376 



SCIENCE 



[Vol. LYI, Xo. 1449 



stant effort is required to maintain the stand- 

 a,rd. 



One of the greatest anxieties of the research 

 supervisor is, however, the avoidance of ex- 

 travagance and waste. The student is some- 

 times inclined to assume a lordly attitude and 

 to regard such matters as the systematic recov- 

 ery of solvents as beneath his notice. My view 

 is tJiatt, as a matter of discipline as much as in 

 the interests of economy, extravagant working 

 should not be tolerated. There is naturally an 

 economic limit where the time spent in such 

 economics exceeds in value the materials saved, 

 and a correct balance mu^t ibe adjusted. It is 

 often instructive to lay before a research 

 •n-«rker an estimate of the cost of an investiga- 

 tion in which these factors of time and material 

 are taken into account. As a general rule it 

 will be found that the saving of material is of 

 greater moment than the loss of time. The 

 point may not be vitally important in the 

 academic laboraitory, but in the factory, to 

 which most of these workers eventually 

 migrate, they will soon have the lesson thrust 

 upon them that their time and salary bear a 

 small proportion to costs of production. 



You will see I bave changed my warning 

 from the professor to the student. A student 

 generation is short. In a few years, when 

 almost as a matter of course the best of young 

 ehemists will qualify for the doctor of phil- 

 osophy degree, it will be forgotten that these 

 facilities have come to us, not as a right, but as 

 a privilege. Those who reap the advantages 

 of these privileges must pi\5ve that the efforts 

 made on their behalf have been worth while. 



Looking at the position broadly, if one may 

 criticize the research schemes of to-day, it is 

 in the sense that tlie main bulk of support is 

 afforded to the research apprentice, and the 

 situation has become infinitely harder for the 

 supervisor in that new and onerous itasks are 

 imposed upon him. To expect him to under- 

 take his norm-al duties and, as a voluntary act, 

 the additional burden of research training is to 

 force him into the devastaltion of late hours 

 and overwork. The question is at once raised 

 — Are we using our mature research material 

 to the best advantage, and is our policy suffi- 

 ciently focussed on the requirements of the 



experienced investigator? I think it will gen- 

 erally be agreed that members of the professor 

 or lecturer class who join in the movement 

 must be relieved in great measure of teaching 

 and administi-ative work. I am decidedly of 

 the opinion that the research supervisor must 

 be a teacher, and must mingle freely with 

 undergi-aduates, so as to recognize at the 

 earliest possible stage the potential investi- 

 gators of the future and guide their studies. 

 To meet this necessity univereities and colleges 

 must realize that their currieulmn has been ex- 

 tended and that staffs must be enlarged accord- 

 ingly. There could then be definite periods of 

 freedom from official duties for those who 

 undertake research training as an added task. 

 Opportunities must also be given to these "ex- 

 ceptional men" to travel occasionally to other 

 centers and refresh themselves in the company 

 of kindred workers. It is evident that our uni- 

 versities are called upon to share the financial 

 burden in\'olved in a national research scheme 

 to a much greater extent than possibly they 

 know. 



I may perhaps summarize some of the con- 

 clusions reached in thinking over these ques- 

 tions. The first and most important is that in 

 each institution there should be a board or 

 standing committee entrusted with the super- 

 vision 6f research. The functions of such a 

 body would he widely varied and would 

 include : 



1. The allocation of money voted specifically 

 from university or college funds for research 

 expenses. 



2. The power to recommend additions to the 

 teaching staff in departments actively engaged 

 in research. 



3. The recommendation of promotions on 

 the basis of research achievement. 



4. The supervision of regulations governing 

 higher degrees. 



Among the more specific problems ^Vhieh con- 

 front this board are the following: 



1. The creation of research libraries where 

 reference works can be consulted immediately. 



2. The provision of publication grants, so 

 that where no periodical literature is available 

 the work will not remain buried or tfbsoure. 



3. The allocation of traveling grants to en- 



