1917.] The Fourth Indian Science Congress. clxxiii 



at which the lecturers and demonstrators commence, to be inadequate — 

 it compares favourably with that offered in other countries — but rather 

 it is the future prospects which are so poor. In many cases the lecturer 

 can, under no circumstances, hope to get more than Rs. 150 and that 

 only after many years of arduous service. Now I do not think that any- 

 body can consider this to be an inducement for a clever student to enter 

 upon an academic career, and the obvious result will be, therefore, that 

 instead of there being any improvement in the staffs of colleges, they will 

 more and more tend to . deteriorate as other openings arise from the in- 

 crease of the development of the natural resources of the country. 



The tendency for the teaching and research to deteriorate is further 

 enhanced by the fact that in practically all cases promotion is made by 

 seniority and not by merit. I am quite willing to admit that in the 

 larger services, such as the various Government educational services, it 

 will be a matter of considerable difficulty to make any change in the sys- 

 tem, but I really cannot imagine that it is beyond the wit of man to devise 

 some more satisfactory scheme than the present. One can but too well 

 understand the feelings of a brilliant young investigator, when he sees a 

 colleague promoted to a higher post, who has done nothing to render 

 himself worthy of it beyond putting in a certain number of years of ser- 

 vice. This system must be radically altered if we are to see research 

 really develop. 



J have thought it of interest to look into the matter of the staffing 

 of the various colleges teaching chemistry up to the degree standard and 

 I find that in many colleges, not only in this Presidency of Madras, but 

 also elsewhere, it is considered sufficient to have one lecturer in chemis- 

 try to look after not only large Intermediate classes but also the B.A. (or 

 B.Sc.) classes. He is perhaps assisted by a demonstrator without any 

 previous teaching experience who is very often of little help. Not only 

 is this the case, but in some colleges a lecturer is expected to teach both 

 chemistry and physics. So long as this continues we cannot hope to see 

 any improvement. On a recent occasion I pleaded elsewhere for an in- 

 creased staff in a college which was to be affiliated in chemistry, and I 

 was told that in view of the fact that other colleges had no larger a staff, 

 the management saw no reason why the staff should be increased. In 

 this case it was not a question of finance, money was available, laborato- 

 ries were in process of construction, but the authorities, apparently, 

 although they were not men of science, considered that they knew better 

 than their scientific advisers. 



Gentlemen, I have dealt with this question of the staffs of colleges 

 at some length because I feel it to be of vital importance. We have to 

 meet in this country the same opposition as has to be met in England. 

 The heads of colleges, the managers of schools, in short the authorities in 

 charge of education have, as a rule, little or no appreciation of the impor- 

 tance of science or of its requirements. It is perhaps too late in the day 

 for us to educate them but we must make sure that the rising generation 

 is not similarly steeped in ignorance. We must insist that our science 

 shall be given a fair chance and that our teachers shall not be sweated— I 

 use this strong word with intent— but that they shall be given opportu- 

 nity for original work. For I very strongly hold the view that no man 

 can remain a first class teacher or inspire his students who is not actively 



engaged in research. 



Gentlemen, the future is in our hands. Let us prove ourselves 



worthy. 



The Stereochemistry of Alanine Derivatives.— By C. S. Gibson 



and J. L. Simonsen. 



The authors have for a considerable time been engaged on the stereo- 

 chemical study of compounds of the type : 



