i;S 



NA TUBE 



lJume 6, 1907 



been derived from folia of quartz in the old mica-schists, a 

 view quoted (p. 33) with hesitation from Mr. A. McKay, 

 reminds us of the problems of the Klondike. The uptilted 

 lacustrine gravels, on which the Pleistocene moraines rest 

 unconformably, are regarded provisionally as Pliocene, but 

 raise an interesting stratigraphical question. The photo- 

 graphic illustrations, one of which we reproduce, are 

 admirable, and may be commended to the notice of the 

 authorities who hold the public purse at Cape Town. The 

 petrographic section, where the rocks are described from 

 the point of view of the laboratory, includes analyses of 

 several of the schists, and photographs of rock-slices on 

 the unnecessarily liberal scale adopted in the first bulletin 

 of this survey. 



The Summary Rct>ort of the Geological Survey Depart- 

 ment 0/ Canada for iqob, which bears two dates on its 

 title-page, iqob and 1907, informs us that the survey has 

 decided to send its maps and reports " free to any bona 

 fide applicant in Canada." This surpasses even the 

 generosity of the United States Survey, which still, we 

 believe, places a price upon its maps. The colour-printed 

 sheets of part of Nova Scotia, surveyed by Mr. Hugh 

 Fletcher, and sent us with the report, are as large as those 

 for which we charge eightcenpence in England. Of course 

 the topography shows far less detail, but the scale is, like 

 ours, one inch to one mile, and the sheets have the price 



^ 



The ManuhcrikU R 



of 10 cents printed on them. We gather, however, on the 

 other hand, that the sums paid in Canada to the junior 

 members of the staff are not at all adequate, considering 

 the competition with mining companies, which draw away 

 the best geologists. The same diflicultv has been met in 

 India (Circular of the Department of Commerce and 

 Industry, September 7, 1906) by a courageous increase in 

 the salaries of the official geologists. The Canadian Survey 

 spreads its operations over an enormous field, the areas 

 examined being largely determined by the economic require- 

 ments of the year. The routes of projected railways 

 naturally receive attention. This is Mr. A. P. Low's first 

 annual report. 



VVe fancy that Mr. G. R. Mansfield's paper on the 

 Roxbury conglomerate near Boston (Bull. ■ fdus. Comp. 

 Zoology at Harvard, vol. xlix., 1906, pp. 91-272) would 

 not have been a third as long had it not been presented 

 as a thesis for a degree. Pages 105-151 contain a disquisi- 

 tion on conglomerates in general, according to the custom 

 of .\merican geologists when introducing a special subject 

 in a litemry form. The conclusions on p. 259 make us 

 wonder whether the Roxbury conglomerate was worth de- 

 scribing Hi all : but this is probablv because our sense of 

 irritation, in this busy world, inclines to make us unfair 

 ito an obviouslv accurate observer. 



NO. 1962, VOL 76] 



G. A. J. C. 



r//E FEDERAL CONFERENCE ON 

 EDUCATION. 

 T T is often made evident that the Government in this 

 country leaves very important matters to be initiated 

 and even carried on by private enterprise. Those who do 

 not already know, will hardly be surprised to learn that 

 the Federal Conference on Education, which was opened 

 by Lord Crewe on May 24 in Caxton Hall, was organised 

 by an independent society, the League of the Empire, 

 and the League may well be proud, for it is understood 

 that the next conference, which will be held in 191 1, will 

 be convened by the Government. 



The business of the conference was divided as follows : — 

 There were first of all the meetings of the representatives 

 of colonial and Indian education departments and their 

 committees. These took place behind closed doors, and 

 were attended by the officials of the English, Welsh, Scotch, 

 and Irish Boards. This official conference discussed a 

 number of important matters, and we give some of the 

 results of their deliberations. For instance, they decided 

 that at present, owing to the way in which certificates are 

 awarded and various local conditions, it is impossible to 

 arrive at any complete recognition of the teachers' certifi- 

 cates issued by different educational bodies in different 

 parts of the Empire. The desirability was recognised of 

 teachers and inspectors acquiring ex- 

 perience in other parts of His 

 Majesty's dominions than their own, 

 and the conference thought, that 

 financial and administrative arrange- 

 ments should be made to enable this 

 to take place. 



While it was not deemed desirable 

 to attempt uniformity as to curricula 

 and text-books, it was urged that the 

 different education departments should 

 define year by year with precision the 

 terms used in their publications. 

 Other important conclusions expressed 

 were that a conference of represent- 

 atives chosen by the Governments 

 should be held every four years, and 

 that the Imperial Government should 

 summon the first. Furthermore, the 

 present conference was unanimously 

 agreed as to the importance of a 

 central bureau of educational inform- 

 ation. 



The next series of meetings to be 

 considered are those of the full con- 

 .-'_^|fl ference, consisting of the represent- 

 T atives already mentioned and delegates 



in iiie i,r ust series. from universities and associations. On 



Monday, May 27, Lord Reay presided, 

 and higher technological education was considered, and 

 various speakers, including Prof. Hopkinson (of Cam- 

 bridge), Dr. Headlam (Principal of King's College, 

 London), Dr. Bodington CVice-Chancellor of the Uni- 

 versity of Leeds), and Dr. G. R. Parkin (University of 

 New Brunswick), urged that technical training should go 

 on side by side with the study of classics, poetry, and 

 philosophy. Afterwards the following resolution, proposed 

 by Dr. Clay, was unanimously agreed to : — 



" That it is desirable that the Colonial Office and the 

 Board of Education should cooperate in issuing ofiicially, 

 particulars as to the courses of study, fees, expenses of 

 living, &c., at colonial universities, technical colleges and 

 agricultural colleges, together with statements of the 

 advantages attaching to their degrees and diplomas, and that 

 information should be circulated in the colonics as to similar 

 advantages and facilities which exist in this country." 



On the following day, Mr. Inch (Superintendent of 

 Education, New Brunswick) took the chair, and Mr. C. W. 

 Bailey (Liverpool University) supported the idea thatl 

 freedom should be given to each individual school, whilej 

 Dr. H. J. Spencer (Headmasters' .'\ssociation) pointed out] 

 with regard to the suggestion that each school should 

 shape its own curriculutn according to the needs of its pupils'! 

 that there were several types of a good general education,] 

 any one of which might be chosen. 



