NOVEMBKE 16, 1900.] 



SCIENCE. 



765 



The next meeting of the Society -will be the 

 Annual Meeting for the election of oflicers, Fri- 

 day, December 28, 1900. 



F. N. Cole, 

 Secretary. 



DISCUSSION AND CORRESPONDENCE. 

 ON THE SUPEEINTENDENCY AND ORGANIZA- 

 TION OF THE COAST SURVEY. 



In view of the fact that the superintendency 

 of the TJ. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey is about 

 to pass from the present incumbent to some 

 successor, the following statements may be of 

 interest : 



First, as regards the selection of a superin- 

 tendent. Here there ought to be no serious 

 diflBculty ; for, although persons suitable and 

 available for the position are not numerous, the 

 appointing power is free to select from all who 

 may become known to him. He is not, like the 

 voter, practically confined in his choice to two 

 or three nominees. It seems proper that scien- 

 tific bodies (notably the National Academy of 

 Sciences), if not called upon as advisers, should 

 take the initiative and bestir themselves, in 

 order that a suitable man for this important 

 position may be selected. Let them at least 

 formulate the requirements for the place ; then 

 he who best measures up to such requirements 

 should be the one to be selected. Or, perhaps 

 better still, an advisory committee of mathema- 

 ticians, physicists and astronomers might be 

 appointed by the Chief Executive from this 

 Academy and the faculties of our leading uni- 

 versities. What is wanted is a man of mature 

 intellect and broad and thorough scholarship. 

 If possible, he should already have made for 

 himself a substantial reputation in the scientific 

 world — this would, in fact, be a proof of his 

 thoroughness and perseverance. But let no 

 man be selected whose sole claim is a little 

 technical skill or a familiarity with the organ- 

 ization. This remark is in no wise intended to 

 decry the importance of experience, whether in 

 field, laboratory or observatory. 



It is perhaps not very generally understood 

 that the organization of the Survey is radically 

 wrong or at least not such as should underlie a 

 scientific bureau in our day and generation. 

 Its one fatal defect is its semi-military charac- 



ter. I say semi- military because it is open to 

 that favoritism so much complained of in our 

 late Spanish War, without having the whole- 

 some restrictions thrown about a purely military 

 organization. This places a fortunate few in 

 virtual control of the many. In some instances 

 this might be excused on the ground of the ne- 

 cessities of the case ; in other words, in certain 

 matters there must be some head. But if the 

 fortunate few are assumed to have, by virtue of 

 their positions, a monopoly of all brain tissue, 

 and so are made to constitute the sole advisers 

 of the superintendent in all matters relating to 

 the work of the Survey, and even in the eleva- 

 tion and degradation of the personnel, it be 

 comes evident to any disinterested observer 

 that no universal good-fellowship can exist — 

 and without this, good scientific work is im- 

 possible. 



Suppose this oligarchy were to fortify itself 

 behind certain rules designed for bureaus whose 

 work is chiefly clerical ; then an employee not 

 specially empowered to look after others must 

 needs be very guarded in his associations with 

 his co-workei'S. Thus it might readily come to 

 pass that persons working for years in the ofiice 

 at allied work scarcely have a speaking ac- 

 quaintance with one another. Free discussion 

 of work between non-commissioned employees 

 would probably be frowned upon as seditious or 

 as nursing conspiracies. The dangers of such a 

 system to scientific work and thought are so ob- 

 vious to anyone that -its defense can hardly be 

 seriously entertained. But there are other dan- 

 gers as well as a great injustice in the system ; for 

 the management might fall into the hands of un- 

 scrupulous parties. In matters purely scientific, 

 if there is to be any subordination, the smaller 

 intellects should do homage to the greater ; and 

 in matters in general, unless there are most co- 

 gent reasons to the contrary, the older and 

 more experienced should have the directing of 

 the younger. This is a law of natural instinct 

 and is in accordance with the laws of logic and 

 of ethics ; it is not to be lightly set aside. But 

 enforced or artificial superiority and inferiority 

 might put inferior minds over the superior, and 

 make tyros chiefs of divisions and of field parties. 



In this brief space no elaborate scheme of re- 

 organization will be attempted. But it is safe 



