II BIOLOGY AND THE STATE 85 



who turns it out as is new knowledge. On the other 

 hand, as a matter of fact, the providing of means for 

 the manufacture of that article is not only not foreign 

 to English statecraft, but is largely, though not largely 

 enough, undertaken by the English State. The Eoyal 

 Observatories, the British Museum, the Koyal Gardens 

 at Kew, the Geological Survey, the Government grant 

 of 4000 a year to the Eoyal Society, the 300 or 

 400 a year (not a large sum) expended through the 

 medical officer of the Privy Council upon the experi- 

 mental investigation of disease, are ample evidence 

 that such providing of means for creating new know- 

 ledge forms part of the natural and recognised re- 

 sponsibilities of the British Government. Such a 

 responsibility clearly is recognised in this country, 

 and does fall, according to the present arrangement 

 of things, upon the central Government. What we 

 have to regret is, that those who temporarily hold the 

 reins of government fail to perceive the lamentable 

 inadequacy of the mode in which this responsibility 

 is met. 



A second objection which is made to the endow- 

 ment of research by public funds, or by other means, 

 such as voluntary contributions, is this : it is stated 

 that men engaged in scientific research ought to teach, 

 and thus gain their livelihood. It is argued, in fact, 

 that there is no need whatever to provide stipends or 

 laboratories for researchers, since they have only to 

 stand up and teach in order to make incomes sufficient 

 to keep them and their families, and to provide them- 

 selves with laboratories. This is a very plausible 



