286 A^o/cs iuid Coninicnls. 



those who are specially fitted to increase scientific Icnowledg'e, 

 and to bring- it to bear so as to promote the welfare of the 

 community. He was speaking- on a privileged occasion to a 

 body of men who were met together for the Advancement of 

 Science, and claimed the right to say without offence to the 

 representatives of institutions which he criticised, what was in 

 his mind. 



PUBLIC OFFICIALS. 



' It is, unfortunately, true that the successive political ad- 

 ministrators of the affairs of this country, as well as the 

 permanent officials, are altogether unaware to-day, as they were 

 twenty-five years ago, of the vital importance of that knowledge 

 which we call science, and of the urgent need for making use of 

 it in a variety of public affairs. Whole departments of Govern- 

 ment in which scientific knowledge is the one thing needful 

 are carried on by ministers, permanent secretaries, assistant 

 secretaries, and clerks who are wholly ignorant of science, and 

 naturally enough dislike it since it cannot be used by them, and 

 is in many instances the condemnation of their official employ- 

 ment. Such officials are, of course, not to be blamed, but 

 rather the general indifference of the public to the unreasonable 

 way in which its interests are neglected. 



' A difiicult feature in treating of this subject is that when 

 one mentions _^the fact that ministers of State and the officials of 

 the public service are not acquainted with science, and do not 

 even profess to understand its results or their importance, one's 

 statement of this very obvious and notorious fact is apt to be 

 regarded as a personal oflfence. It is difficult to see wherein 

 the offence lies, for no one seeks to blame these officials for a 

 condition of things which is traditional and frankly admitted. 



AND THEIR EDUCATION. 

 ' This is really a very serious matter for the British Asso- 

 ciation for the Adxancement of Science to consider and deal 

 with. We represent a line of activity, a group of professions 

 which are in our opinion of vital importance to the well-being 

 of the nation. We know that those interests which we value so 

 highly are not merely ignored and neglected, but are actually 

 treated as of no account or as non-existent by the old-established 

 class of politicians and administrators. It is not too much to 

 sa}' that there is a natui'al fear and dislike t)f scientific knowledge 

 on the part of a larg^c proportion of tin- persons who are devoid 



Naturalist, 



