New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-21

Washington. Jan 20 (SpeciaD-The following let
ter. for the first time made public. in the recent
report Of the Commission to investigate the work
ings of the Naval Observatory, explains itself;
United States Naval observatory,
Washington. D. G.: Mar eio = Is lSsy rs
gard to the organization of the observatory se
considered the question of appointing Board or
DsT ff a ae sa 6g aS ai DO
TIE servatry has been the ~ pr
sons and has been attacked in ANONYMOUS news,
paper articles has eTe one o1 eWeT SINCE the
atory been in existence, and would continue no
this Criticism a has been directed at Professor Har
ness. who under the present on nrey
astronomicai work Professor Hardness retlres in
the hoeyS ON wonS v indicate his
IN D9SgI siTentor Would show the institu-
ton TO be efficient ana in good WORKING 0doer o nGT
be a sufhcient answer to irresponsible criticism.
I therefore recommend that such board be ap-
the visit the close of the fiscal year and as mem,
I've the cbairman or a member of the Naval Com
Inttee OF both House and Senate and three astron-
1 withdraw so much Of a former recommends
advice of The National Academy of Sciences, and
would propose instead mat tney oe appoeo dr
T TeGny ob SS eIt servant g H DAVIS.
Captain. L. S. N, Superintendent of Naval observ-
The Secretary Of the Navy, ,,,,
Moved by this letter from its superintendent and
by the criticisms OF the Naval Observatory, not only
from scientific but from lay circles from every one
indeed. who knows the history and is interested in
the progress of the observatory, the Secretary Of
the Navy appointed commission, known officially
the Board OF Visitors TO the United States Naval
Observatory to investigate its affairs and advise as
TO it's future government. The report of this COM
mittee says;
Owing TO the lack Of printed material representing
o vs T0TK or ends e mposb to
form satisfactory opinion upon the character and
az inadmissible amount OF time and labor The last
$50 and the results of snbsennent work so far as
they available at all, only to be found In
ag 6 hs Board Of 3es
present time can only express general opinions with
Observatory It appears indisputable, as already
moR n 1G work or at e RaTa OBJ
servatory does not furnish results all comparable
with those obtained by a similar expenditure in
other American observatories This excessive cost
NAV be in mart due TO the high scale of salaries paid
to minor officers in the Government service but in
part at least 1t appears to be due to the defective
example: single meridian instrument absorbs by
Is Inc larger part OF me ion I sian o. the
assign given observer this instrument for only
serving work at all other times. Since the aver
age one-half Of the nights are cloudy this system
per month for observations and the rest of his
This appears to the Board of Visitors to be the re-
verse of economical in its expenditure Of the
1t also appears from the statements submitted to
the Board by members of the staff of the Naval
Observatory that in some instances at least there
have been great delay and procrastination in the
In the history of observatories we have been un
Without SG na ope aaS 9f IN nmeafe s
peryision Of the work and We believe that the
of an astronomical observatory most nearly
realized when professional astronomer is made
TEN. which is adopted in every great National OBJ
serFatory the Board of Visitors believes to be the
of the Naval Observatory.
the administration of the Naval Observatory not
limited to the present time. but covering almost
the entire period Of its existence is that its astro-
nomical work has not been prosecuted with that
shown in National observefoTy. The poesbility
OF conducting well planned researches with un-
constitute the great advantage Of a National OBJ
n fse gs an @ wheh Is not fully realized
each principal astronomer seems to have been left
from time to time or abandon it T 10 p SsTfr IS
Inevitable in a system which places at the head
expert in astronomical work; and therefore in or
wei chosen and co-ordinated wth that ~ ~ oIe
observatories. and also to obtain the observa-
which shall be both disinterested and responsible,
Board OF Control
tendent is that owing to the presidents governing
the detail Of officers which necessitate change
IN Its head every three years there has been
helther a wei defined plan continuity n the
work OF the observatory. In the ffty-fve years Of
Its life the observatory has had TWENTY-FIVE s1Iner
ntendents, an average of barely two and one-baIf
years; IN the last thirty-three years not count
ing al interim appointments, there have been ten
superlntenoents. 1t is impossible that even the
most eminent astronomers could have adon+ed ona
carried out well defined system of tion
under such circumstances The policy of the greo+
opserVaores in this regard is best illustrated nv,
inc citation OF a few examples from the report:
bs me greenwich Observatory, established in 1913
@u elsnt directors in two hundred and TWEEN.
ySdrs the average term being twenty-eieht
3 esa The Harvard Observatory Established in
average term being fifteen years, OF ibese t GIe
1 nas nine Of the directors have died in
none OF them have resigned to accent nostio ,1G
s9iseWhere The present superintendent of the Per-
famous Pulkova Observatory, founded practically
fhe observatory at Washington wv q"
But objection to a naval superintendent IS NOT
only that his work may be interrupted by orders
to go TO sea; he is. except in rare cases unable
ihrough lack or training, to add anything what
ever to the value OF the observatory as an asfro
nomical institution or to forward the naval ,ntar
ests there intrusted The criticisms on this ground
al the time of the removal from the old to the
costly new observatory became so severe that
the Superintendent himself advised the creation
OF an astronomical director, whose shoulders
was placed the responsibility for the astronomical
work This Ineffective however for wbiIe
the director is charged with the entire scope and
character Of the work Of the observatory. he is
subordinate TO the Naval Superintendent. who has
entire charge OF the appropriation and the detail
OF the scientific personnel.
CORPS OF CIVILIANS SUGGESTED.
Although evidently convinced Of the harmful
ness and useiessness Of a military director who
L.