year, while a more favourable rate of interest was secured. After applying 8,125l. 16s. 2d. to meet the cost of certain industrial researches, the balance of 57,232l. 15s. Id. was appropriated in aid of the Vote of the Department through which it was applied towards the cost of research work of value to industry generally, undertaken by the National Physical Laboratory, the Fuel Research Board and the Food Investigation Board.

16. In addition to the million fund for research associations, the Imperial Trust for the Encouragement of Scientific and Industrial Research holds certain other funds for the purposes of the Department. The balances of these funds appearing in the books of the Trust on 31st March 1922 were as follows: the Williamson Trust, 345l. 3s. IId.; various funds held in trust for the National Physical Laboratory, 3,315l. os. 5d.; the Superannuation Trust Funds, 3,714. 13s. 9d., representing accumulated contributions towards the superannuation of certain officers under the Federated Superannuation System for Universities.

17. The Interdepartmental Committee appointed to establish uniformity of procedure between Government departments in dealing with the discoveries made by scientific workers aided or maintained by public funds, issued its Report on 5th October 1921, and the main recommendations are indicated on page 79 in the Report of our Advisory Council. We have given our general approval to the conclusions of the Interdepartmental Committee and have submitted its Report to the Lords Commissioners of Your Majesty's Treasury for their consideration.

18. During the past year, five applications for patents have been filed by the Imperial Trust, in conjunction with the respective inventors. Five applications outstanding from the previous year were not proceeded with and five patents have been allowed to lapse by the non-payment of the renewal fees.

19. During the financial year 1921-22, we have made fifteen grants in aid of scientific investigations conducted by other bodies, of which twelve were in continuation of previous grants. The expenditure on these grants amounted to 8,2871. 8s. 3d., and was met, partly from the vote of the Department (4,802l. 19s. 4d.) and partly from the interest of the million fund (3,484l. 8s. 11d.). A list of the aided researches will be found in Appendix III.

20. During the academic year 1921-22, we made 205 allowances to students to enable them to take advantage of the facilities for training in research offered by various universities and colleges or in other ways. We made 55 grants to research workers to undertake independent research or to act as scientific assistants to investigators. We made 20 grants to scientific workers to enable them to employ laboratory assistants or to purchase equipment. The total expenditure on these grants during the academic year 1921-22 is estimated at 47,005l. as

compared with 39,1911. 14s. during the academic year 1920-21. The expenditure during the financial year 1921-22, covering half of each of these academic years, was 43,7931. 4s. 8d.

21. The expenditure of the Department on headquarters administration during the financial year 1921-22 was 37,560l. 16s. 7d.

22. The total expenditure of the Department during the financial year 1921-22 was 525,584l. 19s. 7d. This sum was made up of 273,193l. 11s. 7d. from the Exchequer, 65,358l. 11s. 3d. the interest of the million fund, 86,355l. 5s. 1d. from the capital to the fund, referred to in paragraph 14 above, and 100,677l. 11s. Sd. from fees for tests and special investigations for outside bodies, from contributions of the shipbuilding industry for research in the Froude Tank and from repayments by the fighting services for research undertaken directly for them. The grant in aid of 39,500l. for the development of research undertaken by our various boards and committees, voted by Parliament in1921-22 was not expended during the past financial year but carried forward for the same purpose to 1922-23.

23. Professor J. F. Thorpe, C.B.E., F.R.S., retired on 31st. July last from our Advisory Council at the conclusion of his period of office. Engineer Vice-Admiral Sir George Goodwin, K.C.B., LL.D., (late Engineer-in-Chief of the Fleet) and Dr. J. C. Irvine, C.B.E., F.R.S., Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of St. Andrews have been appointed to the vacancies occasioned by his retirement and that of the Hon. Sir Charles Parsons, K.C.B., F.R.S., on 31st July 1921.

24. We desire to render our thanks to the Council for their valuable services in planning and supervising the work of the Department during the past year.

ADVISORY COUNCIL

FOR

SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH

Sir WILLIAM S. MCCORMICK, LL.D.

(Administrative Chairman).

Sir GEORGE T. BEILBY, LL.D., F.R.S.

Professor Sir JOHN CADMAN, K.C.M.G., D.Sc.
Professor J. B. FARMER, D.SC., F.R.S.

Sir MAURICE FITZMAURICE, C.M.G., F.R.S.
W. B. HARDY, Esq., Sec. R.S.

Sir HENRY A. MIERS, F.R.S.

Sir JOHN F. C. SNELL, M.Inst.C.E.

Sir JOSEPH J. THOMSON, O.M., F.R.S.
Professor J. F. THORPE, C.B.E., F.R.S.
Sir RICHARD THRELFALL, K.B.E., F.R.S.
Professor SYDNEY YOUNG, D.Sc., F.R.S.

Sir H. FRANK HEATH, K.C.B.,
Secretary.

Air Vice-Marshal Sir W. G. H. SALMOND,Air Ministry.

K.C.M.G., C.B., D.S.O.

REPORT OF THE ADVISORY COUNCIL

TO THE LORDS OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL FOR SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR LORDSHIPS,

WE, the Advisory Council, beg to present the Seventh Annual Report of our proceedings.

During the past year, 1st August 1921 to 31st July 1922, we have held 18 ordinary meetings and 18 special meetings, and our Applications Committee has held 18 meetings. The other committees and boards of the Department, a list of which will be found in Appendix I, have held 132 meetings and have issued a series of reports of which mention is made below.

INTRODUCTION

During the first half of the year covered by this report, a large part of our time and thought was devoted to a critical review of each item in the work and expenditure of the Department, and of the plans we had contemplated for the development of that work. The clamant need for the utmost possible restriction of public spending which led to the appoint-ment last summer of the Committee on National Expenditure under the Chairmanship of the Rt. Hon. Sir Eric Geddes, M.P.,. made this close audit a necessity, although we had already recommended a reduction of over 17 per cent. on our estimates. for 1921-22 as originally drafted, had agreed to apply the interest of the million fund to meet the cost or part of the cost of industrial research undertaken by the Department itself, and. had, in July 1921, recommended a further reduction of 20 per cent. on the estimates for that year as the basis for the preparation of the estimates for 1922-23. We had proposed these economies. with regret but in full sympathy and accord with the reiterated demands of the Treasury for a reduction in the expenditure of all the spending departments of State. In October last, the Treasury issued a third circular instructing departments that it was imperative to devise and put into effect, notwithstanding the sacrifice involved, economies over and above those previously called for, and demanding the elimination of all services, without exception, that were not "absolutely and directly necessary.' In particular, a critical examination was demanded of services remaining over from, or arising out of, special war requirements. It was in these circumstances that we began the third review, within eighteen months, of the work of the Department and submitted each item of the programme and of the expenditure. involved to the acid test proposed by the Treasury. Of each heading we asked, is it "absolutely and directly necessary"? In the result, we reported to Your Lordships that, if the work