980 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXV. No. 651 



Behrend and Co., 1907, pp. 81), in which the 

 resolutions passed at the successive meetings 

 of the International Meteorological Congress 

 and of the International Meteorological Com- 

 mittee are systematically classified by sub- 

 jects, -with references to the meetings at which 

 they were adopted, and to the publication.^ 

 in which the discussions on these resolutions 

 may be found. Hitherto it has been difficult, 

 without a considerable expenditure of time, to 

 ascertain exactly what the official action has 

 been in reference to the numerous subjects 

 which have been considered at these meetings. 

 Dr. Hellmann proposed the preparation of 

 this Kodex at the Southport meeting of the 

 International Meteorological Committee in 

 1903, and the volume has now been published 

 in accordance with the authorization given to 

 Drs. Hellmann and Hildebrandsson by the 

 committee. Resolutions covering matters 

 which have been disposed of (e. g., the inter- 

 national cloud year) are omitted, as are those 

 which have been superseded by later votes. A 

 very full index (subject and author) to the 

 reports of the international meteorological 

 meetings is appended to the Kodex, and adds 

 greatly to the value of the work done at these 

 important gatherings. The Kodex is not a 

 book for general reading, but it would be well 

 for writers of future text-books on meteor- 

 ology and climatology to study it carefully, in 

 order to give their readers the official opinion 

 on such matters as the exposure and correc- 

 tions of instruments ; the hours and methods 

 of observation, etc. 



R. DeC. Ward 

 Hakvabd Univeesitt 



ACADEMIC SALARIES 

 Mr. Edward M. Shepard, the eminent 

 lavs^er and statesman, has addressed the fol- 

 lowing letter to the editor of the New York 

 Times : 



The ' Taxpayer ' who has made by letter to 

 you an attack upon the purchase of a house to 

 be occupied by the president of the College of the 

 City of New York, would have done better to have 

 ascertained the facts before making anonymoua 

 criticism. There is no intention whatever to 

 donate a house to President Finley. The college, 



for the purposes of the more efficient performance 

 of its work, already great, with its 4,000 students, 

 and fast becoming greater, is to acquire a house 

 close to its buildings to be used by President 

 Finley so long as the college and the city are 

 fortunate enough to enjoy the enormous advantage 

 of his very able and high-minded administration, 

 and, when that good fortune of the college and 

 the city shall end (may the Greek Kalends come 

 first) President Finley 's successor will occupy the 

 house. 



The city itself acquires the house, without sug- 

 gestion or hint from President Finley, as an eco- 

 nomical method of making some part of a suitable 

 increase to the compensation of the President 

 (now $8,250) and as a means to facilitate the 

 performance of his many and varied duties. Even 

 with the rent of a house, his salary will be less 

 than that of any one of the police magistrates of 

 the city or any one of the civil magistrates of 

 the city; it will be less than three fifths the salary 

 of any one of the supreme court justices. Yet 

 every well-informed citizen knows that, in diffi- 

 culty of his work and in its supreme importance 

 to the general welfare of the city. President Fin- 

 ley's place is not surpassed by that of any judge, 

 or, indeed, by any in the city, unless, perhaps, the 

 places of the mayor, the controler and one or two 

 others. 



The plain fact is, and your correspondent ' Tax- 

 payer ' may take notice of it, that, even with the 

 increase in salary which this house will provide 

 President Finley, his salary and the salaries of 

 tlie professors of the college are inadequate and 

 not in fit proportion to the salaries at Columbia 

 University or the High Schools and public schools. 

 The Normal College recently extended an invita- 

 tion to a distinguished educator to become its 

 president at a salary $2,000 greater than the sal- 

 ary of President Finley will be when enlarged by 

 the rent of his house. The president and pro- 

 fessors receive the same salaries which they had 

 very many years ago. The professors' salaries 

 ($4,750) are to-day what they were thirty or 

 thirty- five years ago; while the salaries of all 

 other teachers and professors and of all others in 

 the service of the city have been largely increased, 

 and living expenses at New York have enoiTaously 

 increased. 



I do not know the view of my associate trustees, 

 but I shall ask them to submit to the Board of 

 Estimate next fall a proposal to increase the 

 salaries of the professors of the college, and, per- 



