12 REPORT— 1903. 



year instead of practically lying idle, useless, and rusting for fifty-one 

 weeks out of the fifty-two so far as its close association with its members 

 is concerned. 



If this suggestion in any way commends itself to you, then when you 

 begin your work in your sections or General Committee see to it that a 

 body is appointed to inquire how the thing can be done. Remember that 

 the British Association will be as much weakened by the creation of a 

 new body to do the work I have shown to have been in the minds of its 

 founders as 1 believe it will be strengthened by becoming completely 

 effective in every one of the directions they indicated, and for which 

 effectiveness we, their successors, are indeed responsible. The time is 

 appropriate for such a reinforcement of one of the wings of our organisa- 

 tion, for we have recently included Education among our sections. 



There is another matter I should like to see referred to the committee 

 I have spoken of, if it please you to appoint it. The British Association — • 

 which, as I have already pointed out, is now the chief body in the Empire 

 which deals with the totality of science — is, I believe, the only organisa- 

 tion of any consequence which is without a charter, and which has not 

 his Majesty the King as patron. 



The First Work of such an Organisation, 



I suppose it is my duty, after I have suggested the need of organisation, 

 to tell you my personal opinion as to the matters where we suffer most 

 in consequence of our lack of organisation at the present time. 



Our position as a nation, our success as merchants, are in peril 

 chiefly — dealing with preventable causes — because of our lack of com- 

 pletely efficient Universities and our neglect of research. This research 

 has a double end. A professor who is not learning cannot teach properly 

 or arouse enthusiasm in his students ; while a student of anything who 

 is unfamiliar with research methods, and without that training which 

 research brings, will not be in the best position to apply his knowledge in 

 after-life. From neglect of research comes imperfect education and a 

 small output of nev.^ applications and new knowledge to reinvigorate our 

 industries. From imperfect education comes the unconcern touching 

 scientific matters and the too frequent absence of the scientific spirit in 

 the nation generally, from the Court to the Parish Council. 



I propose to deal as briefly as I can with each of these points. 



Universities. 



I have shown that, so far as our industries are concerned, the cause 

 of our failure has been run to earth ; it is fully recognised that it arises 

 from the insufficiency of our Universities both in numbers and efficiency, 

 so that not only our captains of industry, but those employed in the 

 nation's work generally, do not secure a training similar to that afforded 

 by other nations. No additional endowment of primary, secondary, or 



