58 CONTEMPORARY SCIENCE 



quite sufficient of themselves to crush the rock and to 

 open out narrow fissures into caves. 



Research. The whole question of the future resources 

 of the Empire is, I venture to think, one which demands 

 the serious attention of all scientists. It should be at- 

 tacked in a comprehensive manner, and with that insist- 

 ence which has been so notable in connection with the 

 efforts of British investigators in the past. In such a 

 task, some people might suggest, we need encouragement 

 and assistance from the Government of the country. 

 Surely we have it. As many here know, a great experi- 

 mental step towards the practical realization of Solomon's 

 House as prefigured by Francis Bacon in the New Atlan- 

 tis is being made by the Government at the present time. 

 The inception, constitution, and methods of procedure of 

 the Department, which was constituted in 1915, were fully 

 described by Sir Frank Heath in his paper to the Royal 

 Society of Arts last February, and it was there stated by 

 Lord Crewe that, so far as he knew, this was the only 

 country in which a Government Department of Research 

 existed. 3 



It is obvious that the work of a Department of this kind 

 must be one of gradual development with small begin- 

 nings, in order that it may be sound and lasting. The 

 work commenced by assisting a number of researches con- 

 ducted by scientific and professional societies which were 

 languishing as a result of the war, and grants were also 

 made to the National Physical Laboratory and to the 

 Central School of Pottery at Stoke-on-Trent. The grants 

 for investigation and research for the year 1916-17 to- 

 talled n,o55/. ($55,ooo), and for the present year are 

 anticipated to be 93,57o/. The total income of the Na- 

 tional Physical Laboratory in 1913-14 was 43,713^ and 



3 The Italian Government are now, however, establishing a 

 National Council for Research, and a Bill is before the French 

 Chamber for the establishment of a National Office of Scientific, 

 Industrial, and Agricultural Research and Inventions. 



