300 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVIII. No. 714 



These proposals were adopted at the conclu- 

 ding meeting, and will be submitted to the 

 governments and societies of various coun- 

 tries, and it is earnestly to be hoped that steps 

 will at once be taken to carry the proposals 

 into practise, and so prepare the way for a 

 standard map of the world. Similar steps 

 were taken for the formation of an Inter- 

 national Cartographic Association for the 

 issue of standard maps showing at a glance 

 the progress of exploration in each country. 

 Another scheme brought before the congress 

 was that of M. Lecointe, of Brussels, for the 

 establishment of an International Polar Com- 

 mission. The congress agreed that it was de- 

 sirable to submit the scheme to the govern- 

 ments interested, but there is a strong feeling 

 in certain influential quarters that any such 

 scheme is unnecessary, at least so far as those 

 countries most interested in polar exploration 

 are concerned. The proposal of Captain 

 Roncagli, secretary of the Italian Geograph- 

 ical Society, for the establishment of an In- 

 ternational Bureau for the dissemination of 

 commercial information as to new countries 

 was approved, apparently without realizing 

 what it implied. Another resolution adopted 

 by a large majority was that France should 

 adopt the Greenwich meridian, that the hours 

 of the date should be enumerated consecu- 

 tively from midnight to midnight, and that 

 all public clocks, including those of railways, 

 should be regulated according to the legal 

 hour. A commission which may lead to in- 

 teresting results was agreed to for the crea- 

 tion of a collection of photographs illustrating 

 the various forms of the earth's crust, and 

 another for the more thorough exploration of 

 the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean. 



After a keen debate as to the next place of 

 meeting — Lisbon, Budapest and Rome having 

 put in claims — the last-named was adopted, 

 and the date fixed for 1911, when Italy will 

 celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of her inde- 

 pendence. 



REPORT OF THE BRITISH FISHERIES 

 COMMITTEE 



The report of the committee appointed to 

 inquire into the scientific and statistical in- 



vestigations now being carried on in relation 

 to the fishing industry of the United Kingdom 

 has been published. The committee, consist- 

 ing of Mr. H. J. Tennant, M.P. (chairman), 

 the Hon. C. H. W. Wilson, M.P. (now Lord 

 Nunburnholme), Sir Reginald MacLeod, 

 Under-Secretary, Scottish Office, Mr. N. W. 

 Helme, M.P., Mr. Archibald Williamson, 

 M.P., Mr. P. Chabners Mitchell, D.Sc, P.E.S., 

 Mr. J. Stanley Gardiner, F.RS., the Rev. W. 

 S. Green, C.B., chief inspector of Irish 

 fisheries, Mr. R. H. Rew, Board of Agricul- 

 ture and Fisheries, Mr. L. J. Hewby, treasury, 

 with Mr. A. T. Masterman, D.Sc, Board of 

 Agriculture and Fisheries, as secretary, was 

 appointed to " inquire into the scientific and 

 statistical investigations now being carried 

 on in relation to the fishing industry of the 

 United Kingdom by the fishery departments 

 of the g'overnment, the Sea Fisheries Com- 

 mittees, the International Council for the 

 Exploration of the North Sea, and the Marine 

 Biological Association; and to report what 

 work of this character is required in the in- 

 terests of the fishing industry, and by what 

 methods or agencies it can be most usefully 

 and economically carried out in future." 



In its report the committee submits recom- 

 mendations which are summarized as follows : 



1. The establishment of a central council 

 for the United Kingdom which shall have con- 

 trol of public funds for fishery investigations 

 of a national and international character. 



2. The strengthening of the Board of Agri- 

 culture and Fisheries as the central fishing 

 authority for England and Wales, and the 

 provision of additional funds to this board 

 for the encouragement of local work. 



3. The continuance of adequate provision to 

 the Fishery Board of Scotland for local scien- 

 tific research. 



4. The continuance of international co- 

 operation in scientific and statistical investi- 

 gations upon a definite and permanent basis. 



5. The continuance of the annual grant of 

 £1,000 to the Marine Biological Association 

 of the United Kingdom. 



The central council should, it is suggested, 

 subject to certain qualifications, be em- 

 powered : 



