| Description | Geikie communicates the views of the Indian Government Advisory Committee of the Royal Society on questions relating to the revision of the Dictionary of Economic Products of India, having received the India Office's letter and attachments of 19 April 1907.
The Committee disagree with the recommendation of a Sub-Committee of the Board of Scientific Advice for India that the Dictionary should, in a few years time, be revised, solely focusing on the minor articles not included in the abridgment about to be issued, and that this should be entrusted to Sir George Watt. They believe this would fail to meet the requirements for a complete revised edition. The abridgement is aimed at a different class of reader for whom it is not an essential reference work, and the proposed revision would not resolve the difficulty of the Dictionary being out of print and unprocurable.
The Committee have formerly stated that a revision of the work as a whole is required, and they also believe postponement of the revison to be unneccessary. They accept that Watt is the most suitable man as he prepared the original edition, and advise that his unique knowledge is utilised as soon as he is free from present engagements. They state that he should be granted any necessary facilities in England, with the preparation of the abridgement having demonstrated that the transmission of material to and from India need not impede progress. They also advise that the revision be limited to consideration of economic products. |