THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE. 



473 



THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE. 



THE CARNEGIE INSTITUTION 

 AND THE MARINE BIOLOG- 

 ICAL LABORATORY. 



The first information made public in 

 regard to the policy of the Carnegie 

 Institution, beyond the original out- 

 line presented by Mr. Carnegie in his 

 deed of gift and some very general 

 statements made by President Gilman 

 and other members of the executive 

 committee, is the announcement that 

 the corporation of the Marine Biolog- 

 ical Laboratory at Woods Hole has 

 voted to transfer its buildings and 

 equipment to the trustees of the Car- 

 negie Institution. This gift can not 

 be accepted until the trustees hold 

 their November meeting, but it was 

 stated to the corporation of the labora- 

 tory that the executive committee of 

 the Carnegie Institution would recom- 

 mend that the laboratory be made a 

 branch of the institution and liberally 

 developed, money being appropriated 

 for buildings and $20,000 a year for 

 current expenses. It is rumored fur- 

 ther that a geophysical laboratory will 

 be established at Washington and sup- 

 ported on a large scale. 



The Carnegie Institution, the Woods 

 Hole Laboratory and science in Ameri- 

 ca are face to face with complicated 

 circumstances, and difficult problems 

 are involved in any solution. The in- 

 stitution can contribute greatly to the 

 development of science either by estab- 

 lishing and conducting several great 

 laboratories or by cooperating with ex- 

 isting agencies. The majority of 

 American men of science prefer the lat- 

 ter course and will regret the apparent 

 decision of the executive committee to 

 recommend the acquisition of a biolog- 

 ical laboratory. It may be said that 

 the various scientific and educational 



institutions throughout the country 

 and their officers are selfish, hoping to 

 share in the distribution of funds or 

 fearing a new rival. It has, however, 

 also been suggested that the officers of 

 the Carnegie Institution may aggran- 

 dize the institution rather than con- 

 tribute in the most effective manner to 

 scientific research. We, however, be- 

 lieve that both the officers of the insti- 

 tution and the scientific men of the 

 country are entirely sincere in their 

 efforts to make the Carnegie Institu- 

 tion the most potent factor possible for 

 the advancement of science. The ex- 

 ecutive committee of the institution 

 has appointed advisory committees of 

 men of science in different subjects, 

 and these committees are securing evi- 

 dence and preparing reports. It is per- 

 haps proper that these reports and 

 even the names of the members of the 

 committees should be kept secret until 

 the executive committee has made its 

 report to the trustees. We hope, how- 

 ever, that the trustees will not commit 

 the institution to any irrevocable pol- 

 icy in November, but will make public 

 all the alternative suggestions pre- 

 sented and permit careful considera- 

 tion and full discussion before final 

 plans are adopted. 



Whether or not it is advisable for 

 the Carnegie Institution to conduct a 

 marine biological laboratory rather 

 than cooperate with the Fish Commis- 

 sion and the various existing labora- 

 tories may be an open question, but it 

 is undoubtedly true that most of those 

 interested in the Woods Hole labora- 

 tory regret that it has been found nec- 

 essary to turn it over to the Carnegie 

 Institution. The Woods Hole labora- 

 tory is the only institution of national 

 importance that has been conducted by 



