88 carnegie institution 



Support of Astronomy in the United States. 



The first point (intimately connected with the second) is that the 

 relatively small support which American astronomy receives from 

 the general and state governments contributes, in our opinion, a 

 strong argument for a more liberal support to astronomy on the 

 part of the Carnegie Institution than might be properly urged were 

 the circumstances otherwise. This applies both to the character 

 and amount of support which is needed. The leading governments 

 of Europe each maintain in whole, or in part, many astronomical 

 observatories distributed at various places in their respective domin- 

 ions. The government of the United States contributes to the sup- 

 port of a physical chservatory in connection with the Smithsonian 

 Institution. It also maintains what was once knov/n as the National, 

 and subsequently as the Naval Observatory, in charge of officers 

 of the Navy. One of the objects of this institution is to make 

 astronomical obser\-ations. The general government maintains no 

 observatory outside of Washington. Several observatories have 

 been established by state governments in connection with their 

 respective universities, to which more specific allusion will presently 

 be made. 



Need for Moke Workers. 



The second point to which we invite special attention is that the 

 first need of astronomy in this country, as it seems to us, is not for 

 more buildings and in.?trumeuts so much as for more astronomical 

 workers to use the appliances w^hich are already provided. In the 

 observatories which have been established with or without state aid, 

 the liberality of private individuals in providing for buildings and 

 equipment has had no parallel in any other country. We have 

 nearly as many large telescopes as exist in all other countries of the 

 world combined. Included among these are the telescopes at Yerkes 

 Observatory (40-inch) and at Lick Observatory (36-inch), which 

 are the largest in existence. On the other hand, permit us to call 

 attention to the remarkable fact, that, with one exception among 

 state observatories, and two exceptions among those established and 

 supported by private endeavor, none is maintained with an income 

 which is much larger than is necessary for the payment of incidental 

 expenses, together with the salary of the professor in charge, whose 

 teaching duties usually leave him little opportunity for the routine 



