September io, 1903] 



NATURE 



44 



this or on that behalf are the appeals of individuals; science 

 has no collective voice on the larger national questions ; there 

 is no organised body which formulates her demands. 



During many years it has been part of my duty to consider such 

 matters, and I have been driven to the conclusion that our great 

 crying need is to bring about an organisation of men of science 

 and all interested in science, similar to those which prove so 

 effective in other branches of human activity. For the last 

 few years I have dreamt of a Chamber, Guild, League, call it 

 what you will, with a wide and large membership, which should 

 give us what, in my opinion, is so urgently needed. Quite 

 recently I sketched out such an organisation, but what was my 

 astonishment to find that I had been forestalled, and by the 

 founders of the British Association ! 



The British Association such a Body. 



At the commencement of this address I pointed out that one 

 of the objects of the Association, as stated by its founders, was 

 "to obtain a more general attention to the objects of science 

 and a removal of any disadvantages of a public kind which 

 impede its progress." 



Everyone connected with the British Association from its 

 beginning may be congratulated upon the magnificent way in 

 which the other objects of the Association have been carried 

 out, but as one familiar with the Association for the last forty 

 years, I cannot but think that the object to which [ have 

 specially referred has been too much overshadowed by the work 

 done in connection with the others. 



A careful study of the early history of the Association leads 

 me to the belief that the function I am now dwelling on was 

 strongly in the minds of the founders ; but be this as it may, let 

 me point out how admirably the organisation is framed to enable 

 men of science to influence public opinion and so to bring pres- 

 sure to bear upon Governments which follow public opinion, 

 (i) Unlike all the other chief metropolitan societies, its outlook 

 is not limited to any branch or branches of science. (2) We 

 have a wide and numerous fellowship, including both the leaders 

 and the lovers of science, in which all branches of science are 

 and always have been included with the utmost catholicity — 

 a condition which renders strong committees possible on any 

 subject. (3) An annual meeting at a time when people can pay 

 attention to the deliberations, and when the newspapers can 

 print reports. (4) The possibility of beating up recruits and 

 establishing local committees in different localities, even in the 

 King's dominions beyond the seas, since the place of meeting 

 changes from year to year, and is not limited to these islands. 



We not only, then, have a scientific parliament competent to 

 deal with all matters, including those of national importance, re- 

 lating to science, but machinery for influencing all new councils 

 and committees dealing with local matters, the functions of 

 which are daily becoming more important. 



The machinery might consist of our corresponding societies. 

 We already have affiliated to us seventy societies with a mem- 

 bership of 25,000 ; were this number increased so as to include 

 every scientific society in the Empire, metropolitan and pro- 

 vincial, we might eventually hope for a membership of half a 

 million. 



I am glad to know that the Council is fully alive to the im- 

 portance of giving a greater impstus to the work of the corre- 

 sponding societies. During this year a committee was appointed 

 to deal with the question ; and later still, after this committee had 

 reported, a conference was held between this committee.and the 

 corresponding societies committee tn consider the suggestions 

 made, some of which will be gathered from the following 

 extract : — 



" In view of the increasing importance of science to the nation 

 at large, your committee desire to call the attention of the 

 Council to the fact "hat in the corresponding societies the 

 British Association has gathered in the various centres repre- 

 sented by these societies practically all the scientific activity of 

 the provinces. The number of members and associates at pre- 

 sent on the list of the corresponding societies approaches 25,000, 

 and no organisation is in existence anywhere in the country 

 better adapted than the British Association for stimulating, en- 

 couraging and coordinating all the work being carried on by 

 the seventy societies at present enrolled. Your committee are 

 of opinion that further encouragement should be given to these 

 societies and their individual working members by every means 

 within the power of the association ; and with the object of 

 keeping the corresponding societies in more permanent touch 



NO. 1767, VOL. 68] 



with the Association they suggest that an official invitation on 

 behalf of the Council be addressed to the societies through the 

 corresponding societies committee asking them to appoint 

 standing British Association sub-committees, to be elected by 

 themselves with the object of dealing with all those subjects of 

 investigation common to their societies and to the British Asso- 

 ciation committees, and to look after the general interests of 

 science and scientific education throughout the provinces and 

 provincial centres. . . , 



*' Your committee desire to lay special emphasis on the ne- 

 cessity for the extension of the scientific activity of the 

 corresponding societies and the expert knowledge of many of 

 their members in the direction of scientific education. They 

 are of opinion that immense benefit would accrue to the country 

 if the corresponding societies would keep this requirement 

 especially in view with the object of securing adequa e repre- 

 sentation for scientific education on the Education Committees 

 now being appointed under the new Act. The educational sec- 

 tion of the Association having been but recently added, the 

 corresponding societies have as yet not had much opportunity 

 for taking part in this branch of the Association's work ; and in 

 view of the reorganisation in education now going on all over 

 the country yourcommittee are of opinion that no more opportune 

 time is likely to occur for the influence of scientific organisations 

 tomaJ<e itself felt as a real factor in national education. . . ." 



I believe that if these suggestions or anything like them— for 

 some better way may be found on inquiry— are accepted, great 

 good to science throughout the Empire will come. Rest 

 assured that sooner or later such a guild will be formed be- 

 cause it is needed. It is for you to say whether it shall be, or 

 form part of, the British Association. We in this Empire 

 certainly need to organise science as much as in Germany they 

 find the need to organise a navy. The German Navy League, 

 which has branches even in our Colonies, already has amemtier- 

 ship of 630,000, and its income is nearly 20,000/. a year. 

 A British Science League of 500,000 with a sixpenny subscription 

 would give us 12,000/. a year, quite enough to begin with. 



I for one believe that the British Association would be a vast 

 gainer by such an expansion of one of its existing functions. In- 

 creased authority and prestige would follow its increased utility. 

 The meetings would possess a new interest ; there would be new 

 subjects for reports ; missionary work less needed than formerly 

 would be replaced by efforts much more suited to the real 

 wants of the time. This magnificent, strong and complicated 

 organisation would become a living force, working throughout 

 the year, instead of practically lying idle, useless and rusting 

 for 51 weeks out of the 52 so far as its close association with its 

 members is concerned. 



If this suggestion in any way commends itself to you, then when 

 you begin your work in your sections or general committee see 

 to it that a body is appointed to inquire how the thing can be 

 done. Remember that the British Association will be as much 

 weakened by the creation of a new body to do the work I have 

 shown to have been in the minds of its founders as I believe it 

 will be strengthened by becoming completely effective in every 

 one of the directions they indicated, and for which effective- 

 ness we their successors are indeed responsible. The time is 

 appropriate for such a reinforcement of one of the wings of our 

 organisation, for we have recently included Education among 

 our sections. 



There is another matter I should like to see referred to the 

 committee I have spoken of, if it please you to appoint it The 

 British Association, which as I have already pointed out is now 

 the chief body in the Empire which deals with the totality of 

 science, is, I believe, the only organisation of any consequence 

 which is without a charter, and which has not His Majesty the 

 King as patron. 



The First Work of such an Organisation. 



I suppose it is my duty after I have suggested the need of 

 organisation to tell you my personal opinion as to the matters 

 where we suffer most in consequence of our lack of organisation 

 at the present time. 



Our position as a nation, our success as merchants, are in 

 peril chiefly — dealing with preventable causes — because of our 

 lack of completely efficient universities, and our neglect of 

 research. This research has a double end. A prof^essor who 

 is not learning cannot teach properly or arouse enthusiasm in his 

 students ; while a student of anything who is unfamiliar with 

 research methods, and without that training which research 



