El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-01-19
THE WORLDS GREATEST
INDEX
Challenging the Scientific Works of the World.

, vided for by governmental apprOpria-
ton. Some OF the nations, among them
our own, are inclined to be penuriOus
when providing for their bureaus. To
kconduct the work properly, the Smith
sOnian authorities estimate that they
should have an appropriation of So
900 a year. Yet congress, readily Civ
ing a $4,000 appropriation to make
Shallow Bottom creek navigable,
makes a wry face when it gives only
$4,000 to the support of the United
States regional bureau. But for vol
unteer work by patriotic scien lists,
America would be unable to make a
creditable showing
The failure of the project through
improper financial support would be
farther reaching than the catalOg it
world are upon it, and if 1T succeeds
other interests may be heartened to
undertake similar catalogs. Historians
are yearning for a world catalog Of
history, literary authorities desire an
international catalog of literature, and
social scientists are eager to possess
a catalog digest of all the uplift lit
,, erature in existence. Failure of the In
ternational Catalog of Scientific Liter
ature would serve TO shrivel the hopes
Of those who would apply its prfnci-
pies elsewhere.
Suggested Long Ago.
While the catalog was established in
London. through English influence and
| the call OF Queen Victoria. il was in
| 1855 that the Smithsonian institution
] first suggested that some such work
| ought to be published. Later the Roy
al society of England took up the
matter. and compiled a catalog of the
| literature on scientific subjects up to
| 1888
The growing volume of current liter
| allure made it impossible for one or
ganization to continue the work, and
/ the Royal society. through the Eng
| lish government, convoked conven-
| ton of photographers to consider the
ACCESSIBILITY Of international cOopera
ton in continuing the project. This
| convention was followed by two 9TH
| ers, held in London in 1898 and 1900,
when the present scheme was thor
! oughly planned and formally launched
| The plan of governing the prepare
/ ton and issuance of the catalog is
| most carefully wrought. The govern
| ing body is the international conven-
| ton, consisting of not more than three
delegates from each body that main
/ tains a regional bureau This conven-
! ton assembled in 1905, and will meet
| again in July Of this year. Hereafter
1 ,
/ 1t possesses complete control over the
] whole work, and its decisions shall
remain in force for 10 years.
An International Council.
There is also an international coun-
| Gil, which consists of one member ap-
pointed by each regional bureau This
body shall have jurisdiction over all
| matters when the international con-
vention is not sitting, though all of its
| rulings shall be in accordance with
| the regulations adopted by the con-
! vention- The international council
meets every three years in London, and
/ at such other times as the chairman,
with five other members eoncurring,
shall direct Its particular duties are
| to look after the central bureau
1t would be desirable TO have a card
/ index in addition 10 the book catalog,
| but no definite steps have been taken
| in that direction. because the reve-
| nues from the sales of the book cata-
log have no more than sufficed to meet
/ the expenses Of the publication. If the
card index can be provided for event
lually, the value of the work VIII be
greatly enhanced. The scientific ac-
tivities of the United States are so
diverse that ii takes some 10000 en-
| tries to cataIog its annual contribu-
/ lions. The principal subscribers to the
! catalog are libraries and scientific or
CARNATIONS, and their number is suffi-
cient to bring the American sales up
to about $4,000 a year.
To Issue Monthly Lists.
1t is the desire of the regional bu-
reau for the United States to enhance
the timeliness of the catalog by hav-
ing monthly check lists issued in
pamphlet form, showing all the Amer
| lean literature on scientific subjects
appearing a month or two before II
will in nowise interfere with the main
work. and will give subscribers the
catalog for the United States as fast
as the classifications are made. Ger
many publishes such a check list, and
it enjoys wide favor. The cost of this
extra work will not be more than $4,000
year. if congress can be induced tC
| appropriate il.
| Tomorrow-The English Elections.