August 27, 1915] 



SCIENCE 



283 



giving assistance to his Majesty's government 

 in the conduct of the war." 



We notice that this resolution was sent to 

 the First Lord of the Admiralty, the Minister 

 of "War, the Minister of Munitions and the 

 chairman of the Inventions Board of the Ad- 

 miralty, but WB can scarcely suppose that each 

 of these officers of state will act independently 

 in making whatever use is possible of the offer. 

 Mr. Lloyd George has announced in the House 

 of Commons that he has made arrangements 

 with the Secretary of State for War to take 

 over the invention work relating to the muni- 

 tions of war for the supply of which his de- 

 partment is responsible. Lie has also arranged 

 with the First Lord of the Admiralty to take 

 over the work relating to new expedients and 

 inventions for purely army purposes which are 

 at present in charge of that department. . . . 



Most people assume that these services will 

 be voluntary; and a correspondent directs our 

 attention to the fact that in the forms circu- 

 lated by the Physical Society in connection 

 with the proposed " War Eegister," it is stated 

 that: "It is to be understood that all service 

 would be voluntary, and unpaid, being given 

 for the good of the country during this period 

 of emergency." He adds : " I should like to 

 inquire how it comes about that the Physical 

 Society is not in a position to offer remunera- 

 tion for work of the character specified in the 

 circular on a scale at least bearing a reason- 

 able proportion to the wages paid by the 

 government for the performance of less respon- 

 sible labor. Is it really for the good of the 

 country that this work should be unpaid ? " 



Government departments and statesmen find 

 their requests for expert advice and guidance 

 responded to so willingly by scientific men and 

 societies that they overlook the necessity of 

 making any recompense for work done. In 

 the medical services every qualified practitioner 

 receives rank and reasonable pay, while con- 

 sultants are given generous retaining fees. In 

 legal circles also no advice is expected without 

 a retainer being attached to it ; and in this con- 

 nection we are interested in the announcement 

 that " according to a statement made in the 

 House of Commons Sir John Simon, as attor- 



ney-general, drew £18,000 as his remuneration 

 for the past year." It should be unnecessary 

 to urge that the laws of nature are of as much 

 importance as the laws of the land, and that 

 as in the present crisis men of science can be 

 of greater service to the nation than lawyers 

 or politicians, they should receive at least suffi- 

 cient reward for it to enable them to put aside 

 their daily work in order to take up national 

 duties. There will be no lack of volunteer 

 workers among scientific men, but the state 

 should understand that its responsibility for 

 pajrment on account of expert opinion is at 

 least as great in the case of science as it is in 

 la-w, medicine and engineering. — Nature. 



SCIENTIFIC BOOKS 

 The Social Prohlem, A Constructive Analysis. 

 By Cpiarles A. Ellwood, professor of sociol- 

 ogy in the University of Missouri. In the 

 Citizens' Library of Economics, Politics and 

 Sociology. Edited by Eichaed T. Ely, pro- 

 fessor of political economy in the University 

 of Wisconsin. New York, The MaemiUan 

 Co., 1915. Pp. 249. $1.25. 

 " The present crisis in our civilization," we 

 are told in the preface of this book, " calls for 

 a reconstruction of our social philosophy." 

 The author confidently undertakes the task. 

 Decay is noted in religious belief, moral ideals, 

 political honor, conflict of classes, the break- 

 dovm of regulation and control, the demand 

 for a strong man and centralization in govern- 

 ment. " The very forces which undermined 

 Roman civilization, viz., commercialism, indi- 

 vidualism, materialistic standards of life, mili- 

 tarism, a low estimate of marriage and the 

 family, agnosticism in religion and ethics, 

 seem to be the things which are now promi- 

 nent, if not dominant, in Western civilization." 

 Many new problems have suddenly arisen from 

 increase of population, increase of knowledge, 

 intermingling of races and cultures, increas- 

 ing interdependence of nations, the invention 

 of new machines and various other develop- 

 ments. 



Back of these problems lies the social prob- 

 lem. Eeformers who emphasize special prob- 

 lems do not grasp it. Those whose vision is 



