SCIENCE. 



FRIDAY, JULY 18, 1884. 



COMMENT AND CRITICISM. 

 In a previous number of Science we have 

 alluded to several items of scientific interest 

 in the sundry civil bill. All these items, ex- 

 cept that relating to the naval observatory, 

 have passed in a satisfactory form. The elec- 

 trical commission, which is to prosecute its 

 labors during the Franklin institute exhibition 

 next autumn, is to be appointed by the presi- 

 dent. No special number of commissioners is 

 prescribed, so that the composition of the com- 

 mission is entirety in the hands of the authori- 

 ties. The most difficult question connected 

 with the make-up of the commission will be 

 that of admitting into its ranks those who are 

 interested in the various electric-light com- 

 panies, or who are employees of such compa- 

 nies. There is no doubt whatever, that, if an} T " 

 such interested parties are appointed on the 

 commission, care should be taken that the lead- 

 ing companies be equally and fairly represented. 

 That this could be done in a satisfactory man- 

 ner does not seem at all likely ; and we must 

 therefore look forward to a disinterested com- 

 mission, before which all parties interested shall 

 have a fair hearing. The amount appropri- 

 ated for expenses is seventy-five hundred dol- 

 lars. 



An appropriation of five thousand dollars 

 has been made for the expenses of the me- 

 ridian conference called by our government. 

 Provision has been made for two additional 

 conferees on the part of our government, thus 

 conforming to the views expressed in a recent, 

 number of Science. That course seems to have 

 been suggested independently by the govern- 

 ment, and was, no doubt, prompted by the evi- 

 dent desirability of having astronomical science 

 well represented in our discussion of the ques- 

 tion. 



The question of the organization of the sig- 

 nal-service, coast and geodetic survey, geologi- 



No. 76.— 1884. 



cal survey, and hydrographic office, is to be 



considered by a congressional commission of 

 three senators and three representatives. The 

 senators are Messrs. Allison, Hale, and Pen- 

 dleton ; the representatives, Messrs. Lowry of 

 Indiana, Herbert of Alabama, and Lyrnan of 

 Massachusetts. The selection of Mr. Lyman 

 is understood to be clue to his membership of 

 the National academy, which designed the or- 

 ganization of the geological survey five years 

 ago. 



The proposition authorizing the appointment 

 of a scientific commission to inquire into the 

 organization of the naval observatory, under 

 direction of the secretary of the navy, was 

 rejected by the senate after passing the house. 

 The significance of the rejection hardly needs 

 to be commented upon, further than to remark, 

 that it is well understood to be due to naval 

 influence, and may be taken as an index of the 

 willingness of naval officers to have their man- 

 agement inquired into. 



Two academic honors have recently been 

 conferred in this country upon scientific men, 

 which are worthy of note because more rare 

 and costly than such distinctions usually are. 

 At New Haven, on the day before com- 

 mencement, a bronze statue of Professor Silli- 

 man, for more than fifty years a teacher of 

 chemistry, mineralogy, and geology in Yale 

 college, and the founder of the American 

 journal of science and arts, was placed on 

 its pedestal near the new chapel. The artist 

 is Prof. John F. Weir of the Y^ale art school. 

 lie had not the advantage of knowing Profes- 

 sor Silliman, but from numerous existing por- 

 traits, and from a study of the personality of 

 his subject, he has succeeded in reproducing 

 and perpetuating, in a very satisfactory man- 

 ner, the aspect, the bearing, and the character 

 of one of the pioneers in American scientific 

 education. The figure is standing. i s larger 

 than life, and is in the costume of the day, 



