l)v,(.'£MlJ«.K l(i, 1904.] 



SCIENCE. 



848 



cooperation or ' affiliation ' of other special 

 and independent societies. 



The social function of the association is not 

 alone sufficient to keep it effective. Compari- 

 son with the British Association is valueless, 

 since the geographical and social conditions 

 are entirely different. 



The old days and old ways of the American 

 Association are gone. It is natural that the 

 older or more conservative members should 

 feel regret over the changes and the evident 

 trend and the loss of the pleasant summer 

 meetings. But it is wiser to recognize the 

 facts and adapt ourselves to the change than 

 to shut our eyes to the handwriting on the 

 wall. Scientific societies can not escape from 

 the rapid and radical social evolution of the 

 time, no matter whether we regard the changes 

 as good or bad. 



The association is still moving in a general 

 way along old lines by virtue of its acquired 

 momentum, but new outside forces are push- 

 ing it from its course. It is now upheld 

 largely by the tacit cooperation of special 

 societies and by the reverence and affection 

 of men of science for the old, national, parent 

 society. But knowledge is now so vast and 

 diverse and the intellectual and economic 

 forces so strong that specialization is inevit- 

 able, and no one society can expect to include 

 the whole field. 



The active, successful administration of the 

 society during the last few years has greatly 

 increased its membership, chiefly by securing 

 the adherence of scientific men. This indi- 

 cates a fundamental fact, that henceforth the 

 association will be and ought to be conducted 

 by and in the interests of men professionally 

 scientific, with less deference to ' advance- 

 ment,' of science by popular features. The 

 ' American Science Association ' would be a 

 better name. 



The above seem to the writer as basal facts 

 which must be recognized in any wise plan- 

 ning for the future. The association may 

 remain a great scientific and educational 

 power if rightly conserved and directed. But, 

 no matter what fine schemes individuals may 

 devise, no one can clearly see the path more 

 than one step in advance. The safest way is 



to trust the matter to a wise council, which 

 should move slowly and feel the way and 

 meet demands for change as they arise. 



The association may properly become the 

 central organization or national representa- 

 tive of the many special societies. If the 

 association should be withdrawn from its 

 present relationship to the special societies 

 they would find it desirable to create a central 

 body through which they might act and speak 

 collectively. Some general organization is es- 

 sential. This idea of the function of the 

 association has already been recognized by 

 giving the ' affiliated ' societies the privilege 

 of proportionate representation on the asso- 

 ciation council. In any scheme of consolida- 

 tion the matters of association membership 

 and finance are the most difficult to adjust, 

 but they can be arranged satisfactorily when 

 the necessity arrives. As sections are sup- 

 planted by special societies their ordinary sci- 

 entific meetings might be suspended. How- 

 ever, the organization of the sections should 

 be retained, at least for a time, for adminis- 

 trative purposes or other needs which may 

 develop. The chairmanships and secretary- 

 ships of the sections would lose nothing of 

 their honorary character because meetings for 

 reading of papers are not held. The presi- 

 dency and other general offices of the society 

 would be even more dignified as being more 

 broadly and powerfully representative of 

 American science. 



For some years the association and the spe- 

 cial societies have been drawing together. 

 The wise course is to let the evolution proceed 

 naturally, a step at a time, as the road opens 

 before us, and not to allow any strong per- 

 sonality nor any group of men to force a 

 hasty decision on important matters. We 

 should go slowly, but keep moving. 



Here is one suggestion for immediate use. 

 The council should be kept thoroughly repre- 

 sentative not only of the association member- 

 ship but of the affiliated societies. A strong, 

 wise, harmonious and not too radical council 

 is the most important present consideration. 

 To this end the sections should be emphatic- 

 ally advised to select for officers and council 

 representatives their most experienced and 



