THE 
NEW PHYTOIiOGIST. 
Vol. XVII, Nos. 3 & 4 . March & April, 1918 . 
[Published May 6th, 1918.] 
THE NATIONAL UNION OF SCIENTIFIC WORKERS. 
To the Editor of the New Phytologist. 
Dear Sir, 
I have read with interest your carefully written editorial in the 
Jan. and Feb. issue of the New Phytologist dealing with the 
National Union of Scientific Workers. I must say at once that 
there are many who will appreciate your belief that any proposal 
for the establishment of a national organisation of men and women 
of science has a privia facie claim on the very serious attention of 
all scientific workers and that the formation of an association having 
the functions of a trade union may be necessary. I am not clear, 
however, why you should regard as likely to incur censure among 
influential men the fact that the National Union of Scientific 
Workers appears likely to insist among its aims when they are 
finally formulated on “ the promotion by corporate action the 
economic interests of its members.” You yourself, Sir, appear in 
the preceding number of the New Phytologist as one of the authors 
of a memorandum dealing with “ The Reconstruction of Botanical 
Teaching ” in which it is stated that your object is to put forward five 
concrete proposals, the fifth of which reads as follows:— 
“A determined and general effort should be made to raise the 
remuneration of teachers and of holders of purely research posts to 
a reasonable living wage.” 
In the present number “Witness” cordially agrees with the 
remarks of the authors of this memorandum on the pressing need 
for reform in this matter (the scale of payment to Botanists). 
Surely “ Witness ” and also the five signatories of the memorandum 
including yourself, Sir, are to be regarded as “ influential men,” but 
if they are among those who, as you say, “ are exceeding unlikely to 
approve the formation of a Union” it cannot be for the reason 
you think, namely, that its aims were provisionally stated to be the 
promotion by corporate action of the economic interests of its 
members. 
