296 Life and Letters of Francis Galton 



As far as I am able to trace from Galton's correspondence only two men 

 gave expressions of opinion upon Galton's proposed Eugenic Certificate. 

 Mr Havelock Ellis, having seen Galton's proposal in the paper at the 

 Sociological Society, wrote to ask Galton whether he had taken any further 

 steps in the matter ; his letters seem to indicate his sense of the difficulty 

 of the project rather than the strong enthusiasm which surmounts difficulties. 

 Mr J. Tracey, Tutor of Keble College and an authority of the Oxford 

 University Appointments Board, was, according to Galton's notes of an 

 interview, distinctly favourable. He said that many examinations covered 

 practically all the personal questions Galton wished to be answered. 

 Therefore having passed any one of these examinations would so far be a 

 sufficient justification for a Eugenic Certificate. Some appear to enter a 

 short way into family history. Indian Civil Service, Woolwich, Egyptian 

 (Soudan) Service are especially notable. Most certificates take no cognizance 

 of hereditary ailments, if there be any in the family. Could such ailments 

 be properly ignored ? Mr Tracey thought there need be no fear (under 

 reasonable precautions) of false returns. Also he did not think Galton's 

 estimate of 10s. per certificate unreasonable, if rooms were allowed and an 

 unpaid board of referees could be had. Upshot (as drawn up by Galton) 

 " I must collect material about the chief existing examinations from 

 G. G. Butler, David Mair and others, and write an article based on it to 

 show what could at present be easily done re Eugenic Certificates." I do not 

 think this article was ever written, but a fuller account of Galton's views 

 was later provided in " Kantsay where." 



(11) Reconstitution of the " Eugenics Record Office." We have seen that 

 Mr Edgar Schuster resigned his post of Research Fellow in Eugenics, and 

 although he was willing to continue holding the post for a short period, 

 coming up two or three days a week from Oxford, he wished to be relieved 

 as soon as Galton could make new arrangements. Our leader was ailing, the 

 death of Weldon and certain home troubles had depressed him sadly, also 

 the wintering in England — contrary to his custom hitherto — and at such a 

 place as Plymouth *, undoubtedly checked that vigour of action which had 

 hitherto characterised him. He felt it impossible to cope with the search for 

 a new Eugenics Fellow and the direction afterwards of his work. Our ex- 

 perience in the Biometric Laboratory had taught us the serious length of 

 time it takes to collect statistical data and afterwards to reduce them fully by 

 modern statistical methods, whereas Galton was undoubtedly eager for quick 

 returns; he approved brilliant essays in the monthlies, and wanted to see 

 marked progress in the acceptance of Eugenics in his own day; he had not yet 

 fully differentiated Eugenics as a science from Eugenics as a creed of social 

 action. He was not urging hasty actionf, but he did not, I think, fully 

 realise that all eugenic research was of a very laborious and lengthy kind. 



• From October to March Galton passed this winter in Plymouth on the Hoe (at various 

 addresses). 



| See our pp. 220-21. 



