The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-11-18
Frederick Haskin's [ etter
NeUsr: too Wise to Learn

Washington, d. c.. Nov. H.
Scientists at the department OF
agriculture have started back to
school for the wintsr. On certain
afternoons when the 4:3o gong
rings, 200 workers. In this deSart-
ment drop test tubes and calcula-
tons and turn their thoughts to
higher education. Glasses taught
BY highly specialized experts In
agricultural science are being held
and the scientist students gather In
appointed laboratories to add new
wisdom to their store.
To undefstand how this may b
how some OF the most competent
OF the country's specialists, out Of
college perhaps 10 or so years, are
interested in going to school-you
must see the government scientsst
as he really is. Too often b has
been pictured ~ learned, round
shouldered. abstracted sort OF
mechanism, that occasionally
climbs down from a. laboratory
stool to describe his work In q gov
eminent bulletin.
A government scientist may have
coFresponded more or less to this
description few decades back.
Nowadays the agricultural scien-
tist looks more like q business
man, college professor, real es-
tate agent; or q statesman. He is
distinctly human, and he may have
sense Of humor. He is just as apt
to remember to have his hair cut
- any other type Of citizen.
You cannot Imagine classroom
filled with ponderous sages with
grotesque, absent-minded man
nerisms. But you can picture a
group Of keen minded men and
women, coming together to learn
about the latest theories In some
branch of their science as ex-
planned by an authority.
This little school Of agricultural
science illustrates an interesting
tendency in governmental policy.
Once, college degree and the
ability to pass the technical civil
service examination we're regarded
As conclusive evidence Of a scien-
lists fitness to hold his govern
ment job for life. In some Of the
departments q scientist was dis
couraged from asking for leave of
absence in order to 60 to a uni
veFsity and increase his knowledge
Of his subject. He was made to
feel that he was paid to do q par
ticular kind of work and if he did
not know everything that he
needed to know In his position,
then he was admitting incompe-
tence and the government had bet
ter have a man in his place who
knew all about the science in
question. In other words, self sat
isfaction was urged upon govern
ment scientists.
Education Never Completed.
Now, in the department Of asfi-
culture they are being encouraged
to leave their work occasionally
and get time OF to improve them
selves. The theory that education
is never completed is being put
into practice.
This school was started only
last year, but 1t has already come
to the notice Of scientists In diff
ferent parts of the country. DR.. E.
D. Ball, assistant secretary of the
department, says that because OF
these classes and also because OF
the higher salary scale now obtain
ing, the department now has Less
trouble in getting the kind Of men
that it needs.
I'VE use 1000 scientists. the
largest scientific force of any de-.
partment Of the federal govern
ment, outside Of the war depart.
ment," says DR.. Ball, But of late
years We have had difficulty in get
ting yor.lg men from the universe.
ties to take the civil service exam
nations. Now, l am getting letters
, from college students asking how
they should shape their courses In
order to enter the department and
have the advantage, of our posi-
graduate classes.
I'VE should have the biggest
scientific men in America to do the