August 2, 1895.] 



SCIENCE. 



115 



devote their lives in a greater or less degree 

 to original investigation. But it cannot be 

 denied that such a Society as the American 

 Society for the Advancement of Science is, 

 after all, of greater value than these, in that 

 it furnishes the channel of communication 

 between the purely abstract scientific work 

 of the very limited number who by nature 

 and occupation can engage in such work 

 and the great intelligent public upon whom 

 such men must, after all, depend for their 

 support and final appreciation. 



It has been noted with considerable re- 

 gret, during the past ten or fifteen years, 

 that a number of the more prominent men 

 of science in the United States have not ac- 

 tively interested themselves in the affairs of 

 the Association. There are several reasons 

 that have' been adduced for this, not the 

 least of which is the inconvenience of at- 

 tending its annual meetings occurring, as 

 they do, during that part of the year which 

 the majority of scientific men have set aside 

 for purposes of recreation and rest. By a 

 small number it has also been objected that 

 the Association has not been and is not 

 maintained in a way to satisfy their de- 

 sires, in that it has not been sufficiently ex- 

 clusive in the matter of membership and 

 in the matter of papers which it has 

 permitted to be read and discussed at its 

 meetings. The last excuse for a lack of in- 

 terest in this work has already been com- 

 mented upon, and has its origin in a failure 

 to understand the real objects of the Asso- 

 ciation, and also in a failure to understand 

 the real relation that ought to and in a 

 great degree must always exists between 

 the scientific world and the general intelli- 

 gent public. The difficulty of attending its 



meetings is usually greater for many of 

 those who are quite constant and regular 

 in their attendance than for many others 

 who are much less so. An examination of 

 the list of those present at the various 

 meetings during the past decade will show 

 that New England has fallen very far short 

 of furnishing her quota of membership. 

 One might naturally expect, owing to the 

 large number of institutions of learning, of 

 a high grade, of scientific and technical in- 

 stitutions, and of scientific men independ- 

 ently engaged in original research found 

 within the borders of N'ew England, that 

 her influence would be paramount in the 

 direction and management of the American 

 Association for the Advancement of Sci- 

 ence, and so it might be if New England 

 cared to have it so. Some of those who oc- 

 casionally indulge in criticism upon the 

 conduct of the Association have little ex- 

 cuse for so doing, because they rarely, if 

 ever, attend its meetings, and, therefore, 

 never attempt to direct or control their 

 management. Indeed, it may justly be 

 said that those who have criticised the 

 methods of the Association most frequently 

 and most severely might easily have made 

 it whatever they wanted it to be if they had 

 cared to take enough interest to attend its 

 meetings and use their influence in directing 

 its affairs. The meeting at Springfleld will 

 afford an opportunity rather rare for mem- 

 bers of the Society both in the East and in 

 the West. Western members will be glad 

 to attend this meeting, because it will bring 

 them within reaching distance of a large 

 number of schools, scientific laboratories, 

 institutions of learning and others which 

 they occasionally like to visit and inspect 



