New-York tribune., 1873-03-12
STATE AID TO SCIENCE.

AGAssIZ BEFORE A LEGISLATIVE COM
MTTTEE.
ruv SCOPE AND NEEDS or THE MUSEUM OF
COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY ms ECONOMICAL
AND SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT ---ITS RE-
souRCEs CUT OFF BY THE BOSTON FIRE
uAsgIFR EXPEDITION SPECIMENS sPOILlNG'
,yRon AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THR TEiBUSRl
CAMBRIDGE. Mass, March 6.-The Museum
Of Comparative Zo6ogy although it represents unique
and excellent work, is crippled for want OF funds' IL
has hardly money enough TO carry on the necessary
operations OF the institution and stl less TO add to lts
collections and extend its buildings Prof. AgasSiz mas
applied to the Massachusetts, Legislature for state au'
A Committee OF the Legislature few weeks
ago mace brief visit to the Museum. This morning
COmnittee Of the House OF Representatives, TOOK car
rages and came over TO the Institution TO make more
thorough inspection for themselves. Prof AgaSSiz TO
ceived them and took them through the Museum ana
explained to them its history, aims ana wants hiS
remarks were interesting, showing how muen naS
been done Cambridge with tithe of the means whcn
similar institutions possess abroad give hs re"iarAS
IA full;
CENTIEMEN 1 wish you TO form correct luea Oh tnis
Institution and It's aims, and 70 appreciate uhuer "na'
conditions and with what object II mas Deeh orgahi1ou
There IS all the world over at this momeOt movement
tending 70 Introduce the system of education the re-
n,t of the progress which the mechanical arts have
made consequence Of the great advancement OF science
sineethe beginning of this century. All our systems OF
instruction past tunes have been organized on the plan
OF scholarly education which has been left us by preced
ing centuries The progress OF chemistry natural his
tory geology, and zoology has revouonzed the world
has given us the telegraph steam transportation, and
kindred blessings and it has produced in the aspirations
OF schoomcn quite ideas which we would like TO see
introduced into the schools for the benefit OF coming
generations. The that doing something IN that
direction are aiming 10 educate teachers and otherwise
prepare for the time when that education will be at the
foundation OF all public instruction. When L came to
this country this movement mad begun in Europe, but
saw that very Httle doing in that direction here
proposed To found Institution which should lead the
way and lay the foundation for future progress
COST OF SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTES EDUCATING TEACHERS.
do not speak unadyisedy. but would substantiate
what say by the fact that, yesterday, we had meet
ing OF the Academic Council which composed Of pro
fessors OF the different faculties connected with the
various departments of Harvard University, for the
purpose Of discussing the studies Of the respective
schools and to combine them as TO lead in the drec
ton 70 which I have alluded In New-YOrk within a
week the same considerations have been brought before
the men who are there leading education Immense
efforts are now making in Europe in this direction
have collected few data that you NAV realize at
what expense these things ara doing For ono OF
the greatest difficulties TO be COMMENDED with IN
the and management of such an Institution IS the
expense tiuyOlyes There are of course, institutions
OF the kind most varied IN their character There are
those that only aim at teaching and preparing teachers
There are those that only aim at the advancement Of
science and there which not only aim at the
advancement OF srience, bat also az publishing the
Investigations made Now the cost OF those which are
merely educational varies from $4,000 to S2OOoOO
year. In Leipsic there is the best OF these
institutions which is chiefly devoted to the study Of
physiology. It is an institution preparing students IN
physiology only. This costs annually $4,000, and ad
mits only u pupils year. That limited number bas
been found necessary in order that the pupils may
receive proper attention the part of the teachers II
is impossible in that kind OF teaching to have large
classes and DO the work IN a Wholesale manner.
Now have organized myself plan OF education for
our teachers with view of giving them chance 70 in
troduce natural history into their schools, which Will
so operation Summer at Nantucket where the
best opportunity may be had. have engaged about 20
the leading scientific mon OF the county to cooperate
IN this enterprise. They a agreed to come there
without any compensation. simply for the sake of pro
noting the Of education in the direction in which
ii should be promoted. Gentlemen OF Boston have
promised help the way Of defrayng the necessary
expense OF the laboratory The first gentleman to whom
Tapplied wrote me that he would contribute $1,000
merely TO defry these expenses SO that those teach
ers who are generally Of small shall be enabled
10 receive education without cost 20 themselves 90
not believe that any other institution In the country
could have brought about this result 1 do not think
that the State could done It, because the moment
such an undertaking IS made by the state it necessarily
involves appointments and compensation. Men wOuld
expect ply because they part Of an organized sys
tenn Here we are working with view TO advancing
the studies 70 which we have devoted our lives.
A COMPARISON wTTH OTHER MUSEUMS
just a. library is storehouse OF literature for the
scholar Institution this, with its museum
and laboratory Is storehouse the naturalist For
,ilosopby history and literature have founded pub
lie libraries that science needs TO be fostered there
must be some similar storehOuse of material on which to
base that kind Of education There are no TEXTBOOKS
sufficient for that purpose The study Of mature 1e
shan be able 10 read Nature, not men who shall he aDe
read books They learn THAI IN me other scnoos 10
iecis You have hardly an idea OF what are tne
needfu for the maintenance OF sqen coeG%hGns: % tne @
for the Natural History deparEment oI,oeIt aone ~
has an income o. do,a sGV N This museum Sere. do
NOT sDa of the expense Of organizing or founding the
institutions 9ny speak OF the s2pense eorn5 The
TO6IOeica Society London which ATTENDS only 10 tne
feewn OF live animals for the sake of studying their
hobts instincts, and nature, aud Investigating the
ANATOMY OF dead carcases, mas an income
Institution was do not know. The Geological Society of
Amsterdam, with slunlar OBJECT spehus anhu5Iy any
$4,000 the Geological Garden IN l SvvO ork o
botany SO0OO0 The Berlin AQuaFinln relating 70 aquatn
animals only has $4,000 inc Jarh ues L,SneS mt o nS ~
s2O000 In 1885, the geological department. o. that nsu
tuition which contains the fossils had mol
cessary 10 build and new shelves Upon tnat
alone the SUN Of 5000 was spent, - en IN " Rn AIM
burgh with It's library costs annually between SOVVO
and $4,000 The College OF surgery 10 Lcnoon n eAGiE @
pends annually between $4,000 and SOOO; tho IDperd
Geological Institute in Vienna, AOOO.
HOW THE MUSEUM HAS BEEN SUPPORTED.
Ihave .alIuded to the principal We have thus
far with the small means we have at command been
enabled to bring this5nstitutOn TO level with those
which have named that In many respects we stand