JAKTJAEY 1, 1915] 



SCIENCE 



17 



No details of laboratory design need be 

 discussed here. The use of the unit sys- 

 tem of rooms, exemplified in the Harvard 

 Medical School, would eliminate many diffi- 

 culties, and facilitate alterations to meet 

 changing needs. A common plant of re- 

 frigerating machinery, compression pumps, 

 constant-temperature rooms and other re- 

 quirements of both laboratories, could be 

 placed on the ground floor of the main 

 building, which would also contain rooms 

 for storing reserve Academy publications 

 and for other miscellaneous purposes. 



Enough has been said to indicate some of 

 the possible uses of an Academy building, 

 and the corresponding necessities of the 

 design. The present plan, which is merely 

 tentative, may serve to bring out criticisms 

 and suggestions from members, who will 

 undoubtedly think of many advantageous 

 modifications. A classic treatment is indi- 

 cated, but this is mainly because of the 

 prevailing conditions in Washington, and 

 the probability that a government site 

 could not be obtained for a building of 

 collegiate Gothic design, for example. 



It would be advantageous for the Acad- 

 emy to appoint a strong committee, repre- 

 senting all branches of science, to design 

 a suitable building, i Much time and 

 thought are necessary to secure a satis- 

 factory plan, which will provide for present 

 needs, and be readily adaptable to future 

 developments. As for funds, some time 

 may be required to find the sum needed, 

 but the opportunity is such an exceptional 

 one that a willing donor is sure to appear 

 in the future. The only way to obtain 

 gifts for building or endowment is to have 

 a scheme so promising, and plans so at- 

 tractive as to convince a prospective in- 

 vestor that his funds will be effectively 

 used. Notable cases might be cited where 

 large gifts followed the presentation of ef- 

 fective building designs, which appealed 



not only to the eye, but equally to the judg- 

 ment of the donor.] 



TEUST FUNDS 



The trust funds of the Academy, as 

 shown in a previous article, have a total of 

 over eighty thousand dollars, the income 

 of which is exclusively devoted to research. 

 In addition, there are other funds totaling 

 over thirty-six thousand dollars, primarily 

 intended for the endowment of medals and 

 prizes, which enjoy a considerable surplus 

 income also available for original investiga- 

 tion. By these means the Academy has 

 been able to assist many of the most im- 

 portant researches of American science. A 

 closer connection between the various com- 

 mittees, and the adoption of a concerted 

 plan of action, would perhaps increase still 

 further the usefulness of the funds. As a 

 committee charged with the study of the 

 use of trust funds has admirably expressed 

 it: 



The Academy should take the initiative in the 

 organization and conduct of research. It should 

 not wait for applications or for suggestions to^ 

 come in wholly from the outside. Such sugges- 

 tions should be urged, but the Academy should 

 not relegate itself to the function of a mere dis- 

 bursing organization; it should seek rather to de- 

 termine what projects are worthy of investiga- 

 tion and how the funds may be most judiciously 

 administered. 



Such a policy would seem to imply a 

 careful examination on the part of each 

 committee of the existing conditions and 

 needs of research in its own field, and an 

 endeavor, through cooperation with the 

 other committees, to secure a well-balanced 

 and thoroughly effective use of all Academy 

 funds available for investigation. As 

 already suggested, the gradual accumula- 

 tion of instruments, returned on the com- 

 pletion of the work for which they were 

 purchased, should ultimately result in a 

 marked gain in the efficiency of the funds 



