ADVISORY C0MMITTE;E ON GEOPHYSICS 53 



(5) Recommendations for the reception of volunteer assistants or 

 visitors, whose co-operation may be desirable. 



The decision of the visiting committee in matters pertaining to 

 the salary of permanent members of the scientific staff should be 

 final. 



The director might further submit an annual report to the Kxe- 

 cutive Committee of all expenditures proposed for the approach- 

 ing year, after this has received the approval of the visiting com- 

 mittee, and a report of the funds expended during the year upon 

 the plan previously approved both by the visiting committee and 

 the executive committee. 



All appointments, excepting in the permanent scientific staff, 

 might be considered temporary and terminable at the discretion of 

 the director. 



x\ll expenditures might be subject to the director's order, he 

 being responrible to the executive committee of the institute for all 

 outlays. 



All powers not directly exercised by the executive committee or 

 the visiting committee would be vested in the director. 



'& 



Part II. — Plant required. 



12. Situation desired. — In the foregoing an effort has been made 

 to show that these fundamental researches in geophysics are of a 

 character to demand the combined efforts of several investigators, 

 and a special laboratory suitably located, planned, and equipped 

 for this work. 



Some of the requirements of such a laboratory may be anticipated 

 at once from the character of the problems to be considered, others 

 are suggested by the German Reichsanstalt, where for several years 

 research work of a high order has been carried on in pure physics ; 

 the final details can only be prepared with the help of an architect 

 and after visiting the modern research laboratories. 



The essential conditions for the prosecution of the work here con- 

 templated are : 



(1) The greatest possible freedom from mechanical and electrical 

 disturbances. 



(2) Effective provision against changes of temperatures 



The first necessity is, therefore, the choice of a suitable location. 

 The site selected should be high, to insure good light and dryness, 

 and should offer a rock foundation for the laboratory building. It 



