856 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XVII. No. 439. 



The academy should foster the organiza- 

 tion of a state geological and natural his- 

 tory survey. There is no reason why such 

 a survey should not be begun in the state 

 at an early date. The state is in a pros- 

 perous condition. Its prosperity is in- 

 creasing annually. The portion of the 

 state covered by the United States Geolog- 

 ical Survey is very small and does not in- 

 clude much of the work which a state sur- 

 vey would no doubt cover. The work of 

 the state survey should, so far as possible, 

 be carried on conjointly Avith that of the 

 United States survey. The expense at 

 first need not be great. With a moderate 

 beginning, increased annually as the state 

 prospers, the survey could do a very great 

 service in Avorking out the resources of the 

 state. No doubt but that much of 

 the preliminary work could be done with- 

 out salaried men and with nothing more 

 than the payment of field expenses by the 

 state. The results of the field workers 

 should be printed as state documents. The 

 survey should be under a governing board 

 free from politics, consisting of men repre- 

 senting the various state institutions, the 

 state scientific organizations and the gov- 

 ernor. Every member of the academy 

 should use his influence to have such a sur- 

 vey inaugurated. If the question is prop- 

 erly agitated the survey is likely to be or- 

 ganized. 



The academy should aid in the protec- 

 tion of those relics of the past which are 

 •of common value and interest to the people 

 of the state. I refer to the preservation 

 of the forests, fish and game, and of his- 

 toric places and objects. The sentiment 

 for game and fish protection in the state 

 is small. I make this statement after care- 

 ful deliberation and several years of close 

 study of the question. There is a desire 

 for game protection, but little sentiment. 

 The minimmn penalty is usually imposed 



on the offender, and not infrequently the 

 penalty is less than the amount specified 

 by law. The members of the academy 

 should be radiating centers from which 

 sentiment emanates for game and fish pro- 

 tection. They should have a keen eye open 

 for the senseless persons who ruthlessly 

 slaughter song birds in the vicinity of 

 cities or towns. There are in the state 

 many places of historic interest. The mem- 

 bers of the academy should be on the alert 

 for such and should use diligent effort to 

 have them preserved. Historic relics grow 

 more valuable with age. 



There is need for the academy to lend 

 some assistance toward getting more and 

 better work done in the sciences in the 

 schools of the state. The natural and 

 physical sciences are more inadequately 

 presented in the high schools of the state 

 than other subjects. The condition is much 

 better than it was a few years ago, due in 

 large measure to the adoption of a state 

 course of study, in which a year of chem- 

 istry was first required and later a year 

 of biology. The natural growth of cities 

 has demanded better facilities and more 

 extended curricula, another factor in the 

 development. But there is much room yet 

 for improvement. I do not know of a 

 school in the state that has manual train- 

 ing as a part of its work.* Drawing is not 

 required in the high school. The labora- 

 tories are confined chiefly to chemistry and 

 physics, although microscopes are being 

 added in several places. The members of 

 this association should lend their influence 

 in the different cities to having better sci- 

 entific equipment, to the introduction of 

 manual training and to the employment 

 of teachers specially fitted for special 

 work, after the most approved scientific 

 and pedagogical methods. 



* Since writing the above I am informed that 

 manual training has been introduced into tl\e 

 Glendive schools. 



