74 



REPORT OF DELEGATE TO CORRESPONDING 

 SOCIETIES' CONFERENCE, BRITISH ASSOCIA- 

 TION MEETING, 1903. 



By Professor Gregg Wilson, M.A., PhD., 

 D.Sc., M.R.I.A. 



(Abstract.) 



I was present as representative of the Belfast Natural History 

 and Philosophical Society, at the First Conference of Delegates 

 of the Societies corresponding with the British Association, on 

 September 10th, 1903. The chief business of that meeting was 

 to hear the President of the Association, Sir Norman Lockyer, 

 and to discuss his proposal for the organisation of scientific 

 workers. Sir Norman advocated the formation of a kind of Guild 

 of Science, whose function should be to promote in every way 

 scientific training. He pointed out that other countries were 

 ahead of us in applying science to industry ; that there was urgent 

 need that the claims of science should be pressed upon our 

 government, as many of the responsible authorities knew little, 

 and cared less about science, so that it was necessary to bring 

 home to these the fact that it is the duty of a State to organise its 

 forces as carefully for peace as for war ; that Universities and other 

 teaching centres are as important as battleships or big batallions, 

 are, in fact, essential parts of a modern State's machinery. 



Sir Norman suggested that the Corresponding Societies working 

 in connection with the British Association might play a great part 

 in infusing a scientific spirit into county councils, town councils, 

 and district councils, and might even control votes in the House 

 of Commons. The future British Association he pictured as a 

 kind of Parliament of Science, dealing with all matters great or 

 small relating to Science. 



The discussion that followed was not altogether to the point, but 

 sundry interesting facts were elicited. Principal Griffiths maintained 



