36074-1914-Investigations-by-the-Imperial-Institute-for-private-individuals-and-firms — Page 2

}

L

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, OCTOBER 30, 1914.

447

3. The Institute, however, is now so completely occupied with the scientific, technical, and commercial researches demanded by the Agricultural, Mines, and other technical depart- ments of the Governments of those parts of His Majesty's dominions which contribute to its funds that it is impossible to undertake investigations on any considerable scale for private individuals and firms without adding to the technical staff, and therefore to the general expenses, of the Institute.

But, having decided to meet what I believe to be a growing demand for such work, I am authorising the Imperial Institute to undertake in future for an appropriate fee researches, investigations, analyses, etc., required by private individuals and firms, either in this country or any of His Majesty's oversea dominions.

4. It will be left to the authorities of the Institute to decide in the case of each applica- tion whether or no the request for researches, etc., is one with which the Imperial Institute can properly comply.

5. Any reports which may be supplied under this arrangement will become the property of those who pay for them and will not be communicated either by the Imperial Institute or by any Government to other persons, or published without the consent of those concerned.

6. As it is undesirable that the Imperial Institute should compete with the professional expert, I propose that only special investigations, etc., should be undertaken, i.e. on subjects of a technical character with which the Imperial Institute is exceptionally qualified to deal, especially those relating to the production and utilisation of materials which occur in the British Empire or which might be introduced into British countries and are considered likely to be of value to British commerce or trade.

7. It may be useful if I refer to some of the more important matters with which the Imperial Institute is in a special position to deal :-

(a) Investigations as to the value of new or little known raw materials for com-

mercial purposes.

(b) Chemical analyses, assays and valuations of raw materials, such as fibres, rub- bers, oil-seeds, waxes, food-stuffs, tanning materials, essential and fixed oils, gums, resins, drugs, tobaccos, soils, minerals, ores, waters, fuels, etc., etc. (c) The technical testing of rubber, timbers, cotton, fibres, cements, and other

materials.

(d) Identifications of vegetable and mineral substances.

2

8. I am informed that the Managing Committee are not prepared at present to suggest any actual scale of fees which could meet the variety of cases which are likely to occur. The fee must be arranged between the Institute and the individuals or firms who require investigations to be made. The matter will be in the hands of the Director, who will from time to time report to the Managing Committee the fee proposed in any special case in which this cannot be determined by ordinary practice.

9. I believe that the adoption of the plan I have indicated will increase the usefulness of the Imperial Institute to the manufacturing and industrial communities of all countries of the Empire: and, as it will doubtless be of importance to the residents of the Colony/Pro- tectorate under your government. I shall be glad if you will take steps to make the arrange- ment I have sanctioned widely known, either by publishing this despatch in whole or part in the Official Gazette or in such other way as may seem to you to be most effective.

The Officer Administering the Government of

I have, &c.,

HONGKONG.

L. HARCOURT.