Apkil 24, 1914] 



SCIENCE 



593 



tures and the advances which have fol- 

 lowed. As a result of cooperation of several 

 firms we have the National Electric Lamp 

 Association Physical Laboratory at Cleve- 

 land, which perhaps approaches more 

 nearly to a pure-science laboratory than 

 any that are fostered by the industries. 

 But this laboratory can not divorce itself 

 from the interests that nourish it. Its in- 

 vestigators will naturally have regard for 

 problems which seem to bear on the indus- 

 try. 



Also there is the Bureau of Standards, 

 whose good work is so well known. This 

 bureau spends annually about $700,000. 

 But the spirit of this institution is toward 

 the refinement and the standardization of 

 the best that has been or about to be ac- 

 cepted in the scientific world. The scien- 

 tists of this bureau are in a sense the con- 

 servers of scholarship. It is onlj^ occa- 

 sionally that they expend energy toward 

 the development of pure physics. They 

 find plenty to do in the field they have 

 chosen. It is very doubtful if this organi- 

 zation with its congressional control and 

 red tape would be conducive to the free 

 and easy movement of the human mind in 

 scholarly productions. 



In this connection the opinion of General 

 A. W. Greely is worthy of note, which is: 



The failure of our government to properly rec- 

 ognize scientific work appears to be due to an anti- 

 quated and inherited policy, which must be to the 

 ultimate detriment of the common weal. This 

 year the attention of the government has been 

 urgently called to the untoward conditions, aris- 

 ing from illiberal treatment of expert officials. 

 Distinguished chiefs of several important national 

 bureaus officially report increasing difficulty in 

 maintaining an efficient scientific staff. Unusual 

 and steadily increasing numbers of scientists and 

 experts are accepting commercial positions in 

 order to meet the enhanced cost of living. 



THE ORGANIZATION OF THE PHYSICAL 



INSTITUTE 



The organization of the physical institute 



should be such that a few of the greatest 

 world physicists could be induced to join it 

 and remain with it. The things that such 

 a man needs are freedom from cares con- 

 cerning food and shelter, livable surround- 

 ings, human associates who are interested in 

 like work, and freedom from petty admin- 

 istrations, and perhaps the last two would 

 be most effective in retaining men and keep- 

 ing them effectively at work. Our univer- 

 sities and government bureaus frequently 

 furnish the first two requisites, but seldom 

 the last two. If any furnish all four, I 

 shall let those who know say it. 



The first condition would perhaps be 

 filled satisfactorily if the physicists could 

 have a salary of $10,000 each. The sur- 

 roundings should be a laboratory fully 

 equipped, situated preferably in some quiet 

 spot and beautiful and within easy reach 

 of some metropolis. Nearness to some large 

 university would also be helpful. 



The associations would be partly supplied 

 by the other men of precisely equal stand- 

 ing at the laboratory, but this would not 

 suffice for the men or the cause. There 

 should be a number of fellows of standing 

 about equal to that of our best new doctors 

 of philosophy. They should obtain sti- 

 pends of about $1,500, and should be al- 

 lowed to keep these appointments for as 

 many years as they see fit, of course de- 

 voting their time to research, with all the 

 aid that they can obtain from the honored 

 physicists, or honored professors, if you 

 prefer. Also there should be as many stu- 

 dents in theoretical and experimental worls 

 as the honored professors might wish to 

 accept. 



The administration should be entirely in 

 the hands of these professors, who may 

 elect a qualified secretary to take care of 

 the routine business management. Any 

 new appointments to the professorships or 

 fellowships should be made only in case of 



