CO885-(26N14) — Page 133

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885/26

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

General Office

Stores

++

8

PROPOSED ADDITIONS TO SALARIES, 1919-20.

Summary:

£ 3. d. 186 8 6- 1,311 10 0 136 0 0

£ 3. d.

66 6 0

1,700 4 € 166 19 0

1,533. 5 6

Investigations and Intelligence

Exhibition Galleries

Less Savings on Promotions and Adjustments

Net total additions to Salaries

Administrative

IV. DETAILS OF GENERAL SUMMARY, ITEM No. 5.

Investigations and Intelligence:

PROPOSED ADDITIONS TO STAFF, 1919-20.

Canadian

£ 3. d. 750 0 0

£

J. d.

Assistant Superintendent

400 0 0

Senior Assistant

250 0 0

Assistants (3)

430 0 0

Clerk (1) and Typist (1)

178 0 0

Total

1,258 0 0

2,008 0 0

V. DRAFT ESTIMATES, 1919-20.

£ s. d. 21,626 12 0

SUMMARY.

Receipts.

Expenditure.

Endowment Fund, North Gal-

lery Annuity .. Treasury Grant ...

£ 1. d. 4,290 0 0 2,500 0 0

Grants from Dominions,

Colonies and India:

£ .. d. (a) General 7,991 2 10 (b) For special

Salaries and Wages Stationery, Bulletin, Publica

tions, Library and Printing Postage, etc., and General Ex-

penses Repairs and Alterations

Insurance, Electric

Light,

enquiries 550 0 0

Fees, Miscellaneous and Re-

8,541 2 10

Gas, etc. Apparatus and Materials

1,250,00

510 0 0 350 0 0

388 0 0 400 0 0

Exhibition Galleries

250 0 0

imbursements

1,385 0 0

Audit of Accounta Sinking Fund and Pensions

Reserve Fund

Total

£16,716 2 10

Total

50 0 0

800 0 0

£25,624 12 0

REPORT OF THE HEWINS COMMITTEE.

MEMORANDUM BY THE CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL.

The accompanying memorandum by the Director deals with the chief points in the Report of the Hewins Committee, and will form a basis for consideration by the Special Committee.

In general we have now to consider the recommendations of that report in connection with our General Policy and Finance.

So far as General Policy is concerned, the conclusion of the report, would seem to be that for the present the operations of the Institute in the main should be conducted on the same lines as hitherto

9

It is suggested that the departments concerned with Exhibition and Intelligence should be developed and extended rather than that concerned with investigations, in connection with which the opinion is expressed that technological trials of raw materiala hould to a large extent be delegated to other bodies with whom it is considered that there is at present some overlapping. The Director points out in his memorandum, however, that there is a misappre hension on this subject and that there has been considerable delegation of this class of work of which the Committee were evidently unaware, and that there is no real overlapping.

We shall all agree that any serious duplication of work which can be shown to exist should be avoided, and it should be our duty to see that the Institute does not unnecessarily duplicate work which is already efficiently carried on in other institutions. At the same time it is equally our duty to ensure that other institutions do not overlap with the established work of the Institute, or interfere with its legitimate development in the interests of the industries and trade of the Empire.

The success of the Investigation work of the Institute as carried on in the Scientific and Technical Department shows clearly that preliminary investigation and technical trials of raw materials is an indispensable first step in preparing the case for action by the manufacturer. This, in fact, is admitted in the report, and the question at issue is one only of degree.

The Council has set up influential Committees, including representatives of the respective industries and trades to advise as to the technical work of the Institute, and the question of the extent to which investigations should be carried at the Institute and the extent to which certain work should be delegated to other bodies is one for these Committees to deal with and advise the Council.

The investigation work of the Scientific and Technical Department and the intelligence work of the Technical Information Bureau have so far been conducted in close co-operation and with certain officers in common. I am satisfied that it is for this reason that successful results have been reached, and that the Institute has been able to make this field its own. Great care must, therefore, be taken in connection with any future developments that this unification in the plan of operations is not impaired.

As indicated in the Report, the principal aim of the Institute should undoubtedly be to act as a clearing-house for preliminary investigations and specialised information concerning all classes of raw materials which await industrial utilisation. Part of this information must clearly be gained by investigation and research at the Institute. Another part has to be collected from external sources, and the results of both parts co-ordinated and brought to a conclusion.

We must be careful that the system which has brought success does not degenerate into the mere collection of external information, for which other Departments exist.

Passing now to Finance, we are asked to prepare revised estimates on the basis of the report. The Council has already presented in considerable detail an estimate of the sum required in order to reorganise and extend the operations of the Institute, so as to enable it to render more effective service to all parts of the Empire. The Council ventured to think that the achievements of the Institute were such as to entitle it at once to the additional financial support requested, and the discussions in both Houses of Parliament showed that considerable support was forthcoming for this view. The Hewins Report does not, however, propose that this support should at once be afforded, and the only suggestion definitely made is that the salaries of certain members of the staff should be increased. We have now received the resolution recently pased by the Chambers of Commerce recommending better endowment of the Institute by the Home Government, a resolution which was embodied in a letter to the Prime Minister inviting him to take action.

We have, however, at the moment to reconsider the financial situation on the supposition that the operations of the Institute are not to be completely reorganised or extended as proposed by the Council, but carried on much on the present lines.

Last year there was a deficit on our Estimates, and in consequence of necessary bonuses and increases in salaries and wages during the present year this deficit will be considerably increased. If, therefore, we are to be content for the present to forgo the scheme presented by the Council, we must at least ask that a sufficient sum is provided to extinguish the deficit and enable the present operations of the Institute to be effectively carried on.

The additional amount required for increases of salaries as suggested in the report has also to be considered, as well as the additions to the staff which are needed to cope with the work of the Committees appointed in 1916, the value of which is being amply demonstrated. It is clear that senior members of the staff, even with increased salaries, cannot be expected to continue to perform the additional work imposed on them in the last two years without the provision of additional assistance.

An estimate of the precise sum required will be prepared in connection with the draft Estimates.

If the Treasury will provide the sum needed to enable us to carry on the present work satisfactorily, I have every confidence that the Dominions will be prepared to give further assistance in supporting and developing the operations of the Institute for their benefit. No such action by the Dominions is, however, probable until it is known that adequate financial support is to be afforded to the Institute by the Imperial Government.

January, 1919.

(Sgd.) ISLINGTON.