The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-04-19
ASTRONOMICAL "TRUST'IS
 PROPOSED BY PICKERING

Cambridge, Mass. April 18.-what million dollars would do for the science trust might be formed among the worlds leading astronomers; how a board of ad- visers, consisting in part of the directors of the principal observatories of the United States and in part of older as- tronomers retired from active work could apportion the income from such a sum of money in such manner that the best possible astronomical use would be made of it-sueh in essence is an astronomers thoroughly practical dream described in a special report just issued by Professor Edward c. Pickering, director of the Harvard Astronomical observatory on the subject of the Endowment of Astro- nomical Research" And 1t is dream that considering the endowment of the observatory in his charge has been increased from $176,OOO to $909,0O0 in the past quarter of cen- tury, may seem to stand a fair chance of being realized.
 At any rate, Professor Pickering who has already had good opportunities to see lilt DeHtIilS QeTlNeu lIOin ulSDufSenenIS of even small sums of money which have enabled different observatories to carry on special investigations,-iss so fully con- vinced that the proposition of ineorpor- ating, as 1t were an astronomical trust with capitalization of one million, or even two million dollars, is feasible that he has had no hesitancy in outlining and publishing it with considerable fullness. of detail. Such a scientific organization would have all the advantages, he be- lieves, of the commercial or industrial trust, and none of its objectionable feat ures No one" he says "could object to a trust in wheat, for example, if it's only object were to increase the quality and especially the quantity of the crop and to furnish 1t at the lowest possible rates while all the time aiding those who are not members of the trust in every possi- ble way. It is universally ad- mitted that in the industrial arts there is great advantage in cooperation and in carrying on work on large scale The same remarks apply to scientific investi- gation, with the aided advantage that the supply and demand are indefinitely great, so that the market can never be glutted."
 The general plan urged by Professor Pickering is as follows: He would have central board of advisers, composed of leading astronomers of the United States who would meet at least once a year and probably at first oftener-to deter mine the apportionment of the income of the astronomical trust fund-an income, by the way that should amount to at least $50000 annually to accomplish the work that is from the astronomers point of view, of pressing importance. This board would be able to place various tasks of observation and calculation just where they could be best be performed. Every danger of duplication of work would thus be eliminated. This is, in- deed, msot serious consideration in as- tronomy, for hitherto a most dishearten- ing sort of waste of time, money and en- ergy has been noted among astronomical observatories throughout the world For example, fifty observatories set out to ob- serve the planet Eros during it's opposi- ton in 1900. but so far as is known only two or three have made the reductions necessary to render their observations of any value.
 Not only would the special endowment of this new institution have to be man. aged by the board, but a close connection with all astronomical research funds would need to be established as fast as possible in order that the incomes from these, too, should be applied in the most
 
 able to secure maximum of centraliza- tion of astronomical interests in the hands of the one board. Membership in the organization, however, would certain ly have no effect upon the amount of the appropriation offered to any given obser- vatory; all that would be necessary would be evidence of capacity to do the required work.
 There is no science more distinctly pop- ular none that appeals more distinctly to the imagination, than the study of the starry heavens. Consequently money is given freely by individuals to this institu- tion and that The expenses of conduct ing the worlds leading observatories seem considerable, even in these days of large figures The annual incomes of the five richest observatories are as follows: Naval observatory, Washington SS5. GOO; Paris, s53,000; Harvard 5O0O0; Green- wich. $49,000; Pulkowa, $500 The re- sources of the Harvard observatory, az. gregating more than s90O,0Oo, represent about one-fifteenth of the total resources of the university The whole amount ex- pended annually upon astronomical re- search Is said to be not less than halt million dollars, representing the inter- est at per cent upon $10,000 GOO. An add- ton to this capital of one million dollars,