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SCIENCE. 



[N.S. Vol. XVI. No. 406. 



tion should first of all take advantage of the 

 existing organizations for research without 

 destroying their independence, and it would 

 also follow that it might properly aid in 

 the opening up of fields of work hitherto 

 not so well supplied with opportunities for 

 investigation. National societies repre- 

 senting well-defined territories of scientific 

 endeavor might well be asked to appoint a 

 ' Committee on Research ' whose function it 

 should be to represent the society in con- 

 ference with the authorities of the Carnegie 

 Institution, and perhaps to suggest not 

 merely the nature of assistance it is desir- 

 able to render to the individual investi- 

 gators that it represents, but to formulate 

 plans for a comprehensive and protracted 

 study of definite fundamental problems. 



It would seem as if existing agencies for 

 promoting research should be fully utilized 

 before any attempt is made to create an- 

 other organization. These agencies may be 

 found in and directed through the several 

 national societies whose avowed aim is the 

 promotion of research. Practically all the 

 workers in the different natural sciences are 

 organized in some way, and while the de- 

 tails of the organization are quite different, 

 the controlling purpose is the same. In 

 some sciences the number of societies is ex- 

 cessive and illustrates the national tend- 

 ency toward multiplication of executive 

 mechanism, but, as is well known, various 

 plans for unification and centralization are 

 even now being considered. By inviting the 

 cooperation and advice of these societies of 

 national scope and by stimulating their 

 activities the solidarity of scientific organi- 

 zation will be increased and enthusiasm for 

 research greatly stimulated. More would 

 probably be accomplished in this way than 

 by adding another set of wheels to the exist- 

 ing machinery for transacting scientific 

 business. 



Edwin 0. Jordan. 



-In complying with the request of the 

 editor of Science for an expression of 

 opinion regarding the work of the Carnegie 

 Institution, I must speak solely from the 

 standpoint of my own specialty, though 

 possibly the suggestions are capable of a 

 wider application. 



First of all, it is important that the funds 

 of this great donation should be utilized 

 for the furtherance of work which cannot 

 be accomplished in any other way. Sec- 

 ondly, it is understood that these funds are 

 to be used primarily for the furtherance of 

 research. 



What is the greatest hindrance to chem- 

 ical research in this country? There go 

 out from our different universities each 

 year men well equipped for research, and 

 this number is increased by others return- 

 ing from German and other foreign uni- 

 versities. After perhaps the publication 

 of a resume of their theses, little is heard 

 from most of these men, yet many of them 

 have begun the study of interesting prob- 

 lems. The reason for this is not far to 

 seek. Those who have entered upon a 

 career of teaching have found themselves, 

 so burdened with class-room work that 

 they have neither time nor energy for con- 

 tinuing their researches. In many posi- 

 tions research work means to the trustees 

 that the teacher is not devoting the time 

 he should to his classes. In a compara- 

 tively few institutions there are positions 

 as assistant, where a man has time for re- 

 search and is possibly expected to engage 

 in it, but such positions are generally tem- 

 porary, and the incumbent, if successful, 

 is soon promoted to a place where he re- 

 ceives adequate salary and spends most, if 

 not all, his time in teaching. Every 

 chemist will recall numerous examples of 

 men who have given great promise, but 

 have soon had a quietus put upon their re- 

 search work. There are comparatively few 

 teachers in this country so situated that 



