40 



is open on all sides to various forms of helpful organized ac- 

 tivity, which ought in a few years, if properly directed, to give 

 a new aspect to the status of science in Illinois. 



There are, however, certain limiting and controlling condi- 

 tions to joint enterprises of this description, which must not 

 be overlooked or ignored. Agents of the state, placed in charge 

 of work provided for at public expense because of its impor- 

 tance to the state at large, can neither divide their duties with 

 others nor share their responsibilities except as required or 

 permitted by law. A considerable administrative discretion is 

 commonly vested in them, however, within which any such ad- 

 justments as I have had in mind might readily be made. They 

 can thus often assist materially an independent society or even 

 a private citizen, and can receive material assistance from such 

 sources with real profit to their enterprises, and an enlarge- 

 ment of their usefulness. Most of them are, in fact, really eager 

 for such mutually profitable connections, and often take great 

 pains to establish them, and it is, of course, good public pol- 

 icy to secure for any public enterprise all the really competent 

 volunteer aid possible, in order that its results may be most 

 quickly reached at a minimum cost to the public as a whole. 



On the other hand, an academy of science is not a compact 

 organization capable of carrying forward long, complicated, la- 

 borious, and expensive undertakings, requiring for their accom- 

 plishment the continuous cooperation of a group of men work- 

 ing, each in his place, to a common end. Such undertakings 

 belong to established institutions and not to volunteer societies. 

 Consequently we should not seek to do the work which the 

 State has undertaken, or is likely to undertake, on its own ac- 

 count and at public expense. Per canira. the State should not 

 tax its people for what any of them arc willing to do for 

 their own purposes, and which they can do well enough and 

 quickly enough to serve also the public interests concerned. It 

 may, however, provide agencies of coordination, may supple- 

 ment private work, especially where extensive, complicated, and 

 expensive operations are required, and may give such 

 assistance to that work as is warranted by its general 



