NATURE 
25 
THURSDAY, MAY 11, 1899. 
THE NATIONAL PHYSICAL LABORATORY. 
Ap a following Scheme for the government of the 
National Physical Laboratory has been drawn up 
by the Royal Society with the approval of Her Majesty’s 
Treasury, and steps are being taken to give effect to the 
Scheme at as early a date as practicable. The Govern- 
ment has promised to ask Parliament for a grant of 
12,0007. for buildings, and an annual grant of 4ooo/., and 
will also facilitate the erection of the buildings in the 
Deer Park at Kew. The resources of the Kew Com- 
mittee of the Royal Society and the buildings used by 
them will also be handed over to the new Institution. 
The grant will not be available until voted by Par- 
liament, and the first grant will be 5000/. for buildings 
and 2000/. in respect of the first half-year. The Treasury 
have, however, approved of the immediate nomination of 
the new governing body, and have authorised any pre- 
parations for the work of the Laboratory, which can be 
undertaken without expenditure, previous to the sanction- 
ing of the anticipated grants by Parliament. 
The President and Council of the Royal Society have 
accordingly appointed the Executive Committee, in 
accordance with the provisions of the Scheme, with a 
view to preliminary arrangements being set on foot as 
soon as possible ; and will shortly proceed to complete 
the constitution of the General Board. The represent- 
atives nominated by the technical Institutions named in 
the Scheme to serve on the General Board are as 
follows :— 
Mr. W. H. Preece, F.R.S.. ..\ Institution of Civil En- 
Sir J. Wolfe-Barry, F.R.S.... ...f gineers. 
Sir Wm. White, F.R.S. ..\ Institution of Mechanical 
Sir Edw. Carbutt, Bart. ......f Engineers. 
Mr. Alex. Siemens ... ..\ Institution of Electrical 
Prof. Ayrton, F-R.S. ...  . ..J Engineers. 
Sir Wm. Roberts- Austen, F.RS. \y d Steel Institut 
Sir bree RG.” |. Jjeron and Steel Tnstitute. 
Mr. Geo. Beilby oon lgdden eee -..\ Society of Chemical In- 
Mri Walters Reid’ 2... =: yy) dustry. 
Sir Nathaniel Barnaby... ..._... \ Institution of Naval Archi- 
Mire]. ikaMiltoncsitite) s... O:.2 fi tects: 
The President and Council of the Royal Society have 
appointed as Vice-Chairman of the General Board and of 
the Executive Committee : 
Lord Rayleigh, F.R.S. 
The following are the other members of the Executive 
Committee : 
Lord Lister, President of the Royal Society. 
Mr. A. B. Kempe, Treasurer of the Royal Society. 
Prof. A. W. Riicker, as Secretary of the Royal 
Society. ee 
Sir Courtenay Boyle, K.C.B., Permanent Secre- 
tary of the Board of Trade. 
Capt. W. de W. Abney, F.R.S.... 
Capt. E. W. Creak, F.R.S. from among the 
Prof. G. Carey Foster, F.R.S. Members of 
the 
Kew Observatory 
ME Galtot ERS. | ee 
Committee. 
Prof, JiePexrryy Pee Os, 
Gen. Sir R. Strachey, F. RS 
Sir John Wolfe-Barry, F.R.S. from among those 
Sir Edward Carbutt, Bart. Members off the 
Mr. Alex. Siemens a General Board 
Sir William Roberts- Austen, F. R. Se ta ean nominated by the 
Mr. G. Beilby - é | technical Societies 
Sir Nathaniel Barnaby named in’ the 
Scheme ; and 
NO. 1541, VOL. 60] 
Prof, R. B. Clifton, F.R.S. aco 
Prof. ©: Lodge, F.R-S: ... eee ... | Nominated by the 
Sir Andrew Noble, F.R.S. 54 Saal President and 
Prof. A. Schuster, F.R.S. ' Council of the 
Prof. J. J. Thomson, F.R.S. Royal Society. 
Dr. Thorpe, F.R.S. . 
The Scheme of Okganisation oe the Laboratory is as 
follows :— 
1. The name of the Institution shall be the National 
Physical Laboratory. The Kew Observatory shall be 
incorporated therewith. 
2. The ultimate control of the Institution shall be 
vested in the President and Council of the Royal Society, 
who, in the exercise thereof, may from time to time issue 
such directions as they may think fit to the General 
Board and Executive Committee hereinafter described. 
The President of the Royal Society shall be the Chair- 
man of the Governing Body as hereinafter defined. The 
income and all other property of the Institution shall be 
vested in the Royal Society for the purposes of the 
Institution. 
3. For the present, and ‘until otherwise ordered by 
the President and Council of the Royal Society, with the 
approval of H.M. Treasury, there shall be a Governing 
Body for the Institution, consisting of a General Board 
and an Executive Committee, the constitution and duties 
of which shall be as hereinafter defined. Provided 
always that the Permanent Secretary of H.M. Board of 
Trade shall be ex officio a member of the Governing 
Body, and that the choice of members of the Governing 
Body, or of any Committee thereof, shall not be con- 
fined to Fellows of the Royal Society. 
4. The General Board shall consist of the President, 
Treasurer, and Secretaries of the Royal Society, the 
Vice-Chairman of the Board (appointed as defined below 
by the President and Council of the Royal Society), the 
Permanent Secretary of the Board of Trade, and of 
thirty-six ordinary members. 
Twenty-four of the ordinary members shall be 
appointed by the President and Council of the Royal 
Society ; of the remaining twelve ordinary members, two 
shall be nominated for appointment by the Council of 
each of the following Institutions, as being fitted to 
represent commercial interests in connection with the 
Laboratory :— 
The Institution of Civil Engineers. 
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers. 
The Institution of Electrical Engineers. 
The Iron and Steel Institute. 
The Institution of Naval Architects. 
The Society of Chemical Industry. 
In the selection of ordinary members of the General 
Board care shall be taken that Scotland and Ireland are 
represented. 
Any person not being already a member of the General 
Board who shall become a member of the Executive 
Committee, shall be a member of that Board during his 
tenure of office on the Executive Committee, but shall 
be regarded as an additional, and not as an ordinary 
member of the Board. 
5. The Executive Committee shall consist of the 
President, Treasurer, and one of the Secretaries of the 
Royal Society; the Vice-Chairman of the Executive 
Committee (appointed as defined below) ; the Permanent 
Secretary of the Board of Trade ; six persons appointed 
by the President and Council of the Royal Society from 
among those who are members of the Kew Observatory 
Committee at the time when the Kew Observatory is 
incorporated in the National Physical Laboratory (two 
of these six persons shall retire at the end of every two 
years, and vacancies occurring amongst them by retire- 
ment or otherwise shall not be filled up) ; and of twelve 
ordinary members. 
The ordinary members shall be nominated by the 
Cc 
