September 19, 1902.] 



SCIENCE. 



465 



makers trained; a bureau for statistics and 

 computations. These and other agencies 

 would add greatly to the efficiency of ex- 

 isting laboratories of psychology and would 

 in no wise conflict with them. Each could 

 be established with a fund of from $50,000 

 to $100,000, and if made independent it 

 would continually grow in resources and 

 usefulness. There are doubtless in other 

 sciences objects equally deserving and ur- 

 gent, so that if the endowment of the Car- 

 negie Institution were doubled or quad- 

 rupled the income could be used economic- 

 ally and advantageously. 



If one half the income were expended on 

 the central institution at Washington and 

 one fourth on large objects, there would 

 remain $75,000 to $125,000 for smaller 

 grants and special researches. This sum 

 could easily be spent to great advantage 

 without interfering with other agencies. 



There are certain international under- 

 takings in which the United States should 

 share and for which no money is available. 

 We may hope that the general government 

 will ultimately recognize its obligations in 

 this direction, but for the present our na- 

 tional self-respect and usefulness are im- 

 paired because we can not join on equal 

 terms with other nations. Thus we were 

 unable to send delegates to the third con- 

 ference on an international catalogue of 

 scientific literature, with unfortunate re- 

 sults, as some of the measures adopted by 

 the first and second conferences on the 

 recommendation of our delegates were re- 

 considered by the third conference.* We 

 have now no adequate means to do our 

 share in seeing that the publications of 

 the United States are adequately included 

 in the international catalogue, whereas 



* To give a case in which I am interested, psy- 

 chology was included in the catalogue at the 

 recommendation of Dr. Billings, but was made a 

 branch of physiology at the third conference, when 

 no psychologist or American delegate was present. 



most foreign nations have made appropri- 

 ations for this purpose. In like manner we 

 are unable to assist in the work of the 

 Concilium Bibliographicum conducted at 

 Zurich as an international undertaking by 

 an American. Funds for sending dele- 

 gates to the International Association of 

 Academies were secured with much diffi- 

 culty; and in general delegates to such in- 

 ternational conferences and congresses 

 must pay their own expenses. There are 

 various international institutions, and more 

 are continually being established, toward 

 which the United States should contribute 

 its share. In these directions the Carnegie 

 Institution can perform large services at 

 comparatively small expense. 



There are also certain national or more 

 local institutions which might be assisted 

 without interfering with their autonomy, 

 and in such a way that the aid would en- 

 courage rather than discourage other re- 

 sources. The laboratory at Woods Hole 

 appears to be the best type of these ; there 

 are numerous other marine and fresh- water 

 stations, similar in character if less national 

 in scope. The Blue Hill Meteorological 

 Observatory or the Dudley Astronomical 

 Observatory may be mentioned as examples 

 of institutions that are doing excellent 

 work with small resources. Should the 

 Carnegie Institution make an appropriation 

 on condition that it be duplicated locally, 

 its funds would be spent to advantage. 



It would be perhaps more diffictilt to as- 

 sist directly the work undertaken by the 

 national government, the states and munici- 

 palities, or by our richly endowed univer- 

 sities, observatories, museums, etc. If the 

 funds were unlimited a laboratory of phys- 

 ical chemistry given to Harvard or Cornell, 

 a needed collection given to the National 

 Museum and the like, would certainly con- 

 tribute to scientific advance ; but such gifts 

 would not be the most economical use of a 

 limited income. There are, however, cir- 



