534 
the national character of the Labora- 
tory. 
In August 1895, the trustees appointed 
a committee ‘to take into consideration a 
reorganization of the governing body.’ In 
1896 Dr. Gardiner was made chairman 
of this committee, of which Professor Mc- 
Murrich was also a member. A resolve 
proposing certain changes in the modé of 
government of the Laboratory, introduced 
by one of the trustees, was referred to the 
committee. 
We regret that the committee, in spite of 
many repeated requests to its chairman, 
made no report, and that Dr. Gardiner 
and Professor McMurrich, instead of act- 
ing in consultation with their fellow 
trustees, adopted a plan to reorganize the 
government of the Laboratory by other 
means. 
5. The special meeting was duly held at 
the Parker House, Boston, on August 16th. 
A large attendance from Wood’s Holl was 
secured, it is said, by hiring a special car 
and offering to pay the fares of the members 
of the Corporation, many of whom had been 
elected only a few days before. It was 
proposed by some of the Boston trustees to 
ask for a hearing before this meeting, but 
the gathering seemed to them so evidently 
packed that they considered any attempt to 
obtain a hearing useless. The proposed 
changes in the by-laws were carried through. 
The most important one of these is that 
which fixes the annual meeting for the 
summer at Wood’s Holl. This change 
seems well calculated to enable the Director 
to maintain practically control over the 
Corporation. Other changes made are 
likely also to favor this result. 
The newly appointed annual meeting of 
the Corporation was held at Wood’s Holl 
on August 24th. A new board of trustees 
was elected and five of the Boston trustees 
were dropped. The Boston trustees could 
make no defense, because they had never 
SCIENCE. 
[N.S. Vou. VI. No. 145. 
heard any accusations and had no informa- 
tion until the meeting of their projected 
exclusion. Moreover, nearly all the under- 
signed were necessarily absent from that: 
meeting. 
Although without the labors of the five 
trustees who were dropped from the board 
the Laboratory might never have existed, 
and although Dr. Whitman was under many 
obligations to them, they were ejected from 
the board by means which can only be con- 
sidered underhand and dishonorable. We 
believe that such a policy must injure the 
Laboratory seriously and we are unable to 
give it support or approval. 
The main points of this statement are as. 
follows : 
1. The recognition of the scientific abil- 
ity of the Director, his devotion and ser- 
vices to the Laboratory. 
2. The utter lack of sound financial 
standards shown by the Director. 
3. The dishonorableness of the methods 
employed to reorganize the government of 
the Laboratory. 
4, The ignorance of the facts on the part 
of the members of the Corporation present 
at the meetings of August 16th and 24th, 
which helped to make this reorganization 
possible. 
SAMUEL H. ScuppER, 
President, 1891-96 ; 
Witiiam G. Fartow, 
Acting President, 1896-97 ; 
Anna P. WILLIAMS, 
Secretary, 1888-97; 
LAvRENCcE Mrnor, 
Treasurer, 1894-97 ; 
CHARLES §. Mrvot, 
Trustee, 1888-97; 
GrorGIANA W. Soir, 
Trustee, 1891-97 ; 
Sripney I. Surra, 
' Trustee, 1891-97. 
