Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 62.djvu/288

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POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY.

ship of the American Association were made twice or ten times what it now is.

Both the scientific man and those only interested in science will be amply repaid by attendance at the Washington meetings. Indeed no scientific man can afford to be absent. Those who wish merely to keep in touch with the forward movement of science will profit much from attendance. They can visit Washington at a favorable time at greatly reduced rates and hotel charges, and there will be much to interest them in the programs. President Roosevelt is honorary president of the local committee and it is expected that he will open the meetings. It would be impossible to quote the titles of the hundreds of papers that will be presented, but their general character is indicated by the names of some of those who will give official addresses: Before the Association President Asaph Hall, and before the sections of the association vice-presidents Hough, Weber, Derby, Culin, Welch, Franklin, Flather, Nutting, Campbell, and Wright; before the Astronomical and Astrophysical Society of America, President Simon Newcomb; before the Chemical Society, President Ira Remsen; before the American Society of Naturalists, President J. McKeen Cattell; before the Botanical Society, President J. C. Arthur; before the Geological Society, President N. H. Winchell; before the Psychological Association, President E. C. Sanford, etc. Public lectures will be given before the Association by Professors Russell and Heilprin on the volcanoes of the West Indies, and before the Naturalists by Dr. Merriam on protective and directive coloration. The discussion before the Naturalists is on 'How can endowments be used most effectively for research?', the speakers including Professors Chamberlin, Welch, Boas, Wheeler, Coulter and Münsterberg. These are only a few of the hundreds of scientific men who will be present and present papers or take part in the discussions of the meetings, which promise to be more interesting and important than any ever before held on this continent.

THE CARNEGIE INSTITUTION.

It might be expected that after the annual meeting of the trustees of the Carnegie Institution on November 25, some statement could be made here in regard to the policy of the institution. Nothing has, however, been made public beyond the news item given to the reporters to the effect that $200,000 had been appropriated for the work to be determined by the executive committee, $40,000 for publication, $50,000 for administration and $100,000 for a reserve fund. The institution will, however, publish a year-book, which will doubtless contain various matters that have hitherto been kept secret, such as the names of members of the advisory committees of scientific men and their reports. Though no official announcement has been made, it appears that certain grants have been approved by the executive committee. Thus the medical papers report that $10,000 a year has been appropriated to revive the 'Index Medicus,' formerly compiled under the direction of Dr. John S. Billings, now vice-president of the institution.

A form of application for grants has been printed and approved by the trustees, to which it seems that men of science are likely to object, if indeed reputable men of science will consent to sign it at all. This form requires scientific men to promise to begin the research 'forthwith and to prosecute it diligently,' not to publish their results elsewhere if the institution wants them and to give all their apparatus, material, collections, etc. to the institution. These and other conditions on the contract seem to be almost an affront to men of science, calculated to profit the Carnegie Institution at the expense of others. It