688 



NATURE 



[Febru.-^ry 20, 19 1 3 



science of industrial management," demanding special 

 qualities and the amplest training, the aim being to 

 secure "a large increase in the wage-earning capacity 

 of ihe workman," and "a still larger decrease in the 

 labour cost of his product." But not only is it neces- 

 sary to consider the efficiency of the workman as 

 such, but thought must be given to his life as a 

 citizen ; in short, not only economic but ethical con- 

 siderations must have place, since industry demands 

 the humanising influence of the most cultivated intel- 

 ligence to ensure its complete success. In the words 

 of Prof. Smithells : " Professions and business voca- 

 tions are more and more becoming learned callings, 

 each developing a special body of knowledge, which 

 requires for its full mastery and effective use an intel- 

 lectual training of what may be called the university 

 standard." 



The demand for this in respect of the great 

 engineering and chemical industries has long been 

 recognised and met in Germany. Hence the import- 

 ance given to chemical and physical science, and the 

 lavish provision made for its teaching in nearly all 

 her great universities, and to engineering in her 

 technical high schools, of which, if the Polytechnikum 

 at Zurich be included, there are now twelve with 

 upwards of 13,000 day students taking full four-year 

 courses, nearly all of them as a condition of entrance 

 demanding from engineering students at least one 

 year's experience in a works, and no admission except 

 to duly accredited students from a gymnasium or 

 school of equal standing. These schools are all — v\de 

 Dr. Nicolson's recent report — largelv increasing their 

 engineering equipment, so as to bring it up to the 

 latest advance in engineering science and equipment, 

 and with a view to further investigation and experi- 

 ment in the service of the industries. Having regard 

 to this equipment, to the spirit of investigation and 

 research, and to the large bodv of highly educated 

 -.Indents, we cannot be surprised at the position Ger- 

 many now takes in the world of applied chemistry 

 and engineering. 



It is further stated upon high authority that the 

 exceptional expenditure on new plant and buildings 

 at eieht German technical high schools, including that 

 of Zurich, durine the last five years has been 785,000/. 

 If Englishmen mean to maintain their great indus- 

 trial position they must follow in the steps of Ger- 

 many, since in many important spheres of engineer- 

 ing practice she even now takes the lead. It would 

 be an interesting inquiry, perhaps somewhat disquiet- 

 ing in its results, to learn how many German patents 

 are at this moment being worked in this country 

 under licence. 



During the last few years there has been a definite 

 movement on the part of certain of our large tech- 

 nical institutions towards a closer connection with the 

 universities within their own area, of which there 

 are now thirteen in England and Wales, compared 

 with three teaching and self-examining universities 

 prior to 1S80, marking an immense progress in the 

 organisation of higher education within a generation. 

 Of such institutions may be named Manchester, 

 Bristol, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast, and certain of 

 the London technical institutions. Students in each 

 of these institutions fulfilling the rcauired conditions 

 are now eligible for the degrees of their respective 

 local universities to which they are attached. It is 

 to be observed also that the ancient universities of 

 Oxford and Cambridge have now strong technological 

 departments, which help to put English institutions, 

 though still far behind as a whole, in a much more 

 favourable light than would at first appear on a 

 comparison with Germany. 



In this connection it is convenient to note the 



NO. 2260, VOL. go!l 



wisdom and liberality of the policy of the Royal Com- 

 missioners for the Exhibition of 1S51, whose scheme 

 of science scholarships has been so fruitful in result, 

 in the establishment in 191 1 of the scheme of indus- 

 trial bursaries to enable graduates of certain defined 

 institutions to enter upon industrial work at the close 

 of their ordinary university course, thus enabling 

 those men whose qualifications fitted them well to 

 take part in the application of science in the indus- 

 tries, but who were often diverted to less suitable 

 employment by the necessity of earning a livelihood, 

 to be relieved from constraint in their choice of occu- 

 pation, and to enter into positions more suitable to 

 their training and abilities. Eighteen bursaries were 

 awarded, the payments ranging from 35/. to 100/. per 

 annum, varying according to salary and circum- 

 stances. 



It is gratifying to note the great progress which 

 has been achieved in scientific and technical educa- 

 tion during even the last twenty years, the more 

 sympathetic attitude of employers in the important 

 industries, the increased liberal support, still far from 

 the amount the circumstances demand, of the Imperial 

 Government, and generally the growing appreciation 

 by the public of the value and necessity of the best 

 possible education in due degree for all the children 

 of the nation. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Birmingham. — At the annual meeting of the Court 

 of Governors, Prof. G. Barling was elected Vice- 

 Chancellor of the University to fill the vacancy caused 

 by the death of Alderman C. G. Beale. It is undei'- 

 stood that in consequence of his election to this 

 position. Prof. Barling will resign the chair of 

 surgery, which he has held since the foundation of 

 the University. He recently resigned his post of di^an 

 of the faculty of medicine, which he had held for six 

 years, being succeeded by Prof. Peter Thompson. 



The council, having received an offer from the 

 Board of Agriculture of a grant-in-aid, to be expended 

 in carrying on a research department in agricultural 

 zoology, has appointed Prof. F. W. Gamble, F.R.S., 

 as director of the new department. An assistant 

 director is to be appointed, who will devote his whole 

 time to the duties, under the supervision of Prof. 

 Gamble. It is understood that the department will 

 specialise in helminthology. 



Cambridge. — Prof. H. F.' Newall has conve\<d to 

 the Vice-Chancellor, on behalf of a donor who desires 

 to be anonymous, an offer to the University of an 

 endowment for the professorship of astrophysics. In 

 the course of his letter. Prof. Newall remarks : — "The 

 transfer of the Solar Physics Observatory to Cam- 

 bridge introduces into the University a new study. 

 The fresh opportunities and obligations which it 

 opens up can better be met by fresh endowments 

 sufficient to secure permanentlv the services of a pro- 

 fessor of astrophysics (who would also be responsible 

 for solar physics) than by any measure that involves 

 the diversion of the services of the Plumian professor 

 from the development of dynamical astronomy and 

 from the training of men in that department of know- 

 ledge. If such a permanent professorship of astro- 

 physics be established, it is desirable that its emolu- 

 ments should be sufficient to attract really able men, 

 and to raise it to a high rank among university 

 posts." This statement of the position of the subject 

 v.'as placed before Ihe anonvmous benefactor, who has 

 empowered Prof. Newall to ronvev the following offer 

 to the Vice-Chancellor: — "Should the University con- 

 cur in the views you have expressed to me, I am 



