1912] Ritter: The Marine Biological Station of San Diego — 225 
concerned, particularly those of the station, without in the least 
hampering the programme work. 
VI. THE STATION’S ATTITUDE TOWARD INDUSTRIAL PROBLEMS 
CONNECTED WITH MARINE ORGANISMS 
I cannot, perhaps, better state what I conceive to be the wisest 
course for the station in this behalf, than I have already done 
elsewhere (Ritter, 1911). Speaking of the codperation of the 
station with the State Game and Fish Commission in studying 
the lobster problem, and with the Bureau of Soils of the national 
government in a survey of the kelp beds of this southern coast, 
both entered upon during the past summer, the following words 
were used: ‘These industrial undertakings are at present aside 
from the main aims of the station. This however is in no wise 
due to lack of sympathy on the part of the chief patrons and 
officials of the Biological Association with such undertakings, but 
entirely to the circumstance that under the present limitations 
of income it seems wisest to make research the primary object. 
Consequently whenever, as in these cases, it happens that 
equipment and experience can be made to serve industrial ends 
without considerable interference with research, the management 
is more than glad thus to extend the station’s usefulness.”’ 
It is wiser for us now to make research primary and loaves- 
and-fishes problems secondary for the simple and very practical 
reason that the community—the state, the nation—to which this 
institution belongs, is in far greater need of intellectual, spiritual 
sustenance than it is of loaves and fishes. The time may come 
when this will not be true, when physical needs will be more 
pressing with our people than spiritual needs. But it is surely 
not so at present. Should that time come it would probably be 
wise to reverse the order of emphasis, to make industrial aims 
primary and research secondary. But it is greatly to be hoped 
that still further support and development of institutions of 
applied science, already so admirable among us, will do their full 
share toward putting off indefinitely the day when actual want 
of the means of physical well-being shall be so urgent as to 
hamper seriously the procurement of the wherewithal for 
spiritual well-being. 
