CRITICISM OF THE CARNEGIE TRUST 213 



to the majority of whom the words science and scientific 

 research mean little more than the letters out of which 

 the words are composed, an equitable balance between 

 science and the other subjects cognate to a technical or 

 commercial education. Either they should be totally 

 neutral as regards the two competing beneficiaries, or they 

 should be reconstituted to give a representation to each 

 side in accordance with the intentions of the founder of 

 the Trust. 



In the general awakening to the national importance 

 of giving fair play to science, and especially to scientific 

 investigation in the universities, it is to be hoped that 

 the composition of the Carnegie Trust and its record of 

 work under Clause A will not escape unchallenged. 



It would indeed be strange if out of between one-half 

 and three-quarters of a million pounds interest available 

 for the promotion of scientific study and research, science 

 had not benefited at all. That of course is not alleged. 

 But the almost total lack of representation of living science 

 on the Trust, and the over-representation of the humanistic 

 element, has made for fatal timidity and lack of imagina- 

 tion and originality in the application of the moneys, so 

 far as the primary object of the benefaction is concerned. 

 There is no automatic retiral of members annually, or 

 provision making them ineligible for re-election till after 

 an interval, which has been found to be necessary, from 

 experience, for good and effective management. Of a 

 body so constituted, probably the best and worst that 

 could be said is that they were given a unique opportunity 

 to promote scientific study and investigation, and even if 

 they had had the best will towards science in the world 

 they could not have grasped it, because that is a branch 

 of human endeavour which the overwhelming majority 

 had not explored for themselves. In these circumstances 

 a secretary who had some acquaintance with scientific 

 study and investigation might have been of service to 

 them. 



No doubt their difficulties were enormous in connection 



2 F 



