Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-22
viii Be Considered by the Board Of
Visitors.
MEETING CALLED FOR 9Th OF APRIL
Members Favor Civilian Control of
the Institution.
QUESTIONS TO BE ME

Secretary Long has called meeting OF
the board of visitors to the naval observa-
tory in this city on the 9th proximo. The
board consists of Messrs. ST. Clair Nickel
way of the Brooklyn Eagle Prof. William
r. Harper of the University of Chicago,
Prof. Edward c. Pickering of Harvard
University, Prof. Asaph Han, jr.. of Michi-
gan University, Prof. Charles A. Young of
Princeton University and Prof. Ormond
Stone of the University of Virginia. This
board was appointed by the President and
confirmed by the Senate under a provision
of the naval appropriation act, in which IL
was provided that such board should be
composed of four astronomers of high pro-
fessional standing and two eminent citizens
of the United States.
Objects of the Meeting.
One of the objects of the proposed meet
ing is for the examination of the naval
observatory ''as respects the condition of
buildings, instruments and apparatus and
the efficiency with which its scientific work
is prosecuted The board is also required
to prepare and submit to the Secretary Of
the Navy regulations prescribing the scope
of the astronomical and other researches
of the observatory and the duties of its
staff with reference thereto. Although the
statute prescribes that until further legis-
lation the superintendent of the naval OBJ
servatory shall be a line officer of the
navy of rank not below that of captain,
the board Of visitors is expected, in case an
appointing or detail is to be made to the
office of astronomical director, director of
the Nautical Almanac, astronomer or assist
ant astronomer, to recommend suitable
person to fill such office. An appropriation
of 5000 is made to meet the expenses of
the board.
Views of the Members.
The policy of the four astronomers APP
pointed on the board-Profs. Pickering,
Hall, Young and Stone-is already clearly
shown by their communication during the
controversy over the control of the OBJ
servatory. Six questions were at one time
addressed to hundred or more prominent
astronomers to what ought to be done,
and the four astronomers now appointed
were among those who made full answers
to these questions. Professor Young was
most emphatic in favor Of change of or
ganization and for placing the entire d.
rection of the observatory under an as
tronomer. but the other three, although
holding the same view, expressed 1t with
less emphasis Profs. Stone and Young
also favored removing the observatory
from the care of the Navy Department to
some other department, Prof. Young speci-
flying:
II Link it would be better under the In
terror Department, unless we can have
Favor Enforcement From Navy.
They agreed also that the efficiency of
the observatory will be promoted If the
testing of nautical instruments and other
branches of the naval service were removed
from it. Prof. Hall said 1t would be better
for the line officers of the navy to do that
work. Prof Stone said: 1.-The observatory
should be entirely separated from naval
control" Profs Hall and Pickering also
felt that a scientific standard would be bet
ter for the observatory than one based
upon age or length Of service. Prof. Young
said In this connection: Mere seniority is
bad; favoritism is worse"
These views of the members of the new
board show that they strongly favor civil
ian control, with the navy largely, If not
entirely, eliminated. The present law does
not call upon them, however, for any i'm
mediate decision on that question, although
as members of the new board of visitors
their views along the lines stated will
doubtless take form in due time.