September 21, 191 1] 



NATURE 



407 



Kilburn Scott, the newly appointed lecturer on electrical 

 design, will Begin his course on that subject. 



A revised scheme of examination for inspectorships of 

 mines has just been issued. The appointments are made 

 after a competitive examination of candidates nominated 

 by the Home Secretary. Each candidate must hold a first- 

 class certificate under the Coal Mines Regulation Act. and 

 must, within five years previous to his application, have 

 been employed for two years as manager or under-manager 

 of a coal mine, or in some other responsible capacity re- 

 quiring regular attendance underground in a coal mine. 

 Practical knowledge and experience of metalliferous mining 

 and quarrying will also be taken into consideration. 

 Candidates must be between twenty-three and thirty-five 

 years of age at the time of examination. The revised 

 subjects of examination are: — (i) English; (2) elementary 

 mathematics ; (3) elementary geology ; (4) coal mining ; 

 (5) ore and stone mining ; (6) electricity in mines ; (7) law- 

 relating to mines and quarries ; (8) oral examination ; 



/.\ -t : -*-y ; (10) physics. The last two are optional. 



ate for the return of the filled-up nomination 

 e to the next appointments is October 15. 

 iplication and full particulars can be obtained 

 ivate Secretary, Home Office, London, 

 -^....lteenth volume of reports, for the academic 

 yeai iqoq-10, from the universities and university colleges 

 which participate in the annual grant made by Parliament 

 for " University Colleges in Great Britain," and from the 

 three colleges in Wales which receive a grant, has been 

 published as a Blue-book (Cd. 5872). For the financial 

 year iqoq-10 the amount of grant paid by the Treasury 

 to university colleges in England was q6,ioo/., and for the 

 year 1010—11, 101,250/. In the year iqoq-10, 15,000/. was 

 added to the annual grant in aid of university education 

 in W'alis. An introduction to the reports signed by the 

 President of the Board of Education enumerates the private 

 benefactions in aid of university education in this country 

 made during the year under review, which have been 

 announced from lime to time in these columns. Apart 

 from the recent munificent gifts to Reading University 

 College, these benefactions were not comparable in magni- 

 tude or importance with those recorded in the previous 

 report. The introduction goes on to say : — " The small 

 extent to which university work is endowed by private 

 benefaction in this country is emphasised, if comparison is 

 made with the measure of support in other countries. 

 Thus, within a year of its foundation the Kaiser Wilhelm 

 Society for the promotion of science in Germany had at 

 its disposal a capital of half a million sterling, which is 

 being devoted to the equipment of institutes at which men 

 already eminent in their respective subjects will be in- 

 stalled. In France, M. Auguste Lautreuil left 284,000/. 

 towards the promotion of science in that country. In the 

 United State* Mr. Rockefeller handed over 764,000/. to the 

 Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, which he had 

 previously endowed with large sums. These three in- 

 stances are sufficient to show how small is the endowment 

 of research in this country as compared with others, and 

 from what a disadvantage this country inevitably suffer* 

 in the advancement of learning and research, now more 

 than ever before essential to the welfare and prosperity of 

 the nation." 



The reports referred to in the above note show 

 that nearly 33 per cent, of the income of the English 

 colleges was derived from fees, about 15 per cent, from 

 endowments, a little more than 14-5 per cent, from grants 

 from local education authorities, and 28 per cent, from 

 the Exchequer. In the case of Welsh colleges, nearly 

 25 per cent, of their total income was derived from fees, 

 nearly 6 per cent, from endowments, 6 per cent, from local 

 education authorities, and 53-5 per cent, from the 

 Exchequer. As a result of an increased Treasury grant 

 the total annual income of the Welsh university college- 

 rose from 50,000/. to about 65,000/. The total number of 

 students of all kinds for 1909-10 was returned as 22,1X7 in 

 England (of whom 8174 were full-time students') and 1710 

 for Wales. No students taking courses for matriculation 

 have been included amongst the full-time students. The 

 total numbers of degree students in England rose from 

 under J40n to nearly 4000. In Wales the numbers in- 

 XO. 2l86, VOL. 87] 



creased from 1175 to 1191. The number of post-graduate 

 students in the English universities and colleges concerned 

 grew from 1052 to 1255, while in Wales it fell from 45 

 to 37. The number of part-time students of all kinds in 

 England reached the figure of more than 13,700. Only 

 about 1200 of these wen- reading for degrees or attending 

 post-graduate courses. 



The new calendar of Armstrong College, Newcastle-upon- 

 Tyne, directs attention to the fact that the faculty of 

 science in the University of Durham is seated entirely at 

 Armstrong College. In addition to pure science the 

 college gives instruction in engineering (mechanical and 

 civil), electrical engineering, mining, metallurgy, naval 

 architecture, and agricultural science. The agricultural 

 department of the college directs the Northumberland 

 County Agricultural Experimental Station at Cockle Park, 

 and the Durham County Station for Dairy Research at 

 Offerton Hall. For the purpose of forestry instruction the 

 college is in possession of qoo acres of wood at Chopwell. 

 in the county of Durham, and its zoological equipment 

 includes a laboratory of marine biology at Cullercoats, on 

 the Northumbrian coast. Amongst prospectuses of tech- 

 nical institutes which have reached us may be mentioned 

 those of the Sir John Cass Technical Institute, Aldgate. 

 and the Northern Polytechnic Institute, Holloway. At the 

 Sir John Cass Institute several new departures are being 

 made. The curriculum of students in the fermentation 

 industries now includes courses on " Brewing and 

 Mailing" and the "Micro-Biology of the Fermentation 

 Industries." In the physics department, lectures and 

 demonstrations will be given on " colloids," which will deal 

 with their relation to technical problems. The special 

 courses on liquid, gaseous, and solid fuel in the metallurgy 

 department have also been extended, and will include 

 laboratory work of fuel analysis and on gas analysis. 

 There are also special features in the work of the Northern 

 Polytechnic, and one of importance is the day school of 

 building, which provides a practical course of training for 

 those about to enter any profession or business connected 

 with the construction of buildings, with surveying, or with 

 municipal engineering. The course of work in the school 

 provides instruction in both the principles and processes of 

 building work, and should be of interest to parents who 

 intend to place their sons in the architectural or surveying 

 professions, and to builders whose sons are destined to take 

 a future share in the management of a business. 



The eighth report of the Commissioners for the Exhibi- 

 tion of 185 1 to the Home Secretary has been issued as a 

 Blue-book [Cd. 5723I The last report was published in 

 1889. The report proper runs to some twenty-six pages, 

 the remaining part of the volume of 132 pages being given 

 over to appendices, which include copies of leases, the 

 charter of the Imperial College of Science and Technology, 

 general regulations, accounts, and so on. Full details 

 are given of the various steps taken by the commissioners 

 to carry out their object of forming a centre at South 

 Kensington for institutions engaged in the promotion _ of 

 science and art, and more especially in their application 

 to industry. As regards the consideration of future policy, 

 the commissioners say : — " When we became free from the 

 encumbrance of a heavy mortgage debt we were enabled 

 to devote a considerable portion of our income to scholar- 

 ships for scientific research. The remainder has been 

 invested from time to time, so that we are now in a 

 position to increase the scope of our activities. We have 

 accordingly considered the uses to which we should apply 

 our funds in the immediate future. It is not contemplated 

 to disturb the existing provision of scholarships for pur- 

 poses of research; but in our opinion a noint has been 

 reached when the capital resources of the commission 

 should no longer be applied to assist in the erection of 

 buildings at South Kensington, and when the balance of 

 the income derived from our present funds should be so 

 used as to give a further impetus to scientific and artistic 

 training consistent with the objects of our charter. We 

 believe that our income can be used to great advantage 

 by the provision of scholarships and bursaries endowed, 

 not for all time, but for limited periods, and directed 

 specially to encourag.- not only research work, but also the 

 training of 'captains of industry.' We shall, moreover. 



