494 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



between the Smithsonian Institution and the National Museum, 

 and remarked that " it is only necessary to mention briefly that the 

 museum constitutes no organic part of the institution, and that, 

 whenever Congress so directs, it may be transferred to any desig- 

 nated supervision without affecting the general plans and opera- 

 tions connected with the ( increase and diffusion of knowledge among 

 men.' ' 



During the administration of the museum by Dr. Goode, under 

 the direction of Professor Baird, and later Professor Langley, no 

 movement was made toward the separation of the museum from the 

 Smithsonian. On the contrary, Dr. Goode was strongly opposed 

 to any such action, and in this he was heartily supported by Secre- 

 tary Langley. He felt that the result of placing the museum under 

 the control of one of the great departments of the Government, 

 or leaving it to be buffeted about in the sea of politics as an inde- 

 pendent organization, would be the destruction of its scientific char- 

 acter. 



I have been intimately acquainted with the administration of 

 the museum since 1886, and less so with the administration of 

 other scientific bureaus of the Government, one of which, the 

 Fish Commission, is independent of departmental control. After 

 a careful reconsideration of the subject of the relations of the Na- 

 tional Museum to the Smithsonian Institution, I have come to -the 

 conclusion that the present welfare and the future development of 

 the museum will be best served by administrative connection with 

 the Smithsonian Institution. Under the present organization there 

 is no necessity for large demand upon the time and energies of the 

 secretary by the affairs of the museum. If in the future it should 

 become otherwise, relief could readily be secured by action of the 

 Board of Regents, requiring the officer in charge of the museum to 

 report to them through the secretary, much as the various bureaus 

 of the departments report through their respective secretaries to 

 Congress. It is not probable, however, that this will become neces- 

 sary, for at any time an assistant secretary could be appointed to 

 take sole charge of the museum, thus relieving the secretary of all 

 but the most general administrative supervision. 



RELATIONS TO A NATIONAL UNIVERSITY. A national museum 

 should radiate an educational influence to the remotest portions of 

 the country. It should set the standard for all other museums, 

 whether in public school, academy, college, university, or the larger 

 museums under municipal and State control. Its influence should 

 be exercised largely through its publications and through those 

 who come to study its collections and the methods of work of the 

 investigators connected directly or indirectly with its scientific staff. 



