Maech 20, 1908] 



SCIENCE 



463 



of lessons, and to emphasize important 

 principles through the solution of numer- 

 ous problems by the student. The pressure 

 of the studies of the school year would be 

 somewhat diminished; while the work of 

 the summer school, being largely in labora- 

 tory, shop or field, and concentrated upon 

 one or two subjects, would not continue the 

 mental strain to any great extent. The 

 plan would involve increased expense to 

 the institute; for it would be necessary to 

 pay the salaries of the instructors engaged 

 in the summer schools for an additional 

 month. Aside from this, the only impor- 

 tant objection to it seems to be the added 

 tax that it imposes upon the resources of 

 certain students in forcing them to meet 

 the expenses of living in Boston for a 

 longer period and in shortening the time 

 which they can devote to remunerative 

 work. This makes it, in my opinion, out 

 of the question to charge an additional 

 tuition fee for such required summer 

 courses; but this is not a sufficient argu- 

 ment for postponing a step which is so 

 essential to the effectiveness of our work. 



INVESTIGATIONS BY THE INSTEUCTING STAFF 



An extension of opportunities for in- 

 vestigation both in pure and in applied sci- 

 ence by members of our staff and by ad- 

 vanced students is a matter which, though 

 secondary to the considerations directly 

 affecting the instruction and general wel- 

 fare of undergraduate students, is never- 

 theless of the greatest importance in its 

 effect on the relation of the institute to the 

 scientific and technical development of this 

 country. It ought to be our especial aim 

 to get into the closest touch with the scien- 

 tific problems of the manufacturer and the 

 community, and to assist in the solution of 

 them. Professors and instructors on our 

 staff are already doing a vast amount of 

 work in this direction, partly through the 

 thesis work of students, and partly through 



their own employment as experts. But this 

 work is often performed under conditions 

 which make a thoroughgoing investigation 

 impossible; and, because of its personal 

 character, it fails to be identified with the 

 institute and recognized among its con- 

 tributions to scientific progress. In my 

 opinion, we should in all departments give 

 each of our assistants and instructors a 

 reasonable proportion of free time for re- 

 search purposes, we should afford him 

 adequate laboratory facilities, and should 

 then insist as a condition of his promotion 

 and advancement in salary that he make 

 and publish scientific or technical investi- 

 gations. Almost all our instructors al- 

 ready have some available time that could 

 be devoted to research work, so that the 

 carrying out of this suggestion does not 

 involve a proportionate increase in our 

 staff. That time is, however, at present so 

 limited, so disconnected, and so apt to be 

 encroached upon by other work, that the 

 man feels little encouragement to enter 

 upon an investigation. If that amount of 

 time could be increased and made definite 

 by the assignment of days or half -days for 

 research work, there would result not only 

 an incalculable gain to himself as a 

 teacher, investigator and scholar, but also 

 added reputation to the institute because 

 of its larger contributions to science. 



ESTABLISHMENT OP RESEARCH LABORATORIES 



Another method of promoting investiga- 

 tion work at the institute is through the 

 the establishment of research laboratories 

 in connection with the departments. For 

 each such laboratory an income of about 

 $5,000 needs to be guaranteed for at least 

 a few years. Two laboratories have al- 

 ready been started which are devoted to 

 research in physical chemistry and in sew- 

 age disposal, and their contributions to 

 pure science in the one case and to ques- 

 tions of municipal sanitation in the other 



