January 16, 1885.] 



SCIENCE 



53 



the most important function which the director of 

 such an institution has to perform, lies in the selection 

 of the proper men, — the specialists who have a genius 

 for research. From the very nature of the work per- 

 formed, the plan of operations to a large extent must 

 come up from the individuals who are doing the work, 

 and can only to a limited extent originate with the 

 director. Out of the multitude of plans and ideas 

 thus suggested by a corps of specialists engaged in 

 original research, the superintendent or director se- 

 lects such as he thinks wise, and is successful in his 

 work to the degree in which he has a comprehensive 

 knowledge of the subject. 



If the above considerations are correct, the second 

 guiding principle for controlling scientific work of 

 the government is as follows: The several bureaus 

 engaged in research should be left free to prosecute 

 such research in all its details, without dictation from 

 superior authority in respect to the methods of research 

 to be used. 



I beg to call the attention of the commission to 

 certain statements of the committee of the National 

 academy of sciences, which constitute a part of the 

 record of the proceedings of this commission. These 

 statements are as follows : — 



Tour committee states only the general sentiment 

 and wish of men of science when it says that its 

 members believe the time is near when the country 

 will demand the institution of a branch of the execu- 

 tive government devoted especially to the direction 

 and control of all the purely scientific work of the 

 government. In this day the pursuit of science itself 

 is, visibly to all men of education, directly connected 

 with the promotion of the general welfare. . . . The 

 members of your committee are conscious that pla- 

 cing these bureaus under one department would not 

 necessarily result in the proper co-ordination of their 

 work, because the head of such department would 

 probably find it impracticable to enter into the consid- 

 eration of all details necessary to that purpose. It 

 appears to us that the evils already pointed out re- 

 quire, in any case, the organization of a permanent 

 commission to prescribe a general policy for each of 

 these bureaus. The functions of this commission 

 would be, — 



1°. To examine, improve, and approve the plans of 

 work proposed by the several bureaus, and to revise 

 their estimates in accordance with such plan. The 

 performance of this duty would require consultation 

 with their chiefs, generally and separately, respecting 

 the character of their work; and they should be mem- 

 bers of the commission. 



2°. To approve in detail the methods of expendi- 

 ture of the appropriations. 



3°. To recommend such measures as they deem 

 necessary to the efficiency of the bureaus under their 

 supervision. It should, however, be understood that 

 this commission is not charged with purely adminis- 

 trative responsibility. 



It prescribes what shall be done, and recommends 

 any measures necessary to secure that object, but 

 does not concern itself with administrative details. 



It will be seen from this extract that the learned 

 members of the national academy constituting 

 that committee, fully recognize the importance of a 

 unified administration of the scientific bureaus. The 

 same committee further expresses the opinion that a 



department of science is desirable; but, fearing that 

 such a department cannot be organized at the present 

 time, a commission is recommended, to be composed 

 of a secretary of one of the departments of the govern- 

 ment, the president of the National academy of sci- 

 ences, the directors or superintendents of the scientific 

 bureaus, a professor of mathematics from the naval 

 observatory, an officer of the engineer corps, and two 

 citizens of the United States, eminent as scientific 

 men, to be appointed by the president. 



Sympathizing fully with the general tenor of the 

 recommendations of the academy, I wish to present 

 certain reasons for objecting to the constitution of the 

 board of commissioners as recommended by that com- 

 mittee. The objection to such a board is twofold. In 

 the first place, it would be composed of incongruous 

 elements. A board composed of civil and military offi- 

 cers would, it is believed, be inharmonious, from the 

 fact that military and civil methods of administration 

 are entirely diverse, and proceed upon diametrically 

 opposed theories. The military officer plans and com- 

 mands: the civil officer hears, weighs, and decides. 



In the second place, the board, as thus recom- 

 mended, would be impracticable in its relations to 

 the departments under which the several scientific 

 bureaus are placed. Officers subordinate to the 

 secretary of war, and officers subordinate to other 

 secretaries, together with officers having no other con- 

 nection with the government but as members of this 

 board, would have the practical control of the work, 

 so far as it could properly be controlled; and the 

 secretaries themselves would simply be channels 

 through which instructions to the bureau officers 

 would be transmitted. 



This, it is feared, would be irksome to executive 

 officers composing the cabinet of the president. It 

 is a matter of record in the proceedings of this com- 

 mission, that Professor Newcomb of the navy depart- 

 ment, and Gen. Comstock of the army, withdrew 

 from the committee of the national academy at the 

 request of their superior officers, the secretaries of 

 those departments. It is presumable that this action 

 was taken because the military secretaries did not 

 desire to have their subordinates deliberate upon 

 questions of policy affecting the conduct of the sec- 

 retaries themselves ; and this was entirely natural and 

 proper, from a military stand-point, where superior 

 officers plan and command, and inferior officers obey 

 and execute. In a civil department of the govern- 

 ment it would have been entirely in the course of 

 things, and in no respect a violation of official pro- 

 prieties, for subordinate officers to present plans, even 

 of general policy, to their superiors. 



Having thus briefly commented upon the plan of 

 the academy committee, I beg permission to suggest a 

 plan which would not involve the same difficulties. 

 There is, in the organization of the general govern- 

 ment, an existing body of officers competent to co- 

 ordinate the scientific work, with an organization 

 peculiarly fitted to supervise the general plans, and 

 yet leave the officers of the several scientific bureaus 

 free to carry on the details of operations by scientific 

 methods, as they are developed from time to time. I 



