i70 ■ REPORT — 1903. 



T can go back forty years in my own work — have been practically of no 

 effect, and that was the reason why I thought it was possible that by 

 some such organisation as I sketched last night we might do something 

 better. That ' something better ' is, to put it plainly, looking after votes. 

 Unless we can control votes in the House of Commons and in the Councils 

 throughout the country science will not be any better looked after. If we 

 can control votes science will be benefited ; and scientific bodies from one 

 end of the country to the other, working with a goal in view, would be 

 a most important factor in our future national life. Of that I am 

 perfectly convinced ; but I am only an individual, and therefore I asked 

 permission to come and listen to you, gentlemen, who have had more 

 experience than I can claim to have, representing as you do different 

 societies, familiar with the conditions in your own localities, and therefore 

 able to say whether it is possible to influence Councils, and gradually 

 to infuse a scieutific spirit into the county councils, the town councils, 

 arid the district councils of England. I would, therefore, if you will 

 allow me, sit down and listen to what any of you may choose to say with 

 regard to the possibility — or the absurdity — of attempting to carry out 

 this thing. 



The Chairman : I am sure we all thank Sir Norman Lockyer for 

 coming and speaking to us to day, and for his address of last night. It 

 shows his confidence in the scientific societies of the country and his 

 feeling that the local societies might do some good work in helping on 

 the object he has in view. Our various societies are very difl'erently 

 placed, and it is quite possible some of the societies may feel that they 

 cannot do anything, while othei's may be in a position to influence local 

 opinion very considerably in educational matters. There must be great 

 differences in these matters, and I hope you will enter into the discussion 

 from the standpoint of your own local circumstances, so that we may 

 know the kind of feeling prevailing in different localities, the difficulties 

 in the way, and possibly the manner with which something can be 

 accomplished. Of course there will be difficulties in the way. It is part 

 of a great controversy ; but the country being waked up, as it were, on 

 the subject of education on a scientific basis, I am sure you will all agree 

 with our President when he says that now is the appointed time, and it 

 is best to strike while the iron is Jiot. The year before us is just the 

 time when educational matters can best Ije pushed forward. 



Principal E. H. Griffiths, F.R.S. (Cardiff Naturalists' Society) : I 

 rise to speak as a member of a local society, though I cannot confine 

 myself to that point of view, and would venture to take a wider survey, 

 and say how the matter may be viewed in that part of the country in 

 which I am most interested, the Principality of Wales. I think T may 

 claim to liave some right to speak on this matter, for I am a member of 

 several educational authorities in South Wales, and happen at the 

 present moment to be the Vice-Chancellor of the University. I heartily 

 agree, from the local college or university point of view, that we can do 

 something if we all work together. But I have, as some of you know, 

 some hesitation or doubt as to the best line on which our energies can be 

 expended. I am not sure whether the subject is so advanced as it 

 may appear to some of you. What we have to do is to educate the ' man 

 in the street,' and convince him that pure science is a good thing for him, 

 and then all our difficulties will be swept away. We want to be able to 



