DECEMBER II, 1913] 
NATURE 
427 
Senate, the more effective will be the unity of 
the University organisation. 
This being the case, the Commission recom- 
mends a considerable extension of the policy of 
‘incorporation, to which we have referred already. 
It recommends the extension of the principle of 
incorporation to the Imperial College of Science 
and Technology to Bedford College, and possibly 
to the East London College. It recommends that 
the Birkbeck College be incorporated, and be made 
an “evening school” of the University; and 
further, that some (possibly three) of the medical 
schools become incorporated medical colleges. 
The incorporated institutions will be the pro- 
perty of the University; they will be under its 
‘educational and financial control; but the property 
will be so vested as not to preclude the earmarking 
of capital or income by donors and benefactors 
for particular institutions or specific purposes. 
All institutions thus incorporated will be known 
as ‘‘constituent colleges.” The details of manage- 
ment of such institutions will be in the hands of 
college committees or delegacies, as, under exist- 
ing conditions, is the case at University and 
King’s Colleges. 
Such being the general programme of the 
Commission, it follows as a matter of necessity 
that ‘“‘as much of the University work as possible, 
together with the University administration, 
should be concentrated in a central University 
quarter.” This brief statement by the Minister 
of Education ought to do much to clear away the 
confusion raised by what has been called “The 
Battle of the Sites.”” The Minister’s statement, 
taken in conjunction with the report of the Com- 
mission, makes it perfectly clear that a site that 
merely provides the administrative offices of the 
University will not, in any circumstances, meet 
the needs of the case. If administrative offices, 
and administrative offices only, are sought, then 
there is small reason for removing from the 
present quarters in the Imperial Institute. To 
move the administrative offices from there to some 
costly site on the south side of the river, as has 
been suggested, would be wasteful and futile. It 
would be wasteful because it would require a very 
large sum of money even to move the administra- 
tive offices from South Kensington to the south 
side of the river; it would be futile because, when 
the removal was achieved, the University adminis- 
tration would not be nearer to any teaching centre 
than it is now. 
It has been suggested that the Government 
should be asked for Somerset House for University 
purposes; and this proposal has been reported 
upon favourably by the Higher Education sub- 
Committee of the London Education Committee. 
At the meeting of the latter Committee on 
November 26, a report was adopted asking that 
the London County Council should join with the 
Senate of the University in a deputation to the 
Government to set forth the advantages of Somer- 
set House as a university centre. If Somerset 
House were given to the University, it would 
undoubtedly be possible to effect a much-needed 
NO. 2302, VOL. 92] 
extension to King’s College, and to provide for 
the housing of the administrative offices; but 
it would accomplish little, if anything, more; and 
this would be done at enormous cost, because the 
whole of Somerset House would need to be gutted. 
It is almost inconceivable that permission would 
be given for the alteration of the elevation of this 
building. The University would again be put 
into a house built for other purposes, and bearing 
another name; and, instead of a_ university 
quarter, all that would be achieved would be the 
bringing together of the University administration 
and one of its constituent colleges. 
The report of the Commission gives strong 
reason for the establishment of a university quar- 
ter; such a quarter should be large enough to com- 
prise at least two of the main constituent colleges 
of the University. King’s College is undoubtedly 
cramped for space, and needs room for expansion ; 
its removal is advocated. University College, on 
the other hand, has fine and permanent build- 
ings; it occupies a site approaching seven acres, 
while immediately to the south of it, and lying 
between it and the British Museum, there is an 
area of some nine acres—or, if roads be included, 
of some eleven acres—that could, it appears, be 
acquired for the development of the University. 
It has been suggested that here could be placed 
new buildings for King’s College, for the admini- 
strative offices, for the great hall of the University, 
and for students’ clubs and societies. Here, at 
least, could be the beginning of a “university 
quarter’ in the real sense of the word, starting 
with an area of between fifteen and sixteen acres 
of land: here, too, are possibilities for expansion 
and development. 
In these two colleges all the faculties except 
that of music are represented, and they may be 
appropriately associated in a University quarter. 
The scheme of the Commissioners provides also 
for the establishment of “constituent colleges ” 
in other parts of London. The report suggests 
the incorporation of Bedford College and the East 
London College, and in a special way that of the 
Imperial College. With regard to this, there seems 
to be some doubt as to the practicability of the 
details of the scheme proposed. The Commission 
suggests the formation of a “committee for tech- 
nology,’ which shall at the same time be the 
deleg'acy of the Imperial College and the coordinat- 
ine authority for technology throughout the 
University; but there is a feeling that these two 
functions should be kept separate, and committed 
to different authorities. The idea of a committee, 
or council, for technology coordinating the techno- 
logical work throughout the University, and keep- 
ing it in touch with the representatives of the 
great industries, is, however, a sound one. 
In conclusion, then, it seems to us that the 
action of the Minister of Education should lead to 
a solution of this long-standing problem. It is 
time that it should be solved. We cannot think 
that the question of the external degree ought to 
be allowed to stand in the way of providing 
London with the University that the capital of 
