1919] EDITORIAL. 611 



formulate plans for effective correlation and coordination in such 

 features as might seem desirable. It was designed through this 

 council to bring the stations and the Department into more intimate 

 relations and to effect a better understanding of the work of both 

 agencies. 



The proposal met with considerable favor on the part of station 

 directors, was approved by the experiment station section, and later 

 by the association, and the executive committee was instructed to 

 confer with the Secretary of Agriculture in reference to the estab- 

 lishment of such a council. 



Closely related to the subject of the organization of research is 

 the matter of internal organization and administration, which was 

 referred to on several occasions. Dr. Jordan endorsed a state- 

 ment in last year's report on station organization and policy, to the 

 effect that efficient management " calls for a type of administrative 

 leadership in the stations both competent to guide scientific investi- 

 gation and with sufficient time for the thoughtful study of work 

 and plans." He took the position that " an experiment station is 

 entitled, if its best interests are to be conserved and its work made 

 as efficient as possible, to have an administrative head who has no 

 other duties. Moreover he should be a man who has actually en- 

 gaged in research himself. It makes little difference what the field 

 of research is in which he has been active, provided he has come to 

 comprehend sound methods and has acquired an active appreciation 

 of the care and severity with which inquiries should be prosecuted. 

 It is in my judgment a mistake to combine with duties of director 

 teaching duties or other administrative functions." 



The current report of the committee on station organization and 

 policy cited a number of directors as referring to the necessity of 

 dividing time of station men with other departments of the college, 

 as a continued disadvantage to the station work. If a station worker 

 has more than nominal connection with teaching his duties are likely 

 to be added to when pressure comes, as was the case this past fall 

 when the attendance at many colleges largely increased. The chief 

 argument for such dual services is expediency or necessity due to 

 lack of funds. It was urged that a more general differentiation in 

 working force is a natural corollary to the differentiation of func- 

 tion which has become commonly accepted. It was suggested that 

 stations might often be stronger as purely research institutions if 

 they had a smaller number of persons on the staff, but these of high 

 ability in research and allowed to concentrate their best efforts in that 

 field. 



A number of speakers advocated a station force selected by reason 

 of its distinctive qualifications and training for research, and the 

 devotion of time exclusively to it. 



