330 NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



COMMITTEE ON THE METHODS AND EXPENSES OF CON- 

 DUCTING SCIENTIFIC WORK UNDER THE GOVERN- 

 MENT. 1908 



The Sundry Civil Act for 1908-1909, approved May 27, 1908, 

 contained the following section: 



" Sect. 8. The National Academy of Sciences is required, at their next meeting, 

 to take into consideration the methods and expenses of conducting all surveys of a 

 scientific character, and all chemical, testing, and experimental laboratories and 

 to report to Congress as soon thereafter as may be practicable a plan for consoli- 

 dating such surveys, chemical, testing, and experimental laboratories so as to 

 effectually prevent duplication of work and reduce expenditures without detri- 

 ment to the public service. 



" It is the judgment of Congress that any person who holds employment under 

 the United States or who is employed by or receives a regular salary from any 

 scientific bureau or institution that is required to report to Congress should 

 refrain from participation in the deliberations of said National Academy of 

 Science on this subject and from voting on or joining in any recommendation 

 hereunder." '*^ 



Immediately upon the passage of this Act, President Remsen 

 appointed a committee consisting of R. S. Woodward, W. W. 

 Campbell, Edward L. Nichols, Arthur A. Noyes, and Charles 

 R. Van Hise to consider and report on the subject in question. 

 The committee submitted its report to the Council on January 

 9, 1909, and President Remsen on January 16, addressed it to the 

 Speaker of the House of Representatives. It was transmitted to 

 Congress by President Roosevelt on January 18 and referred to 

 the Committee on Appropriations of the House and ordered to 

 be printed.^" 



The principal conclusions of the committee are embodied in 

 the following paragraphs: 



" From a general survey of the field of work under consideration three facts 

 appear to be clearly established, namely: 



" First. That the amount of actual duplication of work now carried on by 

 the government bureaus is relatively unimportant; but that the duplication of 

 organizations and of plants for the conduct of such work is so considerable as to 

 need careful attention from Congress in the future. 



"'Stat, at Large, vol. 35, part i, p. 387, 60th Congress, ist Session, chap. 200. 

 "^ It constitutes House Doc. no. 1337, 60th Congress, 2d Session. 



