684 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol,. XXVII. No. 696 



are used. They are so arranged that there 

 is no converging of currents, the upstairs 

 leading out one way, and the downstairs 

 leading another. The exemplary conduct 

 of the children in our public schools of New 

 York at times of alarms of fire have often 

 demonstrated the wisdom of such precau- 

 tions. 



STtTDENTS' SXJPPLIES 



The problem of supplies is an ever vex- 

 ing one with every chemical department. 

 The College of the City is unique in re- 

 quiring no fees, and by law we must pro- 

 vide sufficient apparatus and chemicals for 

 each student to complete a first-class course 

 in chemistry without cost to him. The cost 

 for the average student, therefore, must be 

 determined for each course. The student 

 has that amount, in terms of supplies, to 

 his credit upon which he may draft as his 

 requirements arise. At the point of over- 

 drawing on the part of an extravagant or 

 careless student, his credit ceases and he 

 must make good any excesses. 



CAED CATALOGUE SYSTEM 



Satisfactory bookkeeping is therefore a 

 necessity. We have adopted the card cata- 

 logue system. The system for the division 

 of supplies, including four auxiliary sup- 

 ply rooms, provides requisitions for imme- 

 diate or temporary use, import orders, desk 

 equipment and private laboratories; ship- 

 ping instructions, inventory, labels, tags, 

 etc. ^ 



A budget is prepared. The amount of 

 the appropriation is known to the director. 

 • All requisitions are recorded with the esti- 

 mated cost opposite in one column. When 

 the bill for that particular requisition is 

 presented the actual expenditure is placed 

 in an adjoining column. By this means we 

 live within our means, whether they be 

 meager or extravagant. The Board of 



Estimate usually avoids the latter, even if 

 we were inclined to extravagance. 



The executive side of the system cares 

 for students' registration, division registra- 

 tion, advancement, admission to advanced 

 standing, record cards, requests for permit 

 to work out of hours, notices of poor work 

 and regular students' reports, etc. The 

 cards are colored, which facilitates classifi- 

 cation, as yellow for analytical, red for 

 organic, etc. The selection of any desig- 

 nating color once decided upon is adhered 

 to.^ 



In elaborating this system I have re- 

 ceived hearty aid from my colleagues, 

 Associate Professor H. E. Moody in par- 

 ticular. 



PLACING RESPONSIBILITT ON THE STAFF 



The use of a time stamp to indicate the 

 receipt of invoices, date of approval of 

 bills, for stamping of notebooks, etc., has 

 proved of great value in our department 

 in serving to place the responsibilities. In 

 this connection it may be stated in antici- 

 pation of a subsequent discussion of cer- 

 tain pedagogic problems that we have the 

 "section system" for laboratory instruc- 

 tion. We do not have large laboratories, 

 but small ones, accommodating, as a rule, 

 not more than twenty-five students at one 

 time. The reasons for this will be dis- 

 cussed in a later communication. The in- 

 struction in each laboratory is given by one 

 instructor. He is held absolutely respon- 

 sible for the conduct of that room, in- 

 cluding its physical condition. Instructors 

 are human and when the responsibility is 

 divided, one usually bears the brunt of the 

 work and the filthy condition of a labora- 

 tory is always attributed to the "other 

 fellow." This is a principle and one of 

 fundamental importance. Its application 



' Samples of the cards in use \vere exhibited. 

 They may be had on request to the author. 



J 



