New-York tribune., 1894-06-21
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NAVAL OBSERVATORY REFOhM
GENERAL. DEMAND THAT THE DIRECTOR
BE CIVILIAN
SCIENTISTS UNANIMOI'sLY or THE OPINION THAT
THE PRESENT SYSTEM OF ASSIGNING
NAVAL. OFFICERS TO THE WORK
rsY rELrGRApm TO THE TRnuNEl

rBY TEfTGRAPH THE TRIBUNE
Washington June Ca quiet but apparently
earnest effort Ia being made by certain sceht's's
Of the country interested In the subject to have
the law changed so as to provide that the head OK
the Naval Observatory shall be II civilian Dii1
WAS intro luccl In the House some time ago nav
Ing this object In view, and two proposed anenu-
m,nts TO the Naval Appropriation btl' OF the same
tenor have now been presented to the oen''e'
Senator Morrill, Is the author OF one or these
amendments which has been favoraby repor,''
bv the Senate Committee on Naval Anairs HIS
amendment provides that the superintendent OF
the Observatory shall be person Se.ecteu ''o''
civil Hfe earned in the science OF astronomy ne
IL ., receIye an annual salary Of 5000 TO be hu-
thorzed 10 reorganze the institution, ana 70 MAKE
sach regulations In relation to It's management It's
subordinate officers. professors and employees az
may be expedlen,. After January !, lSS' the ,o'a'
salaries and expenditures are to be adjusted 10
basis not exceeding 5000 per annum
Il, sttpport OF his amendment Mr NORTH mas
submitted a number of papers gong 70 sno" ."o
alvlsability Of the change In the ADMINISTRATOR
OF the affairs Of the Observatory. Among o'her
things Il Is pointed out that the yearly 0o'' "
maintenance of the institution under naval contr0'
T., ah,r, s2o 40 greater than that Of the Greenwich
oheervatory This difference does not Include the
cos, ~ certain Instruments supplied to navsI VeS-
scs from the Observatory here. Inc'udeu III 9""-
ator Morrills papers on the proposed uahs'e' "'e
letters from Professors Asaph Hall. = e Chahuler'
= Young B A. Gould and Lewis Bass; $50
an extract from the annual report OF "ec'e'u''
Tracy for 1879 in favor OF the change
t ,.ie,v q, h,s long connection with the I'd
.o-y,torv the words oi Professor Han are oil
speclal importance. He says that In the course ..
his service as assistant astronomer at the NaV"'
Observatory and afterwarl a. professor covering
a rcriol OF ,wenty-nine years the institution mas
had twelve different superintenhen's. NJ 'e,onge
oten, changes and the want OF techhl.It MI
OF the otic~r In charge ar oY professor Hall
r.. "n.v wav in which the Observatory can Dr
made what q ought 20 b." ne SAYS i ~ P'' - ~
mo control OF astronomers. ~,
RepIying 10 a letter Of inquiry from Senator Nor.
~ ~" ,S SS Navi Appropriation bin Professor Chand-
Ter estimates that the o'hcrrs %, 'i' -, -,
should be- one director one vlce-difecior tWo pr
f,ssors ~ astronomy, iont aS'H,rk LII m. sggre-
four computcrs and one assista,t I'rH, n tsn,
nSel M s. 90: the present force ot engineers;
ohuen and iahorers Is 10 be- lrit nH no." i, ~ ~
amin the situation und r-organize the force on "A
NOR economical and efficient 6asls ,,,,,. T.,
o,'ir,~. bv saving that the past work don" NJ the
Naval Observatory dos not con, ,,h o,har .reat
%afionai Institutions Of a similar Kind. and tnat
t rs,l,s heve not been AZ all commemorate with
ih' I,,,,rs sofne admirable work has been
t"no ~ washington (thnt of Professor Hall for
,,. r.,.r..l M. reasonable standard OF efficiency.
,',rt 1,,t.m ~ organization. which puts at the
h.,i ~ the institution A seaman with nothing
,n,rr than a s.nmRns knowledge oi astronomy. ai,'i
rhnugen him eyery thr"" OF four years IL "ouItI
D.. fgsf ns sensible put col"s" professor o
Gr..k In charge of an ironrlnt or navy yhfu' hl"
,L.n ffirn him ont when n" began u lrhth H"tn'-
fhl.g Professor Young thinks ne St'nttlt M. mn
I'M III. country unanimous m the opinion ma.
"a. h.ad ~ the observatory should De an rhlh.m'
n.frouomrr and that ha position shouII ,e SUN,
cf,,fl, v.ruau.nt g. sr'ur" continuity OF PA" "'"
method In IA. operations ~ the institution. 49,
I,~ls,-sDr Gould itcrdf"s, Ia another ioIul, "
il.n of I'rDf.e.l Young that N" observatory "'u'
tfs pr~aeni management mas not given i"-nts com
rn.f'.lrute with the outa}s for lts mhlhiehAl'' -"
s,.eh n~ d, enii'e - 20 take high rank among th'
IT,, ling nl4erya'or.s of th" world. whether "a
,iorai or rrlva'. with Tho eN'sption ~ single
c,li.g. observatory b" saNs. that Al Washington ~
,hr most richly equipped md cNI"nsiN'lF mAhas'l
81 euv Institution of The sort. Ia me present or III
m. pas' bat 10 would hardly b" claimed that II
ha. ever boon yre-cinineut for IT. contrbutohs 10
astr,,uofn, AS regards either quality or quantity;
although on OCCASIONS astronomer 81 nist,nsiSh,'l
mttalnineuts anil high reputation have hreh EN-
plOycl there 80, ......r,. ,,,r
cll.s h.artllt in these views .,.A
mat part of Secretary Tracy's report 10 "hich
Senator morrill, refers says -
The question OF the proper organization Oh N"
N,Vnl observatory is again commended 10 th"
serious consideration OF congress. haFr seen
ro,hi,r TO lnvalllnte the opinion expressed III my
last annual report that the attainment OF me ehls
for which the Observatory whS huili requires tnit
ifs work Dee planned by the b"st srleniihc talrht
that the department can command, ana u" iire'tel
hv The allcsi astronomers who VIII und'rtak' u''