65 
THURSDAY, 
INDUSTRIAL , 
WIN the last few days we have been given 
further evidence by manufacturers and 
commercial men of their intention to organise 
themselves for the protection and development of 
British trade and industry, and to provide sub- 
stantial funds for the promotion of these objects. 
A circular has been issued by the Executive Coun- 
cil of the Federation of British Industries, which 
includes many leading representatives of manu- 
facturing and producing industries, inviting firms 
to join the federation, and to pay an annual sub- 
scription of rool. until at least the year 1919. The 
main objects of the federation are the organisation 
and development of industry now and after the 
war, in co-operation with labour and in conjunc- 
tion with the Government and Government depart- 
ments. In furtherance of like interests, the Com- 
mittee of Financial Facilities for Trade has just 
recommeénded to the President of the Board of | 
Trade that a British Trade Bank should be estab- 
lished with a capital of 10,000,000l., with the ob- 
jects, among others, of establishing an informa- 
tion bureau, co-operating with merchants and 
manufacturers, and affording financial support to 
promising enterprises. It is suggested that any 
financial assistance given by the Government to | 
undertakings in connection with what are known 
as “key” industries should be granted through 
the medium of the commercial information bureau. 
A couple of months ago we described the forma- 
tion of the Association of British Chemical Manu- 
facturers, with a subscription based pro rata on 
the size of the subscribing undertakings; and the 
steps taken to organise the British engineering in- 
dustry into an association were outlined in our 
issue of August 24. At a meeting held at the 
Mansion House on September 20 to promote the 
organisation of British electrical and allied manu- 
factures it was pointed out that the approximate 
aggregate capitalisation of our engineering works 
is NOW 400,000,000l., so that an annual subscrip- 
tion of one-tenth of 1 per cent. of the capital would 
provide an income of 400,o000l. 
These and other signs show that our leading 
business men are prepared to do their part 
towards strengthening British industry and com- 
merce for the competitive struggles of the future. 
In the case of most of the recent organisations 
reference is made to the necessity of providing 
facilities for scientific research; and this point was 
‘particularly mentioned by Sir Oliver Lodge at the 
Mansion House meeting. The inter-connection 
between science and every branch of engineering 
No. 2448, VoL. 98] 
| practical co-operation. 
is already largely recognised, but we still await 
the production of a scheme which will show 
exactly what should be done to promote their 
We have had a number of 
committees and advisory councils appointed, but 
most of them have devoted themselves chiefly to 
the collection and collation of opinions, and have 
originated little in the way of constructive plans 
of procedure. It is perhaps not so necessary now 
as it was to convince men of business that scien- 
tific research is the basis of progressive industry ; 
what is now required of scientific men and their 
committees is the preparation of practical plans 
of campaign which can be placed before associa- 
tions of manufacturers. We believe that when 
these schemes are available there will be little 
difficulty in securing the funds to put them into 
practice. 
One such plan, national in scope and bold in 
conception, was sketched by Dr. Kenneth Mees in 
| an address printed in Nature of July 13 and 20. 
It asked for the establishment of a national indus- 
trial research laboratory with a staff of two thous- 
and men, half of whom would be scientifically 
trained, while the other half would be assistants 
and workmen. The annual upkeep was estimated 
to cost about 800,o0ol., but after a few years the 
laboratory would probably be self-supporting, and 
might, indeed, make an annual profit on the ori- 
ginal investment. Several years ago Sir Oliver 
Lodge showed how the University of Birmingham 
alone could make profitable use of five millions, 
one million of which would be for a real attempt 
at scientific research in all departments. He 
pointed out that hitherto the ideas of this country 
in education and scientific research have been con- 
ceived on a wholly inadequate scale, and without 
proper appreciation of the vast extent of territory 
awaiting exploration. The most useful thing that 
could be done at the present time would be to 
concentrate attention upon the construction and 
details of schemes of this kind instead of lament- 
ing the assumed indifference of manufacturers to 
the help which science can give them. The vari- 
ous committees now in existence would then be 
in the position of boards of directors having 
before them for consideration definite plans for the 
development of their businesses, instead of mere 
letters of complaint at want of enterprise. 
There must, of course, be a joining up of those 
who are attacking the industrial reorganisation of 
the Empire with those who are working for educa- 
tional reconstruction; and we look to the Science 
Committee recently appointed by the Government 
to assist in this end. The Right Hon. F. Huth 
Jackson, who was one of the members of the com- 
mittee recommending the formation.of the British 
E 
