148 



NATURE 



[October 24. [918 



tn seek employment in other directions, and 51 

 has been consequently the poorer. 



The fundamental idea which lias inspired the 

 Salters' Company may be illustrated b) 01 

 two examples. Suppose a man to have taken 

 his degree with distinction in chemistry, and in 

 physiolog) as a secomd subject. Elected to a 

 Salters' fellowship, he ma) undertake a research 

 on some subject of a biochemical nature. I his 

 may be carried on at his own university or at any 

 other possessing a special school lor this class of 

 work in England or some other country. In due 

 time arrangements ma) he made by the director 

 for the fellow to take a course of chemical engi- 

 neering', perhaps in America, and afterwards to 

 obtain technical and industrial experience. In a 

 very short time a man so trained and experienced 

 will be in a position t'> demand, and will certainly 

 he worth, a very high salary. It would be easy to 

 provide a similar course with the necessarv modi- 

 fications adapted to the case of a man whose 

 original bent is in the direction ot physical 

 chemistry or [jure organic or metallurgical chem- 

 istry. The printed scheme issued by the Salters' 

 Company gives no information as to the pecuniary 

 value of the proposed fellowships. In estimating 

 the annual amount which should be assigned to 

 each fellowship, it must be remembered that the 

 holder, while required .to live simply and carefully, 

 must be free from difficulties about books, travel- 

 ling expenses, :m<\ laboratory Outlay. Probably 

 ,;oo/. a year under present conditions and for seme 

 lime to come will not be found too much, though 

 perhaps expenses will depend to some extent on 

 whether the student remains at home or is required 

 to reside at a foreign university or centre. When 

 operations are to commence at the institute will 

 depend on the discovery of the right man for the 

 office of director, and doubtless he will have a 

 good deal to say about working details. 



I'lie two classes ol Fellowship referred to in 



1 he scheme have been in principle anticipated. For 



ormer, which provides for post-graduate study 



without at first direct reference to technical appli- 



ms, the Ramsay Memorial, which has been 



the public for the greater part of the last 



two years, has adopted essentially the same plan, 



and is only waiting lor funds to carry it into effect. 



With "regard to the institution of industrial 

 fellowships, nothing of the kind has vet been 

 attempted in this country. Hut the Kennedy 

 Dum at 1 onnection with the Universities 



ol Kansas and Pittsburgh has been in operation 

 for some few yeai ;, and is reported to have been 

 satisfactory and successful. Mention of thesi 

 facts, h6wi er, is hoi intended to disparage in 

 any way the wise forethought and liberal inten- 

 tions of the Salters' I ompany, which, by the action 

 now- contemplated, is rendering a very important 

 service to national interests, both in the example 

 thus set and by the generous application of its 

 funds. 



One other point may here ]„■ mentioned. The 

 scheme under consideration seems to ivoid the 



ally which litis always been associated with 

 NO. 2556, VOL. I02] 



other -1 lames for tin- encouragement <•! post- 

 graduati work namely, that the career of the 



student .liter the firsl lew years was indeterminate, 

 and often ended ill disappointment. The scheme, 

 "in 1 talked of, for providing valuable fellowships 



with the objeel of tempting a few s] 



dowed researchers to devote tin- rest ui then 



to research seems to have been lost sight of, 

 alii I consideration, to have been given Up. 



It is, however, in he Imped that nothing in the 

 plans proposed for associating science with in- 

 dustry will result in discouragement to sciei 

 genius. Researches undertaken with sp< 

 objects, especially with a view to improvements 

 in manufacturing processes 'r in the invention of 

 new ones, and in the investigation of properties 

 of materials and products, will probably not lead 

 ii> the discover) of new fundamental principles. In 

 the past these have .almost always been the fruit 

 1 if labours undertaken under the stimulus of that 

 kind of curiosity concerning Nature, her laws, 

 purposes, and operations, which is sufficient to 



satisfv tlie ambition of a Davy or a Faraday. 

 Whatever Ramsay might have done had he devoted 

 his working- life to researches designed to assisl 

 industry, the results of his studies concerning the 

 source and properties of the inert gases, them- 

 selves of no use in human affairs, are il greater 

 permanent interest and importance by reason ot 

 the new light thrown on the nature of the elements 

 and the constitution of matter. After all, a know- 

 ledge it the materials and powers in which life is 

 immersed, and of which it is a part, is in the long- 

 run more useful than the applications which ma\ 

 be made to the purposes ■>! mankind. The 

 student ol Nature is concerned onlv about the 

 means ol carrying on his work without ai 

 as in the future of himself or his family. His 

 discoveries cannot immediately become the 

 jects "I sale or pecuniary reward, and as a rule 

 es nol look for anything of the sort. It will, 

 however, not be forgotten few there 



are the Nobel prizes. 



THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE 

 FISHING INDUSTRY, 



TT is no secret that a most vigorous propaganda 

 *■ fot the reconstruction of the entire fabri 

 fishery control is now being carried on by those 

 engaged in the industry, tend that this movement 

 gathers force as the end of the war- appears 

 come nearer. The English 



form i.t proposals lor the unificatioi ol fisher) 

 control by the creation ol > Ministry having all 

 now exercised by branches oi several 

 Public Departments and by the local Fisher) 

 Committees. Its suggestions relate mainl- 

 administrative and regulative reforms, to pro- 

 blems ol marketing, transport, distribution, ex- 

 ploitation, and technii al 1 dui ation. The Scottish 

 proposals, which have just become public, 1 devote 

 but slight attention to administrative changes, but 



1 Memorandum on the Reconstruction of (he Fishina rndustry after ihe 

 w ar. r ■ Scottish Steam Driftei Association, Aberdeen, al 



Omcc, Septembei 



