NATURE 
557 


SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 1923. 
| 
CONTENTS. are 
Education and Science in the Civil Service Estimates 557 
Weights and Measures, with some Geophysics. By 
Dr. G. C. Simpson, F.R.S. 
Climatic Changes. By Prof. J. Ww. Gregory, F.R.S. 
The Copper Age in papas and lisp” By M. C. 
Burkitt . : 3 
A Railway Manual - 
Our Bookshelf ‘ 
Letters to the Editor :— 
The Crossed-orbit Model of Helium, its Ionisation 
Potential, and Lyman Series. —Dr. L. Silberstein 
The Nature of Light-Quanta.—H. Bateman .- 
Spermatogenesis of the 5 aes —Prof. J. Bronté 
Gatenby 
A Static or Dynamic Atom ?—- Dr. 
Campbel 
The Zwartebergen and the Wegener Hypothesis. — 
W. B. Wright . 
Egyptian Water- Clocks. —Prof. W. M. Flinders 
Petrie, F.R.S 
A epee Imageon Clear Glass.—Eric Robinson; = 
Dr. James W. French . 
Tactile Vision of Insects and Arachnida.—G. H. 
Locket . 4 
Science and Economics. ar. Wilson Leisenring 
Effect of Plant Extracts on Blood seicat —Prof. J. B. 
Collip E 
The Interferometer in Astronomy. 
By Prof. A. S. Eddington, F.R.S. : 
Sunlight and Disease. By Dr. C. W. Saleeby 
on. — in Relation to Bs ec aya 
Obituary :— 
Prof. E. Majewski. By B. po 
Dr. Hartwig Franzen 
Current Topics and Events 
Our Astronomical Column 
Research Items . 
The ‘‘ Zoological Record » 
Agricultural Progress in India = 
Fact and Phantasy in Industrial Science | 
Depth of paras e Foci. By C. D. 
University and Educational pee 
Societies and Academies . ° . 
Official Publications Received . a 
of Societies . 
Recent Scientific and Technical Books 
Norman R. 
( Wih Diagram. ) 


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NO. 2791, VOL. 111] 
Education and Science in the Civil Service 
Estimates. 
HE provision for Education, Science, and Art 
for the year ending March 31, 1924, in the Civil 
Service Estimates continues to show reductions upon 
previous years. Excluding Ireland, the expenditure 
under these heads was 61,675,301/. in 1921-22 and 
54,150,207/. in 1922-23. For 1923-24 the estimate 
Is 49,902,435/—a sum which is less than the actual 
expenditure of 1921-22 by 11,772,866l. This is an 
enormous reduction, and however serious the economic 
situation—and one must grant that the financial strin- 
gency is still great—such a reduction cannot be viewed 
with unconcern by those who have the real interest of 
the country at heart. 
It should be noted, however, that the estimates under 
review include expenditure other than that upon school 
education. They include the cost of national museums 
and art galleries, as well as grants to scientific and 
industrial research, and to universities and institutions 
of university rank. The Board of Education estimate 
is 41,934,047/., a decrease of 3,340,953/.; while the 
estimate of the Scottish Education Department is 
5,922,995/., a decrease of 869.3791. These two re- 
ductions together make up the major portion of the 
proposed reduction of 4,247,772. for the current 
financial year. 
It will be instructive to examine in more detail 
some of the proposed expenditure. In the Board of 
Education estimates the grant for elementary education 
is put down at 33,069,100/., a reduction on last year 
of 1,999,693/. and on 1921-22 of 3,929,613/. One is 
moved to remark that if a reduction in this grant of 
almost four millions in two years can be made without 
detriment to the future efficiency of the nation, there 
must have been something radically unsound in the 
distribution of these grants in the past. If, however, 
the future efficiency is seriously threatened by such a 
reduction, then an apparent economy may well turn 
out to be a real extravagance. Again, the estimate for 
the grant for higher education is 7,315,520l., which 
means a reduction of 707,055/. on last year’s grant, or 
of 1,462,910l. on that for 1921-22. It is clear that the 
reductions in the grants for higher education are pro- 
portionately much greater than for elementary educa- 
tion and may well have serious consequences. In 
particular, it would be difficult to justify the reduction 
of 4oool. for technical colleges—and this in addition to 
a reduction of 10,000/. in the previous year—and that 
of 123.725]. for the training of teachers. On the other 
hand, it was to be expected that the grant for the higher 
education of ex-Service officers and men should auto- 
matically decrease. Accordingly, 310,000l. is estimated 
as compared with 1,015,000l. last year, with a corre- 
