Parker, both of whom 

 are vice-presidents of the Guild. .A cordial tribute was 

 paid to the valuable services T ord Sydenham had 

 rendered to the Guild during his tenure of office, and 

 both speakers expressed the general appreciation of 

 Lord Montagu's acceptance of office as the new 

 president. 



The report, summarised by Lord Bledisloe, dealt 

 with various aspects of the Avork of the Guild. The 

 NO. 2641, VOL. TO5I 



second British Scientific Products Exhibition, held in 

 19 19, was honoured by a visit from both King George 

 and Queen Mary, accompanied by Prince Henrv and 

 1 rincess Mary, a.id demonstrated the growing appre- 

 ciation by British manufacturers of the value of 

 applied science. During the present year it is hoped 

 to arrange a conference on science and labour in asso- 

 ciation with the Labour Par'tv. .\ representative 

 committee is being set up to collect full data on the 

 utilisation of science, not only in the Civil Services 

 but also in all Government Departments, and the Pari 

 hamentarv Committee, which has alread^■ intervened 

 with good efl^ect in the Forestry Bill, wi'll watch all 

 prospective legislation involving scientific and technical 

 issues. J he Education Committee of the Guild is still 

 pressing for a real survey of the existing provision 

 of university and higher technical education in the 

 country, considering that the new Standing Committee 

 on University Grants, acting under the Board of 

 Education, is inadequate as regards composition and 

 reference^ The revised specifications of the Technical 

 Optics Committee in regard to microscopes have 

 already been adopted bv two British firms. 



The adoption of the report having been carried 

 unanimously, the proceedings were terminated bv a 

 vote of thanks to the Master and \Var(}ens of the 

 Goldsmiths' Compnnv for permission to hold the 

 meeting in their hall. 



Annual Visitation of the Royal Observatory, 

 Greenwich. 



TOURING the war this annual function was 

 ^ restricted to the official visit of the members 

 of the Board. It has now returned to the conditions 

 that prevailed many }ears ago, a large and repre- 

 sentative gathering of astronomers and their friends 

 being present on Saturday, June 5, to take part in 

 the inspection of the observatory and instruments. 



The return of many members' of the staff who had 

 been at the Front has naturally brought about a large 

 increase in the number of observations. Those made 

 with the transit circle exceed eight thousand in each 

 element. In addition to the customary observations 

 of sun, moon, planets, and clock-stars," the observing 

 list now includes the stars selected by P?.cklund and 

 Hough as secondary standards distributed with fair 

 uniformity over the sky. Observations for this cata 

 logue will be completed at the end of 192 1. 



The error of the moon's place in longitude for 1919, 

 as predicted in the Nautical .Almanac, was - 12-26''* 

 showing a notable diminution of nearly 2" from the 

 value for the three preceding^ years. The .Astronomer 

 Royal explains that this change is due to the omis- 

 sion in Hansen's tables of several sensible planetary 

 terms. In view of the imperfections of these tables, 

 it is satisfactory to note " that Brown's new lunar 

 tables have now^ been printed and are used in the 

 Nautical .Almanac, starting with the year 1923. 



Two of the equatorials are now out of use. The 

 28-in., the mourttint^ of which dates from 18:; i, 

 requires renewal of the upoer pivot ; this work has 

 been entrusted to Messrs. T. Cooke and Sons. The 

 driving clock of the astroff/aphic equatorial was sent 

 to Sir H. Grubb for repairs, which are still in pro- 

 gress. The observations of double-stars made with 

 the 28-in. since its erection have been discussed bv 

 Mr. Jackson, who has published more than twentv 

 new orbits in the Monthly Notices for March and 

 -April last. Fuller details of these and other systems 

 '^•'11 be printed in the Greenwich annual volumes. 

 There are many systems for which orbits cannot vet 

 be deduced, but where relative motion is shown ; hypo- 



