The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-07
A NATIONAL UNIVERSITY.
The y. T.. &. subcommittee Reports
u Plan for Consideration.


national university at Washington. when
has been occupying the attention of COM
mittee of prominent educators from the
National Educational Association, was
brought up at meeting of the committee
in Chicago last week A sub committee,
consisting of President Harper of the Uni
ve1sity of Chicago and Prof. Nicholas Muir
ray Butler of Columbia, submitted re-
port, which was referred back TO the COM
mittee. and will be a special order OF bust
ness at a meeting to be held in Washing
ton in April or May, at the call of the
chairman. This report has just been made
public.
In view of the fact that the full commit
tee decided in November that the Ma
tional Government was not called upon to
maintain a university, in the ordinary
sense of the term. at the National Capital.
the subcommittee was instructed TO pre-
pare report giving detailed plan where
by students who have taken a baccaiau-
reate degree or who have had an equiva-
lent training. might use the scientific and
other collections of the Government for
investigation and research. As Congress
has put itself on record as favoring the use
of its scientific facilities and libraries by
investigators and students and the gov
ornamental collections and establishments
have been declared available for research,
the question resolved itself into a consid-
GRAFTON of the systematic organization OF
the work to be carried on and the proper
oversight of these advanced students.
Many difficulties were encountered in the
formulation of a plan, and the one pro-
posed, that the work be undertaken by the
Regents of the Smithsonian Institution,
was met with the objection that their
present powers were considered hardly
broad enough TO embrace educational work,
and also that was doubtful whether Con-
gress has power. under the Constitution,
to appropriate money raised By taxation
for purposes of education. A resolution
has been prepared, however, asking Con-
gress to provide for an assistant secretary
OF the Smithsonian Institution in charge
of research, who shall make known the
facilities for study and investigation that
exist i'll the Government departments, and
arrange rules and regulations to govern
the use Of collections and other means for
research. The committee consider such
a scheme satisfactory, save that they deem
it essentia! that the cooperation of the
universities and colleges should be Sc
cured, with resulting advantages both to
the work itself and the different institu
lions.
The committee, however, proposes an
alternative plan, which is to make this
now branch of scientific work a department
of the Bureau of Education under the di-
rection of an Assistant Commissioner of
Education. The committee concludes its
49, iyro, 9sg Recommendations
for each of the proposed plans. In the
case of the Smithsonian Institution un-
dertaking the responsibility. it suggests:
~ That the Regents Of the Smithsonian
Institution be requested to ask the Con-
gress of the United States for a special APP
preparation for the work OF research and
investigation to be conducted under their
supervision by persons properly qualified
therefor Such work to be so conducted
as TO utilize the libraries, scientific col
iections. apparatus, and laboratories owned
by the United States. and in charge of Off
Gers OF the United States, for investigations
and researches under regulations TO be
prescribed by the said Regents. and as
far as shall be mutually agreed upon be-
tween the said Regents and the heads Of
the several executive departments OF the
Government. the Librarian of Congress.
Commissioner of Labor, Commissioner of
4 lSH anu flsHcIltSs anu Nht s7tNiINoAS VI
the Smithsonian Institution, with a view
of carrying out the policy of Congress,
declared in the joint resolution of April
-. 1892
o. That the Regents be requested to
ask the general public for gifts of nancy.
to be used in providing buildings, labora
tories, equipment and endowments. for
purposes of instruction, such instruction
to be limited to students who are graduates
.s..rV.. q,
who are otherwise properly qualified IL
being understood that it shall not be the
purpose of the Smithsonian Institution
to confer degrees of any kind in connection
with such instruction.
81 That the Regents be requested to
formulate plan for the appointment of an
advisory board: the members of said board
TO represent the leading educational insti-
tutions of the country. with a view to Sc
curing the active cooperation of the col
leges and universities of the country in
carrying on this undertaking.
II however. IL is decided that the Bureau
of Education is the best administrative
centre for this work. then the committee
recommends the following course OF ac-
ton:
IN That the Congress be requested to
erect the Bureau of Education into an in
dependant department, on a plane with the
salary of not less than So, 600 for the Com
missioner of Education.
(21 That the Congress be requested TO
provide for an Assistant Commissioner of
Education, at a salary OF not less than
s.. 600. whose duty it shall be TO ascertain
and make known what facilities for re-
search exist in the Government depart
Inents and collections at Washington; 10
formulate in connection with the heads OF
the several departments and the officers in
charge of Government collections, rules
and regulations under which suitably
qualified persons may undertake research
in those departments and collections with
a view TO carrying out the policy of Con-
gress as declared in the joint resolution
approved April - 1892. and to exercise
general supervision over the persons per-
mifted TO undertake such research.
(2l That the Department of Education.
so organized be requested to formulate a
plan for the. appointment of an advisory
hoard, representing the colleges and uni
versiries of the country which receive aid
from the Government or which have MT
fewer than twenty FIVE resident graduate
students in any one year, with view to
securing the active cooperation of such
colleges and universities in organizing and
maint tanning the work Of research at Wash
ington.
III That in accordance with plan to be
prepared and adopted by the Department of
Education in consultation with such adv.s-
ory board or its executive committee, II e
colleges and universities of the country be
asked to give credit toward the requ' re-
ments for their higher degrees for research