458 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLIII. No. 1109 



grants of money may be made to enable mem- 

 bers of their staffs to attend meetings of 

 standard societies held east of the Eocky 

 Mountains, initial action to be taken in each 

 case, on its merits, by a suitable advisory 

 committee of the institution concerned. 



n. RELATING TO GRANTING OF SABBATICAL LEAVE 

 ON FULL PAY FOR RESEARCH DUTY 



(a) Eesearch by a university professor is a 

 function not less important than teaching. 



(6) It frequently happens that a professor's 

 time and energy are so completely absorbed by 

 the work of teaching that research becomes 

 impracticable. 



(c) It occasionally happens that a teacher, 

 imbued with the spirit of research, spends his 

 sabbatical vacation at a reduced salary in the 

 pursuit of his researches. 



This committee therefore urges upon the 

 governing bodies of the universities and col- 

 leges of the Pacific region the inauguration 

 of the practise of granting sabbatical leave 

 on full pay in approved cases, based upon the 

 presentation of a definite program of work 

 leading to a printed report upon its comple- 

 tion, initial action to be taken in each case, on 

 its merits, by a suitable advisory committee of 

 the institution concerned. 



Among the subjects which have given this 

 committee concern is the responsibility of 

 scientists in the United States for the progress 

 of research during and immediately following 

 the European war. "Will the impoverishment 

 of governments curtail the support of science 

 in Europe, or will the demonstrated efficiency 

 of scientific methods induce the governments 

 to maintain scientific research at a sacrifice of 

 something else? Whatever the outcome may 

 be, the obligations of American men and 

 women of science to push forward the boun- 

 daries of knowledge are certain to be increased. 



(Signed) D. H. Campbell, 

 W. W. Campbell, 

 F. G. Cottrell, 

 E. C. Franklin, 

 J. C. Merriam, 

 Chairman of the Subcommittee 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS 



At the annual meeting of the Washington 

 Academy of Sciences, the following officers 

 for the year 1916 were elected: President, L. 

 O. Howard; Vice-presidents, J. W. Fewkes, 

 Anthropological Society; M. Carroll, Archeo- 

 logical Society; W. P. Hay, Biological So- 

 ciety; E. H. True, Botanical Society; E. B. 

 Sosman, Chemical Society; J. C. Hoyt, Engi- 

 neers Society; C. B. Mirick, Electrical Engi- 

 neers Society; W. D. Hunter, Entomological 

 Society; G. B. Sudworth, Foresters Society; 

 0. H. Tittmann, Geographic Society; T. W. 

 Vaughan, Geological Society; J. D. Morgan, 

 Historical Society; E. Y. Davidson, Medical 

 Society; L. J. Briggs, Philosophical Society; 

 Non-resident Vice-presidents, E. C. Pickering, 

 A. G. Mayer; Corresponding Secretary, F. E. 

 Wright; Recording Secretary, W. J. Humph- 

 reys; Treasurer, W. Bowie; Managers, Class 

 of 1919, G. K. Burgess and C. L. Alsberg. 



Officers of the Eoyal Astronomical Society 

 have been elected as follows: President, E. A. 

 Sampson, astronomer royal for Scotland. 

 Vice-presidents, Sir F. W. Dyson, astronomer 

 royal; Colonel E. H. Hills, W. H. Maw, H. F. 

 JSTewall, professor of astrophysics, Cambridge. 

 Treasurer, E. B. Knobel. Secretaries, A. S. 

 Eddington, Plumian professor of astronomy, 

 Cambridge; Alfred Fowler, professor of astro- 

 physics. Imperial College of Science and Tech- 

 nology. Foreign Secretary, Arthur Schuster. 

 Council, Sydney Chapman; A. L. Cortie; A. 

 C. D. Crommelin; J. W. L. Glashier; Walter 

 Heath; J. H. Jeans; H. S. Jones; E. W. 

 Maunder; J. W. Nicholson, professor of 

 mathematics. King's College; T. E. E. 

 PhiUips; A. A. Eambaut, Eadcliffe observer; 

 H. H. Turner, Savilian professor of astron- 

 omy, Oxford. 



The following officers of the Geological So- 

 ciety of London have been elected for the en- 

 suing year: President, Dr. A. Harker; Vice- 

 presidents, Sir T. H. Holland, Mr. E. T. New- 

 ton, the Eev. H. H. Winwood, and Dr. 

 A. Smith Woodward; Secretaries, Mr. H. 

 H. Thomas and Dr. H. Lapworth; For- 

 eign Secretary, Sir Archibald Geikie; Treas- 



