Evening star., 1897-01-26
THE SMITHSONIAN REGENTS
To Meet in Annual Session at the Institution
Tomorrow.
Matters Of LesislatiOn to BE Discuss
Misrepresentation ms to the Late
Mr.. Goodies Successor.

The annual meeting of the board OF re-
gents of the Smithsonian Institution will
be held tomorrow morning. and will prob
ably last through the forenoon. Chief JUS
tice Fuller is the chancellor of the board.
which consists besides Of tie Vice Presi-
dent. three senator's, three representatives
and half dozen otner wel-known men, 1t
is probable that there will be general at
tendance of the members and considerable
routine business will come up for consider
alton. Secretary S. P. Langley will pre-
sent his anGual report and the pressing
need of a new building for the National
Museum will doubtless be discussed. to-
gether with other matters Of legislation
which are needed in the interest of the in
stitution.
There Is some question now as to wheth-
er the board of regents will be called upon
tomCrrcw to act in the matter of the Sc
lection of an assistant secretary III charge
Of the National Museum, to succeed the
late DIR. G. Brown Goode. The custom has
been for the secretary of the Smithsonian
Institution to name his assistant, and the
nomination is then acted upon by the board
of regents. Among scientific men in WASH
ington tn. opinion prevails that Prof.
Langley has not as yet picked out sue
cessor for DR.. Gcode, and it is more than
likely that at tomorrow meeting he will
announce that when the late Prof. Baird
stitGtion six years elapsed without the ap-
roiEtment of an assistant. and that he now
prefers to wait until he can find q man in
every way qualified for the important du-
ties OF the office AS every one familiar
with the workings of the Smithsonian
knows this will! be easy task, for the
late Dr.. Goode was remarkable combina-
tion of scientific. and executive ability and
few believe that his place can ever be en-
tirely filled Since his death a great deal
of influence has been brought to bear upon
Prof. Langley in behalf of the various ap-
plicants for the position. and this very fact
has doubtless hampered him considerably
I'm making the choice.
telegram from Madison, Wis. to the
effect that Prof. r. Van Hise the head of
the geological department of the Wiscon-
sin State University has been offered the
position of assistant secretary of the
Smithsonian Institution. and has declined
1t. is not generally credited among we'll
Informed people in this city. In the fiIst
place. they point out that Prof Langley
Could hardly have made the offer IN view
OF the fact that the office is filed by tie
board of regents. and all he can do is to
make a nomination to that body. In the
second place, they question whether there
are very many scientists in. the count ry
who would decline the appointment II il
were rendered to them. The position pays
pretty good salary. and, aside from that
It gives the incumbent fixed and very at
tfactiTe position in the scientific ard social
worlds. To be known as Dr. Goodies sue
cessor would of itself be no small honor
Furthermore. 1t s not Secretary Lanyley's
custom to do business that way In the Sc
lection of a man for the place a great deal
OF interest attaches to the question Whet H.
er he will be man of executive ability or
a scientist. A combination of the two
such as DR.. Goode presented Is compare
lively rare, and should any man be named
Tor the position who is outside of scientific
life the romination will doubtless meet
with determined opposition from the scien-
lists A number of names have been s,ls-
gested from time to time, but as the mat
ter rests with Prof. Langley and as he is
one Of the men who are reticent mil the
time comes to speak, it can be seen that
the whole business has not vet emerged
from the realm of guesswork