November 11, 1921] 



SCIENCE 



455 



that to which it has hitherto been put, and 

 when it is concerned not only with securing 

 " for the producers by hand or by brain the 

 full fruits of their industry," but also with 

 the creation of new plantations by its own ef- 

 forts, no one will be able to doubt its fitness 

 to exercise a controlling influence upon mod- 

 ern industry. 



The Workers' Educational Association has 

 proved that very many artisans are ready to 

 take advantage of opportunities of becoming 

 familiar with the noblest works of literature, 

 science, and art, with the single motive of 

 enriching their outlook upon life. Many 

 more attend classes in economics, and nearly 

 all are in favor of extended .facilities for 

 further education, though there is a differ- 

 ence of intention between the Marxian ele- 

 ment in labor and the more impartial sup- 

 porters of the W. E. A. or of the Co-operative 

 Education Union. " There is practically no 

 limit," says Mr. G. D. H. Cole in " An Intro- 

 duction to Trade Unionism," " to what could 

 be done if there only existed among the 

 national and local leaders of Labor a clear 

 idea of the part which education must play 

 if the working-class is ever to achieve eman- 

 cipation from the wage system." To edu- 

 cation should be added original research if 

 labor is to signify something more than a 

 class of hewers of wood and drawers of water. 

 The Guild movement represents a step in 

 this direction, but if it signifies merely a re- 

 turn to the mediaeval system it can scarcely 

 be so important a factor of general develop- 

 ment as its advocates imagine, and it may 

 mean the institution of caste in labor. Such 

 a system no doubt leads to perfection of 

 craftsmanship, and it is to be welcomed as an 

 antidote to the deadening influence of spe- 

 cialized industry; but a caste nation at last 

 becomes stationary, for in each caste a habit 

 of action and a type of mind are established 

 which can only be changed with difficulty. 

 What is wanted to make the race strong is 

 cross-fertilization, and not inbreeding. 



Local scientific societies should provide a 

 common forum where workers with hand or 

 brain can meet to consider new ideas and 



discuss judicially the significance of scienti- 

 fic discovery or applied device in relation to 

 human progress. At present such societies 

 are mostly out of touch with these practical 

 aspects of knowledge, and are more interested 

 in prehistoric pottery than in the living world 

 around them. Most of those connected with 

 the British Association are concerned with 

 natural history, but all scientific societies in 

 a district should form a federation to pro- 

 claim the message of knowledge from the 

 house-tops. Men are ready to listen to the 

 gospel of science and to believe in its power 

 and its guidance, but its disciples disregard 

 the appeal and are content to let others 

 minister to the throbbing human heart. 

 Civilization awaits the lead which science can 

 give in the name of wisdom and truth and 

 unprejudiced inquiry into all things visible 

 and invisible, but the missionary spirit which 

 would make men eager to declare this noble 

 message to the world has yet to be created. 



This is as true of the British Association 

 itself as it is of local scientific societies. It 

 seems to be forgotten that one of the func- 

 tions of the Association is to inspire belief 

 and confidence in science as the chief forma- 

 tive factor of modern life, and not only to 

 display discoveries or enable specialists to 

 discuss technical advances in segregated sec- 

 tions. Though members of the Association 

 may be able to live on scientific bread alone, 

 most of the community in any place of meet- 

 ing need something more spiritual to awaken 

 in them the admiration and belief which be- 

 get confidence and hope. They ask for a 

 trumpet-call which will unite the forces of 

 natural and social science, and are unmoved 

 by the parade of trophies of scientific con- 

 quests displayed to them. It was the primary 

 purpose of Canon W. V. Harcourt, the chief 

 founder of this Association, and General 

 Secretary from 1831 to 1837, to sound this 

 note for " the stimulation of interest in science 

 at the various places of meeting, and through 

 it the provision of funds for carrying on re- 

 search," and not for " the discussion of scien- 

 tific subjects in the sections." In the course 

 of time these sectional discussions have taken 



