700 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XI. No. 279. 



National Physical Lahoratory. — Established 

 1899, to be situated at Old Deer Park, 

 Eichmond, Surrey. To be a general stand- 

 ardizing laboratory where standards and 

 measuring instruments in use in science or 

 in trade may be verified. Research work 

 may be undertaken when required for the 

 needs of the laboratory or regarded as of 

 distinct value to the public generally. To 

 this institution will be added the buildings, 

 grounds, equipment, and income of the Kew 

 Observatory, thus placing the latter institu- 

 tion under the general head of government 

 institutions. Work to be controlled by a 

 committee of leading scientists, and under 

 immediate control of a director. 

 Annual appropriation, 1900-1 901, for salaries, 

 equipment, and incidental expenses (above 

 the income of Kew Observatory) |20,000 



Germany. 

 Die Normal Aichungs Commission. — Estab- 

 lished 1868, at Berlin, to regulate the sys- 

 tem of inspection of weights and measures 

 throughout the North German Confedera- 

 tion ; to construct and provide standards 

 and the necessary measuring apparatus for 

 the local bureaus ; to fix regulations in re- 

 gard to the system of inspection, and to 

 provide for the safe custody of the stand- 

 ards. Under the immediate supervision of 

 a director, aided by the commission, which 

 is composed of scientific men who have 

 been connected directly or indirectly with 

 matters pertaining to weights and measures. 

 Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars 

 was appropriated in 1899 for new buildings 

 and equipment. 



Total annual expenses, including salaries, 

 equipment, and incidental expenses for the 

 year 1897-98 $36,000 



Die Physikalische- Technische Reichsanstalt. — 

 Established 1887, at Charlottenburg, as a 

 national physical laboratory and standard- 

 izing bureau. Under the control of a presi- 

 dent, with an advisory board or council of 



scientific men. The total appropriations to 

 date for buildings, grounds, and equipment 

 amount to over $1,000,000. 



Total annual expenses, including salaries, 

 equipment, and incidental expenses for the 

 year 1897-98 $80,000 



The Reichsanstalt is organized in two sec- 

 tions, as follows : 



Section I.— The execution of physical in- 

 vestigations and measurements which aim 

 at the solution of scientific problems of great 

 importance, which require a greater outlay 

 of time, equipment, and materials than are 

 at the disposal of institutions founded pri- 

 marily for educational purposes . The work 

 of the section also includes the solution of 

 such scientific problems as may arise in con- 

 nection with the work of Section II. 



Section II. — (1) The execution of phys- 

 ical or technical investigations, as required 

 by the Government, or which are of such a 

 character as to further the interests of Ger- 

 man manufacturers of instruments of pre- 

 cision, and other branches of technological 

 work, such as the determination of the 

 physical properties of materials, the prepa- 

 ration of materials, the best methods of con- 

 struction for technical and measuring ap- 

 paratus. 



(2) The verification and calibration of 

 measuring instruments and standards of 

 reference not provided for by. the Aichungs 

 Commission. 



(3) The construction of instruments, or 

 parts of instruments, and the execution of 

 the mechanical work needed in connection 

 with the equipment and investigations of 

 the institution, and for other bureaus of the 

 Government, so far as such work cannot be 

 afforded by private workshops. 



(4) The execution, in special cases, of 

 work similar to that mentioned in (3) for 

 German manufactures. 



The Reichsanstalt is reimbursed for work 

 performed in accordance with (3) and (4) 



