No. 386.] UNIVERSITY OF THE UNITED STATES. IOI 
of protest. Such instances could be mentioned, and show con- 
clusively how little general knowledge exists among educated 
men, not scientists, of the kind and quality of work turned out 
by the scientific bureaus. This brief statement of conditions 
is necessary for the clear understanding of the points which are 
to follow. Addressed to an audience of officials it would be 
unnecessary. 
It is the writer’s opinion that the university should be free 
from the trammels of government control, and that it should 
ask from Congress only its charter and the privileges of the 
laboratories; that it should not be a government institution, 
but should stand on its own merits. Perhaps the grant of a 
site for the university offices, on one of the larger reservations 
near the government buildings, might be accepted, as in the 
case of the Smithsonian ; provided it was clearly understood 
that this did not constitute the university a governmental en- 
tity. The objections to its becoming such are many and serious, 
and will not be enlarged upon here; that it would dry up the 
springs of private bounty is certain, and is sufficient to con- 
demn the proposition. 
On the other hand, the grotesque project of forming its 
governing board of a dozen active presidents of existing col- 
leges is so preposterous that it only needs to be stated to meet 
its fate with thinking people. 
The university should have for executive purposes a govern- 
ing board solely its own, and as small as possible, both for 
efficiency and economy. The faculty should decide on all 
matters connected with teaching and discipline, and the 
alumni be granted advisory status on large questions. One or 
two members of the executive board should be taken from the 
list of directors of scientific bureaus, but in their private, not 
their official capacity. A board wholly inexperienced in gov- 
ernment routine and conditions would be constantly in hot 
water. 
Various branches of university training stand somewhat out- 
side the laboratory work, though more or less dependent upon 
the libraries and archives of the city. For these the appoint- 
ment of professors would be required. There should probably 
