1906.] Anniversary Address by Lord Rayleigh. 87 



the effect of alternating stresses on steels. The work on electrical standards 

 with the Ampere Balance, which has a special interest for myself, is well 

 advanced. In the hands of Mr. Smith the measurement of the electrolytic 

 deposits of silver, which represent the whole passage of electricity through 

 the apparatus, has attained a remarkable precision and, what is perhaps 

 more important, some anomalies met with at first seem to be on the road to 

 elucidation. Mr. Campbell has made progress with his research on 

 hysteresis in steel sheets, and Dr. Harker is engaged with interesting 

 investigations in high-temperature thermometry. 



Changes in the staff have taken place. Dr. Caspari resigned his position 

 in order to take up private practice, while Dr. Carpenter has been appointed 

 the first Professor of Metallurgy in the Victoria University of Manchester. 

 The arrangements with the Indian Government have necessitated an 

 alteration in the metallurgical division, and the Committee have thought it 

 right to constitute a Department of Metallurgy and Metallurgical Chemistry, 

 with a Superintendent in charge of the work. They have been fortunate in 

 securing the services of Mr. W. Rosenhain as the first occupant of the post. 



A question of importance has arisen as to the performance at the Laboratory 

 of tests, partaking of a routine character, on the physical and mechanical 

 properties of specimens of material. To this objection has been taken on 

 the ground of competition with the work of private establishments. In one 

 of its aspects the question is financial. But the Executive Committee are of 

 opinion that, even if the pecuniary loss were recouped, the efficiency of the 

 Laboratory would suffer from the abandonment of this work. While anything 

 like unfair competition with private establishments should be avoided, the 

 execution of tests is good practice for the staff, and tends to keep them in 

 touch with the manufacturers and with the practical problems which may 

 demand examination. In view of the difference of opinion that has manifested 

 itself, the Treasury has decided to appoint a small committee to inquire into 

 the working of the Laboratory, with a special reference to this question. 



On a former occasion, my distinguished predecessor, Sir William Huggins, 

 called attention to some of the more important matters on which the Society 

 in the past had initiated, supported, or given advice about scientific questions 

 in connection with the State, and in other ways had made its influence felt 

 strongly for the good of the country. It would hardly become me, with my 

 short experience of the working of the Society, at least in recent years, to 

 pursue this theme. The function of the Society which lies most open to the 

 observation of an incoming President is that exercised at the ordinary 

 meetings. I am impressed with the difficulty, arising out of the ever- 



