40 OLIVER— GOVERNMENT SUPERVISION OF POSTS. [April 12. 



A PLEA FOR GOVERNMENTAL SUPERVISION OF 

 POSTS NECESSITATING NORMAL PER- 

 CEPTION OF COLOR. 



BY CHARLES A. OLIVER, A.M., M.D. 

 ( Read April 12, /goj. ) 



When it is realized how important becomes normal perception 

 of color in situations in which accurate color-vision is one of the 

 main requisites or the sole determining factor for the safety of 

 lives and the protection of property, it will be at once understood 

 that definite rules for the obtainance of color-material, the con- 

 struction of test and governing objects, and the choice of standards 

 of necessary color-sense, should all be placed under the supervision 

 of a controlling body from whom all requisite laws shall proceed, 

 all regulations exercised, and all appeals of enforcement made. 



Arbitrary selection of color-material, even though scientifically 

 and properly obtained primarily ; voluntary employment of neces- 

 sarily many empirical — and hence ofttimes, imperfect — methods ; 

 and the existence of multitudinous controlling corporate bodies for 

 the adjudication of uncertainties, neglect, and intentional wilful 

 acts — must all exist — as they practically now do — just as long 

 as no steps are taken to place the entire question under the super- 

 vision of a national governing board. 



Railway service, no matter what the form of motor may be or in 

 what manner the necessary duties are performed, is mainly governed 

 during actual work by the proper and ready recognition of color- 

 signals which are placed sufficiently distant for safety to those for 

 whom the signalling is intended ; naval and marine transport 

 throughout the world is mostly accomplished amid its many vicis- 

 situdes of atmospheric and hydrostatic change, by quick and certain 

 detections of chosen peculiarities of color situated at safe points of 

 definite signification ; and army signalling and geodetic survey work 

 in their every varying degrees of necessity of occasion, are largely 

 dependent for success upon both aided and unaided color vision. 

 These conditions granted, it will be at once seen how vast the field 

 of color employment is, how necessary that proper material shall 

 be correctly used, and how important it becomes that the perfor- 



