Febkxjaet 15, 1907] 



SCIENCE 



247 



There are those who think that a fixed system 

 or scale of some sort should be adopted and 

 followed. That would be the easiest plan for 

 the trustees and the president. Perhaps it is the 

 right plan. But after the most careful considera- 

 tion it does not seem so to me. I do not find 

 any institution such as ours where any fixed 

 system has been found practicable, though various 

 systems have been given trial. 



A fixed system of promotions and salaries is 

 said to worli well in the army — in time of peace. 

 In time of war it is in the army as in all other 

 callings — the system must go to make way for 

 the most efficient service. 



Aside from the differences between men, which 

 count in every occupation and must count among 

 teachers as well as others^ there are circum- 

 stances and conditions which vary from depart- 

 ment to department and render a fixed system a 

 heavy handicap upon the maximum eflSciency of 

 the university. 



The university can not, for example, make 

 nothing of the fact that it is very much more 

 difficult to get good men in certain departments 

 than in others. This fact constitutes part of 

 the reason for one exceptional recommendation 

 made at this time. In such cases the university 

 can not afford to restrict itself artificially by a 

 system. 



On the other hand the conditions and circum- 

 stances in another department may make it ex- 

 tremely difficult to promote every worthy man. 

 The commonest example, in the universities gen- 

 erally, is that of the department wliose places are 

 already filled by a practically permanent staff of 

 good men. If one looks at the case of a single 

 individual, relief seems easy. But some one must 

 look at all the individuals. Some one must loolc 

 at the budget for the year. Some one must con- 

 sider what the budget will be next year and in 

 the following years when outgoes are growing 

 and incomes are standing still. In a word some 

 one must consider the life of the university as 

 a whole. When one does that, the problem of 

 advancing all the individuals who deserve it ap- 

 pears not simply difficult but impossible. No 

 university is rich enough to make places and 

 salaries for all who deserve them. No university 

 has a right to make place or salary for any 

 man unless this is justified by the interests of the 

 institution. 



In fine, an automatic system is easy and peace- 

 ful. It relieves the trustees and the president 

 from their most trying responsibility. ■ But in 

 my judgment it must again and again pay for 



this peace and pleasant irresponsibility by the 

 sacrifice of essential university interests. 



I believe that the trustees and the president 

 must choose a harder and more troubled course. 

 They must accept the responsibility of doing 

 what they believe to be best and must abide the 

 consequences to themselves and to the university. 



I do not forget, as I write, the first-rate im- 

 portance of a good spirit within the faculty. 

 The maintenance of that spirit requires that the 

 administration of aifairs should be reasonable and 

 disinterested. But if a reasonable and disin- 

 terested administration (which must often bring 

 disappointments to individuals and which must 

 sometimes make mistakes) does not develop a 

 good spirit within the faculty, the whole problem 

 seems to be hopeless. 



6. 



While there are diplomatic reasons for giving 

 the same salary to men holding the same title in 

 a college, there is no justice in it, as it is im- 

 possible to secure men of equal effectiveness in 

 their respective positions. Tlie question of ad- 

 ministration is doubtless easier if professors are 

 placed on equal salary, but there seems no suf- 

 ficient reason to my mind why the laws of supply 

 and demand should not be applied to college pro- 

 fessors as well as in other walks of life. 



There is no reason why the same salary should 

 be paid to men bearing the same academic title 

 in other than the subordinate grades, such as 

 assistant, tutor and instructor. I think that 

 assistant or adjunct professors, and more par- 

 ticularly professors, should be compensated as 

 individuals and not as members of a group, the 

 amount of compensation to vary in accordance 

 with particular circumstances affecting the na- 

 ture, the quality, and the amount of their aca- 

 demic service. 



The following quotations are from fac- 

 ulty members: 



8. 



For a categorical answer to the question I 

 should say, no. 



The dilemma which the question involves is in 

 some respects similar to that which appears in 

 the question of salaries for public school teachers, 

 and is somewhat more remotely analogous to 

 that which appears in the whole problem of ap- 

 pointment, promotion and salaries in the civil 

 service. On the one hand, a mechanical uni- 

 formity is easy of administration and shuts out 



