336 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLII. No. 1080 



Breslau, and Dr. Karl Muenk, ctemist in the 

 Prussian Geological Survey. 



It is said that the Nobel prizes for the pres- 

 ent year will not be awarded. From next year 

 the prizes will be reduced by about $5,000, 

 representing the amount of the new Swedish 

 defence tax. 



In a letter to the London Times, Sir Henry 

 E. Eoscoe, who was president of the British 

 Association for the Advancement of Science 

 when it met in Manchester twenty-five years 

 ago, writes : " The pressing importance of the 

 organization of scientific method and research 

 has now become recognized both by govern- 

 ment and the public. Tour columns have been 

 generously open to distinguished scientific 

 opinion as to this necessity. The more impor- 

 tant scientific societies are busily engaged in 

 forming committees of their members to aid 

 government departments, whilst these latter 

 have called in specially qualified experts from 

 all branches of scientific inquiry to aid min- 

 isters and departmental officials in carrying 

 out the new duties which the present position 

 entails. So far, so good. But more remains 

 to be done. A general conference of the lead- 

 ers and workers in British science needs to be 

 added. Of the importance of such conference 

 and of the ensuing personal contact at the 

 present moment there can not be two opinions. 

 Such an opportunity will present itself at the 

 forthcoming eighty-fifth meeting of the great 

 annual Congress of British Science to be held 

 in Manchester on September 7. This year the 

 meeting will be stripped of all but its scien- 

 tific activities, and these, if properly utilized, 

 can not fail to be of essential use to the coun- 

 try, for it is by the personal intercourse of 

 scientific men of all kinds that stimulus is 

 aroused and progress made. It is, therefore, 

 confidently expected that at the September 

 meeting every branch of British scientific 

 activity will be fully represented, so that the 

 expression of their united opinion may be 

 given with no uncertain voice." 



The board of directors of the American 

 Institute of Electrical Engineers, as we learn 

 from the Electrical World, held in New York 

 on August 10, its first meeting of the adminis- 



trative year which began on August 1. Presi- 

 dent John J. Carty announced his appoint- 

 ments on the various institute committees for 

 the administrative year. The chairmen of the 

 committees appointed are as follows: Finance, 

 Mr. J. Franklin Stevens, Philadelphia, Pa.; 

 library. Dr. Samuel Sheldon, Brooklyn, N. Y.j 

 meetings and papers, Mr. L. T. Kobinson, 

 Schenectady, N. Y.; editing, Professor H. H. 

 Norris, New York ; board of examiners, Dr. A. 

 S. McAllister, New York; sections, Mr. H. A. 

 Hornor, Philadelphia, Pa.; standards, Pro- 

 fessor 0. A. Adams, Cambridge, Mass.; code, 

 Mr. Farley Osgood, Newark, N. J.; law, Mr. 

 G. H. Stockbridge, New York; power stations, 

 Mr. C. F. Uebelacker, New York ; transmission, 

 Mr. P. H. Thomas, New York; railway. Pro- 

 fessor D. C. Jackson, Boston, Mass.; protec- 

 tive apparatus, Dr. E. E. F. Creighton, 

 Schenectady, N. Y. ; electric lighting. Dr. Clay- 

 ton H. Sharp, New York; telegraphy and tele- 

 phony, Mr. G. M. Yorke, New York; indus- 

 trial power, Mr. David B. Rushmore, Schenec- 

 tady, N. Y.; use of electricity in marine work, 

 Mr. C. S. McDowell, New York; electro- 

 chemics. Professor A. F. Ganz, Hoboken, N. 

 J.; electrophysics, Mr. John B. Whitehead, 

 Baltimore, Md. ; records and appraisals of 

 properties, Mr. Philander Betts, Newark, N. 

 J.; educational. Professor V. KarapetoS, 

 Ithaca, N. Y. ; public-policy committee, Mr. 

 Calvert Townley, New York; development of 

 water-powers, Mr. Calvert Townley, New 

 York; patents, Mr. Ralph D. Mershon, New 

 York; membership, Mr. W. A. Hall, Lynn, 

 Mass.; historical museum, Mr. T. C. Martin, 

 New York; United States national committee, 

 International Electrotechnical Commission, 

 Mr. C. 0. Mailloux, New York; relations of 

 consulting engineers. Dr. L. B. Stillwell, New 

 York; code of principles of professional con- 

 duct, Professor George F. Sever, New York; 

 hazards from lightning. Professor Elihu 

 Thomson, Swampscott, Mass.; reserve corps 

 of engineers, Mr. Bion J. Arnold, Chicago, 

 HI.; constitutional revision, Mr. Bancroft 

 Gherardi, New York. Representatives were 

 also appointed on various joint committees 

 and other bodies. 



