530 



sciujsrcu. 



[Vol. YI., No. 150. 



profession ? That profession is not a fungus, but a 

 gradual development. It has a history, it has a 

 literature, and it has a profound philosophy. How 

 many of our two hundred and seventy-seven thou- 

 sand teachers know any thing of these ? We are 

 forced to beUeve that this number can be counted 

 by hundreds, perhaps even by scores. Our great 

 universities are the places where reform in this mat- 

 ter should be brought about. Let us see estab- 

 lished in each of them courses of instruction in 

 the history, theory, and practice of teaching. Let 

 us hear something about the educational systems 

 in other countries. Cambridge, Edinburgh, St. 

 Andrew's, and other British universities have taken 

 this step, and it has proved a successful one. It is 

 no new thing in France ; and such lectures are to 

 be heard in almost every university in Germany. 

 Paulsen in Berlin finds from two to three hun- 

 dred hearers for his lectures on peddgogik, which 

 occupy four hours per week throughout the semes- 

 ter. Our college presidents recognize our need in 

 this respect, but the governing boards do not seem 

 to carry out their recommendations. How much 

 must be said and written on this subject before the 

 authorities understand what is needed to round 

 out this scheme of university education? It is 

 safe to say that not more than three of our lead- 

 ing colleges now offer any scientific instruction in 

 pedagogics. 



THE GOVERNMENT AND ITS SCIENTIFIC 

 BUREAUS. 



Those who anticipated that the President, in his 

 annual message to congress, would enunciate some 

 radical views in respect to the relations of the gov- 

 ernment to its scientific work, have been disap- 

 pointed. Those who know how sincerely desirous 

 he is to uphold the efiiciency of the public service 

 have been gratified. Considering the length of 

 his message and the obvious care which has been 

 bestowed upon many questions, — the coinage of 

 silver and the civil-service reform, for example, 

 — it is noteworthy that all he has to say upon 

 science is contained in a few short paragraphs. 

 Two suggestions which he makes are, however, 

 of very great importance, and deserve the most 

 judicious consideration, — the separation of the 

 signal service from the war department, and the 

 transfer of the coast survey to the navy depart- 

 ment. It is remarkable that these recommenda- 

 tions so opposed to one another should be included 

 iQ one message, and it is by no means obvious 



why better administration can be secured in the 

 one case by separating a large corps from the 

 army, and in the other by placing a large corps 

 under the administration of the navy. There are 

 strong reasons for believing that both those 

 bureaus — the signal service and the coast survey 

 — wUl do better work if allowed to stand as 

 independent corps, — that is, detached from the 

 army and navy. The reasons for such a belief will 

 doubtless be made known to the congressional 

 commission which has been instituted for the 

 investigation of this and allied subjects. 



This commission, in continuation of the pro- 

 longed inquiries which it carried on several 

 months ago, resumed its work, unless we are 

 misinformed, within the first week of the session. 

 It is earnestly to be hoped that all the matters 

 which come within its view will be soon taken 

 up, and such a report prepared as will enlighten 

 the administration, congress, the men of science 

 in the government service, and the public at 

 large, upon the principles which should govern 

 the various scientific bureaus established in Wash- 

 ington. These principles seem to us very clear, 

 and we hope to see them so definitely announced 

 during the present winter that subsequent legisla- 

 tion will be simplified, and future superintend- 

 ence made more efficient than ever before. 



It is already evident that the alarms which were 

 sounded by some over-zealous correspondents dur- 

 ing the last summer and early autumn were exag- 

 gerations. One important case of mal-administra- 

 tion was undoubtedly brought to light ; but the 

 more thoroughly that case is understood, the 

 more obvious it is that the chief officer upon 

 whom reproaches were cast has been long a suf- 

 ferer from such serious physical infirmities, and 

 that right-minded men should rather incline to 

 charity than to censure in their estimate of the 

 close of his official career. The full and frank expla- 

 nations which were promptly made by other chiefs 

 of scientific bureaus have removed the imputa- 

 tions which were cast upon their official conduct. 

 It is not unlikely that congress will institute such 

 inquiries as wiU reveal the exact situation, and 

 we have not the least doubt that the utmost scru- 

 tiny will be encouraged by those whose work has 

 been publicly impugned. 



Out of all this discussion there will doubtless 

 proceed further legislation in respect to the scientific 

 work of the government, and probably better 

 methods of administration will be devised than 

 those which have hitherto prevailed. The dangers 



