214 MEMORIES OF MY LIFE 



name was mainly performed by Mr. Roberts, its 

 Secretary, who wrote a book afterwards in which his 

 results were included. He was greatly helped by 

 Sir Rawson Rawson, who was a member of the 

 Committee. The rest of the Committee did little 

 more than discuss subjects and methods, but even 

 that little was helpful. I was its Chairman, but 

 claim no more than an insignificant share in its 

 success. 



Again, many years later, in 1888-1889, I was 

 desirous that a proposal of mine should be seriously 

 considered, of awarding marks for physical efficiency 

 in competitive literary examinations. I read my 

 memoir, the Association took it up, and the results of 

 some experiments at Eton and many valuable com- 

 munications were received in reply, including a careful 

 minute from a high authority of the War Office. 

 These convinced me that although the proposal had 

 strong a priori claims to consideration, it did not 

 merit acceptance ; so it was dropped. 



Many other examples of a similar kind could be 

 quoted, some failing, most succeeding. The British 

 Association in its early days was of still greater value 

 than it is now. At that time locomotion was tedious, 

 and the numerous scientific societies of the present 

 day that issue frequent publications had not come 

 into existence. Local men of science who had been 

 socially overlooked were brought forward to their 

 rightful position by its means. It has frequently 

 happened that an improvement in a town was furthered 

 or even initiated through a visit of the British Associa- 

 tion. The papers read there and discussions upon 

 them are not the most important part of its work. 



