SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 203, 22 May 1920, Page 7

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

• BRITAIN IS .ACTIVE. The war taught'the manufacturers of Great Britain that they-could not afford to neglect scientific.research. The British Board'of Trade took up the matter, and iiO'-Aiy the Department'of Scientific and Industrial Research is active in the United' Kingdom.' The results that'aro being obtained are'stated to be very important indeed. Fifteen* important British indus'tiies "now have research associations') which have been approved by the Department. They' are as follow.:— Footwear,-etc.; cotton, wool'and worsted, linwi, iron; non-ferrous metals, motorcars," etc.; rubber and tyres,-glass,-Port-land cement, photography,'scientific 'instruments,'' refractory-'.material's, .sugar, and cocoa; chocolate', sugar confectionery, and jam. ' ' '_'■'' '" ';'

' Schemes for the establishment of re-, search associations for the music' industries' and the' Scottish, shale oil industry have reached an advanced stage of development, as have also schemes for' the following, industries:—Aircraft, electrical and allied goods, leather,' silk, laundering, master bakers, and confectioners. In addition to these. schemes. are- being proposed' for .the industries engaged upon •marine engineering and shipbuilding; agricultural machinery, cycles and motor cycles, , and china clay. ■ > A vast amount of .the time'and thought of many of Britain's ablest scientific men is' being devoted! "to improving, the technique, of production in these industries. ■ Ik- large. amount of money is being spent. The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, in addition to rendering assistance; in many other ways,.makes grants,to approved asociationa out of afund ofa million sterling, which the Imperial Government has allocated for the purpose. These grants are supplementary, and the main resources of tho associations are obtained from tho firms engaged in the industries. ■