130 
NATURE 
[APRIL I, 1915 

company must compete are enormous organisations 
controlling. almost unlimited resources, and if after 
the war these organisations continue to work with 
the same efficiency as before, some years must elapse 
before we could compete successfully with them. 
Failure to develop on research lines is scarcely con- 
ceivable if the works are in the hands of a highly 
trained chemical staff; but if the new industries get 
into the power of the business man who wants an 
immediate return for his outlay and fails to appreciate 
the vital importance of scientific control, then no 
protection by a tariff on the import of German dyes 
and other organic products can avert disaster. 

THE CO-OPERATION OF SCIENCE 
AND INDUSTRY. 
van DISCUSSION upon the above subject took place 
at a conference held under the auspices of the 
Institute of Industry and Science at the Mansion House 
on March 25. The chairman, Mr. Frank Warner 
(president of the Silk Association), in opening the 
proceedings, dealt with the crying need for a greater 
application of science to industrial problems and for 
the need of the organisation of industry. The two 
main objects of the Institute of Industry and Science 
he defined as the organisation of capital for industrial 
purposes, and the bringing about of those working 
conditions in which science and industry are in closer 
contact. 
Mr. Taylor Peddie, chairman of the Institute, stated 
that the Institute aimed at embracing within its 
membership the trade organisations of the country, 
and that already much progress had been made in this 
direction and with the formation of a trade bank. 
Prominent men of science had joined the court of 
directors of the Institute, and by development of this 
scheme it was hoped to bring science into intimate 
contact with industry. Mr. Peddie then opened the 
discussion by reading a paper upon “‘ The Influence of 
Science upon Political Economy,’’ in the course of 
which he demonstrated from comparative statistics the 
large reductions in the cost of production that had been 
brought about by the application of science to processes 
of manufacture. 
Sir Philip Magnus stated that the output of research 
work from the English universities was equal to that 
of Germany, and that their graduates were as capable 
and as well trained as those from the German univer- 
sities; but that, owing to our lack of appreciation of 
science, we made practically no use of our research 
work, nor of our trained men. He felt that any move- 
ment trying to bring about a more marked sympathy 
between science and industry was worthy of the 
greatest support. 
' The Earl of Portsmouth, in moving a resolution to 
the effect that the meeting supported the organisation 
of capital for industrial purposes, and that it agreed 
that a closer co-operation of science and industry was 
essential, stated that he was of opinion that in the 
near future the people now drawing their income from 
land and property would by force of circumstances be 
compelled to turn their attention to industrial affairs. 
The Hon. F. Mackenzie (Agent-General for New 
Zealand), in seconding the resolution, expressed the 
‘opinion that we were too prosperous in this country 
to appreciate the need for organisation. He stated 
that twenty-five years ago agriculture in New Zealand 
was at a very low ebb, farmers were selling sheep at 
the rate of 18s. 9d. a gross, butter was 4d. a Ib., 
but now, through careful organisation and the applica- 
tion of science to agriculture, New Zealand was a 
prosperous country, exporting a considerable amount of 
produce to England. Soa 
NO. 2370, VOL. 95] 



THE INSTITUTION OF NAVAL 
ARCHITECTS. 
PPHE spring meetings of the Institution of Naval 
Architects opened on Wednesday, March 24. 
Owing to the war, the meetings were curtailed some- 
what; eleven papers were read and discussed at morn- 
ing and afternoon meetings on Wednesday and Thurs- 
day. The Marquis of Bristol was re-elected president 
for the ensuing year, and in his opening address made 
reference to Germany’s methods of submarine war. 
He suggested that, in order to obtain reasonable pro- 
tection from submarine attack, it might be advisable 
to arm all merchant vessels to an extent which would 
render them dangerous to submarines. 
Prof. J. J. Welch’s paper on the watertight sub- 
division of ships was limited to a discussion of the 
orderly subdivision of ships, particularly as effected 
by transverse watertight bulkheads. The paper in- 
cluded a historical sketch leading up to the worl: of 
the bulkhead committee of 1912. One of the difficul- 
ties which had to be faced by this committee was the 
question of permeability. The same ship, whilst 
loaded to the same water-line, might carry cargo of 
very different density, so that with the same arrange- 
ment of bulkheads different standards of safety would 
obtain on the two voyages. Ultimately the conclusion 
was reached that a fair average permeability for cargo 
spaces was 60 per cent. Spaces devoted to passengers 
are taken at 95 per cent. permeability, and machinery 
spaces at 80 per cent. The paper goes on to discuss 
the recommendations of the bullkhead committee’s re- 
port on oversea passenger vessels, and the author con- 
siders that the proposals in the report represent a 
very decided step forward. } 
An interesting paper on the influence of discharging 
appliances on the design of large ore carriers was read 
by Mr. John Reid. The shipment of ore on the Lakes 
Superior and Erie route has reached in one year the 
enormous total of nearly 50,000,000 tons. The author 
gives a description of the Hulett unloading machine, 
an appliance which has enabled a cargo of 10,000 tons 
of ore to be unloaded on the Great Lakes in less than 
three hours. Unloading and loading machinery of 
this description has led to the design of ore-carrying 
steamers in which the greater part of the length of the 
vessel is taken up with cargo holds, and practically 
the whole deck is covered with hatches. The rapid 
loading of such vessels is apt to produce great strains; 
a speaker in the discussion instanced a case of one 
of these vessels acquiring a deflection of 11} in. 
during loading. The author of the paper directed 
attention to the backward state of the facilities in 
Great Britain for handling and transporting ore, and 
showed how some of the leading features of the Great 
Lake ore-carriers may be adapted with advantage for 
ocean-going ore-carriers. 
Mr. J. Montgomerie read a paper on the scantlings 
of light superstructures, by which is meant the light 
steel deckhouse erections now commonly fitted above 
the strength deck in passenger steamers. Two alter- 
natives present themselves to the designer :—(1) The 
structure may be made so flexible that it cannot take 
any share in the straining action to which the vessel 
is exposed as a whole; (2) it may be made strong and 
rigid enough to share that general straining action 
without damage. The first method of design is im- 
practicable, since -the superstructures have to carry 
heavy weights such as boats, casings, and funnels, 
and the structure has to be substantial enough to 
support these when the ship is moving in a seaway. 
Partial fiexibility may be obtained by cutting the super- 
structure at several places and fitting expansion joints. 
The whole efficiency of such joints, in respect of the 
relief from stress which they afford to a long house, 
