Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-11
ASTO SMITHSON'S FUND
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT DOES
IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.
Question Raised Whether the English
Trust Is Being Administered as
It's Founder Designed.

Some attention has been attracted by
discussion anent the Smithsonian Institu-
ton that has been raised by contributors to
Science. a weighty publication of the ten
dency Its name indicates and which Is read
by some members of the Association for the
Advancement of Science, whose official or
gan the periodical is.
Somebody must have read the series of
contributions referred. to. for they were
copied into the Literary Digest and thence
gained more or less currency. The origin
of the whole discussion which is to
whether or not the Smithsonian Is fulfilling
its destiny. was originated by Mr. Fairchild,-
himself an honorary officer of the institu-
ton, but who Is also one of the scientists
Of the Department of Agriculture. Mr..
Fairchild some time ago wrote article
for Science raising the question of whether
or not any improvement could be made In
the administration of the Smithsonian In
stituton and one Of the most interesting
replies he received was from Gustavus d.
Hinrichs of st. Louis. who Is scientist
and teacher of something more than local
reputation.
Mr. Hinrichs claims that while the orig
inal Smithsonian fund was donated for the
diffusion of knowledge" the United States
has taken advantage of the fund to make it
the directing force of much of the scientific
work of the government. He claims that
the work of the National Museum. the Ma
tional Geological Park. the astro-physical
observatory and a number of other enter
prises are all being conducted under the di
rection of the Smithsonian and by a single
officer, the secretary of the institution. paid
out of the Smithson fund. Mr.. Hinrichs
claims that this is diversion Of the orig
inal Smithson money and that the energies
of the secretary disspated in the multi
tude of his duties and that he is unable to
give proper attention to the real work of
the institution founded by Smthson.
What officials Think.
The article of Mr.. Hnrchs shown to
several officers of the Smithsonian. but they
declined to be quoted on it, claiming that
it was a matter to be considered by the re-
gents if by any 1t was gathered in
general way. however. that the officials of
the Smithsonian not much disturbed,
and it was claimed by some of them that if
Smithson We're alive today he would be the
first to be astonished and gratfied at the
way his original bequest had grown and the
wide range and Importance of the energies
that the original fund was now directing.
1t was pointed out that the national govern
ment wants its museum, Its zoo, and wants
the results that are being obtained from the
astro- physical observatory, the art collec
tions and the valuable scientific publications
that are being collected through the agency
of the international exchange
1t is true that all of these agencies are
under the direction of the head of the
| Smithsonian. but the government yearly APP
| propriates hundreds of thousands of dollars
| to carry on the parallel lines of work and
| the appropriations have really grown Of re-
| cent years to the point where they make
| the income from the original Smithson be-
quest look almost like small change. The
! secretary of the Smithsonian does have the
! general direction of many lines of scien-
| tifc work that may or may not belong
| strictly to the business of ''diffusing knowl-
! edge among men," Most estimates of them
would include them in that general desig-
rDD tinr unt onr,tn rp niot
| very able specialists at he head of each
| of these several branches of work and re-
| search and the secretary of the institution,
| granting that he is man of generous and
| general scientific attachments, has not more
| than the general oversight and direction of
! these forces, just as the secretary of any
| federal department has the control of many
| lines of work in which he does not profess
| to be specialist. At the same time the
secretary of the Smithsonian, while paid
| from tie funds of the institution. not only
| does not rob the grave of Smithson as
! Mr.. Hinrichs puts It, but receives from the
| government much financial help in carry
| ing on lines of work that would be mpOssi
bic for the institution If it were not so
| aided.
Smithson's Bequest Followed.
| Another point made in the matter was
that whatever might be the views of indi-
| yiduals as to whether the wishes of Smith
son were being carried out. the present plan
on which the Smithsonian was being run
| was the result of about ten years consid-
| GRAFTON the part of Congress. aided by
| some of the best and foremost men whose
| advice available when the decision was
! reached. The bequest was made available
| in 1885 and it 1916 before the work of
the institution was outlined and the machin-
| cry set in motion. There were many discus
| sions in the Intervening period to how
1 the work should be conducted and Congress
| finally passed the laws under which the
| Smithsonian is being The plan was
the result of contributions by the best
| minds of the day. and. while the incident Is
| not essential. il may be remarked that the
| English house of lords after hearing the
| details of the plan by which the work was
| carried on expressed itself more than
| satisfied with the use that was being made
| of the Englishman Smithson's fund.