The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-03-27
Frederic Haskin's Letter


young college graduates don't look
at $1,000 these days.
Another bureau apprehensive for
its future is the naval observatory.
Professor Hill, an astronomical
expert from the observatory show
ed the Redistribution commission
a few significant facts at a hearing
the other day.
"The safety Of passengers and
marines on the high seas depends
on the work of the naval observa-
tory" he said. I'VE live away out
there in the woods and prepare for
publication the nautical almanac
by which latitude and longitude
are determined at sea. The nauti-
cal almanac Is also necessary to
astronomers in their everyday
work and is used to determine ac-
curately latitude and longitude of
any position on land.
I'VE also test chronometers for
the navy's men-of-war. We buy
these instruments only on approx
al. We test an instrument six
months in varying temperatures.
and then six months in the ordi-
nary temperature of a room. A
chronometer that is to guide a $10,-
10000 battleship must have the
most accurate tests possible.
I'VE ordinarily employ only col
lege graduates, but the astronomy
that We use is not usually taught
in universities, so when a young
man comes to us we have to train
him. It has been my job for the
past four years to train these men
and see them 60. 1t has been one
continuous going out all the while
The government gives US the finest
instruments in the world to work
with. and that is an inspiration to
! scientist, but it does not hold the
ambitious young man of today"
DR.. Hill told of one man in the
astronomical department who is 81
years old. When asked how long
this man had served the govern.
ment, DR.. Hill said: well, when
he'd been in the service so years
we gave him a watch, and that's
some twenty years back"
This man, highly educated, gets
$500 as translator and clerk. Once
he was chief clerk, but when his
duties became too onerous he asked
for a less exacting position and
obtained it, at lower salary. He
has served the government seventy
odd years and never received 1000
a year.
The attitude Of the truly scien.
tifc mind was amusingly brough,
out when another mathematical
astronomer bewailed the govern.
ment's lack Of scientific material
When a man does come, he
doesn't stay long enough to dc
anything" he explained sadly
"Our problems take from 81,
months to ten years to work out. ;
Ten years." Queried one re.
classifier in establishment.
"Oh. yes" reiterated the scien.
fist. 1T took 10 years to determ.
inc the orbit Of Mars. You see yor
have to take the observations and
reduce them, and by computation
determine the errors in the differ.
ent elements Of the eccentricities
of the elements Of the orbit. Thai
will take some years. We have te
determine those eccentricities with
a good deal Of nicely" he con.
cluded.
When you finish, how do YOU
know you are correct" he was
asked.
That is easy. You wait a few
years. and if Mars is where you
say it should be you are correct ;
For this sort of work, which no,
a dozen other men in the country
could do accurately, q government
mathematical astronomer some.
times gets as much as 81. 400. in.
GLIDING his bonus.
The coast and geodetic survey
Is Worrying especially about it,
Hack Of capable mathemattcians