| Description | Present at the meeting: Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins, President of the Royal Society, in the chair; Mr H R Beeton (Chairman, Chelsea Electricity Supply Co.; Colonel R E Crompton (Chairman, Kensington and Knightsbridge Electric Co): Mr A E Franklin (Chairman, Notting Hill Electric Lighting Co.); Major Richardson (for the Chairman, Metropolitan Electric Supply Co.); Mr Wilson (for the Chairman, London Electric Supply Co.); Sir Frank Smith (Chairman, Parsons' Memorial Executive Committee; Sir Archibald Denny (Institution of Naval Architects); Mr L St. L Pendred (Institution of Mechanical Engineers); Sir Alfred Ewing; Professor E W Marchant (President of the Institution of Electrical Engineeers); Lord Rayleigh; Lord Rutherford
Apologies for absence from the Earl of Balfour (Chairman, St James' and PAll Mall Electric Lighting Co.), Dr W H Eccles (Institute of Physics), and Mr R J Walker (N E Coast Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders
Matters discussed;
1. President stated the purpose of the meeting was ' to obtain the opinion of the Directors of the London Power Company as a representative unit on the stepl likely to result in the widest response to an appeal from those interests throughout the country which had benefitted from the genius of Sir Charles Parsons. '
2. An account of the inception of the idea of a memorial by the principal technical bodies in London, of the formation of a large committee consisting of representatives of all the technical and scientific institutions named at teh end of the Appeal, and of the deliberatins of the small executive committee appointed by the main committee to considerways and means for bringing about such a memorial given by Sir Frank Smith. Three proposals established; (1) a memorial plaque in Westminster Abbey. (2) An annual lecture accompanied by an honorarium and a commemorative medal to the lecturer, in any of the subjects in which Sir Charles Parsons was interested and (3) a big scheme, to which the committee had given much thought, a Parsons' Research Library in London House.
Because of the depressed state of the shipbuilding and optical industries, bulk of the money must come from the electrical industry. As the extensive use of the turbo-generator was the main cause of the chepness of electricity in this country, it was thought they could ask the Power Companies to give the most generous support to their appeal. Not desirable to make a public appeal, so had deciede to ask the Chairmen of a few Power Companies in london for their help and advice, and ultimately would ask for financial help.
Emphasized members fo the Executive Committee had visited London House and examined the scheme, and that any suggestions put forward to make the library more appropriate as a Parsons' memorial woudl be incorporated int he plans. It would be called the "Charles Parsons' Memorial Wing" , the "Charles PArsons' Research Library" and woudl have a bust of Si rCharles PArsons.
3. Mr Beeton expressed his obligation and that of the industry to the memory of Charles Parsons, and given the size of the electrical industry suggested the meeting should 'formulate a scheme for making the appeal as widespread as possible.'
4. Colonel Crompton agreed the Power companies had beneifited most from Parsons' work, he was impressed with the London House proposal and was prepared to provide £350 spead over seven years. The companies should have no difficulty in raising £3000 to give a lead to the rest of the country.
5. Mr Franklin supported all the three proposals and agreed with Mr Beeton they needed a long lilst of subscribers.
6. Sir Archibald Denny stated that thought he shipping industry was very depressed, but the ship builders were the first users of the turbine, and would be anxious to discharge their debt to Sir Charles.
7. Major Richardson proposed 'that one form of their asssistance shoudl be the formation of a committee representing the Power Companies interests to work in conjunction with the Executive Committee, in order to bring the proposals to fruition. ' Sir Frank Smith welcomed his suggestion. Sir Archibald Denny suggested the Naval Architects would do the same.
8. Mr Beeton proposed a list of of leaders in the North and Manchester willing to work with the Executive Committee to provide a practical scheme.
9. It was suggested by Mr Franklin that ' the Chairmen of the London Companies might get together and submit within the next few days a figure which all the London Companies might give as a whole and then divide it amongst themselves. '
10. The results of the meeting were summarised by Sir Frank Smith;
10.1 Names were to be submitted for the representative committee
10.2 A suggested contribution from all the London companies as a whole was to be obtained. |