296 
NATURE 
[MiAy 23) rote 
sisted of three silver bowls, 
which was inscribed :—“ Presented to Sir Norman 
Lockyer, 1 GBS wee DsSc..  Hakas amy 
members of the British Science Guild, on his 
seventy-sixth birthday, May 17, 1912, as a 
token of their esteem and as a recognition of his 
patriotic labours to promote the application of 
scientific principles to industrial and general pur- 
poses.” This gift and that of a chatelaine satchel 
to her personally, was received by Lady Lockyer, 
who expressed, on behalf of Sir Norman and 
herself, their sincere appreciation of these marks 
of regard. In making the presentation, Sir 
William Mather referred particularly to the im- 
portance in national life of the objects of the 
Guild founded six years ago, and the influence 
the Guild has exerted, and can continue to 
exercise... He was followed by Sir David Gill, 
who paid a tribute to. Sir Norman’s work. in 
astronomy and astrophysics, and compared the 
Royal Palace provided by the French Government 
for Janssen with the tumble-down huts in which 
like researches in astrophysics have had to be 
carried on at South Kensington. 
The aims and objects of the Guild were referred 
to incidentally or specifically by several speakers 
in the course of the evening. Prof. J. Perry, in 
proposing the toast of “The.Peace Organisation 
of the. Empire,” expressed the view that organ- 
isation from above is, unlikely to produce such a 
condition of permanent. stability as organisation 
from below. Establish a satisfactory system of 
practical elementary instruction and you will 
obtain a broad and substantial base for the edu- 
cational, pyramid to be «built. upon it. - In 
seconding the toast, Dr..W..N. Shaw: referred 
to the fact that organisation ,is the essential 
factor of a_ satisfactory weather service. ~ Mr. 
Dugald Clerk’ and Mr. W. Phipson Beale, to 
whom was entrusted the toast of ‘The British 
Science Guild,” pointed out that men of science 
and men of business and affairs are comple- 
mentary to:one, another, and it is always an ad- 
vantage when their qualities can be combined to 
achieve a common purpose. The toast of “The 
Guests’ was proposed by Sir Boverton Redwood 
in appropriate terms, and was responded to by 
Prof. Percival Lowell. 
At the annual meeting Sir William Ramsay 
took the chair; and, in the course of his remarks 
upon the substance of the report, he referred to 
the desirability of impressing upon the Govern- 
ment the need for the establishment of works for 
the utilisation of atmospheric nitrogen in the pre- 
paration of nitric acid required in the manufacture 
of explosives. In the event of war, our supplies 
of nitrate would no doubt be intercepted, so that 
when those in the country had been exhausted, 
we should be at the mercy of the foreign enemy. 
For the sake of self-preservation, and to render 
us independent of such a contingency, plants for 
the production of nitric acid from the atmosphere 
should be laid down near the coalfields and in 
other districts, even though the nitrate obtained 
NO. 2221, VOL. 89| 
on the largest of | 
cost much more than its market vaiue. Alluding 
to the appointment, by the Government, of com- 
mittees to inquire into, and report upon, the 
subject of forestry and silviculture in England 
and Scotland, Sir William remarked that the sub- 
ject is of great national importance; at present 
we spend almost nothing to secure our own 
supplies, whereas France and Germany spend 
two millions a year on their forests, and 
reap a revenue of six millions annually from 
them. 
The adoption of the report was moved by Sir 
William Mather and seconded by a Canadian 
member, Dr. Henry Ami. Sir William Mather 
referred particularly to the sections relating to 
education, and suggested that one or two of the 
committees concerned with this subject should 
combine to prepare a report which would repre- 
sent the views of the Guild as to the nature and 
contents of a course of primary education. Such 
a report, he considered, would be of great value 
in helping to determine the character of the 
Elementary Education Bill which may be intro- 
duced next year. Dr. Ami summarised the activi- 
ties of the Canadian section of the Guild, described 
in an appendix to the annual report ; the chief sub- 
jects with which the section has been concerned are 
elementary science teaching, technical education, 
municipal ice houses, ice “conditions on the St. 
Lawrence, loss by fire—amounting in Canada last 
year to about £8 a minute—and university 
development in the West. 
On the proposition of Sir Boverton Redwood, 
supported by Colonel‘ Sir John’ Young, the 
meeting elected as vice-presidents the Lord 
Mayor, Dr. Ferranti, president of the Institution 
of Electrical Engineers, and Sir Gilbert Parker; 
and the following new. members were added to 
the ‘executive. committee: of the Guild: | Sir 
Ernest’ Shackleton, Sir David. Ferrier, Sir John 
Gorst, | Major | O’Méara,-- and Dr.; ‘R.  M. 
Walmsley. ; 
The wide scope of -the Guild’s interests is 
shown by the many subjects surveyed in the 
report. No other organisation exists to bring 
together authoritative opinion upon questions of 
national importance, and none has exerted 
greater influence in promoting progress in the 
right direction. In addition to the appendix 
mentioned already, there are several others deal- 
ing with the endowment and position of science 
and education, coordination of charitable effort, 
problems in technical education, synchronisation 
of clocks and the importance of correct time, 
disinfectants, coal, and tuberculosis. We must 
be content now with the mere mention of these 
subjects, but there may be an opportunity of 
dealing with some of them adequately in another 
issue. When the value of the work done by the 
Guild, as indicated in its annual report, is rightly 
and widely understood, the present membership 
of about nine hundred should be increased a 
hundredfold. 
AGG: 
