470 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. II. No. 41. 



peai- in the last volume of our Transactions, 

 occupy the same important position, as 

 records of science progress, as that occupied 

 by those reports in our earlier years. We 

 exhibit no symptom of decay. 



Our neighbors and rivals rely largely 

 upon the guidance of the State for the pro- 

 motion of both science teaching and of re- 

 search. In Germanj' the foundations of 

 technical and industrial training are laid in 

 the Eealschulen and supplemented bj^ the 

 higher technical schools. In Berlin that 

 splendid institution, the Royal Technical 

 High School, casts into the shade the facil- 

 ities for education in the various Polj'tech- 

 nics which we are now establishing in 

 London. 



For developing pure scientific research 

 and for promoting new applications of 

 science to industrial purposes the German 

 Government, at the instance of von Helm- 

 holtz and aided b}' the munificence of 

 Werner von Siemens, created the Physikal- 

 ische Technische Reichsanstalt at Charlot- 

 tenburg. This establishment consists of 

 two divisions. The first is charged with 

 pure research, and is at the present time 

 engaged in various thermal, optical, and 

 electrical and other physical investigations. 

 The second branch is employed in opera- 

 tions of delicate standardizing to assist the 

 wants of research students. As a conse- 

 quence of the position which science occu- 

 pies in connection with the State in Conti- 

 nental countries, the services of those who 

 have distinguished themselves either in the 

 advancement or in the application of science 

 are recognized by the award of honors; and 

 thus the feeling for science is encouraged 

 throughout the nation. 



Great Britain maintained for a long time 

 a leading position among the nations of the 

 world by virtue of the excellence and ac- 

 curacj' of its workmanship, the result of in- 

 dividual energj' ; but the progress of me- 

 chanical science has made accuracy of Avork- 



manship the common property of all nations 

 of the world. Our records show that 

 hithei-to, in its efforts to maintain its posi- 

 tion by the application of science and the 

 prosecution of research, England has made 

 mai'vellous advances bj^ means of voluntary 

 effort, illustrated by the splendid munifi- 

 cence of such men as Gassiot, Joseph Whit- 

 worth, James Mason and Ludwig Mond; 

 and, whilst the increasing field of scientific 

 research compels us occasionally to seek for 

 Government assistance, it would be unfor- 

 tunate if bj^ any chance voluntarj^ effort 

 were fettered by State control. The British 

 Association has contributed £60,000 to aid 

 research since its formation. 



The other voluntary agencies to research, 

 including those which the Government 

 carries on for its own purposes, are too 

 numerous to print here. For direct assist- 

 ance to voluntary effort the Treasury con- 

 tributes £4,000 a j^ear to the Royal Society 

 for the promotion of research, which is 

 administered under a board whose members 

 represent all branches of science. The 

 Treasurj', moreover, contributes to marine 

 biological observatories, and in recent years 

 has defrayed the cost of various expeditions 

 for biological and astronomical research, 

 which in the case of the Challenger expedi- 

 tion involved verj^ large sums of money. 

 In addition to these direct aids to science. 

 Parliament, under the Local Taxation Act, 

 handed over to the Countj' Councils a sum, 

 which amounted in the j-ear 1S93 to £615,- 

 000, to be expended on technical education. 

 In many country districts, so far as the ad- 

 vancement of real scientific technical prog- 

 ress in the nation is concerned, much of this 

 money has been wasted for want of knowl- 

 edge. And whilst it cannot be said that 

 the Government or Parliament have been 

 indiiferent to the promotion of scientific 

 education and research, it is a source of re- 

 gret that the Government did not devote 

 some small portion of this magnificent gift 



I 



