Maech 10, 1916] 



SCIENCE 



343 



habit." By a resolute simultaneous efifort at the 

 first onset, when interest is fresh, we may avoid 

 the necessity of spending ten times the amount 

 of labor in wearisome and costly agitation. No 

 earnest man should excuse himself on the plea that 

 "the others" will push the bill through without 

 his help. If every man took that attitude, there 

 would be no "others." 



At my request a committee, under the chair- 

 manship of Dr. S. W. Stratton, Director of the 

 Bureau of Standards, has been appointed by the 

 American Association for the Advancement of 

 Science to take charge of the bill. This com- 

 mittee, located at Washington, within easy reach 

 of congress, will serve aa the natural center of a 

 nation-wide organization. All communications on 

 the subject should hereafter be addressed to 

 "Thermometer Committee A. A. A. S., Bureau of 

 Standards, Washington, D. C." 



It is recommended that local committees, as 

 branches of a national organization, be formed in 

 aU the states, to bring the subject to the atten- 

 tion of the press and to secure the adoption of 

 resolutions by scientific and educational organi- 

 zations, faculties of universities, firms, corpora- 

 tions, etc. Copies of such resolutions — the briefer 

 the better — should be sent to as many individual 

 members of congress as possible. 



The American Association for the Advancement 

 of Science, with nearly 9,000 members, miglit 

 itself be deemed fairly representative of the 

 American scientific public. Nevertheless, in order 

 to avoid the criticism that this measure was 

 pushed through congress without adequate consul- 

 tation of those concerned, I shall be glad to send 

 this circular and the reprint of my speech to other 

 societies, if their secretaries will express a wish 

 to that effect. As the type is kept standing, it 

 will be easy to order new editions as fast as the 

 demand for them arises. By thus submitting the 

 question, as nearly as possible, to a popular vote 

 of all those who are competent to express an 

 opinion, all semblance of arbitrary action may be 

 avoided. 



Meantime it is hoped that the present circular 

 and accompanying speech will be reprinted and 

 discussed as widely as possible in the scientific 

 and popular press, so that any one who cares to 

 raise objections may have a chance to do so. 

 Clippings containing such printed discussions will 

 be thankfully received by the above-named com- 

 mittee. 



For the present you can render valuable aid by 



answering the questions on the enclosed question 

 sheet and mailing it in the enclosed envelope, 

 which requires no postage. Unless you express a 

 wish to the contrary, it will be assumed that you 

 permit the publication of your remarks entire or 

 in extract. 



The questions are as follows : 



1. Should the use of the Fahrenheit scale be 

 discontinued ? 



2. Can you suggest arguments in addition to 

 those contained in the accompanying documents? 



3. Can you suggest amendments to the bill? 

 (Text of bill on page 3 of speech.) 



4. What length of time should be allowed be- 

 fore the use of centigrade degrees, with or with- 

 out the addition of the equivalent in Fahrenheit 

 degrees, becomes obligatory in government publi- 

 cations? 



5. What length of time should be allowed before 

 the use of Fahrenheit degrees in parentheses after 

 centigrade degrees is discontinued? 



6. In case you were invited by the Committee 

 on Coinage, Weights and Measures to state your 

 opinion orally before them, would you be willing 

 to come to Washington for that purpose? 



7. Do you know of any organization that might 

 be willing, on invitation by the committee, to send 

 delegates to Washington for the same purpose? 



8. Are you willing to work in behalf of this 

 movement — by writing, lecturing, organizing state 

 committees and other committees, securing reso- 

 lutions from societies, faculties of universities, 

 etc.? 



9. Can you suggest other methods of work? 



10. Can you give the names and addresses of sec- 

 retaries of societies whose members ought to re- 

 ceive the circular and other documents? 



SUMMER " ASSEMBLY IN SCIENCE " AT 

 THE SCRIPPS INSTITUTION 



The experiment of holding a " Summer 

 Assembly in Science " at the Scripps Institu- 

 tion for Biological Eesearch at La Jolla, on 

 the sea coast near San Diego, will be tried by 

 the University of California this summer for 

 the first time. The purpose is to disseminate 

 among teachers of biology and physical geog- 

 raphy and others interested in modern science 

 the discoveries and new points of view which 

 are resulting from the investigations of this 

 research department of the university, and to 



