September 19, 1902.] 



SCIENCE. 



467 



al way. Thus to illustrate from the jour- 

 nals that I edit— Science when liberally 

 subsidized by Mr. Bell and Mr. Hubbard 

 was conducted at an annual loss of $20,000 ; 

 The Popular Science Monthly, established 

 in part as a commercial enterprise and 

 fairly successful as such when the doctrine 

 of evolution was treated as a religious rath- 

 er tlian as a scientific question, was latterly 

 conducted by the publishers at an annual 

 loss of $10,000 and finally relinquished by 

 them ; The Psychological Review has always 

 been published at a loss, which would be 

 large if money were at hand to lose. I 

 give these illustrations to indicate that if 

 the Carnegie Institution undertook to own 

 or control our scientific journals, the ex- 

 pense would be very great; whereas I be- 

 lieve that there would be no appreciable 

 improvement in their contents, but, in the 

 end, injury to the cause of science. It 

 see] as that in connection with the plan for 

 the acquirement of the AVoods Hole labora- 

 tory, the officers of the Carnegie Institution 

 have asked for an option on the American 

 Journal of Morphology. I trust that the 

 institution will not undertake to owu and 

 control a journal of this character, and 

 that those at present responsible for this 

 journal will not abandon it. Our scientific 

 journals should be controlled by the scien- 

 tific men of the country, preferably in con- 

 nection with their societies. 



The fact that the Carnegie Institution 

 should not assume control of scientific jour- 

 nals does not mean that it should not assist 

 them. It will as a matter of fact do so in- 

 directly by every action that increases the 

 quantity or improves the quality of scien- 

 tific research. I have already mentioned 

 the great gain that would accrue if an of- 

 fice for printing and engraving were es- 

 tablished that would permit the manufac- 

 ture of scientific journals and books on 

 terms of equality with foreign nations. 

 Without direct subsidies the institution 



could assist in the support of scientific 

 journals by advertising in them those of 

 its activities that should be made public, 

 and by subscribing for copies to be sent 

 to the smaller libraries and institutions of 

 learning. 



In addition to such special agencies as it 

 ]nay establish and to cooperation with in- 

 stitutions, societies and journals, the Car- 

 aegie Institution can assist directly indi- 

 viduals and their researches. Mr. Car- 

 negie has specified as one of the main ob- 

 jects of his foundation, "To discover the 

 (ixeeptional man in every department of 

 study whenever and wherever found, in- 

 side or outside of schools, and enable him 

 to make the work for which he seems spe- 

 cially designed his life work." This as a 

 matter of fact should be the chief function 

 of society and has indeed been the course 

 of nature since the beginning of organic 

 life ; but the time may now have come when 

 we can do consciously and economically 

 what has hitherto been done blindly and 

 with boundless waste. It is evidently pos- 

 sible for the Carnegie Institution either to 

 aid those who are beginning research or 

 those who have already proved their abil- 

 ity; and it seems that both classes should 

 be assisted in so far as the means of the in- 

 stitution permit. 



Several university presidents have re- 

 cently stated that our system of fellowships 

 has been sufficiently extended; but in this 

 I do not concur. It is certainly not true 

 for my own science and my own institu- 

 tion. One fellowship in psychology is an- 

 nually awarded at Columbia University, 

 whereas ten could now be given with ad- 

 vantage, and the number needed would 

 probably always increase in more rapid 

 ratio than the number supplied. We can 

 only find the exceptional man by selecting 

 him from a considerable number who un- 

 dertake research work. Those who prove 

 themselves incompetent for important orig- 



