262 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLVII. No. 1211 



SCIENTIFIC EVENTS 



THE BRITISH COMMITTEE FOR SCIENTIFIC 

 AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH 



Some points in the report of the British 

 Privy Council committee for scientific and in- 

 dustrial research are summarized in the Elec- 

 trical World as follows : 



Funds Available. — The Imperial Trust for 

 the Encouragement of Scientific and Indus- 

 trial Eesearch holds £1,000,000 that Parlia- 

 ment has voted for research purposes. Manu- 

 facturers' associations, the London County 

 Council and some governmental departments 

 have also contributed funds for specific pur- 

 poses. 



Personal Grants to Research Workers. — 

 Thirty-six av^ards in the nature of mainte- 

 nance grants vrere made to individuals, of 

 which twenty-four went to students being 

 trained in the methods of research, ten to inde- 

 pendent research workers and two to research 

 assistants. Grants will also be made for appa- 

 ratus and materials. 



Industrial Versus Pure Science Research. — 

 During the past year the committee has de- 

 voted its chief effort to the organization of in- 

 dustrial research rather than to the prosecu- 

 tion of work in pure science; first, because it 

 felt the paramount importance of arousing the 

 interest of manufacturers and, second, because 

 of the influence of the war. It emphasizes the 

 hope that the absence of references to pure 

 science should not be taken as indicating a 

 lack of appreciation of its importance. 



Trade Research Associations. — Many trade 

 associations have lately come into existence, 

 some of which include research among their 

 objects. The conmiittee has helped in their 

 organization and has assisted and cooperated 

 in their research activities. 



Research in the Universities. — Hearty co- 

 operation of the principal universities, tech- 

 nical schools and trade schools in England has 

 been secured, and their resources have been 

 coordinated for the important problems on 

 hand. A closer connection is being established 

 between these institutions and the industries 

 which rely upon results of research in the 

 manufacture of their products. 



Technical Societies. — The committee is co- 



operating with the electrical, mechanical and 

 mining engineers' institutions and other pro- 

 fessional societies, in some cases subsidizing 

 the researches originated by the institutions 

 and extending their scope. 



Information Collected and Published. — In 

 cooperation with technical societies and insti- 

 tutions of learning the committee has collected 

 and published available information and is 

 continuing this useful work, which will greatly 

 simplify that of future investigators. It is 

 also preparing memoranda on various fields for 

 research, with an analysis of the problems in- 

 volved and the proposed program for research. 



Assistance to Individual Manufacturers. — 

 An arrangement has been made with the Royal 

 Society by which it will assist the committee 

 in selecting the institution or research work- 

 ers best fitted for a particular investigation. 

 If the investigation progresses satisfactorily, 

 the manufacturer is invited to contribute part 

 or all of the expense in exchange for the ex- 

 clusive use of the results over a given period. 

 Another proposed way is to attach an investi- 

 gator ito the works laboratory and share ex- 

 pense with the manufacturer. 



GOVERNMENT CONTROL OF THE PLATINUM 

 INDUSTRY 



The Council of National Defense has issued 

 the following statement : 



Through Ordinance Requisition No. 510 

 from the Secretary of War, the government 

 has taken over control of the production, re- 

 fining, distribution and use of crude and re- 

 fined platinum for the period of the war. The 

 control will be exercised through the chemical 

 division of the War Industries Board. The 

 chemical division sent out to the industry re- 

 quests for inventories of the existing stock of 

 crude and refined platinum and platinum- 

 iridium alloys as of March 1, 1918. 



The letter stated that it was not the inten- 

 tion of the government to take over and handle 

 directly the present stock of platinum but to 

 permit its shipment by the producers or deal- 

 ers subject to certain conditions. Upon the 

 fixing by the Secretary of War of a reasonable 

 price for crude, refined and alloyed platinum. 



