Febbuaey 12, 1904.] 



SCIENCE. 



265 



personal element, in making men acquainted, 

 and in giving them a chance to discuss things 

 and to exchange ideas in a way that can not 

 be done by letter. The mere reading of 

 papers is a waste of time. Tagging round as 

 one of a crowd on an afternoon excursion is 

 a waste of energy. 



The ideal meeting, as I see it, is very dif- 

 ferent. In the morning we should have short 

 papers, if possible of general interest, and each 

 paper should give rise to an animated discus- 

 sion taken part in by as many people as pos- 

 sible. In the afternoon men should get to- 

 gether in small groups to talk over matters in 

 a more careful way. There is no objection to 

 one excursion, but that is enough. The even- 

 ings would then be left free for general social 

 gatherings which certainly should not be con- 

 fined to the single sections. 



We get a little of all this now, but rela- 

 tively little and that rather under protest. 

 While there will be some differences of opinion 

 as to what constitutes a successful meeting, 

 it is certain that the meetings can be made 

 of more value than they now are; and that 

 the way to do it is for each member to decide 

 for himself what he wants and then to work 

 for it. Wilder D. Bancropt. , 



To THE Editor of Science : The desirability 

 of so organizing and correlating the scientific 

 activities of our country as to secure the lar- 

 gest results both in progress and influence can 

 hardly be open to serious question. Just 

 how to secure these ends is, of course, a diffi- 

 cult problem. We have some three types of 

 scientific societies, two of which only are of 

 immediate concern in the problem under con- 

 sideration, namely, the more specialized or 

 technical societies, such as the Society of 

 Anatomists, Society of Bacteriologists, Society 

 of Zoologists, etc., and those of broader or 

 more general scope, of which the American 

 Association for the Advancement of Science 

 is representative. Of the other type, repre- 

 sented by the National Academy of Sciences, 

 it is unnecessary to speak, since the exelusive- 

 ness of its membership as well as the fact of 

 its independence of meeting as to both time 

 and place do not bring it into direct relation 



with the more serious aspects involved in the 

 correlation of the others as to times, places, 

 programs, etc. 



While in the first attempt of the conjunction 

 of these technical and affiliated societies with 

 the American Association at Washington a 

 year ago there may not have been entire har- 

 mony, nor the realization of that adjustment 

 of programs and hours of meeting which was 

 hoped for, it may be doubted whether, as a 

 whole, there has been a more enthusiastic 

 meeting of scientific men from the entire 

 country, with larger opportunity for congenial 

 conference and acquaintance, in the history of 

 such gatherings in our country. 



While there must of necessity exist many of 

 the strictly technical class of associations, and 

 with increased specialization they are likely 

 to become more rather than fewer, there still 

 remains the no less imperative necessity for 

 such organization of scientific effort as will 

 make possible concentrated and consistent and 

 direct sentiment for the enactment of needed 

 measures of infiuence for whatever emergency 

 may call for such. While this may have been 

 measurably afforded by the Society of Natural- 

 ists, it was necessarily limited to a small class 

 of scientists and to a limited range of terri- 

 tory. And though western sections, or many 

 sections, be organized, there can never be any- 

 thing like an ideal organization for aggressive 

 work of a generally representative character 

 through those sources. It may well be doubted, 

 indeed, whether the day and the demand for 

 the existence of the Society of Naturalists 

 have not passed away, and whether a new 

 demand under new conditions has not arisen 

 which ought to be recognized and welcomed. 



It is my firm conviction that there are in 

 the American Association and in the technical 

 societies conditions and factors which, properly 

 correlated and adjusted, afford the most hope- 

 ful outlook for organized scientific progress 

 within the present generation. And with the 

 submergence of personal ambitions and as- 

 pirations and an earnest effort to secure the 

 larger results of broad and well-organized 

 effort an era of advance unparalleled may be 

 entered upon. 



Chas. W. Hargiti 



