New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-27
pO1JTICS VERSUS SCIENCE.
,,ow PROFESSOR MENDENHALL WAS
,opcEp OUT OF THE COAST SURVEY

s,-prRIoRs HE FINALLY RETIRED IN DIS
c,.sr TO BE REPLACED BY A FAR LESS
CAPABLE MAN-URGENT NEED OF
SOME ACTION BY CONGRESS.
fly TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBuNEl
u-,shington Nov 26.-It goes without saying that
s;cal and sudden changes in any Government
,.oau can rarely be OF immediate benefit. and
~ changes should not he made except after care
g., and thorough investigation and positive
,,v that they are necessary This Is particu-
,,,v true Of bureaus OF applied science. such
.,o weather Bureau. Geological Survey, Coast and
ceodetic Survey. Naval Observatory and others
here the employees become efficient only after long
,sars Of training in the service. That such bureaus
,oud be radically affected by changes OF admin
.s.ration simply partisan grounds is absurd and
rseis no comment. Prior tp 1885 such bureaus OF
.he Government had been comparatively free from
,oitical interference and tenure OF office in them
YES practically for life during good behavior.
IN that year, however some things were done which
,ened the doors TO the spokesman, and the result
has been disastrous.
Take, for instance. the Coast and Geodetic Sur
vey Before 1885 change in the office of superin-
,endent made only on the death OF the incurn-
bent except In the OF Professor Pierce who
voluntarily resigned after eight years service. In
1856 the Administration appointed a commits
sion 10 investigate the bureau. II was q partisan
and star chamber affair A report was made, the
superint endent resigned. few minor employees
were dismissed ard the chairman OF the invcstiga-
ting commission appointed superintendent
The report of this commission was not made public.
and the new superintendent had been in office only
q few months when he discovered that the bureau
was not so rotten after ALL and that he had been
mised by designing subordinates as TO many things
in the report which he had signed So far as II
was in his power he corrected these errors by ammo
tations in the two copies of the report-one al the
Treasury Department and one at the Coast and
Geodetic Survey office He did not pretend to any
great scientific knowledge. and repeatedly stated
that his appointment was temporary and that some
scientific man might any day be appointed to take
his place He became greatly interested in the Sur
vey however. and through the scientific force en-
deavorcd 20 improve its condition NO raeical
changes were made in the scientific force during his
administration. although some unfortunate appoint
ments were made in subordinate positions in the
office. Many changes made in methods OF
administration. and of them have proved
extremely beneficial No new work of i'm
r~-tance was laid out, and although the
= cheney OF the bureau not great as il
Nigh. have BEEN the work went on well by the
efforts of the well-traHed and conscientious force
and the good will of the superintendent
CHOSEN FOR HIS HIGH ATTAINMENTS.
When Nh Thorn resigned in 1889 he had opened
the way for his successor TO make great improve
ments President Harrison had acquired a per
s5ral knowledge OF the work and affairs OF tnis
bureau while in the Senate and serving on COM
II ssion where he broush; into personal con-
tact with many OF It's officers; so wAen he was
called on TO appoint a superintendent he
kray tust the kind Of man that was needed. In
iae previous four years there had been 80 much
,alk about this bureau that he had great diff
Guilty finding a scientific man Wiling TO accept
the place. There We're number OF poht.caI appL-
cants. but apparently none OF. them were seriously
considered The final appointment OF the accom-
NJ 4 Nendenhan
Ton 10 the scientific people Of the country as well
rs 10 all who were really interested in the work
~ this bureau In the first four years OF ms az
% efficiency greater than I had known for many
years and highly compimented by !s:t1
both in this country and abroad
in the fifth year OF his administration the bureau
became demoralized because an power Of adIn.nis
traton was taken Of his hands by the head OF
me He made every cfSor, in MS power pre-
sent the affairs OF the bureau n their true ish M
refusal OF the Secretary 70 give his attention 10
him. over his head some appointments 10 suDor
objectionable to him. He finally resigned not pc
Ing wiling to oefr Bureaus TespV %hou having the
proper authority over it, HIS reSsna,on was e 1lc
IuiT . the nth anniversary OF his appointment.
At the Presidents request he Kept TINS mater
snnHrintenfeat until September 20 when his resg-
ration was accepted and his successor appointed
HIS SUCCESSOR A FAILURE.
There were again many applicants for this office,
n,t none Of them were scientific men. and appar-
emily none were satisfactory to the President III
Is well understood by those who know that Presi-
dent Cleveland did not want to accept the resigna-
ton of Dr. MenGenhal and that when ne found
he had 10 do so Il was his desire to make good
spatesy stated that his appointment was unsough:,
and surprise to him No doubt the fresla .
but has srGyea hapTe sy ha
bce in he AZ
gether TOO cd and ncapacated foT the place he
this man and the caba that controi him have don.
would he too long a story; ne IL appaTemtE no,
few men newly appointed in suborG!nats places In
The Office ana who are without even pTe'enee OF
What can such men know about the requirement.
tbat The superintendent If worthy can be essil
Influenced by them? With only a few days all
.a.s e' from the scientific force have been made with
out other apparent reason tnsh aSs' dt TOR nse
iess or inefficient has been ds'n all were
useful and some were the best officers OF the
bureau. whose work has an inter- ational repnta-
ton Among the new appontm,sn's 70 .ne orS
,onng man from Atlanta. neither OF whom has had
experience IN ,uSh WORE a naeed in charge
OF most Important divisions OF the oiice ene as
me w1on IN this country Only by the Government,
viii be readily seen that these men cohn NJ ~
.aken them many years to acquire IT, II they 90
50 at all.
To ALI who know this bureau its present inefi-
cheney is apparent. II is wrong, however TO say
ba tho bureau IS altogether rotten "a general COM
menO as It is well known that such OF the old force
as SIN remain are doing their work conscieniousy
and though much hampered. it is hoped that they
viii be able carry on the survey vi! me fresi-
dent may appoint a competent superintendent ana
the b,,resu AGAIN be put upon proper basis by
legislation At present is certain no worthy scien-
tidc man would accept the situation OF superintend-
ent OF the Coast and Geodetic Survey. and unless
some legislation is passed which VIII again put tne
hureau on a proper basis and assure permanent
tenure Of Office of the superintendent and the sc'en-
tsfc force during good Behavior and efficiency, as
was the case previous 10 1885. the bureau might as
well be abandoned. 49,. i, -. ~