272 



NATURE 



[July 21, 1904 



these new conditions is made now, but that we have 

 waited so long- for it in this country while other 

 countries faced them long ago. 



The Money. 

 Money is required at the present moment for : — 

 (i) Buildings and equipments for pure and applied 

 science in both old and new universities. 



(2) Pay and pensions of an increased number of pro- 

 fessors, demonstrators, &c., in pure and applied science 

 in both old and new universities. 



(3) Strengthening of science teaching and research 

 in all, and of the humanities in the nevv universities. 



(4) Reduction of fees, and the wide educational en- 

 franchisement of proved ability in all classes. 



Hitherto universities have looked mainly to private 

 endowments. Universities have been regarded too 

 much as lu.xuries of the rich, and perhaps on this 

 ground higher education has been tieated by the 

 Government as of trivial importance to the nation, as 

 a thing it may properly disregard. 



Judging from the action taken in other countries, it 

 is safe to say that private endowment has not pro- 

 duced more than lo per cent, of the money actually 

 needed in Britain. 



Nor can we rightly appeal to local rate-aid alone. 

 It would be unjust to expect certain restricted locali- 

 ties to provide universities which, if we are to go on, 

 must be utilised by the whole Empire. 



We are driven then to the State. The other civilised 

 States largely endow their universities; Germany, 

 with an aggregate income less than ours, spends 

 roughly a million a year on its universities. The 

 University of Berlin alone received more than i6S,oooi. 

 from the State in the year 189 1-2. In the United 

 States, in addition to 200,000/. a year received from the 

 Government, the States supply 700,000;. in the aggre- 

 gate and private endowment 2,000,000?. The 

 University of Tokio receives 130,000?. a year from 

 the Government of Japan. 



These figures derive their chief importance from the 

 fact that these magnificentlv endowed and State-aided 

 universities are the institutions we are contending with 

 m the production of men to do the nation's work'along 

 all the lines of its activities. 



But the large sums available for the efficient working 

 of the German and American universities are not alone 

 in question. The number of universities in Germany 

 is nearly double that of the British universities. The 

 number of first-class universities in the United States, 

 wliere, as Mr. Choate has told us, education is the 

 chief business of the nation, is nearlv four times that 

 of the British universities. 



Can we Afford to Spend Money on Universities? 



Britain's great needs at the present moment are 

 brain-power to invigorate our commerce, among other 

 Hiings, and sea-power to guard it, among other things. 

 The State has recently spent 120,000,000?. to bring our 

 Navy up to date ; it has not yet spent a single million 

 on our universities. 



Sir Robert Giffen has stated that the yearly 

 mcome of the people of the United Kingdom may be 

 taken as not less than 1650 millions, and their aggre- 

 gate expenditure a few years ago was not less "than 

 1.400,000,000?., including 30,000,000?. for education, 

 which is less than 2 per cent, of the whole. The 

 amount borne on the estimates for education is about 

 13,000,000?. 



He writes :— " The country should be spending 100 

 millions where it now spends 30, or about 5 per cent. 

 . . . Such sums are not really extravagant. Extensive 

 diffusion of education and scientific knowledge and 

 training are not only essential to the greater efficiency 

 NO. 181 2, VOL. 70] 



of labour and capital by which the means of living are 

 provided, but they are equally needed for the conduct 

 of life itself, for the health and comfort of the 

 workers." 



It cannot be doubted tfyit the expenditure will be 

 quickly remunerative. More efficient workers will 

 produce more. 



Money so spent is seed from which a harvest can be 

 looked for; the plentifulness of the crop will depend 

 upon the seed and the way it is sown. 



One of our manufacturers who has b;-en most 

 successful in applying science to industry has stated 

 that if we were now to borrow 10,000,000?. for uni- 

 versity purposes we should get the money back in the 

 course of one generation a hundred-fold. 



The recent recognition of the fact that we have too 

 few universities, and that those that we have are in- 

 efficient for want of funds, is similar to that awaken- 

 ing which occurred in 1888 regarding the Navy. In 

 both cases we have to correct past mistakes lasting 

 for years, and seeing that university buildings, as 

 well as annual endowments, are required, some special 

 provision should be made for their early erection. 



Tlie Universities in Relation to Secondary Education. 



Now that the primary and secondary schools 

 throughout the country are being coordinated, the time 

 has arrived for making our universities and university 

 colleges efficient. The teaching connected with the 

 universities must be of the highest, and the chief 

 function of the secondary schools should be to produce 

 students possessing that general training in science 

 and the humanities which will ensure the success of 

 their subsequent careers, either inside or outside a 

 university. 



A system of leaving certificates and a reduction of 

 fees would at once get rid of the tyranny of merely 

 qualifying or selecting examinations which are the 

 bane of education, and would enable the training of 

 the poorest to be carried to the highest rung of an 

 unbroken ladder. 



The deputation which advocated these views in- 

 cluded representatives from the universities and uni- 

 versity colleges, and from county, municipal and 

 other educational authorities in Great Britain and 

 Ireland, Canada and Australia. The list of the 

 deputation contained the names of some who intended 

 to be present, but were prevented from attending. 

 Lord Rosebery, for instance, was unable to attend 

 as Chancellor of the University of London; but with 

 the exception of Oxford, Cambridge, and London, the 

 chancellors of all the universities appear to have 

 formed part of the deputation. A very large number 

 of members of Parliament were present; and it is 

 not too much to say that every important body of 

 opinion — social, industrial, and intellectual — was 

 represented. Among the members of the deputation 

 were the following : — 



The Vice-Chancellor of Oxford Univfrsity, the president 

 of Magdalen College, the president of Trinity College, 

 Prof. Poulton, Prof. Miers. The Vice-Chancellor of Cam- 

 bridge University, Sir R. C. Jebb, M.P., Mr. A. E. Shipley, 

 F.R.S., and Prof. Forsyth, F.R.S. 



The Vice-Chancellor (Dr. Pye-Smith) of London Uni- 

 versity, Sir Edward Busk, Sir Arthur Riicker, Sir 

 Henrv Roscoe, and Prof. Unwin. Sir John AWd, Bart., 

 M.P., Sir G. C. T. Bartley, K.C.B., M.P., Sir M. M. 

 Bhownaggfree, M.P., Lord Hugh Cecil, Mr. W. R. Cremer, 

 M.P., Sir M. Foster, K.C.B., M.P., Mr. Ernest Gray, 

 M.P., and Dr. T. J. Macnamara, M.P. The chair- 

 man of the London County Council, and the chairman of 

 the Education Committee of the L.C.C. Masters and 

 wardens of the Fishmongers', Goldsmiths', Skinners', 



