608 
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL 
The Chairman requested an expression of opinion by the Board concerning 
the policy of the Council in reference to matters of congressional legislation, 
with special reference to two bills at present pending, — one providing for a 
tax on scientific instruments, and the other the removal of exemption which 
has hitherto been enjoyed by educational institutions. It was the sense of 
the meeting that the Council should take no action. 
The Chairman of the Council presented a recommendation submitted by 
Mr. Dunn, as Chairman of a committee appointed by the Executive Board 
on June 3, 1919, to provide for the continuation of retired Chairmen of the 
Council as members of the Executive Board. 
Moved: That the Executive Board recommend to the Council of the National Academy 
of Sciences that Article IV, Section 2, of the Organization of the National Research Council 
be amended by the addition of the following sentence: "Chairmen, on their retirement, 
shall continue for three years as members of the Executive Board." {Adopted.) 
The Chairman presented a recommendation from Mr. Alfred D. Flinn, 
that the action of the Interim Committee on October 2, 1919, providing 
for the continuation of the appointment of Mr. Flinn as Assistant Secretary 
of the National Research Council be amended to omit the name of Mr. 
Flinn, making reference only to the Secretary of the Engineering Foundation. 
(Approved.) 
On motion of the Treasurer various small items of appropriation and 
accounting were approved. 
The Chairman stated that in the allotment of funds for the current year 
certain expenses had not been provided for, making it necessary for the 
Executive Board to appropriate small sums of money under various headings 
to cover such unauthorized items. He suggested that this matter should be 
referred to the Committee on Organization and Budget. 
Moved: That the Committee on Organization and Budget be requested to ma"ke a redis- 
tribution of allotments of general expense temporarily and to prepare a motion to authorize 
action in future. (Adopted.) 
The matter of the publication of minutes of Divisions, committees, etc., 
was discussed, and it was 
Moved: That nothing be published by the National Research Council or any of its Divi- 
sions without the sanction of the Committee on Publication. (Adopted.) 
The meeting adjourned at 4.20 p. m. to meet again at 9.30 a. m., Novem- 
ber 18. 
Harry O. Wood, Assistant Secretary, 
