Science and Parliament

Abstract

IT must be gratifying to all readers of NATURE to learn from the leading article in the issue of Oct. 26 that science will now have a group of members of the House of Commons who will, to some extent, look after the interests of the country in matters where science is concerned. This is due to the secretary of the Association of Scientific Workers, a body which is devoted to furthering the interests and usefulness of all who are engaged in scientific work. There is, so far as I know, no other body with the same aims; at least none which represents all branches of science. I say all branches of science because it can scarcely be said to represent—unless it be vicariously—all scientific workers, as its numbers are small compared with the great number of possible members. Those who know of its work realise that in its brief existence it has done a great deal to forward the interests of science. The increase in the Treasury grant for scientific publications was obtained through the efforts of this body, which has also done much useful work of a kind that cannot well be made public.