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deal of the scientific benefit is lost or perhaps not realized, by having such 
a large number of papers of such short duration. To my mind it takes 
a man who is a good deal better than the average to prepare a paper 
of five or ten minutes in length, that has anything in it, and if that is 
all there is to the paper, I do not know that it is really worth while to 
read it. I believe the whole work of the Academy~-could be much better 
carried on if we did not try to crowd sixty or seventy papers into one 
short meeting. 
With the great number of things that have come into life since this 
Academy was organized, it is not possible for us to give two or three days 
continuously to a meeting of this kind very often, and so we could not 
have sixty or seventy papers. But if we could bave papers that are long 
enough to be beneficial, and put them into a shorter space of time, we 
could then devote more time to the social element of the meeting. I do 
“not believe we get much social benefit from the meeting, as it only happens 
once a year. We come up here and meet a few men and go back home, and 
in the course of a few months we have forgetten who these men were and 
where they came from and what sort of work they are particularly in- 
terested in. I believe we should have meetings which would not be too 
scientific very much oftener than once a year, which would serve to bring 
the members of this Academy into closer touch with each other. 
I would suggest that we have, if possible, some sort of Academy head- 
quarters here in Indianapolis, and that once a month or once in two 
months, or once a quarter, as may seem advisable, notices be sent out to 
the members that there will be a meeting. Have not over one or two pa- 
pers, that could be presented after a little dinner or lunch. I think this 
would be well worth while. 
I was very much interested yesterday in the statements of the Libra- 
rian of the State, in regard to the new building that is proposed. If by 
any possibility that building could be obtained through appropriation from 
the Legislature, a permanent headquarters for the Indiana Academy could 
be secured, a most excellent place for carrying out some such idea. It 
would give us a place for our library, and it seems to me it would be a 
benefit to the Academy on every side. It would bring the whole scientific 
body of the State of Indiana together often enough to get acquainted and 
keep acquainted. 
I believe that some sort of permanent headquarters, more frequent 
meetings and shorter meetings, would give us the best results in this State. 
