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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O.885

21 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

It was made clear at that Conference that if a more comprehensive scheme were adopted, the majority, at any rate, of the Governments concerned would be willing to subscribe on a more liberal basis than was originally suggested, and accordingly proposals are now being submitted to the Governments concerned for the formation of an Imperial Bureau, the main features of which may be summarised as follows:-

(1) The organisation of a system for the prompt identification of all injurious insects sent in by officers attached to departments of Agriculture or Public Health in any of the British Colonies or Dependencies; (2) The publication of a monthly periodical which would give a brief summary of all the current literature, both British and foreign, dealing with noxious insects, whether agricultural pests or disease-carriers; (3) The compilation of a card-index to the literature, past and present, so that any official or student requiring information with regard to any particular post can be promptly supplied with all the knowledge that is available on the subject.

5. It will not be known for some little time, however, whether the proposals now put forward will be definitely accepted by all the Governments concerned; but if they prove generally acceptable, Mr. Harcourt then proposes to approach their Lordships further in the matter with a view to obtaining their sanction for a con- tribution from Imperial funds towards the maintenance of the Bureau. It has been estimated that the upkeep of the Bureau will involve an expenditure of about £2,600 per annum, and it has been suggested that, of this sum, £2,100 should be contributed by the Colonial Governments and the Government of India, thus leaving a balance of £500 to be met from Imperial funds.

6. The scheme is one in which Mr. Harcourt takes a deep interest, and he trusts that, in the event of his requesting their Lordships to sanction a contribution from Imperial funds, they will find no difficulty in concurring in his recommendation. A further communication will be sent to you, when replies have been received to the despatches addressed to the various Governments concerned. If the scheme is accepted by them, it would be desirable that the Bureau should be started at the beginning of next year, and the first contribution would accordingly be asked for in respect of the financial year 1913-14.

&c., H. W. JUST.

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SIR,

No. 74.

TREASURY to COLONIAL OFFICE.

(Received 8 October, 1912.) [Answered by No. 115.]

I am,

Treasury Chambers, 7th October, 1912. I AM directed by the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury to acknowledge the receipt of Sir H. Just's letter (27163/1912) of the 3rd instant,* relative to a scheme for the formation of an Imperial Bureau of Entomology which has been under Mr. Secretary Harcourt's consideration.

My Lords will await the further communication referred to in the letter under reply. They do not clearly understand what will be the relation of the proposed Bureau to the scheme of investigation towards which an annual contribution of £1,000, for a term of five years, expiring in 1914, is at present provided in the Colonial Services Vote, and whether the proposed Bureau will be partly or wholly in substitution for the existing system.

I am, &c.,

31849

No. 75.

ROBERT CHALMERS.

THE EARL OF CROMER to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.

36, Wimpole Street, W., 8 October, 1912. [Published as No. 1 în [Cd. 6429], November, 1912.]

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No. 76.

MINUTES OF THE THIRTEENTH GENERAL MEETING OF THE ENTO- MOLOGICAL RESEARCH COMMITTEE HELD AT THE COLONIAL OFFICE ON WEDNESDAY, 23RD OCTOBER, 1912.

PRESENT:

The EARL OF CROMER (Chairman).

Mr. AUSTEN.

Colonel ALCOCK.

Dr. BAGSHAWE.

Dr. HARMER.

Sir D. MORRIS.

Professor NEWSTEAD.

Sir D. PRAIN.

Mr. READ.

Dr. SHIPLEY.

Mr. THEOBALD.

Mr. MARSHALL (Scientific Secretary).

Mr. PARKINSON (Secretary).

1. The minutes of the 12th General Meeting were approved.

Referring to paragraph 2 (b) of the minutes, Mr. Marshall informed the Com- mittee that the Publication Sub-Committee had, in accordance with the instructions of the Committee, considered the suggestion of Dr. Johann Dewitz as to the publica- tion in the "Bulletin " of articles in foreign languages, and that the Sub-Committee had come to the conclusion that it was premature to take up the suggestion.

2, The Committee considered what measures could be taken for dealing with the froghopper pest in Trinidad. The Secretary informed the Committee that on the previous Friday a deputation of gentlemen interested in the Trinidad sugar estates had had an interview with Sir George Fiddes, at which they had described the seriousness of the situation in the island, and urged strongly the necessity for taking prompt action to check the ravages of this post. They had done all that they could in the past to find a means to eradicate the froghopper pest, and they had at their own expense sent out Dr. Gough some years before to investigate. His work, however, had been inconclusive. They now proposed to engage another scientist, who was, in their opinion entirely suitable for the work, but he had asked for a salary of £1,750 per annum, and the incidental expenses of travelling, &c., would probably bring the annual cost of employing him up to £2,000 per annum. In view of the fact that the prosperity of the whole island would be affected if the sugar industry were to suffer a serious set-back, they asked that the Government should consent to bear half the cost of employing an expert investigator. Sir G. Fiddes had replied in effect that while the Government fully appreciated the seriousness of the position and had just received a despatch on the subject from the Acting Governor of Trinidad, he could not undertake to advise the Secretary of State to ask the Acting Governor to obtain a vote from the Finance Committee towards the expenses of employing a scientist to investigate the matter unless the Entomological Research Committee were satisfied that the applicant whom the proprietors had named was fully qualified for the work.

The Committee was, therefore, asked to consider the qualifications of the appli- cant and to advise on the matter. A letter from the applicant himself setting forth in detail the scientific work which he had carried out was read to the Committee. After careful consideration, the Committer decided that they could not recommend the employment of the applicant. It was arranged that the proprietors should be invited to meet representatives of the Committee on the following day in order that the matter might be fully discussed with them and the reasons for the Committee's decision explained.

The Committee proceeded to consider the suitability of other entomologists who might carry out the investigation, but no definite recommendation was submitted pending further information, which the Scientific Secretary was asked to obtain. The suggestion of the Acting Governor of Trinidad that Professor Went, of Utrecht, should be consulted did not commend itself to the Committee, on the ground

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• No. 52.

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