ADDRESS. 1 1 



than the British Association for stimulating, encouraging, and co-ordinating 

 all the work being carried on by the seventy societies at present enrolled, 

 Your committee are of opinion that further encouragement should be 

 given to these societies and their individual working members by every 

 means within the power of the Association ; and with the object of keeping 

 the corresponding societies in more permanent touch with the Association 

 they suggest that an official invitation on behalf of the Council be 

 addressed to the societies, through the corresponding societies committee, 

 asking them to appoint standing British Association sub-committees, to 

 be elected by themselves, with the object of dealing with all those subjects 

 of investigation common to their societies and to the British Association 

 committees, and to look after the general interests of science and scientific 

 education throughout the provinces and provincial centres. . . . 



' Your committee desire to lay special emphasis on the necessity for 

 the extension of the scientific activity of the corresponding societies and 

 the expert knowledge of many of their members in the direction of 

 scientific education. They are of opinion that immense benefit would 

 accrue to the country if the corresponding societies would keep this 

 requirement especially in view with the object of securing adequate 

 representation for scientific education on the Education Committees now 

 being appointed under the new Act. The educational section of the 

 Association having been but recently added, the corresponding societies 

 have as yet not had much opportunity for taking part in this branch of 

 the Association's work ; and in view of the reorganisation in education 

 now going on all over the country your committee are of opinion that no 

 more opportune time is likely to occur for the influence of scientific 

 organisations to make itself felt as a real factor in national education. . . .' 



I believe that if these suggestions or anything like them — for some 

 better way may be found on inquiry — are accepted, grer^t good to science 

 throughout the Empire will come. Rest assured that sooner or later such 

 a Guild will be formed because it is needed. It is for you to say whethei 

 it shall be, or form part of, the British Association. We in this Empire 

 certainly need to organise science as much as in Germany they find the 

 need to organise a navy. The German Navy League, which has branches 

 even in our Colonies, already has a membership of 630,000, and its 

 income is nearly 20,000^. a year. A British Science League of 500,000 

 with a sixpenny subscription would give us 12,000Z. a year, quite enough 

 to begin with. 



I for one believe that the British Association would be a vast gainer 

 by such an expansion of one of its existing functions. Increased authority 

 and prestige would follow its increased utility. The meetings would possess 

 a new interest ; there would be new subjects for reports ; missionary 

 Work less needed than formerly would be replaced by efibrts much more 

 suited to the real wants of the time. This magnificent, strong, and com- 

 plicated organisation would become a living force, working throughout the 



