Septembee 17, 1909] 



SCIENCE 



359 



than a thousand, chiefly through the condensa- 

 tion of statistical matter, and confining this 

 matter to the second volume of the report, by 

 a skilful selection of topics of wide contem- 

 porary interest and of avowed timely value, 

 by simplifying and giving a scientific inter- 

 pretation of the mass of statistical detail, and 

 above all, by the very noticeable care with 

 which the editorial supervision has been con- 

 ducted, the report represents the accomplish- 

 ment of a leadership that appreciates both the 

 opportunities and the obstacles of the work of 

 the bureau. 



Commissioner Brown's general introduction 

 in the first volume is a briefly expressed, yet 

 comprehensive, survey of contemporaneous 

 educational conditions and progress, not only 

 in the United States but throughout the prin- 

 cipal countries of the world. This, together 

 with the first chapter, in which are given suc- 

 cinct discussions of the more significant edu- 

 cational events of the year, covering the widest 

 range of topics — international educational re- 

 lations, international congresses, educational 

 commissions, educational boards and associa- 

 tions, teachers' colleges, national university, 

 industrial education, school hygiene, high- 

 school fraternities, teachers' pension funds, 

 being among the important ones — are well 

 worth the reading by every one who would be 

 alive to the educational movements of the day. 

 The classified summaries of state legislation 

 relating to public education for the years 

 1906-1907 and 1907-1908 contained in the 

 second chapter are invaluable indices of the 

 character and direction of our educational 

 progress. This chapter also contains a state- 

 ment of the several enactments of the first 

 session of the Sixtieth Congress which have a 

 direct or indirect bearing on education. 



The remainder of the first volume of the 

 report is given over to the usual presentation 

 of the more important items of the educational 

 affairs in Porto Rico, Philippines, South 

 America, Great Britain and Ireland, France 

 and central Europe. In these days of com- 

 parative study, these chapters will have great 

 value, not only for the student, but for the 

 publicist as well. 



Decidedly the most important and most wel- 

 come reform of which the 1908 report bears 

 evidence has to do with the statistics of educa- 

 tion — the reef upon which many a good official 

 report ship has been wrecked. This reform 

 was begun in the preceding report under the 

 direct supervision of Professor E. L. Thorn- 

 dike, of the Teachers College, Columbia Uni- 

 versity. Not only in the present report have 

 the tables of statistical items been rearranged 

 and effectively condensed, but an excellent 

 interpretative summary accompanied by ap- 

 propriate frequency curves has been prepared 

 by Professor G. D. Strayer, of the Teachers 

 College, Columbia University. Commissioner 

 Brown has effected a much-needed change in 

 the matter of the statistical work of the 

 bureau, and while yet our educational statis- 

 tics are not as complete or as intelligible as 

 they need to be, this last report exhibits the 

 longest stride of progress yet made. 



Were perchance awards of merit made for 

 prodigality of publication and distribution, 

 for ponderousness of bulk and content and for 

 procrastination of presentation, such would, 

 without doubt by common consent go to the 

 generality of annual reports of governmental 

 departments and bureaus. To this generality 

 there is at least one notable exception, and all 

 workers in the field of education are glad to 

 have this exception come from the United 

 States Bureau of Education. 



Edward C. Elliott 



University op Wisconsin 



THE MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS IN CONNEC- 

 TION WITH THE HUDSON-FULTON 

 CELEBRATION 



In an article published in the North Amer- 

 ican Review seven years ago,' the writer 

 prophesied that, if the various museums and 

 Institutions in the city of New York could be 

 induced to combine their efforts, a series of 

 exhibitions might be presented which would 

 constitute a most valuable addition to a Hud- 

 son-Fulton Celebration. About one year ago 

 the trustees authorized the president of the 

 Hudson-Fulton Commission to appoint com- 



' " On Expositions and their Uses," North 

 American Review, September, 1902. 



