January 27, 190j.] 



SCIENCE. 



131 



The chief defects in the present status of 

 our geographical societies being as it ap- 

 pears lack of cooperation, low standards 

 in reference to geographical research and 

 inefficiency in publication, ejfforts at im- 

 provement should be mainly in these direc- 

 tions. 



The propositiqn has been made that by 

 organizing a strictly scientitic society with 

 geographical or, as it seems, more precisely 

 physiographical research as its chief aim, 

 membership to be restricted to what may 

 be termed professional geographers, all 

 that can be hoped for in the direction of 

 assisting in the study of the earth 's surface 

 in this country by means of such coopera- 

 tion might be attained. It is at once ap- 

 parent, however, that such a course would 

 be the adding of one more to the already 

 long list of American geographical socie- 

 ties, thus tending not only to render still 

 more diffuse the amount of energy avail- 

 able for geographical work, but to elim- 

 inate the more advanced students of geog- 

 raphy from the existing geographical 

 societies, and thus deprive them of the 

 leaven, as it were, which is essential to 

 their progress. The new society having 

 research for its chief end, could not be 

 expected to make exertions in the direction 

 of popularizing geography, and thus aid- 

 ing in the diffusion of geographical knowl- 

 edge, which is the chief purpose of many of 

 our existing geographical societies. It can 

 be reasonably claimed, I think, that a geo- 

 graphical society will attain the largest 

 measure of success when it carries on the 

 work of adding to geographical knowledge 

 and the task of popularizing and distribu- 

 ting such knowledge at the same time, as 

 one branch of the operation assists and 

 stimulates the other. Then, too, the pro- 

 posed society, having research in geog- 

 raphy as its chief function, and not being 

 open to non-professional geographers, 

 would, of necessity, be small in numbers. 



and the expense of maintaining it would 

 fall entirely on geographical investigators 

 whose financial resoiirces, as is generally 

 understood, are meager. 



It may also be mentioned in the above 

 connection that the Geological Society of 

 America welcomes technical papers per- 

 taining to most geographical sx;bjects, and 

 will give them a place in its bulletin. Sim- 

 ilar courtesies are also freely extended by 

 The Journal of Geology and several other 

 scientific periodicals. This greatly lessens 

 the demands of skilled geographers for op- 

 portunities to make their resiilts known. 



Another plan which contemplates the re- 

 organization of our geographical societies, 

 providing it can be satisfactorily adjusted 

 to the interests of all concerned, has for its 

 chief feature the union of all the geograph- 

 ical societies of North America with the 

 oldest in the list, namely, the American 

 Geographical Society. Under this plan 

 each society effecting such a union would 

 become a chapter of the home society, but 

 retain its own organization and its own 

 property, but unite -with the parent society 

 in holding annual meetings and in publish- 

 ing a monthly magazine. This plan has 

 many commendable features when followed 

 out in detail, and differs but little in its 

 aims from the alternative plan proposed 

 below. The general bearings of each of 

 these schemes for enhancing the welfare of 

 our geographical science will be considered 

 later. 



The alternative plan just mentioned is 

 for the several geographical societies now 

 in existence, and such other similar socie- 

 ties as may be organized in North America, 

 while retaining their individual names and 

 autonomy, to unite in a brotherhood of 

 societies to be designated by some appro- 

 priate name, as, for example, TJic League 

 of American Geographical Societies, which 

 should provide for one general meeting or 

 congress each year, at such centers of geo- 



