412 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XII. No. 298. 



tlie matter, for the names were put forward as 

 a simple recommendation to tlie Section. 



After a discussion in which Messrs. Ayrton, 

 Carpentier, Dorn, Hospitalier, Kohlrausch, 

 Mailloux, Mascart, A. Siemens, Silvanus, 

 Thompson and others took part. Professor Eric 

 Gerard stated that in his opinion it was desir- 

 able to come first to a decision that names 

 should be given to the C. G. S. units of magnetic 

 field and to flux of magnetic induction. 



M. Mascart, expressing his approbation of 

 this idea, the president of the Section, M. 

 Violle, put the following proposition formally 

 to the meeting : 



"The Section recommends the adoption of 

 specific names for the C. G. S. units of magnetic 

 field and of magnetic flux." This proposition 

 being adopted, with only two dissentients, the 

 meeting was adjourned for a short time to en- 

 able the members to exchange their views 

 regarding the exact names that should be em- 

 ployed. On the meeting reassembling, the 

 president put the two following propositions 

 successively: 



(1) The Section recommends the adoption of the 

 name of Gauss for the C. G. S. unit of magnetic 

 field. 



(2) The Section recommends the adoption of the 

 name ofMAXWEl,!, for the C. G. S. unit of magnetic 

 fiux, 



both of which were adopted with only two dis- 

 sentients. 



On the same afternoon these resolutions of 

 Section I. were submitted to the Chamber of 

 Government Delegates to the Congress and 

 adopted, and finally, at the closing meeting of 

 the Congress on Saturday, August 25th, the ac- 

 tion which had been taken in the matter was 

 formally reported by M. Paul Janet, one of the 

 two secretaries of the Congress. 



TSE PROPOSED NATIONAL STANDARDS BU- 

 REAU. 



The American Philosophical Society has 

 adopted the following resolution in regard to 

 the proposed National Standards Bureau : 



Whereas, In the conduct of accurate scien- 

 tific investigations, the use of apparatus of 

 guaranteed accuracy is a need recognized by 

 all scientists ; and 



Whereas, In foreign countries, notably in 

 Germany, in France, and in England, such 

 guarantee is furnished by standardizing bu- 

 reaux under the control of the respective gov- 

 ernments ; and 



Whei-eas, At present the United States Ofiice 

 of Standard Weights and Measures does not 

 possess appliances necessary for this verifica- 

 tion of as wide a range of apparatus as seems 

 essential, nor the working force required to 

 comply with legitimate demands for the veri- 

 fication and stamping of the various scientific 

 apparatus designed for measurements of pre- 

 cision, thus compelling the importation of for- 

 eign-made articles when such ofiicial certifica- 

 tion is desired ; and 



Wliereas, This state of affairs is not only un- 

 satisfactory to all investigators in both pure 

 and applied science, but also works injustice to 

 our manufacturers of nearly all physical and 

 chemical apparatus designed for accurate meas- 

 urement, who cannot supply the proper cer- 

 tification with such instruments : therefore be 

 it 



Resolved, That the Congress of the United 

 States be urged to establish a National Stand- 

 ards Bureau, in connection with the U. S. 

 Ofiice of Standard Weights and Measures, which 

 shall provide adequate facilities for making 

 such verification of scientific measuring ap- 

 paratus and stamping the same as are provided 

 by foreign governments for similar work. 



Resolved, further, that a copy of the foregoing 

 be forwarded to the Secretary of the Treasury, 

 under whose control the present ofiice of Stand- 

 ard Weights and Measures comes ; to the Su- 

 perintendent of the U. S. Coast and Geodetic 

 Survey ; to the President of the U. S. Senate ; 

 to the Speaker of the United States House of 

 Eepresentatives ; to the Chairman and mem- 

 bers of the Committee on Coinage, Weights 

 and Measures, and to any other ofiicials or in- 

 dividuals likely to be interested or influential, 

 with a request for their co-operation in our 

 efforts to secure for the U. S. Office of Standard 

 Weights and Measures ample facilities, in point 

 of apparatus and working force, to enable that 

 office to comply with the requests for the veri- 

 fication of measuring instruments that may be 

 made by American scientific workers. 



