Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-24
STAND FOR SCIENCE
MIR. DABNEY SAYS DEPARTMENTS
SHOULD BE COMBINED.
BENEFITS OF ONE GREAT BUREAU
Pamphlet Issued from the Depart
ment OF Agriculture Touching
This Important Understanding
of the Work Already Accomplished

Section Director Edward A. Evans, who
Is i'm charge Of the Virginia Weather Bu-
reau, has received q pamphlet from the
Agricultural Department at Washington.
containing extracts from an article from
the pen OF notwithstanding off, gricul-
ture Charles w. Dabney, Jr.. on the sub
iect: "A Department of Science" The
proposition embraced in Mr.. Dabney's ar
ticle is to unite all the existing govern
ment bureaus for the promotion Of science
and the development OF the country's re-
sources in one great department.
The following is the text OF the publ
cation:
Few persons have any Idea Of the extent
and Importance Of the work the govern
ment is doing for the development Of the
resources Of the country and the promo
ton Of its industries In an article In
Science, for January 18th, Mr.. Charles w.
Dabney, Jr., Assistant Secretary OF Agri-
culture, publishes a summary Of this work
and it's cost and makes an argument for
its consolidation into one department. He
shows that, emitting all those charged
with purely executive business, the gov
eminent schools, and the testing laborato-
ries of the War and Navy Departments,
the United States maintains twenty-eight
scientific bureaus for developing our re-
sources and advancing industry, at cost
of nearly 100000 annually. They employ
over 500 persons in the entire country.
OUR BUREAUS. SURVEYS, &C.
These bureaus are engaged i'm doing ali
kinds Of scientific work. from determining
- -. t.g.tt IN
studying insects and bacteria. We have
bureaus for studying the earth and its
products. the atmosphere and its changes.
economic plants and their culture, domes-
tic animals and their kind. We have sur
veys for measuring the land of the coun-
try and sounding its waters; bureaus for
investigating many economic problems.
and statistical agencies for collecting,
compiling, and discussing the results OF
many industries. We have agricultural
experiment stations for developing the
products of the land, and Fish Commits
sion for increasing and improving the life
of our waters. Other bureaus teach us
how TO protect our forests. or how TO save
the forage resources OF our western plains;
still others promote fruit culture or teach
us how to protect our crops and fruits
from Injurious insects or disease. Finally,
nave great lnuStuihS III NcAtNNNiA5f
preserving. and exhibiting all objects OF
art, ethnology, natural history, mineral
ogy. geology, the resources OF our coun-
try. and the products of our peoples
work. AS Mr.. Dabney says:
These noble establishments for the pro-
motion Of science, both pure and applied
are the most unique feature Of our gov
eminent and the admiration OF all foreign
ers. They represent the true American
idea. II Is the more TO be regretted.
therefore. that this grand idea, so well
established In our laws, is not adequately
represented in the organization Of the gov
eminent"
HAVE A COMMON PURPOSE.
As all these agencies have common
purpose-namely, the development OF the
resources OF the country-one would ex-
meet 10 find them organized according to
some definite plan, and directed by
single head. As matter OF fact they
are distributed among six different de-
nartments OF the government, two or them
being entirely independent
Much valuable work has been and Is
being done by them. but the writer thinks
that n great deal more would be accom-
plished and much money saved " all the
bureaus having this common purpose