April 15, 1904.] 



SCIENCE. 



621 



development and whatever I may have to say 

 will be predicated upon that principle. 



The one tendency which has been so steadily 

 persistent and so prominent in the develop- 

 ment of the association as to overshadow 

 everything else is that of specialization of 

 work, and this factor is unquestionably des- 

 tined to become more and more prominent 

 from year to year. It was first manifested in 

 the division of the association into its original 

 sections, next in the subdivision of these, then 

 in the organization of special societies distinct 

 frora the sections and finally in the further 

 subdivision of the societies and the formation 

 of new ones in accordance with the develop- 

 ment of new lines of thought and investiga- 

 tion. This is a condition with which we must 

 reckon and our effort should be to study how 

 it can best be made to serve the objects and 

 interests of the association. Another tendency, 

 of more recent origin, the underlying motive 

 of which I confess I have not been able quite 

 to understand, is the tendency to separate on 

 geographic lines. This is more or less an un- 

 certain quantity and, therefore, its importance 

 may be underestimated, but it is a factor which 

 has to be taken into consideration. 



Assuming that this course of reasoning is 

 valid it would seem as if the association should 

 make every possible efiort to encourage the 

 formation of new sections whenever the ne- 

 cessity arises and to make the scope of its 

 influence as broad as possible. Many earnest 

 workers in educational and economic subjects 

 find no place open to them in any of the sec- 

 tions and hence the formation of many inde- 

 pendent societies entirely out of touch with 

 the association. Many of them meet at other 

 times and places and both time and energy 

 are wasted. On the other hand, the affiliated 

 societies, which have sprung naturally from 

 the influence of the sections, are a source of 

 strength to the association and this could be 

 further augmented by intelligent cooperation. 



Much has been accomplished in this direc- 

 tion already, but it has not been systematically 

 pursued. I have elsewhere proposed, and I 

 take advantage of this opportunity again to 

 urge, that an effort should be made to call a 

 meeting of delegates from all societies which 



could properly be afiiliated with the associa- 

 tion in order that some uniform basis of co- 

 operation might be secured. 



The main province of the association in the 

 future would seem to be that of organization 

 and popularization of science. Let the sum- 

 mer meetings be continued, with the under- 

 standing that they are for the purpose of 

 arousing and maintaining popular interest and 

 to serve as a common meeting ground for pro- 

 fessional and non-professional scientists, where 

 the social element is to be encouraged and 

 where beginners and amateurs may become 

 acquainted with those whose names and works 

 are known to them, but with whom they have 

 never had the opportunity to become person- 

 ally acquainted. I know of many instances 

 in which embryo scientists obtained their first 

 inspirations and their first insight into the 

 possibilities which lay before them, through 

 the medium of these meetings. 



It may, perhaps, be an open question whe- 

 ther winter meetings in addition are advisable. 

 The tendency seems to be to make these more 

 technical and, perhaps, it might be wiser to 

 encourage this idea. In other words, that at 

 these meetings the affiliated societies should 

 assume the leading position. 



It ought to be feasible so to arrange the 

 programs that at the summer meetings the 

 societies could meet with the sections and 

 have the association assume the greater promi- 

 nence, while at the winter meetings the asso- 

 ciation could act more as a medium for bring- 

 ing the societies together at one time and 

 place. 



Personally I do not believe in the advisa- 

 bility of meeting in regional sections. The 

 less separation we have on geographic lines the 

 better, although if this tendency is obvious I 

 realize that it would be folly to oppose it. 

 Before expressing any further opinion on 

 this point, however, I should prefer to hear 

 something more definite than has yet been 

 brought forward by those w"ho favor it, not 

 only in regard to reasons for the proposed 

 change, but also, approximately, the details of 

 the arrangements which could be made for 

 such meetings. 



It should also be borne in mind that the 



