JUNE 25, 1914] NATURE 
it has to deal. In its early career the existence 
and future of the laboratory were a source of 
some anxiety to its supporters, but no one can 
now deny the position it has won. It will be 
readily conceded by those who have followed its 
fortunes how much the laboratory owes to its 
director, Dr. Glazebrook, to whose ability and 
energies the great success of the institution will 
be a lasting monument. A notion of the present 
extent of the laboratory buildings may be got 
from the panoramic view shown in Fig. 1. The 
laboratory staff now approaches 200 in number, 
of whom more than 60 have had a university 
training. 
We observe that during the year under review 
the income of the laboratory amounted to more 
than 43,0001, an increase of more than 11,000l. on 
the previous year’s working. Excluding a special 
grant of about 5oool., which is ear-marked for 
aeronautics research, and is separately adminis- 
tered, we notice that only 7oool. is  con- 
tributed by the State towards this income; 
the greater part is derived from fees for 
tests, of which nearly 65,000 were carried 
out during the year, this total including all classes 
of work large and small. Some idea of the 
magnitude and importance of this work may be 
gathered from the fact that the value of the goods 
sent in for test approached 300,o000l, for the year. 
It is not without grave concern that the Royal 
Society views the financial responsibilities attend- 
ant on sums of this magnitude, but it is a tradi- 
tion of political life in this country, and one un- 
fortunately not frowned at by public opinion, that 
parsimonious State support should be given to 
public institutions which, however useful, do not 
by their very nature lend themselves to political 
aggrandisement. But he who runs may read, and 
the briefest scrutiny of the report before us offers 
abundant evidence of the intimate relations of the 
laboratory not only with the general public, but 
with the various departments of the Government 
itself. The board of control of the laboratory 
will have the warm approval of our readers in its 
efforts to get the grant-in-aid from the Treasury 
increased from 7oool. to a modest 12,000l. per 
annum. 
There is an over-abundance of work waiting to 
be done, of problems to be solved, and it is both 
expedient and proper that much of this investi- 
gatory work should be financed by public funds 
rather than by levying a burdensome toll on the 
fees which the routine test-work affords. 
There are many who urge that a National 
Physical Laboratory should act as a sort of head- 
quarters for each and every branch of inquiry in 
physics, and that while its primary object is the 
application of science to industry, it should be 
prepared to lead the way in exploring new fields 
which are possibly and quite probably not imme- 
diately remunerative. But all these things cost 
money, and if public support is inadequate, it is 
_ the pure investigatory side which suffers rather 
than the utilitarian problems set by industry and 
commerce. The marked superiority of the State 
support in Germany and the States has greatly 
NO. 2330, VOL. 93] 
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ngineering Buildings, 
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the F 
| main Laboratory Building of Bushy 
gineering Buildings ; the new Buildings 
portion of the En 
ildings, the origina 
Behind this, in the centre, is the Wernher Building (Metallurgy), while on the 
In the rear of these again are, on the North, 
g. 
, partly visible only behind the southernmost 
vatory Dome); and South-east of this and largely hidden behind the new Bu 
g weaving-shed roof of the Tank Buildin 
To the South (right) is the Metrology Building. 
gine room chimney ; the Electrotechnics Buildin 
ptics (with Obser 
he Buildings. 
O 
In the foreground appears the lon 
periments in the rolling of alloys. 
to the en 
erected for ex 
g for the 7-ft. air channel 
June, 1913, for Administration and 
Bushy House extend to the South of t 
left (North) is the small new buildin 
extending from the buildin 
opened by Mr. Balfour in 
The grounds of 
Fic. 1.—General view of the National Physica Laboratory. 
House. 
