The Natural History Musewm Movement 53 
boast of the requirement that each of the members shall 
accomplish one kindly, friendly act a day. This is indeed 
an artificial environment and the condition is becoming 
increasingly serious. 
The present day individual is not particularly inter- 
ested in constructive work or in constructive thought 
unless it will produce immediate returns. What he 
wishes to see are results and they are about him every- 
where if he will but take the trouble to look. Do we not 
pay fabulous sums of money to keep us amused when 
anyone who gives the proposition a moment’s thought 
must realize that the things worth while are the things 
which are worth working for? What reasons would you 
advance for the establishment of an art museum, if we 
did not possess one? Can one not see the wonders of 
the world, normal and abnormal, at the movies? Do we 
really enjoy our walks along the streets teeming with 
danger from multicolored and ubiquitous automobiles 
busily transporting people from some place which bores 
them to some other place which may bore them less? Do 
we not spend millions to be entertained at vaudeville 
houses and musical. comedies when our symphony goes 
begging for funds? And when the call comes for finan- 
cial assistance what do we find? We find the Chamber 
of Commerce sends out teams to raise funds because 
strangers will not come to town and spend money ; people 
will go elsewhere to buy and the merchants will lose; we 
will not advertise our city so successfully! I would like 
to see just a little more emphasis on the idea that a well- 
subsidized symphony is a cultural asset to the citizen of 
St. Louis. 
Years ago we used to drink plenty of mud with our - 
water and finally a method was discovered (and as little 
paid for the discovery as possible) whereby the water 
