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SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XX. No. 505. 



be attained by the different methods. 

 Thus, No. 1 is educational, and insures the 

 efficiency of the astronomer of the future. 

 No. 5 aids the individual man of genius, 

 while No. 6 and especially No. 7 undertake 

 to solve the great problems now before us, 

 and to advance the science to a new and 

 higher plane. 



The organization required to carry out 

 this plan must next be considered. It may 

 be divided into two parts, the care of the 

 ■principal, and the expenditure of the in- 

 come. The first of these is easily provided 

 for and, if the amount is large, may well 

 be left to the donor. Permanency, a rela- 

 tively high rate of interest, and certainty 

 that the wishes of the donor will be fulfilled 

 are the three essentials. The expenditure 

 of the income is a more difficult matter. If 

 * intrusted to an international committee, 

 frequent meetings can not be held, and 

 correspondence is slow and unsatisfactory 

 in many cases. Such a committee, how- 

 ever, would be able to discuss problems 

 from the broadest standpoint, and would 

 be the best judge, in international work, 

 of what part each country should under- 

 take. A local committee could meet fre- 

 quently and secure the active interest of 

 several persons, but it could not consist of 

 experts who would have a good technical 

 knowledge of the researches to be under- 

 taken. A national committee would oc- 

 cupy an intermediate position, with some 

 of the advantages, but unfortunately some 

 of the disadvantages, of both. The experi- 

 ence of the writer is that all the work of 

 such a national committee is likely to be 

 left to one man, and even if well attended 

 meetings are held, it often happens that 

 the wishes of the most aggressive member, 

 and not the combined opinions of all, are 

 carried out. 



On the whole, the following plan is 

 recommended : The appointment of a local 

 committee consisting of men interested in 



astronomy but not necessarily familiar with 

 its technical details. Investigators in some 

 department of science, and men of affairs 

 qualified to judge of other men, and of the 

 work done by them, should be selected. 

 With the proper machinery to collect the 

 views of experts, such men could easily 

 carry on successfully the first six of the 

 methods described above. As a parallel 

 case, the board of trustees of a university 

 can select the best man for a professor of 

 Sanskrit, or with expert aid can organize 

 a technical school, although as individuals 

 their knowledge of either subject may be 

 very slight. The duties of this committee 

 would be, first, absolute fairness. They 

 should spend the income so as to secure the 

 greatest scientific return, and should be 

 wholly independent of all personal consid- 

 erations, and of all local conditions. Sec- 

 ondly, their work should be active, not 

 passive; they should try to spend the in- 

 come, not to preserve it. Wbenever an 

 unusually able memoir was prepared by an 

 astronomer hitherto unknown, they should 

 make a business of learning his needs, what 

 he would require to carry his work still 

 further, and if possible induce him to un- 

 dertake better or more extensive researches. 

 In many cases, they could excite local in- 

 terest and could secure aid for him from 

 the friends of his observatory, who might 

 not otherwise know how important it was 

 that his work should be aided. When a 

 grant was made to an astronomer he should 

 be made to feel that, in accepting it, it is 

 he who confers the favor. He aids the 

 committee in securing better results for 

 their expenditures than they could other- 

 wise obtain. Many astronomers are un- 

 willing to ask for aid, owing to modesty, to 

 motives of delicacy; or from fear that the 

 results will not be considered adequate. If 

 the members of the committee are satisfied 

 that the object is a good one, they must 

 take the responsibility of siiccess or failure. 



