EErORT OF THE ANTIIBOPOMETUIC COMMITTEE. . 231 



dangerous process of elimination should be superseded by a searching, 

 trustworthy method of testing the colour-sense, especially in fresh candi- 

 dates for employment on railways and steam- vessels, and it is a disgrace 

 to our country — which was the first to discover and investigate the sub- 

 ject of colour-blindness and to point out its dangers — that it should bo 

 the last to recognise its practical importance. But the subject has a 

 much wider bearing than the regulation of traffic by sea and land. As 

 many arts and occupations can only be carried on successfully by persons 

 who possess a normal colour-sense, the testing of the eyesight, whether 

 for colours or objects, should take place in childhood, and before a youtli 

 has wasted much time in acquiring technical knowledge which his faulty 

 sight precludes him from using to the same advantage as his more fortu- 

 nate competitors. Every parent shsuld be cognisant of the condition of 

 the colour-sense of his children, in order that he may provide the colour- 

 blind ones with suitable occupations. Fortunately the art of testing the 

 colour-sense is a very simple one, and is quite within the capacity of a 

 schoolmaster or parent of ordinary intelligence, as it requires neither a 

 knowledge of the theory of colour-blindness (which, indeed, is not yet 

 agreed on by specialists) nor of medicine or surgery.' 



34. — Upon the portion of the reference to them which relates to the 

 * publication of photographs of the typical races of the Empire,' the Com- 

 mittee have not at present anything to add to previous reports. It was 

 intended that a portion of the grant made to the Committee should 

 be applied towai-ds this branch of their work, but the more urgent needs 

 of the general anthropometric work have absorbed the whole of it. 

 Dr. Beddoe, however, has presented a set of photographs of pure High- 

 landers, and a collection of Irish types has been made by Mr. Park 

 Harrison. 



35. — The total expenditure of the Committee during their six years' 

 operations has been only 243L 15s., or about 40Z. a year. This has in- 

 cluded the preparing, printing, and circulating of many thousands of 

 papers of instructions, forms of returns, cards and other publications, and 

 of a costly series of colour-types ; besides the judicious payment of small 

 sums, in a few cases, as remuneration to the observers, where their posi- 

 tion in life (as regimental sergeants &c.) rendered it desirable ; the 

 purchase of photographs and negatives of photographs and of several sets 

 of instruments for making measurements, and the cost of clerical labour 

 in abstracting the returns. The Committee venture to think that they 

 have not improvidently administered the fund at its disposal. 



36. — The Committee could, indeed, not have accomplished the work 

 at so small a cost but for the obliging exertions of some of the members, 

 notably Sir Rawson W. Rawson and Mr. Roberts. They have also to 

 acknowledge the services of several gentlemen, not members of the 

 Association, who have kindly consented to act as advisers to the Committee, 

 viz. : — Dr. Bain, Dr. Balfour, Inspector-General Lawson, Dr. Waller 

 Lewis, and Dr. Ogle. 



37. — It remains to note briefly the work still to be done by the Com- 

 mittee in the event of their reappointment. 



38. — First, it is exceedingly desirable that more complete details 

 should be obtained with regard to the earlier ages from birth to 10 years, 

 a period in which the rate of growth and development is probably more 

 affected by external circumstances than in after-life, and which therefore 

 lends itself more readily to classification. 



