42 



NATURE 



[September 12, 1912 



another is geography and anthropology ; another 

 is economics and education, and, except the 

 College group, they are all quite near the 

 reception room. No matter what arrangements 

 had been made, there must have been inconveni- 

 ence for some members. It is now difficult for 

 a man whose chief interest is in physiology to 

 hear a botany paper, or for a man interested in 

 mathematics or physics or chemistry to hear an 

 education paper, but I have heard much less 

 complaint about such matters than I ha\e ever 

 heard before at a British Association meeting. 



The presidential address is usually rather a 

 disappointment to a general audience, many of 

 whom cannot hear, and the subject is often of 

 only special interest to some scientific people. 

 On this occasion the voice of the president was 

 low but penetrating, and I never remember an 

 occasion since the time of Tyndall when one 

 felt so strongly that there was subdued but intense 

 feeling in the audience. When at length the Lord 

 Provost sprung upon the meeting the hitherto 

 carefully hidden fact that Dr. Caird had made us 

 a gift of 10,000/., there was a thrill through the 

 audience which made itself immediatelv manifest. 

 Satisfaction and delight were to be expected on 

 the faces of the visitors, but it might have been 

 expected that Dundee people would not altogether 

 like to see so large a benefaction leaving their 

 town. But, as a matter of fact, the pride already 

 felt by the local people in the acknowledged 

 success of the meeting was augmented in a won- 

 derful manner, and there was only delighted satis- 

 faction in their faces and congratulation in their 

 language. The feeling of the more permanent 

 members of the association is soberly expressed 

 in the remarks of the treasurer when he proposed 

 the vote of thanks to Dr. Caird at the meeting 

 of the general committee. 



As for the scientific work, I can onlv speak 

 as one member attending sections A and G. The 

 presidents' addresses and the reading- of papers 

 have so far been well attended by mathematicians, 

 physicists, and engineers, as well as by the 

 ordinary members. A joint discussion between 

 these sections on unsolved problems in wireless 

 telegraphy was so well maintained and so in- 

 teresting that when Lord Rayleigh was speaking, 

 one thought at once of the possible return of the 

 older times when Kelvin or Fitzgerald suddenly 

 illuminated our proceedings. From men attend- 

 ing the other sections I have heard so far only 

 of successful sectional meetings. There is no 

 doubt that much more than the average number 

 of members capable of speech and interested in 

 the scientific work of the Association are present 

 at this meeting of the British Association. 



John" Perrv. 



At the meeting of the general committee on Fridav, 

 September 6, it was unanimously resolved "That the 

 best thanks of the British Association be expressed to 

 Dr. J- K- Caird for his most generous gift to the 

 Association." Speaking to the motion, Prof. Perrv, 

 the general treasurer, said: — "This is the only gift 

 of money that the British Association has ever received. 

 NO. 2237, VOL. 90] 



It is greatly needed. In my eight years of office as- 

 treasurer the nominal assets of our Association have 

 neither increased nor diminished. I have made the fat 

 years of our visits to large cities make up for the leaa 

 years of our visits to smaller towns. But although 

 bur nominal wealth is the same, our actual wealth is 

 less because of the depreciation of Consols and our 

 other investments. 



"There are two great functions of the British Asso- 

 ciation. One is to stir up all the people of this 

 Empire occasionally to take an interest in scientific 

 discovery and research of all kinds ; the other is less 

 known. It is perhaps the treasurer of the British 

 Association who knows better than anvbodv else the 

 enormous importance of the work that is done every 

 year by the committees appointed bv the various sec- 

 tions to make scientific researches during the ensuing, 

 year. 



"Groups of men of the highest scientific attainments 

 and reputation give their time and enthusiasm to the 

 work, and they only ask that quite a small part of 

 their out-of-pocket expenses shall be paid. I know of 

 no work in the world that is so important or that is 

 so little known. 



"Every year your treasurer meets the Committee 

 of Recommendations, each section strong in its reason 

 for getting money, and yet the aggregate amount 

 asked for is so much above our means. It really goes 

 to my heart every year to limit the supply of mone}', 

 and my colleagues here, the secretaries, blame me 

 every year because I give more money than I ought. 

 I particularly feel for the biological committees. I 

 know nothing of biology, but I know of the enormous 

 importance of the work done bv the biological com- 

 mittees ; and these biological people can get no outside 

 money. If I want money for any iinportant scientific 

 object relating to physics or engineering, I know at 

 once where to apply for a few hundreds or even many 

 hundreds of pounds, and I get it readily, for men have 

 become rich through engineering. But the biological 

 people seem to have no -outside pecuniary resources. 

 I am, however, glad to think that this gift is not 

 earmarked in any way. It is generous and uncon- 

 ditional. 



"Gentlemen, your treasurer assures you that this 

 splendid gift of Dr. Caird will return him more 

 interest than all the other benefactions." 



At the same meeting of the general committee. Sir 

 William White, K.C.B., F.R.S., was elected President 

 for the meeting of the Association to be held at 

 Birmingham next year from September 10 to Sep- 

 tember 17. The following have been appointed Vice- 

 Presidents of this meeting : — The Right Hon. the Lord 

 Mavor of Birmingham, the Lord Lieutenant of War- 

 wickshire (the Most Hon. the Marquess of Northamp- 

 ton), the High Sheriff of Warwickshire, the Lord 

 Lieutenant of \^'orcestcrshire (the Right Hon. the 

 Earl of Coveritrv), the Lord Lieutenant of Stafford- 

 shire (the Right 'Hon. the Earl of Dartmouth, V.D.). 

 the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Birmingham, the 

 Chancellor of the University of Birmingham (the 

 Right Hon. J. Chamberlain," M.P.), the Vice-Chan- 

 cellor of the University of Birmingham, the Principal 

 of the LTniversity of Birmingham (Sir Oliver Lodge, 

 F.R.S.), the Hon. President of the Birmingham 

 Chamber of Commerce (the Right Hon. Jesse Collings, 

 M.P.I, .Alderman the Right Hon. Wiliiam Henrick, 

 J. P., the Deputy Lord Mavor of Birmingham, 

 Prof. J. H. Poynting, F.R.S.', Prof. C. Lapworth, 

 F.R.S. 



Local officers : — Treasurers, Alderman Sir G. H. 

 Kenrick and Councillor Neville Chamberlain, J.P. ; 

 secretaries. Prof. F. W. Gamble, Mr. Howard Heaton, 

 Mr. John Humphreys, and Mr. W. Byng Kenrick. 



