December 5, 1918] 



NATURE 



273 



L'he apparent failure to grasp the essential condi- 

 tion set forth in paragraph (2) has been thi cause ol 

 the otherwh hensibh unwillingness on the 



pari of the Governmental officials concerned to consult 

 this entirelj representative association ol chemical 



manufacturers, and even to refuse the confi 



.,1 by .in expert committee of the association 

 some months ago 

 (41 The general trend "I what Lord Moulton said 

 stei in December, niq, is correct when 

 \v pointed out that, broadly speaking, the manufac- 

 ture of 1 1 essential intei mediates 

 should ed at the existing chemical works of 

 ■11 n r r \ , leaving the actual production of the 

 finished colou alised. 



(5) No such comprehensive scheme has yet been 

 formulated, with the result that funis capable of 



in! weight t . > dye production have had 

 irtunity for doing so; and unless 

 such opportunity is created, not only will time be lost, 

 but u al expenditure will also be in- 



curred in thi of plant which already exists in 



whole or in part at the chemical works of the country. 



(6) The past and present schemes havi not included 

 the whole 1 try's resources of knowledgi 

 in actual colour production; in shun, there an 



tial dye-makers who have not been used 



\v bus, powers of production have 



1 which they are 



ol distributin si advan- 



the larg< sums oi nth voted by Par- 



development of the dve industry is 



hich this association should advise. It is 



ns nf pri< 11 ii x loi tin' purchase 



of dye-making plant and the utilisation of mat* 



- in which the wide knowledgt of this 

 1 effectively; and it is urged 

 that unless co-opi ion of this nature 



are adopted, the danger of duplication of plant and 

 rlapping in processes will be seriously increased. 

 ited action can be brought about 

 nt thin i- al pi esent indicated. 

 the problem of meeting externa! or overseas com- 

 petition in peace-time will be more difficult and dan- 

 - than is at i seen. 



fill The de\-' 1 a British organic chemical 



industry, capable of I of industrial 



achievements in the synthetic production of dyes, 

 drugs, explosives, poisons, etc., is essentia] to the 

 safety of the Empire. In this connection it is clear 

 he dve indusl ■ intimately co-ordinated 



with the other sections of organic chemical industry 

 -- "f the whole is to be secured. 

 fio) To sum up. it is considered that: — 



(a) An imni' 'alive effort is call, d for. 

 and that a wider interest should be appealed to. 



(b) The formation of those companies on which 

 colour production will fall should nol be confined in 



(t) The who tl industry should be en- 



st, with both knowledge and money, 



terprise whii 1 to the maintenance and 



■pment of some of the country's most important 

 Indus 



f this, the directing or controlling 

 bodv shoul ■- ntative, not only of colour- 



producing inti r< - users, bul also of those 



othe: ant factors in chemical manu- 



facture, tin goodwill ."ml assistance of whom are of 

 paramount i in the national effort which has 



become essential. 



D es Ci iinnii ssi to v hi mi 



the memorandum was referred by th< President 



NO. 2562, VOT.. I02] 



Board of I radi , has n plied to tin secretary of the 

 association that ■lull details of the scheme which his 

 Majesty's Government propose io adopt lor affording 

 1 assistance to tin- dye industrj win presented 

 to Parliament on the 6th uist. in the form of a White 

 Paper, from which it will be observed that repre- 

 sentation of your association on the Trades and 

 Licensing Committee which is to be set up under 

 the scheme has been provided for." This White Paper, 

 was summarised in Nature of Novcmhei .1. It 

 appears that onlv one of the points referred to in the 

 memorandum of the Association of British Chemical 

 Manufacturers has been met, and that solely to the 

 extent of the appointment of one representative of the 

 association out of nine members of the Trades and 

 Licensing Commit tet , 



ANNIVERSARY MEETING OF THE 

 ROYAL SOCIETl . 



THE anniversary meeting of the Royal Society was 

 held mi Saturday last, November 30, being St. 

 Andrew's Day. The officers and other members of 

 council whose names won- given in Nature of 

 November 14 (p. 213) were duly elected. The address 

 delivered by Sir J. j. Thomson, president of the 

 society, is abridged below, and also the report of the 

 council. Prof. Lorentz was unable to attend to 

 receive the Coplej medal awarded to him, and it was 

 handed to a representative of the Netherlands Minister 

 to be forwarded to him. Similarly, a representative 

 of the French Ambassador received tin- medals 

 awarded to Dr. A. Perot and Prof. C. Fabry. Dr. 

 H. F. Osborn and Mr. 1. Langmuir were also un- 

 able to attend in person to receive their medals. 



Address by. Sir J. J. Thomson. 



With the cessation of the war, problems arise which 

 are certainly no less difficult than those produced by 

 the war itself. To repair the waste and heal, so far 

 as possible, the wounds caused by the war, nay, even 

 to be able to bear tin- burden of the vast di fit which 

 it has created, the country must produce on a much 

 larger scale than it has ever done before. How is 

 this to be brought about? The number of workers 

 has been sadlv diminished ; the hours of work before 

 the war were quite as long as is compatible with the 

 health and happiness of the workers; in fact, no 

 considerable increase in production seems possible with 

 the methods in use before the war. I do not forget 

 the magnificent contribution made by women to the 

 work of the country during these years of stress, and 

 it is quite possible that then- may be a considerable 

 permanent increase in the work done by women. 

 There are few, however, who would think it satis- 

 factory that women should bear through the long 

 years of peace to which we look forward the heavy 

 burden they have shouldered during the war, and no 

 one would regard an increase in the burden on women 

 as a tolerable solution of our difficulties. 



But though the amount of labour cannot be very 

 materially increased, it is certain that it can be made 

 more efficient, and that with the same amount ol 

 : more can be produced. This can be done by 

 greater application of scientific methods to industry. 

 It is gratifying that the Government realised die im- 

 portance of this at an early stage in the war, am! I' 

 Wishing the Vdvison Committee of the Privj 

 il for Scientific ' and Industrial Research 

 created a department which is now organised ami 

 , and to w-hich we look forward with hope and 

 confidence. But, for this work of reconstruction to 



I lequate, something more than the creation of a 



new department is necessary. Sympathy with, and an 



