September 16, 1922] 



NA TURE 



591 



point of view, however, the difference between them 

 is fundamental, and issues into the three experimental 

 tests referred to. The deflection of light in a gravita- 

 tional field follows naturally, if gravitation is attributed 

 to the heterogeneity of space-time. Any entity — 

 whether light or matter — pursuing its natural path, 

 will appear to change the character of its motion when 

 the space-time through which it travels departs from 

 the simple Euclidean type. It does not matter what 

 the moving thing is ; all that counts is the region 

 through which it moves. The dilemma of the older 

 theory does not exist from the relativistic point of 

 view : light must be deflected or the theory must be 

 abandoned. 



Fortunately, the amount of the deflection which 

 relativity demands is measurably different from that 



which the electromagnetic theory allows. According 

 to the relativity theory, a ray of light which just clears 

 the sun's limb should surfer a deviation of about i"-/5 ; 

 according to the other view, the deviation should be 

 either half of this or nothing at all. It is this difference 

 that makes possible the test which is about to be applied. 

 On September 21 the sun will be leaving the con- 

 stellation Virgo — very close to the celestial equator. 

 The position is not so favourable with respect to 

 neighbouring bright stars as was that of May 29, 1919, 

 when the original test was made. On the other hand, 

 the experience and criticisms arising from the previous 

 attempt are available for the guidance of the present 

 observers, and, granted favourable conditions, there 

 seems to be no reason why the result should not become 

 decisive. 



■The British Association at Hull. 



\ YORKSHIRE hospitality is proverbial, and it has 

 been very pleasantly manifested during the 

 meeting of the British Association just concluded at 

 Hull. The citizens have in many ways shown them- 

 selves to be proud to entertain the Association, and the 

 facilities they have offered to the members have been 

 exceptionally helpful. Each member was provided 

 with a badge, and this was not only a free pass on the 

 quick and convenient tramway system of the city, 

 but also secured personal guidance and interest from 

 citizens in the streets or in vehicles of any kind. It 

 would be impossible for a city to show greater interest 

 in its visitors or to do more to make their sojourn 

 pleasant, and the many attentions have been much 

 appreciated, particularly by officers and other active 

 members of sections who usually have not the time 

 to search for all the amenities which a place of meeting 

 may afford. A number of free luncheons have been 

 provided, and when the days' meetings have been over 

 tea has been served in the writing-room at the Guild- 

 hall, and has been found both grateful and comforting 

 to the members. For these and other unusual atten- 

 tions the Association is no doubt chiefly indebted to 

 the local secretary, Mr. T. Sheppard, curator of the 

 Hull Museums, but with him is associated the town 

 clerk, Mr. H. A. Learoyd, and the generous hospitality 

 would not have been possible without the active interest 

 and support afforded by the Corporation and people 

 of the city. The Handbook to Hull and the East 

 Riding of Yorkshire, edited by Mr. Sheppard and 

 presented to each member, is a volume of permanent 

 value, and as it will be on sale for the low price of 

 five shillings we propose to publish a separate notice of 

 it in an early issue. 



At the meeting of the general committee at which 

 the report of the council was presented, a resolution 

 was passed conveying to Prof. Turner the most cordial 

 thanks of the Association for the valuable services he 



has rendered to science in general and the Association 

 in particular during his nine years' work as one of the 

 general secretaries. In its report the council stated 

 that it had received with great regret Prof. Turner's 

 intimation that he would not be able to attend a 

 meeting in Canada in 1924. Prof. Turner himself 

 pointed out that it was desirable, on various grounds, 

 that his successor should have experience of the working 

 of an annual meeting at home before taking part in one 

 overseas, and he therefore placed his office at the dis- 

 posal of the general committee as from the Hull 

 meeting. The council and the Association owe a deep 

 debt of gratitude to Prof. Turner for his unremitting 

 care for the interests of the Association as general 

 secretary since 1913, and therefore during a time of 

 exceptional difficulty, including as it has the Australian 

 meeting, the war, the revival of the annual meetings 

 since the war, and the period when, on the death of the 

 late general treasurer and assistant treasurer in 1920, 

 he acted for some months as treasurer in addition to 

 his other work. 



Mr. F. E. Smith, director of scientific research at the 

 Admiralty, and secretary of the Physical Society, 

 accepted the invitation of the council to be nominated 

 as Prof. Turner's successor, and the general committee 

 unanimously voted his appointment to the office of 

 general secretary of the Association. The three new 

 members of the council appointed by the general 

 committee are Mr. E. N. Fallaize, Dr. C. S. Myers, and 

 Prof. A. Smithells. 



Next year's meeting will be at Liverpool with Sir 

 Ernest Rutherford as president, and in the following 

 year the place of meeting will be Toronto. The in- 

 vitation to Canada was conveyed by Prof. J. C. Fields 

 and Prof. J. C. McLennan, and it was announced that 

 a grant of about 11,000/. would be available towards 

 meeting the travelling and other expenses of visiting 

 members. 



Summaries of Addresses of Presidents of Sections. 



Equal Pay to Men and Women for Equal Work. 



In Prof. F. Y. Edgeworth's address to Section F 



(Economics) the question whether the wages of 



men and women should be determined on the same 



XO. 2759, VOL. I io] 



principles — in particular, through universal unrestricted 

 com] iet it ion — was discussed on purely economic grounds. 

 Notwithstanding the general presumption in favour of 

 laisser faire, it is maintained that some regulation is 

 required for desperate competition tending to the 



