18 
1910) as our country was only just recovering from the depression 
of 1907-08. In 1914 we moved into our completed building just 
as there was beginning in Europe the greatest debacle in history, 
which was soon to engross the attention of the world and which 
taxed every source of public and private support, diverting funds 
from all peace-time activities. 
— 
The Botanic Garden went into and through the successive finan- 
cial depressions, but it continued to move forward. About 1930 
the warning sign again appeared and the Botanic Garden now finds 
itself, with the rest of the world—. There is no need to complete 
ear 
the sentence. LEvery reader of these lines is face to face with the 
situation. 
IMporTANCE OF ADEQUATE SuPPoRT FOR SCIENCE AND 
EDUCATION 
The greatest tragedy of financial depressions is not diminished 
income nor the loss of fortunes, distressing as that may be, but 
the attendant spiritual and moral slump. Hence the great im- 
portance of continued support of all those agencies and institutions 
(schools, museums, botanic gardens, ete.) which minister to spir- 
itual needs by promoting science, art, education, and culture. 
These things are not luxuries; they are necessities of life. 
One of the significant phenomena of the past eighteen months 
of one of the world’s greatest financial stresses has been the in- 
creased use of our public libraries and museums and all free 
agencies of adult education and culture. Those with enforced leis- 
ure have turned instinctively to that which offers moral support 
and ministers to the spirit. Economic adversity has given addi- 
tional leisure for self-improvement. What a pity, therefore, that 
our educational institutions—schools, museums, botanic gardens, 
et cetera—should be obliged to curtail their services just at the 
time when they are more needed than ever. 
To be sure, sick babies must be cared for, hospitals must have 
support, there must be bread at the end of the bread-lines, work 
must be provided for all who need it, but we should be in a 
sorry plight indeed if it were deliberately planned to meet these 
