THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE. 



285 



THE CARNEGIE INSTITUTION. 



The trustees of the Carnegie Institu- 

 tion held their second annual meeting 

 at Washington on December 9. Noth- 

 ing that has become known in regard to 

 this meeting will tend to allay the anx- 

 iety with, which men of science are 

 watching the administration of this 

 great trust. It is reported that Dr. 

 Oilman presented a letter to the trus- 

 tees announcing his intention to resign 

 the presidency at the close of next year. 

 The institution will consequently drift 

 along for another year, and its im- 

 mediate future will in large measure 

 depend on the president then chosen. 

 There is no reason to doubt the ulti- 

 mate outcome, and even the present 

 conditions are only what might have 

 been expected. Special creations are 

 no longer regarded as feasible. The 

 reply may be called to mind of the little 

 boy, who on being asked who made him, 

 said ' God made me one foot big, and 

 I growed the rest.' A new foundation 

 such as Mr. Carnegie's can only grad- 

 ually become a true organism adjusted 

 to the environment. 



Mr. Carnegie's original plan of es- 

 tablishing a research university at 

 Washington was comparatively plain 

 sailing. The trustees are now divided 

 as to policy, some wishing to establish 

 certain laboratories at Washington, 

 and others perferring to distribute sub- 

 sidies throughout the country. The 

 latter plan has been adopted; it has the 

 obvious advantage of not committing 

 the institution as to the future. No 

 special objection can be made to the 

 way the subsidies have been allotted. 

 It is quite certain, for example, that 

 the Harvard, Lick, Yerkes, Dudley and 

 Princeton Observatories can spend to 

 advantage any money that may be en- 

 trusted to them. Almost any grant for 

 research made to men of science of 

 established reputation will bear fruit 

 a hundredfold. There is, however, an 

 obverse to the shield. Such grants in- 

 hibit individual initiative and local 

 support ; they are likely to produce a 



certain subserviency to the powers that 

 deal out money, and may lead to 

 jealousy and intrigues. 



It is perhaps scarcely fair to object 

 to a board of trustees consisting chiefly 

 of prominent politicians, lawyers and 

 business men, who meet once a year, 

 and can not be expected to give much 

 attention to the affairs of a scientific 

 institution, nor to have much knowl- 

 edge of its scope and possibilities. 

 Such boards are an established Ameri- 

 can institution, controlling universities, 

 banks, etc. Their principal duty is to 

 select efficient officers of administration. 

 But the Carnegie Institution has been 

 unfortunate in its first officers. Three 

 men were largely instrumental in per- 

 suading Mr. Carnegie to make the 

 original gift, and they have assumed 

 control of its administration. This 

 triumvirate has been at the same time 

 autocratic and feeble, and has by no 

 means worked in harmony. Antony 

 may be supposed to say to Octavius: 



And thoug-h we lay these honors on 



this man, 

 To ease ourselves of divers sland'rous 



loads, 

 He shall but bear them as the ass 



bears gold. 

 To groan and sweat under the busi- 

 ness. 

 Either led or driven, as we point the 



way; 

 And having- broug^ht our treasure 



where we will. 

 Then take we down his load, and 



turn him off. 

 Like to the empty ass, to shake his 



ears, 

 And graze in commons. 



Whether after the ensuing war 

 Antony, Octavius or another will or 

 should become Csesar need not here be 

 considered; but in the meanwhile and 

 perhaps thereafter science will suffer. 

 The fundamental difficulty is that no 

 method has been found for consulting 

 the consensus of opinion of scientific 

 men. An American university has an 

 absentee board in nominal control and 

 a president as benevolent despot; but 

 there is a faculty, which after all is 

 the real university. The Carnegie In- 

 stitution has no similar body; and 

 until it is formed, it will drift along 

 without compass or rudder. 



