886 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLII. No. 1095 



unreasonable. We now know that sewer 

 gas is not poisonous and that much of the 

 cost of a system of so-called "sanitary" 

 plumbing may be avoided, as is already 

 done in countries where legislation follows 

 information in such matters. As our sani- 

 tary legislation is much of it largely in the 

 interests of a trade union it is rigidly en- 

 forced and the unnecessary burden upon 

 the people is by no means light. 



Much the same may be said of our laws 

 and regulations relating to the ventilation 

 of school and other buildings. They add 

 greatly to the cost of construction and 

 maintenance but they are far from being 

 in accord with the more recent results of 

 scientific investigation. 



The people of Ohio pay, annually, many 

 millions of dollars for a commodity for the 

 measure of which, as it passes from pro- 

 ducer to consumer, the state has made no 

 provision whatever. The assumed honesty 

 of the producer is the consumer's only pro- 

 tection. 



Many other examples of wastefulness and 

 burdensome legislation and administration 

 might be cited, but these alone, result- 

 ing in a single year in a loss many times 

 enough to endow an academy of science in 

 perpetuity, should be convincing evidence 

 that there is great need of wise counsel 

 whenever laws relating to the applications 

 of scientific discovery are under considera- 

 tion by a legislative body whose members 

 must of necessity be largely ignorant of the 

 basic principles involved. 



It will probably be suggested that the 

 state already has at its command a body of 

 scientific and technical advisers in the sev- 

 eral faculties of the state universities and 

 that these, being already in its employ, can 

 more appropriately be called upon for 

 service. But there are numerous other in- 

 stitutions of learning, in the faculties of 

 which are to be found men of high scientific 



attainments and great technical knowledge 

 and skill, men who are recognized by the 

 members of the State University faculties 

 as their peers in every respect, and the 

 state should be glad to be able to avail itself 

 of their accomplishments. Besides these, 

 with whom science or technology is a pro- 

 fession, there wUl always be other citizens 

 of Ohio (and may their tribe increase) who, 

 though not connected with any educational 

 institution, are lovers of learning and suc- 

 cessfully engaged in research in some de- 

 partment of science. Their knowledge and 

 experience may also be made available 

 through the academy, of which they are 

 almost certain to be members. Aside from 

 the fact that the academy will constitute a 

 much larger group than the faculties of the 

 state universities from which expert coun- 

 sellors may be chosen there can be no doubt 

 that its advice would always have a higher 

 value on account of its independence of ac- 

 tion and freedom from political control or 

 legislative influence. Even college profes- 

 sors are not wholly exempt from the weak- 

 nesses of human nature and conditions 

 might arise in which it would go hard with 

 them to oppose in report or recommenda- 

 tion a strong movement of the majority of 

 a body of men to whom they must look for 

 appropriations necessary to their continued 

 existence. Instances in which such influ- 

 ence was successfully exerted would be, of 

 course, extremely rare, but suspicion of its 

 presence might be much less so. 



There is a weakness in the third of the 

 three great divisions of our governmental 

 system which has long been deplored by 

 all thoughtfiil people, to the cure of which 

 a state academy of sciences might make a 

 large contribution. 



I refer to the use, or rather the abuse of 

 expert testimony in courts of law. Such 

 testimony is generally summoned in trials 

 in which questions arise involving some de- 



