New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-20
SCIENTISTS IN SESSION.
PROFESSOR JAMES DISCUSSES THE FARMERS
AND THEIR NEEDS.
THE FoRTIETH MEETING OF THE AMERICAN
ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT
OF sCIENCE-ADpRESsES BEFORE
THE SECTIONS.

OF SCIENCE-ADDRESSES BEFORE
THE SECTIONS.
yBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE
Washington. Aug. 19.-The opening sessions OF The
or.leth meeting of the American Association for the
Advancement OF Science were held to-day st the Colum
5ian University. For an opening day. the attendance
Of members credtsbly large, reaching 500. IhlS
has boon about the attendance at meetings ii
recent years, representing just - per cent OF inc
active membership. By the beginning of next week.
however, when the work of the association proper
reaches its climax of interest and the meetings OF e
American and International Geological Congresses come
in 10 supplement the labors Of the larger general oouS'
an attendance OF at least 900 Is looked for making
one Of the largest scientific gatherings IN the history VI
the association and certainly in the history OF Inc
Capital 1t is thlry-four years since the ASSOCIATION
met here last and in that time II has suffered enough
vicissudes in organization, and seen enough PiHOU'-
progress made in its and methods 10 DC S''Ves
recognizable as the same body. But, as tie nc" Pr
dent Professor Prescott, remarked To-Day s0e"''".
men and scientific interests gravtate naturally V"su
Wasbincion and II is probable that meetings Oh INC
ssociaon III Come 20 the Capital hereafter at uo"
more frrquent intervals. Washington contributes ~
II IS computed about 20 per cent OF INC
membership. ,..
As usual on cpening days of the annual spring meet
incs much time was given 10 the formal orEa]'o" VI
enc boav for work both as whole and through It's sec
,ions The preliminary general meeting was hclu III
tte morning in the large hall OF the Coi"ihO'.i O'
vcrsity and the retiring management made way or INC
officers chosen last summer at Indianapolis Professor
oodale OF Harvard University, who was 20 reIihqush
The presidency. and Professor Prescott OF tAe I'M
,crsitv of Michigan who to succeed 10 H. sat to-
getler on the platform at broad tanie PrcI'S ueo"
rated with big bunch Of roses. Inc ASSISTANT 0ecFc
tarv Of Agriculture, Mr.. Willis; President "elihg' Oh
the Columbian University Professor r. W. Futham'
the permanent secretary Of the asSoclaoh ficessoT
II W. Wiley Of the Agricultural Department and
Tho
,r,rnittees were also present the platform There
was fair sprinkling of bOnnets-no sailor mats nap
nv hing visibe-in the of seats Wtach ran across
The comfortable lectlre-roOm.
Professor Goodale called the meeting to order and
,t,,auced his neghbor the new president Professor
Isoo+t is a man past middle age, but of vigorous
en- and with kindly smiling face. For tweniy-sX
o,rs ba has been the head and front of chemical work
n. The University of Michigan and he has now Well
established international reputation lie became
,nan,ber Of the American Association for the Advance
ant Of science at the Hartford meeting in 1874, ana
u.as made a Fellow the following year In member
,,p he Is older than any Of the presidents OF this
meeting but is five years younger than President
,sooaale He was a vice-presdent for Section { In
1857 at the New-YOrk meeting At the Toronto
meeting he was chairman of the committee reporting
on the formation Of a society of American chemists
and IN ALI of the conferences this subject he has
been vigorous advocate for the close afation OF ihe
nroposed chemical society with the American ASsoca
tion His speech Of installation to-day was BRIEF as
he will be called upon al the next annual meeuhg 10
deliver an elaborate address retiring from Office
Assistant secretary Willis made felcitOuS speech
NJ welcome in which he dwelt the many attractions
NJ Washington meeting place for scientific bOieS-
president yelling also offered the hospitality Of the
city and Of the Columbian University to the members
n The association President Prescott theh returned
thanks gracefully, and the formal ceremony OF welcome
was over Secretary Putnam presented financial state
ment for the year ending August J. 1891 showing the
toal receipts to haze been 81 43 03. There was bal-
aree left after deductng expenditures Of the year OF
5000 92. The balance of the Research Fund Is
s5254 ~. OF this the association has the rsht 10
appropriate the interest to any current Work Vi IT,
search The constitution was AMENDED so ds 10
provide for election Of corresponding members resOli9
abroad not to exceed fifty in number The several
sections were then organized by the election of MEN,
bers Of council, sectional committees and nominating
committees.
The afternoon was devoted 10 the addresses OF the
several vicepesdents before their respective sections
four Of these addresses delivered at haIpast
and the other four at I o'clock giving members an
opportunity to hear at least two. Geology Always
has numerous followers. aud this year gives eXcep-
tonal prominence TO this section. so that Vice Pres
dent Stevenson, of New York, had sood audience
Notwithstanding the fact that his theme technical
Ills study Of the Chemung and Cajskin groups IS i'm
portant its relations the geology Of the state of
New-YoFk. Large audiences greeted Vice-PreSi1ents
Jastrow and Coulter before the anthrOpoogical and
biological sections. respectively. but their papers were
of a strictly scientific rather than popular interest
The subject OF taxation and It's relation TO the farmer
ought have a popular interest. however, and this
was the theme of Professor Edmund j. James, Of the
University OF Pennsylvania, before the Economic
Section Professor James is one OF the younger
scientists having been born in 1855, in Jacksonville.
ILL., He prepared for college in the Illinois State
Normal school at Bloomington. and studied al North
Western University. Harvard, Berlin Lcipsic and
Halle taking the degree of doctor Of philosophy at the
last in 1877 He taught for two wears in the public
schools and four IN the Illinois state Normal
school. In 1883 he took the char OF public finance
and administration in the Wharton school Of Finance
and ECONOMY University OF Pennsylvania. He was
one Of the founders Of the American Economic Assoca
ton aud for several years of the vcepresdens in
that association. lie Is also president OF the American
Academy Of Political and Social SCIENCE ana
Of the American Society for the Extension
Of University Teaching. What PROFESSOR 1sHes
had to say Of Taxation and the Farmer was IN part
historical aud in part practical. His views were not
all new and some perhaps open to criticism rom
various quarters OF the agitation going on
throughout the county the subject Of class legs-
ton for against the farmer ne takes the rather en-
cUIrsging and optimistic view That II may after all 40
some good and help farmer 10 realize his own needs
and his own limitations lie said in substance;
The condition Of farming class Is at present exciting
Keen attention in nearly every CIVILIZED country inc
Politics and economies OF tne ChlVeu H0'O0'' 49,
France, Germany, Austria and even Russia arc o17'eI
to-day with the they never were before Ia one
or another OF these countries similar questions nave az
other times been discussed perhaps even more esRry than
now; but before have rhey arisen In sueh acute
shape in all these countries The farmer question
Therefore local question no longer eolh"eu
10 United States worldwide 10 us importance
and considered extent in its international
aspects There is question now before the american
people economic and pohCcn as
poets this farmer and his relation 70 o'hf
classes in the community, The remarkable Phenomena
occurring in connection with the Farmers Alliance move
tent show how deeply the iron has entered mo
the soul OF the American farmer thoroughly be
become that or other he is MOI
keeping pace in his material intellectual and social progress
with other classes In the community.