686 



NATURE 



[July 29, 1920 



results of the investigations at Glastonbury, which 

 was published in 1911-12. 



The importance of Munro's researches was 

 widely recognised. He was a fellow of the Royal 

 Society of Edinburgh, and an honorary member 

 of the Royal Irish Academy, of the Royal Society 

 of Antiquaries of Ireland, and of the more im- 

 portant anthropological and archaeological socie- 

 ties of the Continent. 



Munro's work as an archaeologist was marked 

 by a cautious reserve and a great sanity in judg- 

 ment. Yet, on occasion, none could be quicker 

 than he in arriving at a conclusion, which further 

 investigation usually proved to be well within the 

 limits of accuracy. It was characteristic of him 

 that he rarely accepted the results of others 

 without personal investigation, and the great mass 

 of information which he digested and summarised 

 in his published works had been largely tested and 

 checked by his own observations. His thorough 

 mastery of his subject as a practical investigator 

 was suggested even in such a trifle as the way in 

 which he handled a stone implement. 



E. N. Fallaize. 



Irish education has sustained a severe loss by 

 the death of the Rt. Hon. W. J. M. Starkie, 

 Resident Commissioner of National Education. 

 For the past twenty-two years Dr. Starkie guided 

 the rather cranky ship of Irish primary education 

 through the troubled sea of clerical management. 

 After a brilliant school career, he obtained the 

 highest classical distinctions at Cambridge Uni- 

 versity and Trinity College, Dublin, including the 

 fellowship of the latter college. In 1897 ^^ ^^^ 

 appointed president of Queen's College, Galway, 

 but after a brief period of office became 

 Resident Commissioner and ex-officio chairman of 

 the Board of National Education. As a member 

 of the Viceregal Commission on manual and 

 practical instruction, he played an important part 

 in framing the scheme of reformation of the aims 

 and methods of Irish education, which later he 

 was called upon to administer. Upon his 

 shoulders rested in large measure the responsi- 

 bility of effecting the change from a mechanical 

 system of payment by results to an inspection 

 system with a broader view of the functions of 

 a school. Knowing the magnitude of the forces 

 opposed to change, he displayed conspicuous 

 courage in carrying far-reaching reforms to a 

 successful issue. His address on " Recent Re- 

 forms in Irish Education " at the Belfast meeting 

 of the British Association in 1902 was a strenuous 

 and courageous exposure of the weaknesses of 

 Irish education ; it aroused much bitter criticism 

 from the clerical managers. 



Dr. Starkie was also chairman of the Board of 

 Intermediate Education, and thus occupied a 

 unique position in Irish education, which probably 

 owes more to him than to any one man during the 

 last half-century. He was a brilliant essayist and 

 one of the first Greek scholars of his time. 

 NO. 2648, VOL. 105] 



Notes. 



An important statement on the development of the 

 synthetic dye industry was made by the chairman of 

 the Colour Users' Association at Manchester ^ oh 

 July 20. Mr. "Vernon Clay referred to two very 

 urgent reasons why the dye industry in England 

 should be developed to the very utmost, one being 

 the real necessity that existed from the com- 

 mercial and industrial side, and the other the 

 necessity from the point of view of national 

 security. Only a country possessing a large dye- 

 making plant which could alternatively be used for 

 the production of the various organic chemical sub- 

 stances employed in war could hope to be in a proper 

 position in any future struggle, for the next war 

 would be essentially a chemists' war, and start 

 on a very large scale. The Government has recog- 

 nised that for national security it is essential that 

 synthetic dye factories equal to those of any other 

 possible hostile nation shall be in existence, and to 

 further this object the President of the Board of 

 Trade has stated that the pledge to the synthetic 

 dye industry, that the importation of synthetic dyes 

 shall be permitted only under licence, will be given 

 effect to in legislation as quickly as possible. 

 Although the British output of dyes already exceeds 

 the pre-war importation from Germany, there are 

 several important dyes which are not yet manufac- 

 tured in this country, and a licensing scheme such 

 as is promised appears to be the only proper means 

 of fostering the industry and of encouraging manu- 

 facturers gradually to extend their range until the 

 country is absolutely self-contained as regards its 

 production of dyes and the necessary intermediate 

 products. 



The question of the universities and the excess 

 profits duty was the subject of debate in the House 

 of Lords on July 21. By the concession already pro- 

 posed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer the position 

 is roughly this : — While the excess profits duty will 

 be charged at 60 per cent., the State, as a matter of 

 fact, will bear 12 per cent, of any charitable contribu- 

 tions made by a business firm. Earl Grey, however, in 

 the hope of inducing private benefactors to make larger 

 subscriptions, wished the Government to show more 

 liberality and to consider the total remission of the 

 duty so far as it affected the universities. On behalf 

 of the Government the Earl of Crawford could not 

 grant the further concession, but, in the course of 

 his reply, made an important announcement regarding 

 university grants-in-aid. He stated that the Chan- 

 cellor of the Exchequer was prepared to submit to 

 Parliament an increase of the present vote of 

 i,ooo,oooZ. to 1,500,000!. in the Estimates for the 

 year 1921-22, and, in addition, to consider the 

 advisability of proposing to Parliament a further 

 non-recurrent sum to assist the universities in 

 meeting the grievance of those of their senior 

 members who were precluded from profiting to 

 the full by the benefits of the federated super- 

 annuation scheme of the universities. No pledge was 

 given in either case, and both proposals are subject 

 to the overriding necessities of national finance. 



