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NATURE 



277 



the best organised and most highly developed of these 

 stations. - ' 

 The Illinois experiment station was organised in 

 i 1903 for the purpose of conducting investigations of 

 importance to professional engineers and to the manu- 

 facturing, railway, mining, and building interests of 

 the State. One important factor which led to the 

 establishment of the station was the success which 

 had attended the agricultural experiment station at 

 the same universitv. It was thought that its estab- 

 lishment was justified in view of the need for scientific 

 search and the application of science to industry. 

 The cost of maintenance of the Illinois station is 

 I about io,oooZ. a year. 



Privately Endowed Institutions. 

 The Carnegie Itistitiition. Washington. 



The Carnegie- Institution of Washington was 

 rounded by Andrew Carnegie in 1902, when he gave 

 to a board of trustees an endowment of registered 

 bonds of the value of 2,ooo,oooZ. ; to this fund he 

 added later the sum of 2,400,000/. ; so that the present 

 endowment of the institution is 4,400,000/., yielding 

 an annual interest of 220,000/. 



The articles of incorporation of the institution 

 declare in general " that the objects of the corpora- 

 tion shall l^ to encourage, in the broadest and most 

 liberal manner, investigation, research, and discovery-, 

 and the application of knowledge to the improvement 

 of mankind." Three principal agencies to forward 

 these objects have been developed, (a) The first of 

 these involves the formation of departments of research 

 within the institution itself, to attack larger problems 

 requiring the collaboration of several investigators, 

 special equipment, and continuous effort. (b) The 

 second provides means whereby individuals may under- 

 take and carry to completion investigations not less 

 important, but requiring less collaboration and less 

 special equipment, (c) The third agency, namely, a 

 division devoted to editing and printing books, aims 

 at the publication of the results of research coming 

 from the first two agencies, and, to a limited extent, 

 also for valuable works not likely to be published 

 under other auspices. 



The Mellon Institute. 



The Mellon Institute of Industrial Research and 

 School of Specific Industries is a privately endowed 

 institution, and is unique in its organisation. It was 

 established with a twofold object, viz. (a) to solve 

 problems submitted to it by those engaged in industry, 

 and (b) to train young men successfully to prosecute 

 research work. The institute is worked on a system 

 known as the "Industrial Fellowship System." 

 According to this system, an individual or a company 

 having a problem requiring solution may become the 

 donor 0/ a fellowship by contributing to the institute 

 a definite sum of money, for a period of not less than 

 one year. This money is used to pay the salary of 

 the man or men selected to carry out the investigation 

 desired, and the institute furnishes such facilities as 

 are necessary for the conduct of the work. The 

 results obtained belong exclusively to the donor of 

 the fellowship. 



The system was inaugurated in iqii, in the Depart- 

 ment of Industrial Research of the University of Pitts- 

 burgh, and the working of the scheme began in a tem- 

 porary building erected at a cost of about 2000/. In. 

 1913 the present institution was established on a per- 

 manent basis bv a private endowment of about 

 100,000/. While the institute is an integral part of 

 the Universitv of Pittsburgh and works in close con- 

 nection with the .University, it possesses an endow- 



NO. 2483, VOL. 99] 



ment of its own and is under its own management. 

 The present annual expenditure for salaries, and main- 

 tenance is more than 30,000/. 



The Rockefeller Institute, New York. 



The scheme of organisation of this institute is of 

 special interest, as it is regarded -by many as ideal for 

 a scientific institution established for a specific field 

 of research. The work of the institute began in 1961,^ 

 when Mr. J. D. Rockefeller promised the sum' of' 

 40,000/, per annum for ten years for the purpose of 

 "medical research with spjecial' reference to the pre- 

 vention and treatment of disease." The endowments- 

 were greatly increased in ensuing years, and by 1907 

 reached a total of 700,000/. for land, buildings, and 

 equipment, and a fund of 2,100,000/. for maintenance. 

 In addition, 200,000/. has been given for the equip- 

 ment and endowment of a department of animal 

 pathology, 100,000/. for a pension fund, besides other 

 sums for specific investigations. 



The experience of the institute in regard to research 

 work is that the best method is to map out a field in 

 which the more pressing problems arise ; then to obtain 

 the best man available in each branch, and to allow 

 him to associate with himself assistants and collabora- 

 tors and attack the problems in such ways as he may" 

 think fit. All that is necessary in the way of super- 

 vision is that some broad policy should be agreed 

 upon, i.e. as to the general lines of the work and the 

 most important problems, the solution of which is 

 considered feasible in view of the existing state of 

 scientific knowledge. Having decided these broad 

 lines of policy, it is best to allow the persons selected 

 for the research to work the problems out in any way 

 and at such times as they like. It is quite probable, 

 for example, that in attacking some one problem 

 discoveries may be made which will lead directly tO' 

 the solution of some other allied problem. In the 

 Rockefeller Institute the greatest freedom is allowed to- 

 the members in charge of the various laboratories. 

 They know what it is desired to accomplish, but 

 whether to pursue any particular line, or to continue 

 in that line, is left to their discretion. Two things^ 

 are considered essential in research work, viz. : — 



(a) To secure the best men available to undertake- 

 the research work, and to allow these men 

 to choose their own associates. 



(6) To give the men appointed the greatest freedom- 

 in the prosecution of their researches. 



Public pressure is frequently brought to bear upon 

 the Rockefeller Institute to solve particular problems, 

 but the question as to which problems are to be 

 investigated must depend ven.- largely on the state and" 

 progress of knowledge in the particular branch of 

 science involved. For example, the institute has often 

 been asked to investigate "hay-fever," but it has re- 

 fused, as it sees at present no likelihood of solving 

 the problem. 



In regard to the separation of research from instruc- 

 tional work the experience is that the best teachers 

 are undoubtedly those who do research work, but it 

 does not by anv means follow that the best research 

 men are those who also do • instructional work. The- 

 question is largely one of temperament. 



Industrial Laboratories. 

 A large amount of research work having a direct 

 industrial objective jS done bv private firms in. the 

 United States of .\merica. Many large industrial 

 concerns have established their own laboratories and 

 staffs for research work, and in this respect consider- 

 able developments have taken place durinsr the past 

 ten vears. It is stated by Mr. A. P. M. Fleming, of 



