September 2, 1904.] 



SCIENCE. 



297 



In many cases, they must ask advice of 

 experts; in some eases they must employ 

 them to investigate, or to try preliminary 

 experiments. Often a preliminaiy appro- 

 priation should be made, its continuance 

 or. increase depending upon the results at- 

 tained. 



The seventh method described above 

 stands on a wholly different basis from the 

 others. Here the work must be done by 

 experts, the greatest specialists in their 

 departments. Many important investiga- 

 tions have been undertaken by interna- 

 tional societies, and such work could be 

 greatly increased if large sums of money 

 were at their disposal for this purpose. 

 As this is, perhaps, the greatest problem 

 in astronomy it might seem presumptuous 

 to discuss it further here. 



A brief description of the attitude hith- 

 erto maintained by this observatory to 

 other astronomers, is given below, and may 

 explain its present policy in this matter. 



One of the objects of the astronomical 

 observatory of Harvard College, as stated 

 in its statutes (Annals, Vol. I., p. lix), is 

 'in general, to promote the progress of 

 Imowledge in astronomy and the kindred 

 sciences.' Vai-ious examples of the at- 

 tempts to carry out this plan, by coopera- 

 tion, publication of work done elsewhere, 

 and in other ways, will be found in the 

 Annual Reports and Annals. 



In 1886 a definite attempt was made to 

 secure the sum of $100,000, the income to 

 be used in aiding other astronomers, and 

 a pamphlet was published describing this 

 plan. Four years later, Miss Catherine W. 

 Bruce gave the sum of $6,000, to show what 

 resiilts could be obtained in a single year. 

 This appropriation was distributed among 

 fifteen astronomers, eight in Europe, one 

 in Asia, one in Africa and five in North 

 America. 



The next attempt made by the writer 

 was in 1901. It was thought that a com- 



mittee representing the principal research 

 funds of the country might render them 

 more effective, and secure harmony in the 

 expenditures of the money now available. 

 Also, that a local committee could do more 

 work than an interuational or even a na- 

 tional one, since more frequent meetings 

 could be held. Delegates were therefore 

 appointed by the Rumford Committee of 

 the American Academy, and by the trustees 

 of the Elizabeth Thompson Fund. The 

 acting president of the National Academy 

 agreed to attend the meetings unofficially. 

 The members of the committee thus formed, 

 the writer being also included, believed that 

 a larger committee would render the work 

 more effective. Additional members were 

 invited, but no results were obtained. 



Other plans were at once prepared, when 

 the establishment of the Carnegie Institu- 

 tion entirely altered the prospects for orig- 

 inal investigation in science in the United 

 States, and rendered it probable that the 

 immediate needs would be supplied from 

 this source. No provision, however, has 

 thus been made, so far as the writer is 

 aware, for general aid to astronomers in' 

 other countries. 



In April, 1903, a pamphlet was published 

 showing how a large sum of money could 

 be usefully expended each year for extend- 

 ing astronomical research. It was stated 

 that much better results could be obtained 

 by cooperation, avoiding duplication of 

 work, providing astronomers with assistants 

 and other means for undertaking neglected 

 investigations, furnishing the means for 

 employing the many large telescopes now 

 idle^ and, in general, attempting to improve 

 the present quality and quantity of work 

 done, regardless of individual or country. 

 It was further proposed that the fund 

 shoi^ld be administered by a committee of 

 astronomers, wholly unselfish and unpreju- 

 diced, the only object being to secure the 

 greatest scientific return for the expendi- 



