1886.] . Editors Table. 443 
EDITORS’ TABLE. 
EDITORS: A. S. PACKARD AND E. D. COPE. 
In our issue of June of last year we referred to certain 
conditions of membership of the National Academy of Sciences 
in the following terms: “In the interval between the annual 
meetings of 1884 and ’85 two members of a committee appointed 
to investigate a question affecting one of the bureaus of which 
they themselves are employees, were requested to resign from the 
committee by the chief of the bureau in question. This was in 
obedience to a rule that a department of the Government can 
not be criticized by its subordinates. It requires no argument 
to show that if this rule be carried out with reference to the 
Academy of Sciences, its usefulness as an independent body is at. 
anend. There is also another danger which flows directly from 
the same or a similar attitude on the part of heads of bureaus, 
These gentlemen by filling up the academy with their employees 
can obtain practical control of its decisions. This would be im- 
mensely convenient to them under various circumstances, but it 
would introduce an element of corruption into the academy from 
which it has been hitherto happily free, and which would deprive > 
it of the respect and confidence of the country.” ; 
In the case first cited the bureau’s action would indicate an 
apprehension of hostile criticism, perhaps judging from the char- `- 
acters of its employees who had been appointed to investigate. In 
the latter case reference was made to a case where the bureau 3 
concerned did not ask its employees to resign, since it evidently 
did not fear any adverse report as a result of their investigation. 
In this case some of the members of the committee appointed by — 
the president of the academy to coGperate with the committee of 
Congress in the investigation of the scientific bureaus, were em- 
ployed by some of the bureaus at high salaries. There are a good 
Many men who, under such circumstances,’ would be unable to 
Perceive any necessity for changes in the administration of their 
bureaus. o 
The position of the academy in relation to these matters: 
although at Present unavoidable, is, to say the least of it, unfortu- 
nate. And the situation of its members is reduced to utter help- 
lessness in consideration of the manner in which committees are 
appointed and arè permitted to report. That is, they are appointed - 
in the interval of the academy’s meetings by the president alone, 
and make their reports without the supervision or criticism of the 
kd 
