July 22, 1920] 



NATURE 



657 



mum and minimum sea values scarcely seem satis- 

 factory, since the observations are not strictly for the 

 same periods, the sea temperatures being for fewer 

 days. 



The Seventh Report of the Industrial Fatigue 

 Research Board (Textile Series, No. i), dealing with 

 " Individual Differences in Output in the Cotton 

 Industry," has just been issued. It is the result of 

 researches made by Mr. S. Wyatt, Investigator 

 to the Board. The scope of the report repre- 

 sents an attempt to collect information on the 

 question of the relative importance of the human and 

 mechanical factors in various branches of the cotton 

 industry. It is intended to be suggestive rather than 

 conclusive in its nature, to lead on to a careful 

 collection of facts and thence to more detailed and 

 intensive investigations. There is great variety 

 in the conditions obtaining in various types of 

 cotton mills, some, for example, in which, as in the 

 spinning of cotton, the output is almost entirely con- 

 trolled by the machine, whereby individual differences 

 in ability are reduced to a minimum ; while in others, 

 such as in the process of dravving-in by hand, there 

 appears to be much more scope for the expression of 

 individual differences of ability, and therefore of out- 

 put, by the persons concerned. Thus it may be found 

 possible, where there exist large individual differences 

 of output — which implies that the mechanical 

 factor is subsidiary — so to modify the human condi- 

 tions of employment that increased efficiency, pros- 

 perity, and comfort may result. The inquiry has of 

 necessity been of considerable difficulty, having 

 regard to the variability of the conditions prevailing 

 in the course of preparation and manufacture, yet 

 valuable, if inconclusive, results have been reached, 

 which at least show that the various processes in the 

 cotton industry can be classified and graded according 

 to the magnitude of the individual differences which 

 they produce, wherein lies the relative importance of 

 the human and mechanical forces. Scarcely any 

 attempt has been made in the mills to determine 

 efficiency in the various processes, yet the collection 

 of statistical data would cause the employer and the 

 manager to take a scientific interest in their work, 

 stimulate inquiry and investigation, and lead to im- 

 proved methods. We may reasonably ask why the 

 workers should not be invited to participate in the 

 research, since it is in their interests also that the best 

 results should be secured. 



The International Institute of Agriculture at Rome 

 has issued the following- information with regard to 

 the estimated yields of cereals throughout the world. 

 In the United States the area under winter wheat is 

 considerably smaller than that of last year. More- 

 over, the season has been somewhat unfavourable, so 

 that the coming crop is estimated at 13-2 rnillion tons, 

 which is 66 per cent, of last year's yield and 86 per 

 cent, of the five previous years' average. It is, how- 

 ever, probable that there are considerable stocks of 

 old wheat still to be exported, and these, together 

 with the reduced new crop, should make the exports 

 for the coming season equal to those for the year 

 ending June, 1920. Drought has considerably affected 

 the crops in Algeria and in southern Italy, and the 

 NO. 2647, VOL. 105] 



outlook in Poland is unpromising, especially for rye. 

 In the other countries of the northern hemisphere the 

 condition of the winter cereal crops is normal, while 

 the recent wheat crop in British India shows an in- 

 crease of 30 per cent, over last year's yield. The maize 

 crop in Argentina is estimated at 30,000,000 quarters, 

 which is 32 per cent, higher than the five previous 

 years' average. This increased yield will probably be 

 an important factor among the cereal resources of the 

 coming season. 



The Journal of the British Science Guild for June 

 contains a special tribute to Lord Sydenham, the retir- 

 ing president, contributed by Sir O 'Moore Creagh. A 

 series of six articles reviews the administrative activi- 

 ties of the Guild, of special interest being the account 

 of the reception by Mr. A. J. Balfour of the deputation 

 on State awards for scientific and medical discovery. 

 The deputation had a sympathetic reception, the 

 justice of the principle being generally conceded, but 

 Mr. Balfour suggested as a difficulty the exact alloca- 

 tion of credit to the authors of scientific discoveries. 

 This problem, it is pointed out by Sir Ronald Ross, 

 has already been dealt with satisfactorily by the Royal 

 Society, the Nobel Prize Committee, and other authori- 

 ties. It is suggested that pensions and awards might 

 be included in the Civil List. Lt.-Col. W. A. J. 

 O'Meara writes with experience of the need for the 

 utilisation of science in Government Departments. 

 An element of consequence is the concentration of 

 power in the hands of the higher division clerks and 

 the permanent staff, which doubtless militates .against 

 the introduction of new ideas. Memoranda by the 

 Health Committee on the milk question raise a 

 number of important points in connection with the 

 purity of supply and the possibility of the com- 

 munication of diseases through milk. Sir Thomas 

 H. J. C. Goodwin's Chadwick lectures on "Army 

 Hygiene in the War and After " (see Nature for 

 June 24, p. 532) and Mr. J. J. Robinson's popular 

 lecture on "Knowledge in National Reconstruction," 

 delivered before iioo members of the Portsmouth 

 Brotherhood, are summarised. The issue is completed 

 by a list of the officers, fellows, and members of the 

 Guild. 



The Ministry of Transport has stated that it is 

 seriously considering the organised electrification of the 

 railways, and the importance of this subject at the 

 present time can scarcely be over-estimated. Sir 

 Philip Dawson's paper on "Electric Railway Contact 

 Systems," which was read to the Institution of Elec- 

 trical Engineers on June 30, is, therefore, of imme- 

 diate interest. Before a standard system of electrifica- 

 tion can be evolved the question of the relative merits 

 of collecting the current from an overhead system or 

 from a third rail must be discussed. From the data 

 given in the paper a strong case can be made out 

 for overhead collection. The flexible method of sus- 

 pending the overhead collecting wire on the Brighton 

 Railway has proved thoroughly satisfactory, and the 

 "double insulation " used throughout has reduced 

 breakdowns to a minimum. With third-rail systems 

 it is necessary to pay higher wages to the workmen 

 employed on the line owing to the increased danger. 

 The data given bring out the interesting fact that 



