AND THE STATE 221 



suddenly on their own resources, as e.g., in a newly 

 settled country, from the neglect of physical science 

 during their university career.' It may be suggested 

 that alumni of Oxford have ceased to deserve (even 

 if they then deserved) that stigma, apart from con- 

 sideration of the remedy proposed. Other sugges- 

 tions, which the Association and other societies have 

 more or less frequently hammered on the anvil of 

 general opinion from that day to this, deal with 

 increase in the numbers of professors of physical 

 science the committee almost throughout insists 

 upon the pre-eminence of ' physical ' science and the 

 enhancement of the salaries of ' scientific officers.' 

 It discusses pensions, the pecuniary assistance of 

 scientific publications, the extension of museums 

 and public libraries, facilities for the exchange of 

 scientific publications between this country and 

 overseas dominions and foreign lands. The con- 

 centration of principal scientific societies in a common 

 building was also referred to, and this desire, though 

 not to be gratified in the case of the Association until 

 about thirty-five years later, was soon to be given 

 effect as regards other societies. But the recom- 

 mendation on which the committee laid greatest 

 stress was the formation of a Board of Science, 

 possessing ' at once authority and knowledge.' The 

 committee (it is gratifying to notice) does not adopt 

 that tone of unrelieved complaint which has been 

 not uncommon in the attitude of unofficial science 

 toward the State : although, ' owing to the system 

 which prevails in this country, of each successive 

 Government striving to outvie its predecessors in 

 popularity by the reduction of public burdens, there 

 is a temptation sometimes to withhold grants ' for 



