April, 1919] Report Ohio Academy of Science 309 



welcomed. Since there is not likely to be another meeting of the 

 Academy before the next Assembly meets, some direction or indication 

 of the wishes of the Academy will be of special value. 



There has been no session of the Assembly since our last meeting 

 and therefore no presentation of our wishes has been possible. 



It appears to the committee that desired legislation may be sought 

 along two lines; first, to provide funds for the Academy to undertake 

 definite researches along special lines and to provide a fund for the 

 publication of the proceedings of the society; second, to secure such 

 legislation as may connect the Academy in an advisory capacity with 

 the State in regard to matters of scientific importance requiring technical 

 scientific information, and which the membership of the Academy is 

 qualified to give. 



For the first purpose it seems that the most probable fund might 

 be one providing for publication either directly by state printing, 

 with perhaps, a limitation of say 500 pages per year or a direct appropria- 

 tion, to be expended by the Society for publication purposes. Such a 

 request might be the first to urge, and then a request for the appropria- 

 tion of a research fund, to be expended under the direction of the 

 Trustees of the Research Fund of the Academy in such an amount as 

 might be deemed essential for the investigations proposed. 



For the second general purpose, there would seein to be necessary an 

 act creating an advisory committee within the Academy, with power 

 to fomi sub-committees for specific problems, especially with reference 

 to needed legislation along lines within the scope of the Academy. 

 Such, for example, as legislation concerning conservation and utilization 

 of natural resources of the state, the protection of forests, the develop- 

 ment of fisheries, game and other natural resources, the best develop- 

 ment and utilization of which are matters of scientific knowledge and 

 which are in considerable degree now the subject of controversy by 

 special interests, rather than the objects of care by intelligent agencies 

 interested in their widest service and perpetuation. 



Unless it is possible to have a careful discussion of these questions 

 and to give certain fairly definite instructions, it would seem necessary 

 in order to make any progress within the next year that the committee, 

 or a new committee formed for the purpose, be given considerable 

 discretion in the matter of character and extent of the legislation 

 sought. While there is perhaps less hope at present on account of the 

 urgency of other matters, it would seem that the importance of these 

 measures for the Academy merit as prompt action as possible and it 

 will be well certainly to have our needs formulated in such definite 

 shape that we may be prepared to act as proinptly as circumstances 

 will pennit. 



T. C. Mendenhall, Chairman, 

 Herbert Osborn. 



Owing to the request of Dr. Mendenhall to be excused 

 from the chairmanship of the committee and to Prof. Waite's 

 temporary absence on war work, it w^as voted that the present 



