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NA TURE 



[July 15, 1909 



growth of knowledge makes it necessary for the teacher 

 of any branch of applied science to be a specialist of a high 

 order, and the most accomplished specialist cannot impart 

 the full adsantage of his knowledge without that complete 

 provision of apparatus for research and instruction which 

 this college will supply. 



" The college has already given admirable results, and 

 we may well look for a steady increase in the number of 

 students and in the efficiency of the instruction provided. 



" The thanks of the country are due to those public- 

 spirited donors through whose generosity a large portion of 

 the funds have been provided for this great work, and I 

 join in your appreciation of their munificence. I think it 

 is especially fitting that the great discoveries of the late 

 Sir Henry Bessemer, to which the remarkable development 

 of the engineering industries in the last half-centurv is 

 largely due, should be commemorated by the equipment of 

 the new laboratories of this institution." 



University of Birmingham. 



On July 7 the King and Queen, accompanied by 

 the Princess Victoria, performed the opening ceremony 

 of the new buildings of the Birmingham University. Inas- 

 much as the founding of the University on the initiative of 

 Mr. Chamberlain has been effected almost entirely by means 

 of money subscribed by the inhabitants of the Birmingham 

 district, the occasion was appropriately made to partake 

 largely of the nature of a civic function. 



The characteristic note of the proceedings may perhaps 

 best be given by some quotations from the King's speeches. 

 In replying to the address from the Corporation, after 

 warmly commending the public spirit of the citizens, His 

 Majesty said : — " Great schemes such as that for providing 

 your city with pure water have been undertaken in the 

 past, and have been brought to a successful issue ; but 

 none is worthier of support or more far-reaching in its scope 

 than the establishment and extension of the great University 

 in which you have taken so important a part." Later, in 

 reply to an address from the Chamber of Commerce express- 

 ing the recognition by the commercial and mercantile classes 

 of the value of the advancement of higher education, his 

 Majesty said :— " I am glad to learn that the commercial 

 community have been faithful and generous supporters of 

 the University. I feel assured . that your expectations of 

 advantages to be derived from the Faculty of Commerce 

 in training the future captains of industry will be realised." 



After a luncheon at the Council House, their Majesties 

 drove, through roads lined with enthusiastic spectators, to 

 the new_ buildings at Bournbrook, a distance of about three 

 miles. The opening ceremony took place in the great hall 

 of the University, which was occupied largely by members 

 of the University and representatives of other educational 

 bodies. 



The University address was read by Sir Oliver Lodge, 

 and the following characteristic passage niav be quoted ; — 

 " Guided by our Chancellor, whose inability to be present 

 on this meinorable occasion we deeply regret, we have 

 made no attempt to give an appearance of finality to our 

 present undertaking. Rather do we regard it as" capable 

 of indefinite expansion. Whilst the field of scientific re- 

 search is ever wideaing, and its discoveries demand yearly 

 a fresh application to the facts of life, the claims of the 

 humaner studies become none the less imperative ; and in 

 both these branches of human activity, which can only 

 flourish side by side, we realise the 'need of continual 

 development. But we believe that the work which we have 

 begun, upon which this day your Majesties set the seal of 

 your Royal approbation, can confidently be entrusted to the 

 generosity and to the devoted service of' the generations that 

 are to come." 



His Majesty, in replying, after paying a tribute to the 

 Chancellor, proceeded : — " For the wonderful progress of 

 higher education in the country we have largely to thank 

 the great universities established in our principal cities. 

 No nobler object for munificence can be found than the 

 provision for the necessary equipment for such education ; an 

 equipment which, in view of the diverse and elaborate 

 requirements of the modern schools of instruction, must be 

 costly ; but without which these schemes, however carefully 

 designed, will prove fruitless. Such institutions as this 

 are of paramount importance in enabling students to 

 NO. 2072, VOL. 81] 



obtain in their native city instruction in science and tech- 

 nology, in art and mathematics, which in former days they 

 were compelled to seek in places far distant from their 

 homes, at an expense which in some instances they could 

 ill afford. The universities also foster a wholesome 

 rivalry, and encourage the growth of the highest form of 

 public spirit, k man educated at this University will be a 

 better citizen of Birmingham, and a better subject of the 

 Empire." 



At the close of the opening ceremony, their Majesties 

 inspected a part of the departments of civil and electrical 

 engineering. 



THE SCIENCE COLLECTIONS AT SOUTH 

 KE.\SL\GTO\. 



'T'HE question of the worthy housing of the science col- 

 •*• lections at South Kensington has been brought before 

 the Government on several occasions during the last thirty 

 years or so. The object of a deputation which waited upon 

 Mr. Runciman at the Board of Education on Tuesday was 

 again to endeavour to obtain an assurance that the Govern- 

 ment will provide the money for the buildmg of a museum 

 in which the science collections can be exhibited as satis- 

 factorih' as are those of art. The deputation included dis- 

 tinguished representatives of the leading scientific societies 

 and institutions, and the memorial which was presented 

 was signed by the president and officers of the Royal 

 Society, all its living past-presidents, and 128 of its Fellows 

 distinguished in physical science ; the Chancellors of the 

 Universities of Cambridge, London, Glasgow, and St. 

 Andrews ; the Vice-Chancellors of the British universities ; 

 the presidents of scientific societies and institutions ; pro- 

 fessors of chemistry, physics, mathematics, astronomy, and 

 engineering in all the British universities, university col- 

 leges, and principal technical schools and polytechnics ; the 

 directors of the chief polytechnics in London atid in the 

 provinces ; and a very large and distinguished body of per- 

 sons eminent in and interested in British science and 

 desirous of its promotion. 



There can be no doubt, therefore, as to the opinion of 

 representatives of physical science upon the urgent need of 

 satisfactory provision for the housing of the science collec- 

 tions. .As Sir William Anson said in introducing the depu- 

 tation, " the museum, which represents the application of 

 science to material, should be placed in the same position 

 as art and natural history by the Government of the 

 country." 



The collections should be in a suitable building, with 

 room for rearrangement and expansion. A site is available 

 at South Kensington if the Government will come forwarcf 

 with the offer of funds for the actual building: but in spite 

 of the memorial and the deputation, Mr. Runciman did 

 not give an assurance that the money will be forthcoming. 

 He was sympathetic, and promised to place the matter 

 before the rrime Minister and the Chancellor of the 

 Exchequer, and with this result we must be satisfied for 

 a while. A useful purpose has certainly been served by 

 bringing the subject into public view. We can now only 

 hope that the Government will rise to the opportunity anef 

 offer to the physical sciences, which are closely connected 

 with the industries of this country, the same advantages 

 for its collections as are already possessed by natural 

 history and by art. 



From a full report of the deputation in Wednesday's 

 Times we make the subjoined extracts. 



The memorial presented by Sir Henry Roscoe was as 

 follows : — 



" We, the undersigned, being deeply interested in the 

 practice and progress of British science, desire to bring 

 before you the importance of the proper housing of the 

 Science Collections at South Kensington. The permanent 

 buildings now erected provide accommodation for art collec- 

 tions only : to complete the scheme a suitable building for 

 the science collections is a necessity. The formation of a 

 science museum representative of all branches of physicaf 

 science, both pure and applied, has long engaged the atten- 

 tion both of the Government and of British scientific men. 

 .So long ago as 1R74 the Duke of Devonshire's Commlsslort 



