Summary: AT the annual conference of the Association of Mining Electrical Engineers held in Nottingham last July, suggestive comments were made on the directions in which engineering progress could be most helpful in mining. During recent years, notable advances have been made in developing safety lamps, flameproof switchgear of all kinds and signalling. In the latter department, experiments between the surface of the ground and the workings underneath have been made with a fair amount of success by means of wireless, but sub-surface radio still remains a possibility of the future. In his presidential address, Mr. A. W. Williams, whilst admitting the progress that has been made, urged that they must never be content with the present degree of efficiency. Engineers at the present time pay special attention to standardisation. Practically every commodity used in connexion with electrical apparatus is either standardised or is being studied with that end in view. He fears that this tendency will retard efforts to further research in the directions of safety and efficiency, and tends to put a check on individual initiative and investigation. Mr. Williams does not approve of some of the devices introduced to control apparatus at a distance, for they cannot always be trusted to work satisfactorily; they make for safety in some ways, but increase the risks in others. From the mining engineer's point of view, they offer few, if any, compensating advantages by increasing the efficiency of coal production.