New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-09
A NATIONAL OBSERV ATORY
SHALL 1T BE UNDER MILITARY OR
CIVILIAN CONTROL?

OF taking from the control of military depart
Tents of the Government such institutions az
are essentially scientific in character Although
the Coast and Geodetic Survey has long been
under the management of the Treasury Depart
ment there has been more or less futile talk
OF giving 1t to the Navy. But the prevailing
sentiment among disnterested people is that
such transfer would be unwise. Then there
was the weather service. Excellent reasons ex-
listed when this work first undertaken for
allowing the War Department to conduct it.
After little time, however, il was felt that
the military regime was unsuited to the ad-
ministration Of purely scientific bureau And
even though at the time when matters cul-
minated the head Of the Signal Service hap
pened TO be a much more accomplished scen-
fist than either Of his immediate predecessors
Congress decided to turn the business over to
the then newly constituted Department of Agri-
culture.
In the mean time a conspicuous degree OF dis
satisfaction expressed with the conduct OF
the big astronomical observatory in Washing
ton, which from the first has been attached to
the naval service. The actual results achieved
of late deemed incommensurate with the
money spent The data secured not re-
duce6 and published promptly. And there were
other causes of complaint. The splendid 26-
the biggest OF it's kind in the world-had been
rendered famous by Asaph Halls discovery of
the satellites of Mars. and by other excellent
work But for a decade or two the instrument
has made no record worth mentioning.
II was felt by good many persons who were
interested in promoting astronomical research
that il was unfortunate to have naval officer
in charge Of the National Observatory No fault
was found with the particular men assigned 10
duty there by the Navy Department The trou-
ble was with the system. Indeed. better case
made out for a change in the Naval OBJ
servatory than in the weather service, because
the naval officers put in charge OF the FORMER
came to this berth without any special training,
and were changed every few years, whereas
General Greedy had what might be termed
life tenure and had been connected with the
weather service for nearly quite twenty years
when he became its head. Besides, has been
said already. he was an enthusiastic and able
student of meteorolOgy.
In view OF the widely expressed opinion
that the Naval Observatory should be placed
under the exclusive control OF civilians the
American Association for the Advancement OF
Science. at its session in Boston last summer
auuointed committee to look into the matter.
Professor Il. c. Pickering, director OF the Har-
ward Observatory, at the head OF IT, ana
another prominent member was Professor J. \.
Meudcnhan formerly In charge Of the Coast
survey simultaneously confer ebce OF as
tronomers from all over the United States, heId
for other purposes appointed a similar com
mittee This included Professor Pickering. Pro-
fessor Hale of the Yerkes Observatory, ana
Professor George c. COmstoCk, of the NashDurn
Observatory These two bodies Will soon report
H. the ORGANIZATIONS which instructed them to
investigate In ,he mean time Science has
sen, letters Of inquiry to number of other
REPRESENTATIVE men, and in d recent issue II
printed their replies.
Three questions were addressed to experts by
Science" One related to the general desira- |
bjIty Of having any observatory at all under |
National auspices; another referred TO the
,ncci6c objects Of such an institution, and the |
third TO the extent to which the Naval Observa- |
tory at present realizes these possibilities o.
usefulness
Simon Newcomb cmphatically doubts the wis |
dom Of any National observatory, although |
holding certain branches Of astronomical work |
in the highest esteem. Arthur Searle Of the |
Harvard Observatory staff believes that mat |
ters NAV be corrected at Washington without a
change Of management. With these two notable !
executions all who reply to Science favor the !
National idea but insist that the best results |
can be secured only by civilian control Pro- |
fessors Young. Of Princeton; Mendonhal, or
Worcester: Woodward Of Columbia; Doolitue, |
Of the Flower Observatory; William ii. Picker |
Ing Of Harvard Very, Of Brown University; !
Todd If Amherst: Myers, of Illinois; Fuertes, OF
Cornell. Elkin. Of Yale, ana heeiei' Vi l"e i-'Oh
~. .Lo q nc