38 



NATURE 



[September ii, 1919 



Sir Hugh Bell discussed questions of taxation, and 

 distinguished between imposts of a confiscatory 

 character, which are suggested in some quarters, and 

 those which do not fall into this class. He pointed 

 out the difficulties of graduation, though he accepted 

 taxation of this character. He proceeded briefly to 

 sketch the progress of the National Debt for the past 

 hundred years, and to examine the change which has 

 taken place in the foreign investments of the country 

 since the outbreak of war. Claims on the national 

 purse were discussed. The case of housing was dealt 

 with, and also that of the railways. It was urged 

 that both these must be treated from the economic 

 viewpoint, and specially that the railways cannot be 

 allowed to become a charge on the State. 



The way in which human activities are applied to 

 production was stated, and an endeavour made to 

 distinguish among these. It was pointed but that 

 the only way in which the desires of various classes 

 can be gratified is by their having something to offer 

 in exchange for these additional gratifications, and 

 the necessity for greater output was insisted upon. 

 Reference was made to the' figures disclosed by the 

 Census of Production and the examination of these 

 by Prof. Bowley and Mr. H. G. Williams. 



The difificulty of drawing a line between capital and 

 labour was pointed out and the dependence of all 

 classes on capital was stated. Reference was made 

 to the proposals for nationalisation, and the difficul- 

 ties of any such solution were mentioned, h. distinc- 

 tion was drawn between the political freedom 

 acquired within the last hundred years with com- 

 parative ease and the economic freedom now sought, 

 which it is maintained will be much less easy to 

 accomplish. 



None of the remedies proposed touches the diffi- 

 culty. We must obtain a larger product if we are to 

 have more to divide. None of the short cuts now 

 proposed will lead us to our goal. Can we convince 

 those most deeply interested of the truth of this? 

 The task is not an easy one, for promises without 

 end are made to accomplish what is desired without 

 pursuing the patient and laborious course which alone 

 can lead to a happy solution. 



None of these things can be accomplished by Acts 

 of Parliament. Statutory prices and statutory hours 

 offer no solution — rather increase the evil than lessen 

 it. There is no royal road by which we can travel 

 to a solution. We must by patience and mutual for- 

 bearance seek to alter the present hostile attitude. 



Educational Science. 



Sir Napier Shaw's address to Section L had for 

 its subject "Educational Ideals and the Ancient Uni- 

 versities." It started from the principle that the 

 character of the education of the country ■ depends 

 upon the ideals which are displayed by the universities, 

 particularly by the ancient Universities of Oxford and 

 Cambridge. It showed that those ideals are confused 

 and indistinct on account of the traditional system of 

 government of the universities and colleges under 

 which the university has no voice in the selection of the 

 students who are to enjoy the privileges of member- 

 ship. Students are presented to the university by the 

 colleges which hold entrance examinations of their 

 own, or even make use of university examinations 

 for the purpose, while the university itself has no 

 examination for entrance. The control of the uni- 

 versity by the colleges impresses the competi- 

 tive ideal upon the whole, system. The position 

 of the university was regarded as being as hard 

 as that of Portia in the lottery of the caskets imposed 

 as a condition bv her father's will. The ideals of 

 the universities were reviewed, and found to be 

 splendid so far as the ethical side is concerned, 



NO. 2602, VOL. 104] 



because that depends upon success in fair competition 

 between students and between colleges ; but, so far 

 as the intellectual side is concerned, the ideals were 

 found to be vague and unsatisfactory because of the 

 competition between the colleges which is so suc- 

 cessful on the social or ethical side. Sir Napier Shaw 

 reached the conclusion that the educational system 

 cannot become ideal until the traditional government 

 is modified in such a way as to give the university, 

 as distinguished from the colleges, more control over 

 its own destiny. 



Engineering. 

 The address of Prof. Petavel to Section G included 

 a brief outline of the part pla\ed by engineering 

 during the war and some discussion of the problems 

 involved in industrial and economic reconstruction. 

 The feature of the day is an insistent craving for 

 better and easier conditions of life, and this aim can 

 be attained by increased production. The industrial 

 development obtained during the war by standardisa- 

 tion and systematic organisation, the rapid progress 

 which resulted from the stimulus to research and 

 invention, and the immediate application of the 

 results, indicate the path to be followed. Complete 

 success, however, requires the willing co-operation of 

 all classes of the population, and this can be achieved 

 only if each individual knows that his reward 

 will depend on, and be commensurate with, his efforts. 



Geography. 



Prof. L. W. Lyde's address to Section E was on 

 " International Rivers," mainly from the political and 

 historical points of view, nearly all international 

 problems to-day being explicitly or implicitv dependent 

 on access ro the ocean. The word "river" by itself 

 suggests a physical unit, on which a political unit may 

 be appropriate; but the qualifying word "inter- 

 national " suggests regional relations, not local unity. 

 In the United States and Australia it has been found 

 necessary for the Commonwealth to have supreme 

 power over the regulation of the rivers (for irrigation), 

 and no individual State has any local standing or 

 riparian claim against the Commonwealth. 



The same principle should hold in Europe for 

 navigation, at least on all important rivers. Freedom 

 of navigation is really dependent on the administra- 

 tion, as has been proved on the Danube between 

 different nations, and on the Rhine between different 

 parts of the same nation, Prussia having persistently 

 hampered the development of other German States. 

 As international rivers are worZd-features, their world- 

 relation is the first consideration, and it demands 

 world-control, i.e. control by a body consisting of non- 

 riparian as well as riparian Powers. This is really 

 in the interest also of the iveaker riparian States, as 

 proved on the Danube. 



France has a very honourable record, and Holland 

 a very tarnished one, in relation to the problem. 

 Once on the Rhine, France declared and worked for 

 real freedom of the river — in 1792 and following 

 years ; and it was onlv while France was submerged 

 after 1815 that the good work was undone. Holland 

 was able, meanwhile, to neutralise all the advantages 

 granted bv France. By legal quibbles and "volun- 

 tary negligence " she has completely crippled Belgian 

 use of the Maas, the Terneuzen Canal, and the 

 Scheldt — showing a pardonable human selfishness, 

 but an unpardonable blindness to her own ultimate 

 advantage. 



Geology. 

 Dr. J. W. Evans in his address to Section C con- 

 sidered, in the first olace, the methods bv which the 



