September 25, 1903.] 



SCIENCE. 



391 



disadvantages of a piiblic kind which im- 

 pede its progress.' 



Everyone connected with the British As- 

 sociation from its beginning may be con- 

 gratuhited upon the magnificent way in 

 which the other objects of the As.sociation 

 have been carried out, but as one familiar 

 with the Association for the last forty 

 years, I cannot but think that the object to 

 which I have specially referred has been 

 too much overshadowed by the work done 

 in connection with the others. 



A careful stud}^ of the early history of 

 the Association leads me to the belief that 

 the function I am now dwelling on was 

 strongly in the minds of the founders ; but 

 be this as it may, let me point out how ad- 

 mirably the organization is framed to en- 

 able men of science to influence public opin- 

 ion and so to bring pressure to bear upon 

 Governments which follow public opinion. 

 (1) Unlike all the other chief metropolitan 

 societies, its outlook is not limited to any 

 branch or branches of science. (2) We 

 have a wide and numerous fellowship, in- 

 cluding both the leaders and the lovers of 

 science, in which all branches of science are 

 and always have been included with the ut- 

 most catholicity— a condition which ren- 

 ders strong committees possible on any 

 subject. (3) An annual meeting at a time 

 when people can pay attention to the de- 

 liberations, and when the newspapers can 

 print reports. (4) The pos.sibility of beat- 

 ing up recruits and establishing local com- 

 mittees in different localities, even in the 

 King's dominions beyond the seas, since the 

 place of meeting changes from year to year, 

 and is not limited to these islands. 



We not only, then, have a scientific par- 

 liament competent to deal with all matters, 

 including those of national importance, re- 

 lating to science, but machinery for in- 

 fluencing all new councils and conmiittees 

 dealing with local matters, the functions of 

 which are daily becoming more important. 



The machinery might consist of our cor- 

 responding societies. We already have 

 affiliated to us seventy societies with a mem- 

 bership of 25,000; were this number in- 

 creased so as to include everj- scientific so- 

 ciety in the Empire, metropolitan and pro- 

 vincial, we might eventually hope for a 

 membership of half a million. 



I am glad to know that the Council is 

 fully alive to the importance of giving im- 

 petus to the work of the corresponding so- 

 cieties. During this year a committee was 

 appointed to deal with the question; and 

 later still, after this committee had re- 

 ported, a conference was held between this 

 committee and the corresponding societies 

 committee to consider the suggestions made, 

 some of which will be gathered from the 

 following extract : 



"In view of the increasing importance of 

 science to the nation at large, your commit- 

 tee desire to call the attention of the coun- 

 cil to the fact that in the corresponding 

 societies the British Association has gath- 

 ered in the various centres represented by 

 these societies practically all the scientific 

 activity of the provinces. The number of 

 members and associates at present on the 

 list of the corresponding societies ap- 

 proaches 25,000, and no organization is in 

 existence anywhere in the country better 

 adapted than the Briti.sh Association for 

 stimulating, encouraging and coordinating 

 all the work being carried on by the 

 seventy societies at present enrolled. Your 

 committee are of opinion that further en- 

 couragement should be given to these so- 

 cieties and their individual working mem- 

 bers by every means within the power of 

 the association : and with the object of keep- 

 ing the corresponding societies in more per- 

 manent touch with the Association they 

 suggest that an official invitation on behalf 

 of the Council be addres.sed to the .societies 

 through the corresponding societies com- 

 mittee asking them to appoint standing 



