578 REPORTS ON THE STATE OP SCIENCE.— 1916. 



affiliated associations, its annual conference. One thinks at once of the 

 Museums and Libraries Associations, or, in a widely different sphere, of the 

 Association of Chambers of Commerce, of which, especially, I have some personal 

 experience. The Museums and Libraries Associations carry the idea even 

 further, and have sprouted out into district associations, with occasional district 

 conferences. And, if museums and libraries derive so niuch advantage from 

 periodical opportunities of mutual consultation, and the local chambers of 

 commerce attach so much importance to collective influence and frequent inter- 

 change of views, why should not these methods apply to literature and to 

 philosophy — immeasurably wider in their scope than all the rest together ? ' 



Digging into our forgotten archives, somebody was good enough to disinter 

 my old suggestion, and, on the 6th May, 1914, I had the privilege of presiding 

 over a meeting of the principal societies of the town which had been specially 

 convened to consider it, and, appropriately enough, it was held at the Old 

 Academy. The proposal met with general approval, a committee was appointed 

 to prepare a definite scheme, and, at a subsequent meeting, on the lOtli of June, 

 at which delegates from thirteen local societies, representing practically every 

 blanch of local intellectual activity, were present, the following resolutions 

 were unanimously passed :^ 



' 1. That a Federation be fonned of local societies interested in literature, 

 science, and philosophy, or any allied subject. 



' 2. That the Council consist of two members from each constituent society. 

 ' 3. That the object of the Federation be to co-ordinate aoid stimulate the 

 activities of the various societies interested in all or any of the aforesaid 

 subjects. 



' 4. That each society contribute to the expenses of the Federation pro rata. 

 ' 5. That, if possible, a common place of meeting, with suitable equipment, 

 be provided. 



' 6. That the Federation arrange for the publication of a Handbook of 

 Warrington Societies.' 



It was agreed to send a copy of these proposals to all local societies which 

 might be interested, with a request for their support, and to invite those 

 societies which decided to identify themselves with the scheme to send two 

 members each to a meeting of the Federation to be called early in the forth- 

 coming session. 



And, 'after that, the deluge.' This frightful War broke on us, like a storm 

 of hell, before the project had matured, and, like many other hopeful and 

 progressive movements, it is still in abeyance. » 



I owe the meeting an apology for having ventured to trouble them with all 

 these personal and local details, but, after careful consideration, I came to 

 the conclusion that I could not put my views before you in any simpler way 

 than by telling you, as briefly as I could, the s^ory just as it occurred. I am 

 sure that the idea which underlies it is sound, and I am anxious that, when 

 peace returns, it should not only be revived in Warrington, but adopted in 

 other towns. . , n i- e 



The object which I am anxious to promote is the gradual mobilisation ot 

 all the intellectual forces of this country. And surely the need was never 

 moxe acute than now. It has become a commonplace, since the Great War 

 started, fhat we are, or have been, one of the worst-organised countries in the 

 world. The fact was visible enough before to those with eyes to see, and 

 thoughtful men have clamoured for reforms in practically every department 

 of our national and imperial life for years and years. But too often they were 

 as 'voices crymg in the wilderness.' And the lesson had to be written in 

 lightning before our slumbrous realm would learn. Instead of developing into 

 an ordered commonwealth, we had degenerated into a fortuitous concourse of 

 contending atoms ! Our politics had become a mere scramble for the loaves 

 and fishes. Our churches wrangled over things irrelevant, and overlapped a,nd 

 competed at every turn. Have you ever seen a threshing-machine working 

 without any supply of wheat or oats ? The wheels revolve, the paddles beat, 

 the sieves go churning to and fro, and the hum and noise of it may be heard 

 at quite a long distance. But one peers into the open sacks and misses tlie 

 expected stream of golden grain. So our politics hum and bustle, whilst the 

 people vainly wait for the fulfilment of their dreams. And thus our churches 



