2 The National Union of Scientific Workers. 
representative and democratic basis. But here we have a union 
whose “ primary concern ” is economic, with a suggested ‘ hinter¬ 
land ’ of other objects, as yet undetermined. It may he insisted 
that the memorandum is provisional and that the aims may be 
entirely revised at the first general meeting. Nevertheless, no one 
can avoid judging of the desirability or otherwise of a proposed 
organisation by the declared aims of its promoters. And taking the 
memorandum as it stands it is difficult to avoid the judgment that 
the union proposed would have its place rather in the world of 
Labour than in the world of Science. The interests of science 
and of scientific work would seem to deserve at least an equal place 
with the economic interests of its members in the programme of a 
union of scientific workers which aspires to be more than a mere 
trade union. 
It might perhaps be possible to form a professional association 
of scientific workers, having something in common with the British 
Medical Association, the Law Society, the Institute of Chartered 
Accountants, and similar bodies, though it would of course have no 
statutory powers and its organisation and functions would necessarily 
differ from those of any of these bodies in many important respects 
The primary difficulty is of course the want of cohesion among 
scientific workers and the very wide range of their interests and 
activities. But we see no insuperable difficulty in combining the 
economic objects of a trade union with the promotion of the 
interests of science and scientific work, in definite and carefully 
considered ways, and we suggest to the promoters of the Union that 
they should consider the point with attention. Unless something 
of the kind is attempted it seems unlikely that the proposed union 
will meet with the practically universal support which is essential 
if it is to attain its economic objects. 
