July 18, 1902.] 



SCIENCE. 



119 



Madgen, Mr. W. M. Mordey, Mr. E. P. 

 Sellon, Mr. Siemens, Mr. 0. P. Sparks, 

 Mr. J. Swinburne, Mr. A. A. Campbell 

 Swinton, and Professor Silvanus P. Thomp- 

 son, P.E.S., has issued its report. Accord- 

 ing to an abstract in the London Times, 

 the committee met on eleven occasions and 

 heard the evidence of a number of representa- 

 tive experts. The witnesses were practically 

 unanimous in their conviction that electrical 

 enterprise had not attained its due position in 

 England. A joint select committee of the 

 two Houses of Parliament in 1898 reported 

 that the law should be amended as regards the 

 veto exercised by local authorities, but no steps 

 have been taken to give effect to that recom- 

 mendation. The opinions of the committee 

 are embodied in resolutions to the effect 

 that, notwithstanding that Englishmen have 

 been among the first in inventive genius in 

 electrical science, its development in the 

 United Kingdom is in a backward condition, as 

 compared with other countries; that t|ie cause 

 of such backwardness is especially due to the 

 restrictive character of the legislation govern- 

 ing the initiation and development of electric 

 power and traction undertakings, and the 

 powers of obstruction granted to local authori- 

 ties; that local boundaries have usually no 

 reference whatever to the needs of the com- 

 munity in regard to electric supply and trac- 

 tion, and that the selection of suitable areas 

 should be dealt with on the basis of economic 

 principles and industrial demands; that the 

 development of electric power and traction 

 undertakings offers the most favorable means 

 of relieving congested centers ; that it is ex- 

 pedient in the national interests that the Elec- 

 tric Lighting Acts, 1882-8, the Tramways Act, 

 ISYO, and the Standing Orders relating to 

 special Acts for tramways should be amended 

 in so far as they enable local authorities to veto 

 or delay the carrying out of electric supply and 

 traction projects of which the utility can be 

 shown, and that effect should be given to the 

 recommendations of the joint select committee 

 of Parliament, 1898, on 'Electrical Energy- 

 Generating Stations and Supply'; that while 

 this committee fully recognizes the ability of 

 the teclmical officials of the government de- 



partments concerned, it is of opinion that the 

 staffs of those departments, as at present ex- 

 isting, are wholly inadequate having regard to 

 the great industrial interests involved, and that 

 it is essential that these departments should 

 be put into a posifion enabling them to keep 

 in touch with all developments in engineering 

 matters, both at home and abroad, and 

 that a sufficient sum should be provided an- 

 nually by government to enable them to em- 

 ploy and pay a proper staff for such purposes; 

 that the adjustment of departmental regula- 

 tions to engineering development should not 

 be delayed until the industrial interests con- 

 cerned are seriously hampered, and that, with a 

 view to preventing any such delay, the Institu- 

 tion of Electrical Engineers should be willing 

 to take part in revising such regulations from 

 time to time ; that this committee recommends 

 that the institution should memorialize the 

 prime minister to receive a deputation for the 

 purpose of urging the removal of the present 

 disabilities and restrictions which prevent elec- 

 trical engineering from making the progress 

 that the national interests demand, and attain- 

 ing at least the same level as in America, Ger- 

 many and other industrial countries. 



The United States Geological Survey has 

 resumed field work for the topographic map- 

 ping of a portion of Michigan. The special 

 map on which work is now being done will 

 be known as that of the Ann Arbor quad- 

 rangle, representing the district surrounding 

 the city of that name. Like other topographic 

 maps issued by the Geological Survey, not 

 only the ordinary features will appear in de- 

 tail, but also the relief or topography of the 

 country, with elevations above sea level. 

 Topographic features of special interest which 

 will be represented on the Ann Arbor map are 

 the terminal moraine passing through Ann 

 Arbor and the old shore lines of Lake Erie. 

 The professors and students at the university 

 are interested in the work, and it will afford 

 the students an opportunity for field practice. 

 The work is under the supervision of Topog- 

 rapher E. C. Bebb. 



The British Medical Journal states that at 

 a meeting of representatives of the German 

 medical press, held not long ago^ the follow- 



