New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-27
SCIENTISTS MTST ORGANIZE.

Science is rs fragile as a rose leaf. To produce
is best results il must not be interercd with.
The rude. inqusitlvc hand OF the unsclentlhc
simply destroys it. Especially blishting IS the
gross political touch Of the Legislature or oil
unscicnt!ic State officials. 1t was but TWO or
three weeks ago that we mentioned the sa"
ease Of the Massachusetts, Gypsy Moth Commits
sion which was abolished just as IT. had pnt
it's raris green spraying apparatus and the treas
urcrs burkskin trousers In commission for announcer
Seasons work, As everybody with NE eas'
sciettifc KNOWLEDGE predicted ~ the time 'hc
sypsy moths are already beginning active opera
lions Tie State has two tons Of prime paris
green stored in plIc cellar, but without sc'h'ic
man 10 Apply it, it. might a. well be IN ii"!IilA.
Now comes the intelligence that another state.
Ohio this time. is trying 10 make trouble ior
scentdst who has done good work for II.
Professor Edward Orton is state Gcologist OF
Ohio one Brown member Of the Legislature
from Hancock County, has prepared a TeSoln-
tion and had it introduced in the House. making
tlr INST absurd charges against Professor orion
and collIr,, for an investigation. All that the
cl.,r.cS seem 10 amount 10 j. that the Professor
rrcai.tcd some thin-s that didn't happen, ana
prriirtcd other tLincs that the Legislature dprsn
wish T. happcn. The intelligent Ohio law makers
know 50 little about science that they 90 hoO
recognize the fact that the first right accorded II
everywhere is Che right 10 he mistaken, ana the
second 10 change its mind. II IS charged against
tie Professor that inst before the discovery OF
oil and natural gas in northwestern ONO he IN
his official capacity. said that there was 10 OIL
nor Gas there. Willie the unscicniilc OIL men
were getting their drilling machinery TO-
rcthcr and stalking out their wells, the
Professor in IS said, salkcd about town with
a pitvng smile his face. and SAID that the
dcludcd fellows might as well drill up INTO the
air as down into the caIth-thcy would strike Oh
inst as soon. After a day or two he went around
10 see if any OF them had turned their drillS
over and begun to pierce the atmosphere but he
found the stubborn drilIcrs boring right down INTO
hle earth. in the face of science The Professor
washed his hands of the whole foolish proceedings
and went away and lett them to their well
deserved fate Shortly oil and gas were found
tbrourhout the whole region There was OIL
in the atmosphere az last. for IL was squirting
nm into the air out OF hundred wells, ana the
unecicntiic gas wells kept the Professor awake
NIGHTS with their roaring He not, however,
dscomposcd in the least, bat announced that
another glance at the formation i'll northwestern
Ohio showed that Of course, both oil ana gas
existed. u is the glory of science that 1t knows
mo- such word as defeat. Now so the resolutions
further charge Professor ortDn predicts that the
SUNNY Of gas and oil is being rapidly exhausted
and must soon cease entirely. This. say the reso-
lutions. is keeping new enterprises from coming
in. and hurting the business of the country.
Dut how does the Legislature know that Professor
Crton is not right? Because he made slight
mistake on the exact location OF the oil ana gas
js no sign that he doesn't know when they are
getting short.
This seems TO be simply another case OF
STATE hiring scientific nan 70 60 l'S scientific
vorl; and then finding fault about it. Scientists
mrst organize Not ill they have walking
delegate, empowered to sap State scientist
while his poison hose j; turned on peach tree, or
while his hammer is poised over piece of red
lricl. sent by Factions man in back county,
will they get their full rights and be undisturbed
by ignorant officials