22 R. GREIG-SMITH. 



the extent that their respective industries have been 

 dependent upon the enemy for raw or intermediate material 

 and machinery. Especially is it enquiring into the manner 

 in which the want of these has been met, and the extent 

 to which they are being or can be made in Australia. In 

 the event of their not having been made here, the com- 

 mittee proposes to examine the factors which have pre- 

 vented their manufacture. In the case of articles which 

 are made locally, and which have been competing with 

 enemy goods, information is sought as to the conditions 

 which would entail the goods being manufactured com- 

 pletely in Australia. 



The Government formed a Patents Investigation Board 

 to financially assist the preliminary testing of any inven- 

 tion, likely to be useful to the public, and to promote the 

 utilisation of the invention. By February 4th of this year 

 over one hundred specifications had been lodged, and of 

 these thirty were of a military nature. It is unfortunate 

 that the general percentage of inventions submitted to 

 such bodies, which are likely to become useful, is so low. 

 Mr. Balfour, First Lord of the Admiralty, announced in the 

 British Parliament, on February 17th, 1916, that of 1,000 

 inventions submitted, 999 were useless, and of the remainder 

 a large percentage had been anticipated. The consider- 

 ation of so much husk for so small a kernel, involves a great 

 deal of labour to the members of the Board, who are 

 patriotically giving their services to the State. 



Although our own Society was established to assist 

 science by the publication of papers, it seemed to the 

 Council that it would be only right for the Society, at the 

 present time, to offer its services to the Government in con- 

 nection with any scientific matter arising out of the present 

 war, on which the Government might desire its assistance. 

 The Premier on behalf of the Government cordially accepted 

 the offer. 



