Scientific and Industrial Research 33 



an early date the formation of Standing Committees. Standing 

 Committees for Engineering, for Metallurgy, and for Mining have 

 already been formed, and have held meetings, and several other 

 such Committees are under consideration. On the committees 

 already formed we have been fortun<1,te to obtain the services of 

 many of the most eminent men in their respective industries in 

 the country. The duties of the Standing Committees will be to 

 advise the Council on researches relating to subjects with which 

 they are concerned and on which they are experts. 



The formation of these Standing Committees shows, I think, 

 that there is no intention on the part of the Advisory Council 

 to attempt to pass judgment on the many schemes which may 

 be submitted to them without first obtaining in every case the 

 best expert opinion available. 



Many other Standing Committees will be necessary, but in 

 other trades it is not so easy to form them as it is in the 

 Engineering trades, partly because the Engineering trades are 

 well organized, and partly because Engineering i^roblems are more 

 specific and less varied than those that occur in other branches 

 of industry. The ramifications of the Chemical trades, for 

 example, are so numerous that it is impossible to cover the 

 ground with a single committee and the number of committees 

 must not become too great. Probably we shall have Committees for 

 Glass, for Fuel, for Textiles, for Kubber, and for other branches 

 of industry as the necessity becomes obvious. I have dealt at 

 some length with these Standing Committees because it is 

 important that men engaged in any industry should realize that 

 any proposals for research they put forward will in the first 

 place be reported upon by a Committee composed of men eminent 

 in similar lines of work. 



Let us proceed to consider some of the constructive work 

 which it has been possible to accomplish in the first year. 

 Examples of work done afford the readiest way of explaining 

 the scope and character of the Council's responsibilities. The 

 work divides itself into two main types : — (l) Scientific Research, 

 (2) Industrial Research. 



