290 PROCEEDINGS OF THE OHIO ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



the government whenever in legislative, administrative or judicial 

 proceedings scientific problems are encountered. In England 

 there is the Royal Society ; in France the Academie Francaise ; 

 in Italy the Reale Accademia dei Lincei — the "Royal Academy 

 of the Lynx" — of which Galileo and Colonna were early mem- 

 bers, and in the United States we have the National Academy 

 of Sciences, which, though not yet utilized by the national gov- 

 ernment as completely as would be desirable, has furnished the 

 material on which some of the most important and far-reaching 

 legislation of Congress rests. By the terms of its charter the 

 government may call upon the academy to "investigate, examine, 

 experiment and report upon any subject of science or art." The 

 actual expense of such service is to be paid by the government, 

 but members receive no compensation. In some states of the 

 union in which there are chartered academies of science a similar 

 relation exists and state governments have greatly benefited 

 thereby, but in Ohio the state government has never yet asked 

 its academy to "investigate, examine and report" upon any sub- 

 ject of science or art. This apparent lack of appreciation of the 

 merits of the academy and the possibilities of its usefulness must 

 be attributed to an indifference or ignorance on the part of state 

 officials for which the members themselves may be largely re- 

 sponsible. Believing that it has thus far failed in this, one of 

 its most important functions, I shall dwell a little on what I 

 conceive should be its proper relation to the state in this respect. 

 I would have the academy act, through its properly con- 

 stituted committees, as the adviser and counsellor of the state 

 in all matters relating to science or the arts. The necessity for 

 such advice and counsel is becoming more and more evident 

 every year because the sciences and the arts are every year play- 

 ing a more and more important part in all things affecting the 

 wellbeing of both the state and the people of the state. Eager 

 to secure the benefits of applied science, state and municipal 

 governments as well as private individuals have been guilty of 

 wasteful extravagance in their unreasoning haste to do good to 

 themselves before they know what really is good. During the 

 past few years we have expended many millions of dollars in 



