316 Scientific Intelligence. 



III. Miscellaneous Scientific Intelligence. 



1. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of 

 Teaching. Third Annual Report of the President ■, Henry S. 

 Pritchett, and Treasurer, Thomas M. Carnegie. Pp. 211. 

 New York City, 1908. — The total capital of the Carnegie 

 Foundation at the end of the year closing on September 30, 1908, 

 was nearly $11,000,000, a million dollars having been added by 

 successive accumulations since the original gift. The income of 

 the year amounted to $530,300, of which $287,000 were expended, 

 leaving the balance of $243,200 to be added to the capital. Of 

 the amount paid for retiring allowances, $240,600, some two-thirds, 

 went to professors, officers and widows in accepted institutions, 

 and one-third was paid to those in institutions not on the regular 

 list. Seven institutions have been added during the past year, 

 making the total now sixty-two. A discussion of the cost of 

 maintaining this retiring allowance system brings out the fact 

 that the sum now paid is 5 per cent, of the active pay of all the 

 professors in service in the sixty-two institutions; it is suggested 

 that this amount is likely to increase somewhat in the future, but 

 even in that case it seems small in view of the importance 

 of the results obtained. The most important change intro- 

 duced during the past year has been the admission of state 

 universities, colleges and technical schools to the Foundation, 

 Mr. Carnegie having added a sum of $5,000,000 to the original 

 gift. There are some eighty-three institutions included in the 

 list given of tax-supported institutions in this country and 

 Canada. It is to be noted, however, that in order that an institu- 

 tion should get the benefit of the endowment it must be of the 

 requisite academic grade and, further, it is necessary that the 

 application made should be approved by the Governor and by a 

 special vote of the legislature of the state. 



An interesting work undertaken in connection with the Foun- 

 dation is the exchange of teachers between Prussia and the 

 United States. This plan involves the sending of a number of 

 college or high school teachers from this country to Prussia, and 

 the coming of a like number of gymnasium teachers to the 

 United States. The instruction is intended to be supplementary 

 to that ordinarily given, including the informal teaching of the 

 language of the country from which the teacher comes, as also of 

 its ideals and customs, school regulations, etc. The teacher him- 

 self is expected to gain much in experience and breadth of view 

 from his life in the foreign country. The amount of money 

 involved is small : for example, Prussian teachers receive leave of 

 absence from their government, with pay and traveling expenses, 

 receiving, also, from the college or high school in America where 

 they are stationed, some $200 or $400, according as the length of 

 service is a half year or an entire year. A list of seven Prussian 

 teachers is given, who have already been assigned to different 

 American schools, and of eight American teachers who have been 



