The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-11-18

sions alluded to the large amount Of eneour-
agement Afforded by the governing powers 81
the United States, both by the central federal
government at Washington and by those Of
the individual Statss The number Of scien-
tidc men In America paid for carrying On
Investigations and preparing reports On
various SUBJECTS Of great practical value
for the welfare OF the country vould
almost bear comparison with the number
We pay for doing nothing, o. for obstructing
all national improvements" This q strong
eulogy for an English savaut to pay 70 '.opr
American relations" as he calls Us; aud e
conclusively shows that, 10 country whore.
from time immemorial, all that was done in
America was belittled. criticised and hushed
up our scientific achievements have won tho
commentator Of foreign philosophers by their
solidity and practical value. II would be In
vidious to draw comparisons, and yet, in many
branches of learning, we have led our English
relations into new fields, ripe with the harvest
Of science, and they have availed themselves
of our work and entered into our labors.
The spirit of our institutions demands that
whatever Is done by the government shall be
done, not for tho good and glory Of any indt-
vidual or class, but for the common benefit
pro bono pu6sico. 1t is for this reason that
our scientific and national institutions enter at
and make themselves practically and power
fully useful, Look at the splendid labors Of
our coast survey, which has given our
mariners clear and almost Photographic
chart Of the islands and sgtaaslss q ous.
immense coast washed as It ia, by two oceans
and interpenetrated by many deep and wide
seas. The gigantic undertaking Of triangu-
lating this whole country and giving as an
geographic delineation of all its surfaee-a
model Or mould Of the land u all It's unduIa<
tions-is not task too grand for our national
science, because it is work which the people
in every part of the country can utilize, in
building railroads and turnpikes, in construct
ing canals and in all the trigonometrical sur
veys of the different States.
If we look at our Naval Observatory, the
photographic ONCE, the Smithsonian Iastitu-
ton, the Storm Signal Bureau, we see rapid,
practical and splendid results from the inves-
LEGATIONS Of our government laborers-results
which tend to advance all the material inter.
ests at home and enhance the national credit
and glory abroad. The distinguished astrono-
mer of whom we at FIRST spoke tells US that
sswhen men Of culture and science in this
country attempt to advocate the claims OF
science to national support from the govern
ment one Of the arguments most relied on BY
their opponents is that such course would
have the effect of checking private scientific
enterprise" Mr.. Lockyer adds that "we
should like these DIRECTORS to look over the
American publications now lying before n
ISSUED by private scientific societies), and ws
think, If they were able to derive any lesson
from 1t, it might have tendency to modify
their opinion"
When the inventor of the eyraph applied
for means to lay down small line from Bald-
more 10 Washington, under Q past regime In
this country, he obtained lit with difficulty.
The day for such extravagant economy has
happily passed away, and, it is TO be hoped,
we shall never emulate the parsimony OF tho
British government in all Its bearings 10
science, of which Mr.. Lockyer so justly COM
plains. Our scientific aud national institutions
cost but little or nothing compared with the
immense necessity that exists for them and
the work they do. This remark most emphaa-
cally applies to all Of the bureaus of which We
have spoken and in America the people, ever
keen to sustain and cheer forward every truly
progressive movement will tolerate no legis-
lation that embarrasses science or stiles it,
efforts for research and investigation. When
Captain Halls North Polar expedition was
sent out one or two individuals asked the ques-
ton, Gus 1on0S But the press and the peo-
pie deemed such question an impertinence.
and the explorer went to sea with the good
will and applause Of the country. Instead Of
asking or petitioning the government to re-
trench its expenditures for science, the English
editor will be pleased to hear that the Ameri-
can people are continually pressing their law
makers to extend the useful mission of our
scientific bureaus, and usually show them-
selves ahead Of our Congress in their appre-
citation of the great discoveries aud investigs-
tions Of the day.
The national scientific offices of this country
have given an intense stimulus to private indl-
viduals and societies aud furnished them with
the data for the most invaluable researches
and deductions. The labors of the Observa-
tory and photographic Office have been Of
worldwide utility and fame. The Smithso-
MAN is an authority among the oldest societies
Of Europe. The Agricultural Bureau extends
its Offices to every part Of the country. The
Signal Service has 90 far progressed, In the
brief time since it was inaugurated, that tho
same London contemporary just quoted says
''the meteorological system now in operation
in the States already excels ours in many