JUNE 21, 1901.] 
ranted the origin and survival of these prac- 
tices. Those studying similar problems, and 
those working in diverse directions; the uni- 
versity professor, the school teacher and the 
government officer ; those who call their sci- 
ence pure and those who seek to make it use- 
ful; the beginners and the old benchers, all 
should be thrown together, ready to learn 
Each should 
be prepared to profit much, and if need be 
and help, to agree and differ. 
to sacrifice a little for the common good. 
The meetings of the Association do, of neces- 
sity, accomplish a great deal in bringing 
men together, but perhaps not all that could 
be desired. The cultivation of personal ac- 
quaintance between professional men of 
science and the amateur and outsider is also 
important, but more difficult to manage. 
The social features of the British Associa- 
tion seem to be more successful than our 
own. A thousand or more of the leading 
citizens of the place become temporary 
members for each meeting, and freely offer 
The 
social conditions are, of course, different in 
entertainments of one sort or another. 
America, but it seems that the entertain- 
ments and excursions might be made more 
pleasant and profitable in the future. 
6. Of all the important functions of a 
national scientific association, the most es- 
sential is the general organization of sci- 
ence. The science of the country absolutely 
requires a central legislative body. Such 
bodies exist in other nations, having vary- 
ing degrees of usefulness, and there is more 
need of an active and efficient representa- 
tion of scientific interests in the United 
States than in any other country. London, 
Paris and the other European capitals, with 
SCIENCE. 
967 
their societies, clubs, ete., bring together 
all the scientific men of the country, 
whereas here they are widely scattered, 
and will become still more so as the Hast 
Washing- 
ton will doubtless be our chief center for 
loses its intellectual precedence. 
scientific research, but under our system of 
State governments and with our privately 
endowed institutions, it is not likely that it 
will occupy the position of European cap- 
itals. The great development of scientific 
work under the national government, the 
numerous smaller centers under the State 
governments at their capitals and univer- 
sities, the municipalities with their increas- 
ing tendency to support museums, libraries, 
etc., and to undertake functions requiring 
scientific experts, the great incorporated 
universities developing special research, the 
applications of science in industries, trans- 
portation, etc.—all these represent an ex- 
traordinary activity, and, at the same time, 
a dispersion of tendencies and interests that 
require here more than in any country 
some unifying and centralizing organiza- 
tion. The functions of such a body are 
only limited by its efficiency. Our govern- 
ment recognizes a division into executive, 
legislative and judicial functions, but does 
not recognize the coordinate importance of 
expert opinion. As the judicatory inter- 
prets the laws made by the legislature, so 
the legislature requires impartial advice and 
scientific knowledge as the basis of its en- 
actments. 
The question now arises as to what body 
or bodies should perform the functions thus 
outlined. In the first place, it is evident 
that we need numerous and partly inde- 
