FUTURE SCOPE AND ARRANGEMENT OF 

 THE EXHIBITIONS 



THE wonderful growth of the American Museum, which gives 

 it a rank second only to the British Museum, which places 

 it among the first of our educational and research institu- 

 tions in this country, which relates it to the college and university 

 system not only of New York but of the entire United States, 

 should encourage us not to stop, but to go on with increased vigor 

 and intelligence. If this is to be a truly great country, its intel- 

 lectual growth must keep pace with or in advance of its material 

 prosperity. 



It is important to realize that only a beginning has been made ; 

 that the new methods which have been developed in certain depart- 

 ments should be extended to all departments; that some of our col- 

 lections, as compared with those of the British Museum, or even of 

 other American museums, are in their infancy; that certain depart- 

 ments of science, which properly belong to a natural history museum, 

 have barely been suggested ; that everywhere the lack of sequence in the 

 arrangement of the collections is most confusing to the visitor. Finally, 

 while gratifying progress has been made in connection with the public 

 educational system of the City, we should render even greater service 

 than we have been doing to the common schools, the high schools, 

 the colleges and the universities. In other words, the Museum, 

 through its influence on teachers and on pupils, should become a 

 more vital part of the educational system of the City, which alone 

 will justify increased appropriations for maintenance and will justify 

 the Trustees in their appeal to liberal-minded citizens for an increased 

 endowment. 



[126] 



