The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-21
A DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE.
Proposals to Unite All the EXISTING
Government Bureaus For the Pro
motion of Science.


motion of Science.
Washington, Jan. 2O-Few persons have
any idea of the extent and Importance of
the work the government is doing for the
development of the resources of the coun-
try and the promotion of its industries. In
an article in Science, for Jan. Is, Mr..
Charles w. Dabney, Jr.. assistant Secre-
tary of Agriculture, publishes a summary
of this work and its cost, and makes an
argument for its consolidation into one
department. He shows that. emitting all
those charged with purely executive bust
ness, the government Schools and the test
ing laboratories of the war and navy de-
partments. the United States maintains
twenty-eight scientific bureaus for devel-
oping our resources and advancing indus
try, at a cost of nearly $S,O000O0 annually
They employ over 5000 persons, in the en-
tire country.
These bureaus are engaged In doing all
kinds of scientific work, from determin-
ing the movements of the heavenly bodies
to studying insects and bacteria, We
have bureaus for studying the earth and
its products, the atmosphere and it's
changes economic plants and their Gull
ture, domestic animals and their kind We
have surveys for measuring the land of
the country and sounding its waters; bu-
reaus for Investigating many economic
problems, and statistical agencies for col
lecting. compiling, and discussing the re-
suits of many industries. We have agri-
cultural experiment stations for develop
ing the products of the land and a fish
commission 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, we have great museums
for collecting, preserving, and exhibiting
all objects of art, ethnology, natural his
tory mineralogy, geology. the resources
OF our country, 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 for
eigners. They represent the true Ameri-
can idea. 1t is the more to be regretted,
therefore, that this grand idea, so well es-
tablished in our laws, is not adequately
represented in the organization of the goy-
eminent" - anl0
As all these agencies have common
purpose, namely, the development of the
resources of the country, one would expect
to find them organized according to some
definite plan, and directed by a single
head. As matter of fact they are dis
trlbuted among six different departments
OF the government, two of them being en-
tirely independent
Much valuable work has been and is he-
ing done by them but the writer thinks
that great deal more would
be accomplished and much money
saved, if all the bureaus. hav-
ing this common purpose were consol-
dated in one department. Scattered as
a 10 kt.r.lrV 81. -. 80 M
operated under very indefinite laws and
supervised by different secretaries usual
ly not scientific men and always everrun
with other work, there is ample oppoYtu-
nifty for confusion and duplication of work
and consequent loss of time and energy.
me government has, for example, three
separate and distinct agencies for measur-
ing the land of the country connected
with two different departments; four sep
arate photographic offices for sounding
the waters of bays, rivers, lakes, etc. in
TOUR olIerent departments; and five sep
arate chemical laboratories in the city Of
washington alone. The statistics of the
natural resources and products of the
country are collected by eight different
agencies connected with six different de-
partments and bureaus, not counting the
census which usually goes over the whole
held again. This is doubtless one reason
why government statistics are so often
proposal to consolidate all the statistical
bureaus and establish permanent census.
Whlch snail do in a systematic wav
through ten years, the work hitherto done
IN haphazard way at intervals is heart
lily indorsed
ton Is given of the confusion in which i'm
portant work is often involved amidst
these many bureaus:
The Secretary of the Interior and the
Secretary of Agriculture some time AGO
appointed board TO compile the laws on
irrigation, find out what each bureau ~
each department should do, and make a
report thereon. 1t took this board a whole
year TO unravel the laws and the red tame
tney had created and inform the secreta
RES what was required of each of them.
its report shows that eighs bureaus
cooperate in order TO accompllsh
any thorough work on the great prob
lens OF irrigation. Three distinct branches
OF the interior department alone are on
gagged In irrigation work viz, the gem
eral land office, the office of Indian A.
iairs ana the geological survey. The cen
sus also prepared a report on this sub
Ject. 1t is needless to say that, with so
many agencies to promote irrigation. very
httie has been done by any Of them.
Mr. Dabney thinks that what Is needed
is general coordination of the scientific
WIN Vi lHe government, and that the
only way to accomplish this Is by FIRST
bringing all of these bureaus together un-
der one executive head When this has
been done the reorganization would take
place naturally and easily without injury
TO ANY of the good work now going on
The first thing is for congress to decide
upon general programme, and. as oppor-
tunity offers, transfer the different bu-
reaus and surveys to some one OF the de-
partments. Mr.. Dabney's suggestion Is 10
partially reorganize several OF these de-
partments. so as to bring all OF the execu-
i've business together IN certain depart-
ments and all the scientific work together
In single department
In conclusion. the writer says:
IL Is really a wonder that our govern
ment has accomplished so much excellent
scientific work through tho agency OF so
unscienttnc an organization. BY an enor-
nous expenditure OF time and money, a
has done vast deal for the advancement
or science, but II is deplorable that 80
much has been wasted In doing this Sci |
ence Is conducting In America a grand |
campaign for the advancement Of civli- |
zation, but It's forces arc divided into 40 |
many cdmDa that IA daaa nof NIL. t..fe A., /