TBANSACTIONS OF SECTION L. 825- 



The wonderful prescience of our great poet is nowhere more clearly displayed 

 than in these lines ; it is more than surprising that although generations have 

 been charmed by the music of the words so little has been done to realise their 

 meaning or to give them a meaning in the minds of the majority. 



It is but a question of attitude, for as Carlyle somewhere says, ' so soon as men 

 get to discern the importance of a thing they do infallibly set about arranging it, 

 facilitating it, forwarding it and rest not till in some approximate degree they have 

 accomplished that.' 



Unfortunately, there are all too many things of which we fail, through our 

 faulty education, to discern the importance but wliich a little understanding, 

 the extircise of some slight imaginative power, would enable us to appreciate, I 

 will take the word Energy as an example. No word in the English language 

 carries more meaning to those versed in the principles of physical science : vet 

 how narrow is its connotation in the minds of the uninstructed majority. As 

 n guide of practical conduct, no word is of greater significance ; if its true im- 

 plication fully seized us the word would ever rankle in our ears and serve to remind 

 us of the maxin ' Waste not, want not.' In Great Britain we are using up our 

 coal stores at the rate of over two hundred millions of tons per annum. I'sed at 

 such a rate, the supply cannot last many generations ; whence will our children 

 derive their supplies of energy ? Energy cannot be created. When we have 

 squandered the wealth funded on our earth by the sun in aeons past, we must fall 

 back on the modicum we can snatch from the daily allowance the glowing orb 

 dispenses, for his largess will for the most part be wasted and will be verv 

 difficult to garner in our country : sun mills, wind mills and falling water being 

 but irregular and ill-disciplined servants, trees gTosving but slowly. lu all 

 civilised coimtries the same criminal waste of fuel — of energy — is going on ; but 

 althougli we recognise that individual men have no right to live beyond their 

 means and have little pity for bankrupts, no corresponding feeling exists on the 

 subject of collective squandering. The spendthrift is regarded with equanimitv, 

 because he but distributes his gold among the many — so that the many gain while 

 be alone is the loser, but the energy of fuel is spent irrecoverably and all waste is 

 not merely apparent but real. To waste fuel is to court criminal bankruptcy ; but 

 to how many does it occur that we are all parties to such a crime ." Does any 

 schoolmaster or schoolmistress call attention to the fact.P How many heads of 

 schools could even write a respectable essay on such a topic ? "When 1 have sug- 

 gested 'A piece of coal ' as the subject for a scholarship examination essay. I have 

 actually been told by literary critics that you have no right to ask for knowledge of 

 facts in a schoolboy's essay, the object being but to find out to what extent he can 

 ' gas ' in flowing periods ! A scuttle full of coal excites no emotions in the 

 literary mind ; it should be one to call up harrowing visions, as well as a vista of 

 memories extending far back into the ages of time — for in no other stone can we 

 find a more wonderful sermon. 



To descend to the ordinary level, how many householders ever take into 

 consideration the wicked waste of fuel which goes on in their establishments .P 

 how many are really thrifty in the use of fuel ? I never see a ' Kitchener,' or 

 hear it roar, but I shudder. The prevention of smoke is of no consequence in 

 comparison with the prevention of the waste of fuel. Even when every care is 

 taken the waste is very great — simply because our means of utilising the energy of 

 fuel are so imperfect. The best steam engine can recover for us but very fewper 

 cent, of the energy stored up in the coal which is burnt in its boiler tire. If we 

 could succeed in burning fuel electrically— in directly converting the latent energy 

 into electricity — it is conceivable that the engine might be of nearly theoretical 

 efficiency. But what imaginative power must be exercised to secure such a result ! 

 Cannot we in some measure hasten the time of such discovery ? Professor Perry 

 not long ago had the temerity to direct attention anew to the subject in ' Nature",' 

 and made what many practical people will consider the impossible suggestion of a 

 wildly imaginative, irresponsible Irishman: that a round million or so should be 

 devoted to systematic experiments, with the object of discovering means of increas- 

 ing the efficiency of our engines. If we consider what is the cost of a modern 



