PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 371 



such steps as would prevent the position of industries, likely to be affected, 

 being endangered after the war.) 



' 3 Patents, (a) The efforts which have been made to secure unifornuty 

 of Patent Law throughout the Empire should be continued. (6) The provi- 

 sions of the law as to the compulsory working of patents in the United Kingdom 

 should be more rigorously enforce<l, and inspectors should be appointed to 

 secure that such working is complete and not only partial.' 



The adoption by the Government of these weighty recommendations would go 

 far to establish British chemical industry on a secure basis, and would un- 

 doubtedly lead to the expansion of already existing branches and the establish- 

 ment of new ones. Meanwhile, tlie Australian Government has set an example 

 which might be followed with great advantage. Shortly after the British scheme 

 for the development of scientific and industrial research under the auspices of the 

 Advisory Council had been made public, the Prime Minister of Australia deter- 

 mined to do still more for the Commonwealth, with the object of making it 

 independent of German trade and manufactures after the conclusion of the war. 

 He therefore appointed a committee representative of the State Scientific 

 Departments, the universities, and industrial interests, and within a very short 

 period the committee produced a scheme for the establishment of a Common- 

 wealth Institute of Science and Industry. The Institute is to be governed by 

 three directors, two of whom will be scientific men of high standing, while the 

 third will be selected for proved ability in business. The directors are to be 

 assisted by an Advisory Council composed of nine representatives of science and 

 of industry; these representatives are to seek information, advice, and assist- 

 ance from specialists throughout Australia. The chief functions of the Institute 

 are (1) To ascertain what industrial problems are most pressing and most likely 

 to yield to scientific experimental investigation, to seek out the most competent 

 men to whom such research may be entrusted, and to provide them with all 

 the necessary appliances and assistance. (2) To build up a bureau of scientific 

 and industrial infomiation, which sliall be at the service of all concerned in the 

 industries and manufactures of the Commonwealth. (3) To erect, st-aff, and 

 control special research laboratories, the first of which will probably be a 

 physical laboratory somewhat on the lines of our National Physical Laboratory. 

 Other functions of the Institute are the co-ordination and direction of research 

 and experimental work with a view to the prevention of undesirable overlapping 

 of effort, the recommendation of grants of the Commonwealth Government in 

 :ud of pure scientific research in existing institutions, and the establishment and 

 awai'd of industrial research fellowships. 



This admirable scheme is more comprehensive and more generous than that 

 of our Government, but it could be rivalled without much difficulty. We already 

 possess an important asset in the National Physical Laboratory, and there now 

 exists the Advisory Council with its extensive powers and duties. What is 

 lacking in our scheme, so far as chemistry is concerned, could be made good, 

 firstly, by providing the Advisory Council with much larger funds, and, 

 secondly, "by the establishment of a "National Chemical Laboratorj^— an institute 

 for research in pure and applied chemistry— or by assisting the development 

 of research departments in our universities and technical colleges (as is now 

 being done in America), or, better still, by moving in both directions. With 

 respect to the second alternative, I do not mean to suggest that research work 

 is neglected in the chemistry departments of any of our higher institutions ; 

 what°I plead for is the provision of greater facilities for the prosecution of 

 investigation not only in pure but also in applied chemistry. As things are at 

 present, the pfofessors and lecturers are for the most part so much occupied 

 in teaching and in administration as to be unable to devote time uninterruptedly 

 to research work, w-hich demands above all things continuity of effort. The 

 ideal remedy would be the institution of research professorships, but, failing 

 this, the burden of teaching and administrative work should be lightened by 

 appointing larger staffs. 



It has been suggested by Dr. Forster that the State could render assistance 



to chemical industry in another way, namely, by the formation of a Chemical 



Intelligence Department of the Board of Trade, which should be concerned 



\ with technical, commercial, and educational questions bearing upon the industry. 



