New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-14
Legislative and Scientific Bodies,

The medical profession is not alone In
coming tardily to q realization Of the
danger that lies In giving legislators a
free hand in the administration Of affairs
which men Of technical training, the men
best able to weigh circumstances and fore
see consequences, are apt to approach
cautiously and with circumspection. In
that excellent journal, "Metallurgical and
Chemical Engineering" may be found a
report Of Mr.. F. Austin Lidbury's presi-
Dental address before the last meeting
of the American Electrochemical So
ciety, an address that deserves the atten-
ton not only Of those he appealed to
particularly, but of all who are over
ready to hold politicians entirely respon-
sible for the sins and blunders Of legis-
lative bodies.
Mr.. Lidbury's discussion Of certain per-
nicious governmental activities is espe-
cially remarkable in respect Of his clear
recognition of the responsibility Of the
learned and expert, his singular candor
in pointing out their errors and short
comings. Instead of contenting himself
with the usual outburst of wrath at the
fcllies Of lawmakers, he invites the scien-
tifc and engineering professions to con-
slider soberly whether in dealing with
some recent notorious examples Of legis-
lative and bureaucratic incompetency they
really have done their best to make them
selves heard. And TO begin with he depre-
Gates the notion that direct representation
in legislative bodies is essential. If the
allied professions would worry less about
their status and pay more attention to
making their opinions heard and their
recommendations respected, they would
cease TO be bothered about the undue
proportion of lawyers in legislative
bodies" Lawyer-egislators he holds, are
much less unreasonable than is commonly
supposed. When the technical man failed
them they appealed in turn TO the univer-
sity professor, to the charlatan, to the
agitator, and "they have shown their
power Of discrimination" adds Mr.. Lid
bury shrewdly, "by preferring the profess
sor; they instinctively felt that he knew
more"
Having thus acquitted the politicians
Of portion Of responsibility, he goes on
to explain that if the professor has occa-
sionally led them aStray at is because
his truths are too often colored by his
theoretical idiosyncrasies and not founded
on a pragmatic basis" But he insists
that the technical man has no just cause
for complaint, seeing how idly he has
acquiesccd in these conditions; and by
way Of illustration he points to the APP
parent indifference of the technical bodies
in the matter of water power, as shown
by their tacit approval of legislation re-
stricting the development of natural pos
sibilities at Niagara Falls. "The electro
chemical industry" he observes, us al
ready paying the penalty, in the way of
increasing scarcity of power and rising
prices in the Niagara district, for allow
ing matters TO take their own course"
Continuing, he dwells upon the multi
plication of commissions, officers and bu-
reaus, whose mschievous influence is in
large measure due TO ignorance being
left TO its own resources" Scientific
bodies might do something toward modi-
flying the evil consequences; they might
at least insist 'on accuracy Of statement
in governmental publications and on the
elimination from them Of collections of I'M
Trustworthy and incorrect information"
In the following passage the speaker
seems to glance at last years deplorable
explosion Of radiomania, and still later