52 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXV. No. 628 



for the sciences, because that would hardly 

 be possible— but a more effective and more 

 uplifting and a more humanizing result of 

 teaching the sciences, in order that we may 

 pass on to the next generation this new 

 educational instrumentality organized and 

 perfected for true educational work, which 

 never can be limited to the passing of in- 

 formation from hand to hand or mere in- 

 struction in method by master to pupil. 



I throw out this suggestion, because here, 

 in this association, are men and women de- 

 voting their lives to the study and investi- 

 gation and presentation of truth, to whom 

 in the colleges and universities, and to 

 whom in the nation at large, we must look 

 for the formulation of the answer to just 

 such questions as this. To them I com- 

 mend the question as to the proper organ- 

 ization of the sciences as instrumentalities 

 in general education. 



I say again you are heartily and com- 

 pletely welcome to this university and 

 whatever hospitality it can offer and every 

 act of friendliness which you Avill give us 

 the privilege to show. 



President Welch responded to the address 

 of welcome as follows : 



Ladies and Gentlemen: In behalf of the 

 members of the American Association for 

 the Advancement of Science and of the 

 Affiliated Societies I thank you heartily. 

 President Butler, for your cordial words 

 of welcome, and I assure you and your 

 colleagues that it is most gratifying to us 

 to have the opportunity of meeting in this 

 city and at this univei'sity. 



It was not until nearly forty years after 

 its foundation that this association met 

 first in the city of New York, whereas this 

 third meeting in New York follows only 

 six years after the preceding one in the 

 same place. These events in their periods 

 of sequence indicate in a measure the rate 

 of growth of science in this city and its 

 increase of attractiveness to men of science. 



While for a century and more there have 

 been eminent scientific men in New York 

 City, it is, nevertheless, true that for a long 

 period of time letters and science were not 

 represented in this city in a degree at all 

 commensurate with its position in other 

 respects, and New York thereby lacked a 

 note of distinction in its civic and educa- 

 tional life possessed by several smaller cities 

 and even small towns in this country. 



In recent years, indeed in the short in- 

 terval since our last meeting here, the con- 

 ditions have changed rapidly, and New 

 York is taking a position in education and 

 the promotion of science more nearly ap- 

 proaching its leadership in commerce and 

 other material interests. The most power- 

 ful instrumentality in bringing about this 

 great advance has been Columbia Univer- 

 sity with the influences which have gath- 

 ered about it, and it is most gratifying to 

 the members of this association to witness, 

 where we are now assembled, the marvelous 

 growth of this great university. A worthy 

 share in this development of the higher 

 learning has been borne also by New York 

 University, and in our visit to the new 

 buildings of the College of the City of New 

 York, where a general meeting of the asso- 

 ciation is to be held on Saturday, we shall 

 have the opportunity to behold the visible 

 evidences of the most enlightened liberality 

 of a municipality in support of higher edu- 

 cation for the people. 



Those interested in natural science will 

 find nowhere a more impressive illustration 

 of municipal liberality in support of an 

 institution for the instruction of the people 

 and the advancement of natural knowledge 

 than the American Miiseum of Natural 

 History, where on Saturday evening we are 

 to be the guests of the trustees of the mu- 

 seum and of the council of the New York 

 Academy of Sciences, this latter organiza- 

 tion ranking also among the important 

 forces contributing to the development of 



