630 TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION G. 



evil, and he goes on to say : ' The German standardisation rules, for instance, 

 which, through well-organised and combined effort on the part of the German 

 makers, had previous to the War become widely recognised on the Continent of 

 Europe as well as in many countries to which British machinery is exported, by 

 permitting a higher temperature rise than is considered good technical practice 

 in Great Britain, certainly have not assisted the British maker in foreign 

 markets.' 



Exhibitions and Museums. 



In recent years a large number of commercial exhibitions have been held ot 

 all branches of machinery, and it is satisfactory to note that one of the features 

 of such exhibitions has been the holding of scientific lectures, and the inclusion 

 of the exhibition of scientific instruments and apparatus, and also exhibits 

 showing the relation of scientific experiments to engineering work. In some ot 

 the privately organised exhibitions with which I have been associated myself, the 

 scientific men have been invited to take part when the general lines had been 

 settled on which the exhibition was to be run, and thus w-e had comparatively 

 little influence. I have thought from time to time that it would be well if a 

 permanent committee of such a body as the British Association existed, which 

 could exert more direct influence, chiefly of course by reports and recommenda- 

 tions. The managers and organisers of such exhibitions would value assistance 

 of this kind, and in return would listen to suggestions which might materially 

 add to the scientific value of such an exhibition. I know from experience that 

 a British exhibition is a most important means of promoting British industry, 

 for the number of inquiries that come from all jjarts of the country and from 

 all parts of the world show how much interest well-organised exhibits arouse 

 and what long distances people will travel to attend such an exhibition. A 

 machinery exhibition was to have been held in London, the date of the opening 

 a week or two after the date at which the War began, but was of course not 

 held. This exhibition was to have been Anglo-Dutch, and though organised by 

 private enterprise was even in advance bringing in touch the consumers and 

 manufacturers of the two countries. The Beama Journal quoted recently 

 an American magazine in which the writer was advocating the support of a 

 permanent Commercial Museum for industrial purposes, and this is what he 

 said : ' We produce a surplus of manufactures that must be sold. Our manu- 

 factured exports have about doubled in ten years — in truth a cause for satis- 

 faction, and yet we have not accomplished enough. . . . We have only made 

 a beginning, considering what we can do and will be forced to do in the 

 luture. . . . Manufacturers must compete with old-established nations in the 

 market they seek to invade.' It is noteworthy that this museum, which is 

 really a permanent exhibition, is a very complete organisation, containing 

 amongst other things science laboratories. 



It is sad to think that the great hopes held out of the Imperial Institute 

 by the President of this Association, Sir Frederick Abel, at the meeting heU 

 in Leeds in 1890, have not been altogether fulfilled. The President expressed 

 the belief that amongst other objects the Institute would combine ' the con- 

 tinuous elaboration of systematic measures tending to stimulate progress in 

 trades and handicrafts, and to foster the spirit of emulation amongst the 

 artisan and industrial classes.' It may be a very fitting time to bring forward 

 the whole question, because it has often happened that an excellent scheme 

 which has somewhat languished has upon its revival at a later time, when its 

 importance was 'better realised, been crowned with success. 



Another matter which might be considered is the question of departmental 

 museums at the Technical Schools and Universities throughout the country. 

 The organisation of these is simply a matter for the enterprise of the 

 individual professor in each department. The museums in the Engineering 

 Department of the colleges with which I have been associated were very much 

 appreciated by the students, who constantly were the means of securing fresh 

 specimens, and after they have left the college continued to contribute articles 

 of great interest, such as fractures, corrosions, boiler plates, models, &c. 

 This matter might be handled in a much more systematic manner, and possibly 

 a report from our Committee with a recommendation to the proper quarters 

 would be of use. 



