PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 633 



transporting these goods across the ocean. In Germany, on the other hand, 

 the Government steps in, and by means of special differential rates, gives the 

 manufacturer every facility, and the lowest possible rates for obtaining raw 

 material, and delivering 'he finished goods to all parts of the world. It was 

 this organisation that not only rendered Germany so formidable a rival in times 

 of peace, but makes her so powerful in war. 



This co-ordination in Germany is carried out in every industry in a way we 

 generallv have little idea of. For instance, the other day at a deputation to 

 the Government Mr. Ilunciman remarked that the difficulty of connecting the 

 manufacturers with the commercial staffs in this country is deep seated, but 

 perhaps not altogether incurable. Further, that the manufacturer must realise 

 what he can get from the universities, and the University must know what the 

 works require. Dr. Foster, the Treasurer of the Chemical Society, also said 

 that ' the Germans were so imbued with the need of pursuing modern and 

 efficient methods of education, in applying science to industry, that they hold 

 in contempt a country which notoriously neglects such processes ' ; and he 

 attributed this contempt as partly contributory to their cheerfulness in entering 

 into the war with us. 



Now, while these remarks are undoubtedly true, they are only a part of the 

 truth. The evil is far wider than in any special application, for, as the German 

 knows perfectly well, there are innumerable individual cases of organisation in 

 this country of equal efficiency to any in his country, and he is glad enough to 

 learn from special cases. Let us take one, and I do so because it shows that 

 the man of science is capable of industrial and manufacturing organisation, if 

 he turns his mind to it. I refer to the case of the firm known as Barr and 

 Stroud, Ltd. As you know, the founders of this firm were originally colleagues 

 in the Yorkshire College (the former, Profes.sor Barr, occupied the Presidential 

 chair of this Section three years ago), and they together invented a range- 

 finder. Now, whatever the merit of this range-finder, it is safe to say, like 

 every other important invention — for instance, the Parsons turbine — that the 

 invention alone would have stood a small chance of coming into practice. 

 In fact, to make the invention is, as a rule, the beginning of the difficulty. 

 Professors Barr and Stroud, however, set to work to carry their invention 

 into practice, and did so with such effect that their works, which began on 

 quite a small scale, rapidly grew, and the first part of the new works was 

 opened with about 90 hands all told in 1904. In the course of ten years it has 

 increased to such an extent that there are now 1,700 employees. Those of u.s 

 who have visited the works at Glasgow know the almost perfect way in 

 which the whole arrangements are made, not merely for the scientific side, 

 but for the comforts of the men, including the working dress which in itself 

 becomes a uniform. It gives some idea of the scientific side to know that 

 there are at tlie present moment twenty-three men with high university quali- 

 fications, most of them with imiversity degrees, and many of them men who 

 were absolutiely the first on the college list in the final examinations. This 

 industry is another illustration of the lead given to Germany by this country, 

 because the Barr and Stroud range-finders were brought out before any of the 

 German range-finders of the kind now being made, the Germans having 

 followed in their lines, and copied them in many respects. I have enlarged 

 upon this, because I cannot help pointing out that the Barr and Stroud range- 

 finders have had no small effect in the marvellous precision of our naval 

 guns, and it will no doubt pass through your minds what we owe to private 

 enterprise which started the manufactures of the turbines, range-finders, guns, 

 and other naval features, when we think of such battles as those off Heligoland 

 or the Falklajid Islands. 



Now I do not believe the Germans despise us for our want per sc of the 

 application of science to industry. I do not think they have much reason to ; 

 but what they do despise us for is the want of co-ordination, which I venture 

 to say amounts to positive slackness, which they are keen enough to observe 

 permeating the whole of this country. They see different sections, instead of 

 being united for a common end, quarrelling with each other, filled with mutual 

 suspicion and distrust, with apparently no common bond of union ; and whereas 

 the German is proud of the Fatherland, he sees in this country large numbers 



