New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-06
THE DUFFIELD LOGARITHMS
REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC MAN
AGEMENT OF. THE COAST SUR
VEY CONTRASTED.
Try TELEGRAPH TO TUE tribune

vEY CONTRASTED.
Try TELEGRAPH TO TRIpUNEl
Washington July ga Washington dispatch III
The Tribune OF June % called afternoon " ',e e
trasting intelligence with which Democra''c anu
6 Republican Administration have gone ABOUT Tue
study Of a problem affecting no, ohiy .he 'epa
ton Of American science. but the ma'eriai i'''e.
ests of a great portion of the country. The prop
lem In question is the management ana 'esu'a'''"
of the Coast and Geodetc Survey
In 1895, when Democratic Congress was '
Ting with the difficulties arising from an ever
Increasing deficit one Of the economics IL MT on
was a reduction Of the appropriation Tor carf!."s
on this survey In making retrenchments the APP
propriations Committee was guided 10 si.a'
tent by the recommendations CT the supefi"'enu
ent of the survey elderly gentleman who Win
out any previous experience in the characteristic
work Of the survey. had been placed at us neau
scarcely three months before. In his recommenda-
lions he had no support from any OF 'he lepu'"'
bic experts in the service. but MS CONCLUSIONS
showed that he had been sympathetic anu APP
proving listener the opinions OF the
scientist who while filing the modest ONCE OF
chief clerk, was then directing affairs in the Treas
ury Department.
The lack of sympathy with the aims and objects
of the Bureau placed under his charge evidenced al
the very beginning of his term Of office has never
been modified At different times he mas attempted
IN remove several of the mos; efficient Of his as
sistants and was checked in two instances oy Sec
rotary Carlisle. 10 whose attention MS arpi'iaiE
conduct was brought. recent renewal OF similar
conduct having been called TO the attention OF 'e
present Administration. the result has been the APP
pointrlent Of the commission OF scientihc men VIII
are 70 make an investigation Of the United states
Coast and Geodetic Survey with view 70 ascei
tanning whether not the practical results Oh the
work of the Bureau cannot De improved anu M
creased" ,., l.,
Tho contrast between Logan Carlisle sitting IN
Judgment upon the principal scientific bureau OF
the Government and a commission OF men WIFI .i'e
reputation of those selected on Tuesday is s'rih-
Ing comment on the change OF spirit IN the treas
ury Department In the execution of its duties II
will no doubt devolve upon the commission 10 eN-
amino into the methods by which General Dulned
has secured permission 10 publish al HoVer'"ei''
EXPENSE the table of !ogarithms upon whose compu-
tation and publication his hope for enduring tame
seems 10 rest. ,
This table is to give Che logarthms OF numbers
and the circular functions to the tenth deciinai
place and In character will be a duplication OF Tue
work Of Baron Vega. which was puohsnea /"
17e, and has since been reproduced by pho'o-
photographic process. the reproduced copy having
been corrected for all the errors which had peen
discovered in a century Of This reproduction
can be had for moderate price from any repu'a-
bic bookseller but 10 secure name lot Geherdi
Duffield In the group that includes Briggs Niacq'
Rheticus and Vega. the Government is solicited TO
publish a book whose copyright would not be ac-
cepted as a gift by any publisher who would be ex-
pected TO print 1t. brief examination OF the
facts in the case Will satisfy any one OF the cos'!
character OF the favor sought 10 be pressed upon
the Government The table will contain the
same number Of figures that are in Vegas "Thesau-
rus Logarthmorum." and from the latter an esti-
mate can be made OF the cost. page OF the
"Thesaurus' contains fifty-fve hundred ems which,
at the regular price for rule and figure work. ~
Der 1000 ems would cost sll. The printers proof
reading and stereotyping would bring the cost per
Siy
at sl2 20 a page would, with the added charges for
binding bring the cost of 1000 copies TO 1928 90
or 81 80 copy.
The proofreadng estimated for the above. how
ever. would not be satisfactory In this instance as
is apparent to any one who has ever had TO work
with scientific tables. In the preface TO Bremikers
edition of Vegas "Seven-place Logarithms" the
editor notes that the first two proofs OF the table
were revised by two examiners, and third revs-
ion was instituted by himself and checked by diff
from the plates were revised by TWO other exami-
ners. In MS preface to Barlow's Tables" Pro
lessor De Morgan acknowledge his indebtedness
to the chief coinputer of the Nautical Almanac"
9taon who Of had p ften sxRf'
skill and accuracy confesses that it will take years
freedom dom from error Vega after ne had concluded
the computation and compilation of bis great Work
offered a reward of ducat for every error con-
taned therein. and yet Gauss calculated that II
contained between $780, and 477" errors In the last
Of the eEsa; snssrprises pndersken by c the
rithms which would surpass anything ever con
gendre had direction Of the work, and nearly one
hundred comPuiers were empoyed az tne TASK s iEr
remains unpublished In its entirety the principal
s ber OF IL in No use or the great cas
sizes whose values have increased as time and use
An additional expense pens must result from
taken TO make the tables satisfactory for ihe men Zen
the great tables have always required great care
Sna Fn pdo sSt edition. Of cae Sbss
For many sets specially struck types were made o
the cost Of the production of his book at only
little over per copy. The figures herein given
cal conditions specified apparent 10 any man
who has used logarithmc table Ten-place
of the day will hardly be welcome 10 the library or
table Of the working compute learn what necessity
seven'pla eee logarRmc table allows an accuracy
On ffty.six pages has been issued which enables
obtained With ten-fgure table Vegas great
"Thesaurus" which has stood the test Of 4,
edition until the Of 81 hPn
sS ene at os aa m &
errors were corrected before the volume was re-
errorless table Of logaTihms has never been com
work that has stood the scrutiny Of years Of use?
a work Of this kind TO have value must be the
computer or guaranteed by the recommendation
OF d committee whose names are honored by
scientific throughout the world. Would the
French Government publish such a work without
the recommendation Of the Academy of Sciences,
or would the English Government do II without Nit
volume prove deficient. issued as il is by the Gov
eminent, 1t viii disgrace American science in the
eyes OF the world II is not often that the United
States Government stands ready to spend so large
a sum Of money upon work that is not much
more than a tour dc force" IN science and II
tainly should be satisfied that the result will not
be a loss Of prestige as well as useless
penditure OF public money