Page:Science vol. 5.djvu/252

 [Vor.. T-. Vo. lit.

��THE JOINT COMMISSION AND THE SIGNAL-SERVICE.

One of the last acta of the lute congreaa was to continue in i>owci' the joiiit commission appointed "to eonsitier the present oi^aniza- tion of llie aignal-service, geological survey, const and geodetic aui'vey, and the hjdrographic office of the navy department, with a view to secnre greater efficiency and economy of the administration of the public service in said bureaus. ' '

Thus far this commission seems to have elicited from the witnesses who have testified before it a considerable diversity of opinions, although each one is |»silive that his own ser- vice is properly conducted and needs no change. Major Powell and the committee of the Na- tional academy of sciences nndoubtedl_v take a broad view of the questions at issne. and defend the abstract and theoretical importance of a union of all scientific work under one head, which may be either a person or a com- mission. The others generally defend special questions ; such as, Is each organization cfH- cient or economical ? Does each co-operate Willi other departments? Is there an immedi- ate need for any change?

Many of the questions and replies imply that there arc some underlying fundamental questions that should be discussed and settled before considering the matter of efficiency and ewnomy. 8ome of these may be suggested, as follows : Shall pure science bo separated from applied science? Shall the reSned opera- lions of the coast- survey, signal-olHc'e, etc., be classed as science, or as economic arts? Shall the civilian scientific element in the eoiintry be intrusted with applied sciences, or shall it only be employed to teach these to militar3' and naval officers ? Shall such officers he taken away from their pro|>er work, thereby spoiling the little nucleus of an army and navy that the government maintains in times of peace? Shall the ten or twenty millions spent annually by government in internal Improvement be dis- bursed by officers skilled in military engineer- ing, or by civilian engineers esjwcially fitted

��for the task!' Shall all executive work l» in the hands of various bureaus, including one of public works, while all scientific questions are referred to a special bureau of science whose members devote their whole time to the gov- ernment service? Will education, science, anil knowledge, and the progress of the people throughout the land, be stimulated more l>y giving scientific work to army officers, or hy ^ving it mostly to civilians? Shall West Point, Annaiwlis, Wiliets Point. Fortress Monroe, Fort Myer. Fort I^avenworth, be- come not merely militarj-, but also scientiSc, schools, with the understanding that the gradu- ates of the civilian scicntitic schools at Chid bridge, Ithaca, New York, New Il.iven, elsewhere, cannot hope to receive much eocouF'' agement in the way of government employment? Shall our government make a decided effort to stimulate the general spread of education ai scientific investigation by tbrowiug its i>atro age into the hands of competitors fram ete rank of life ? Shall not army, navy, and o ians at least stand on an equal footing in ta of peace, and in questions of fitness to condl works of applied science or higher engineeiiqi

A slight examination will certainly sIm that I'ery many of the public works carm on by the executive branch of our federal gO' ei-nment have been assigned, whether by th president or by congress, in a verj- unsystA-; matic manner, to the various departments nxA bureaus at Washington. Sometimes tbisl]-^^^ occurred, to the detriment of the work ; t generally it has been to suit the exigencies < some temporary condition of afi'airs, and frft quently for some |>olitical or personal i-easOD There is need, in fact, of considering t question of re-organization of all the govero ment work.

However, the sijccial and present busiues of the joint commission is to suggest, if pos-. sible, how to infuse a little harmony, efficiency, and economy into some or all of the publla work : an<l most of the witnesses have confine their remarks to this re8tric[«d temporary a»r pect of affairs, leaving it to the commission, by cross-qnestioning, if possible, to draw i

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