July 12, 1901.] 



SCIENCE. 



49 



Three. Of the Patent Office. 

 Four. Of the Bureau of Education. 

 Five. Of the Bureau of Ethnology. 

 Six. Of the Army Medical Museum. 

 Seven. Of the Department of Agriculture. 

 Eight. Of the Fish Commission. 

 Nine. Of the Botanic Gardens. 

 Ten. Of the Coast and Geodetic Survey. 

 Eleven. Of the Geological Survey. 

 Twelve. Of the Naval Observatory. 

 Approved, April 12, 1892. 



The second is contained in the following 

 paragraph in the general deficiency appro- 

 priation bill passed at the second session 

 of the Fifty-sixth Congress, and approved 

 Marcli 3, 1901 : 



That facilities for study and research in the govern- 

 ment departments, the Library of Congress,^ the 

 National Museum, the Zoological Park, the Bureau 

 of Ethnology, the Fish Commission, the Botanic 

 Gardens, and similar institutions hereafter estab- 

 lished shall be afforded to scientific investigators and 

 to duly qualified individuals, students and graduates 

 of institutions of learning in the several states and 

 territories, as well as in the District of Columbia, 

 under such rules and restrictions as the heads of 

 the departments and bureaus mentioned may pre- 

 scribe. 



The joint resolution of April 12, 1892, 

 placed the governmental facilities for re- 

 search at the disposal of duly qualified 

 students of institutions of learning at 

 Washington, D. C. The law of March 3, 

 1901, extends the same privilege to duly 

 qualified students or graduates of insti- 

 tutions of learning wherever they may be 

 situated throughout the United States. 



It appears, therefore, that the Congress 

 has already taken the necessary steps to 

 make possible all that is desired in this 

 connection, and it only remains to devise a 

 plan by which the advanced students who 

 wish to avail of the opportunities offered 

 may be given such systematic information, 

 direction and oversight as they may need 

 in order to carry on their studies to the 

 best advantage, and in order that such 

 official records of their work at Washington 

 may be kept, as will justify the several uni- 



versities of the country in recognizing the 

 period spent in study and investigation at 

 Washington in passing upon their qualifi- 

 cations as candidates for the higher aca- 

 demic degrees. 



A NON-GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTION AT 

 WASHINGTON. 



The remaining question before the com- 

 mittee for consideration was, then, this : 

 Should a plan be devised by which, through 

 the cooperation of several institutions, such 

 a non-governmental institution should be 

 established and maintained at Washing- 

 ton, this to involve its incorporation and 

 governmental aid. 



The subject of the best form of organiza- 

 tion for such an institution and of its precise 

 relations to the government has been given 

 prolonged consideration. Advice and sug- 

 gestion have been sought from the heads 

 of the several scientific bureaus at Wash- 

 ington, from the representatives of the 

 Association of Agricultural Colleges and 

 Experiment Stations, from the presidents 

 of the State universities and land-grant 

 colleges, and from many others believed or 

 supposed to be interested in the question. 

 It seemed at first as if a solution might be 

 found through the Smithsonian Institution, 

 and that it might most wisely undertake 

 the advisory and supervisory functions for 

 which provision was to be made. The au- 

 thorities of the Smithsonian Institution, 

 however, did not view the suggestion with 

 favor, and, in addition, they were doubtful 

 of their legal capacity to perform such 

 functions. Another objection was found 

 in the fact that the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion restricts itself to the field of the 

 natural sciences, whereas students of his- 

 tory, political economy, and philology are 

 also to be provided for. 



An alternative suggestion was that the 

 Bureau of Education should be a.sked to 

 assume executive control of the proposed 



