Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 59.djvu/323

Rh of the Association, make the meetings important and interesting, let the council assume and deserve authority.

While the position of the Association must depend chiefly on natural fitness and development and on the spirit and character of its members, there are certain changes in organization that deserve consideration. We shall suggest some modifications which appear to be either desirable at present or objects to be kept in view.

Affiliated societies should be represented on the council, and all scientific societies, whether national or local, should be affiliated with the Association. The number of representatives allowed from each society should be proportional to the number of members of the society among the fellows of the Association. For example, each institution having ten fellows might be allowed a representative and an additional representative for each additional twenty-five fellows. This plan includes the representation of local academies, universities, government departments, etc., on the council, but might begin with the societies meeting with the Association, in accordance with an amendment to the constitution now pending. It might be well for the council to elect each year three additional members to serve for a term of three years. Those so elected would probably be among the most efficient members of the council. The council would thus be considerably enlarged, but its authority would be greatly increased. It is of course understood that the real work of legislative bodies is done by committees, and the committees of the council should be organized with special care.

The executive officer of the Association is the permanent secretary, and his influence should be very great. He should either be paid a reasonable salary, say $5,000, and devote his whole time to the Association and the organization of science in America, or should be, as our present secretary, a man of unusual executive ability, having under him one or two assistant secretaries who should devote themselves to the work. The secretaries of the sections should be among the most efficient members of the sections, and should be elected for a term of three years and re-eligible.

The meetings should be more thoroughly organized in advance, more authority being vested in the permanent secretary and council. As suggested above, public lectures and discussions on the important advances and current problems of general interest should be arranged. For example, this year there should be reports on the relation of mosquitoes to disease, on the newly established Bureau of Standards, on the conduct of a national observatory, on the natural history and resources of the West Indies and the Philippines, and, in view of the place of meeting, on mining and irrigation.

The time of meeting has always interfered with success. Men of