582 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



There can be no doubt that the present diffused character of the 

 scientific service is due to the circumstances of its growth. Each feat- 

 ure of it has been developed when and where it was needed, without 

 reference to similar work in other departments ; hence the lack of sys- 

 tem and the tendency to repetition. But the time for a change seems 

 to be approaching ; and it is probable that within a few years the 

 strictly scientific work of the Government will be brought together 

 under systematic control and a common head, and possibly in a new 

 executive department. From such an arrangement the exclusively 

 professional scientific investigations of the army and navy might prop- 

 erly be excepted ; leaving whatever relates merely to warfare just 

 where it is now. A department such as is here suggested would con- 

 solidate all the national surveys, would contain a national laboratory 

 for the chemical and physical work of the Government, and would 

 control the National Observatory, the Weather Service, and other kin- 

 dred bureaus. It should be as far removed from political control as 

 are the army, the navy, and the judiciary ; its head should be a man 

 of high scientific attainments and tried executive capacity ; and each 

 of its chiefs of division should have established reputation in the branch 

 of science with which bis duties had to deal. In brief, the officers of 

 a Department of Science should have, relatively to their jirofessions, 

 as high standing as is required in the appointment of Justices of the 

 Supreme Court. On that basis only can the scientific work of the 

 Government attain its maximum efficiency. Although good work is 

 done now, the very best is needed ; and the standard can not be set 

 too high. If the proposed consolidation of interests should prove to 

 be not feasible, then some form of affiliation, under guidance of an 

 advisory board of commissioners, might be tried. Either plan would 

 insure greater economy and effectiveness than we have at present, 

 and do away with needless duplications. There may be reasonable 

 differences of opinion as to the best methods of organization ; but 

 there is no doubt that improvement is needed. 



A discussion of the relations between science and politics, however, 

 covers a broader range than the preceding pages have indicated. That 

 a rational government has need of science, is plain enough ; but what 

 return influence does science exert upon the governing power? In 

 what way will the subtile spread of scientific conceptions and methods 

 of thinking affect legislation and government generally ? So far we 

 have considered only the material side of the question, but it has an 

 intellectual aspect also, and speculation on this topic is too tempting to 

 be wholly avoided. 



As nearly as may be estimated, about forty-five per cent of the 

 members of the present Congress have received a more or less complete 

 college training. This proportion is large enough to show a preference 

 on the part of the people for presumably educated representatives ; 

 for the ratio of college-bred men to the mass of any ordinary commu- , 



