SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS —K*, L. 397 



author found that the percentage amounts of hemicellulose A obtained from 

 English oak decreased rapidly as methods of drying the wood became more 

 drastic. There was also a difference of 60 per cent, in the response to 

 acetylation of hemicellulose A from beechwood of 80 and 140 years growth, 

 showing that the nature of the hemicellulose alters with the age of the tree. 



Afternoon. 

 Excursion to Buttercrambe. 



SECTION L.— EDUCATIONAL SCIENCE. 



Thursday, September 1. 



The Film in Education : — 



Sir Benjamin Gott. — Introduction. 



The film must be used to help the teacher, not to replace him ; he must 

 be supplied with good apparatus of as simple a kind as possible, and there 

 must be a plentiful supply of good and suitable films easily accessible. We 

 must bring the teacher and the film-maker nearer together — they must 

 understand each other, not simply wait for the other one to do something. 

 It is hoped that a Film Institute may be set up to help this work, and the 

 reception given to the report of the Commission on Educational and Cultural 

 Films seems to show that there is a wide recognition of the necessity for help 

 and advice in the matter of films in education. It is hoped that such an 

 institute may act as a clearing-house for information on the production and 

 distribution of educational and cultural films, including information as to 

 research undertaken abroad. There will be work of many kinds for such an 

 institute to do in creating a demand for films of a good kind and in advising 

 teachers as to sources and conditions of supply, types of films available, and 

 the apparatus and conditions of projection. The institute must bring the 

 producer and the teacher together and show how they can help each other. 

 There is a great work to be done, and it can only be done successfully if we 

 all pull together. I do not presume to say what subjects require films or 

 what kind of film each subject requires ; each of you knows what help he 

 would be glad to have, and we must all be ready to say what we want and to 

 co-operate in the preparing of the films we should like to have. It is 

 important for school purposes that the films must not be too long, or the 

 pupils' interest will flag, and the teacher must look upon it as a help, not as 

 something which is taking his place for a time. 



We have fallen on unfortunate times financially, and cannot expect a supply 

 of apparatus for every school just now, but I would stress the necessity of 

 seeing that in all new school buildings for older pupils there should be 

 provided the wiring and other arrangements which are necessary for film 

 apparatus when it can be provided, and I hope we shall be able to get 

 education authorities to see to this. In the meantime there are methods 

 of hiring the necessary apparatus, and in view of the rapid improvements in 

 scientific apparatus to-day this may be a wise procedure. 



Mr. A. C. Cameron. — The film as a cultural force. 



The film has a threefold place in national life : as an instrument of 

 visual and oral instruction, as a means of entertainment, and as an art form. 



