s CARNEGIE INSTITUTION 



These declarations seem to mean that the Instituution desires 

 especially to assist in repairing notable deficiencies in knowledge. 

 There is a kind of balance in the progress of various branches of 

 research which it is desirable to maintain, so that results in one line 

 of inquiry shall not remain too long unused in the archives of science 

 while another line of investigation is bringing what is necessary for 

 their proper interpretation. A virtual deficiency in knowledge may 

 also be created through the neglect of opportunity to undertake 

 some promising line of investigation, caused either by the forbid- 

 ding cost of preparation or by some special inconvenience attached 

 to its prosecution. 



It will not be difficult to show, under this interpretation of the 

 policy of the Trustees, that the projects considered here are singu- 

 larly adapted to the support of the Institution. 



Drawbacks to be considered. — It is proper, however, that we should 

 call attention to one of the drawbacks which might result from the 

 establishment of either of these observatories upon a temporary basis. 

 The withdrawal from their present relations of a large number of 

 competent astronomers for temporary duty with these observatories 

 must be productive of some degree of disorganization in those insti- 

 tutions from which they may be recruited. The return of these men 

 to more permanent relations maj- also be attended with more or less 

 uncertainty, in view of which it is obvious that the compensation 

 of the astronomers required for temporary duty must be decidedly 

 larger than would be necessary under other conditions. 



Another disadvantage of a temporary as compared with a perma- 

 nent organization is the large proportion which the expense of in- 

 stallation bears to the total expenditure involved, together with the 

 fact that the termination of the programs proposed would leave this 

 expensive equipment idle on the hands of the Institution, unless 

 some further provision should be made for its useful employment. 

 This further use, however, could be effected in either of two ways : 



( 1 ) By provision for further employment on the part of the 



Institution. 



(2) By donation or sale of the instruments to existing institu- 



tions which are in a position to make good use of them. 



Relation to existing institutions. — The Committee desires also to 

 record, in the most explicit manner, its opinion that nothing which 

 may be determined in relation to large projects in science should be 

 allowed to impair the total amount of support which the Institution 



