Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1871 [PAGE 318]

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310 terest, I mean those who are actual experimenters^—carrying them on with a view to develop some theory—and who are willing to co-operate in this system of experiments which we intend to carry out. Professor Hilgard—I think the difficulty raised by Dr. Miles, as to our organization becoming too numerous, can be settled upon a practical basis. The American Association for the Advancement of Science —I beg pardon for referring to it—but I think it has a good plan for obviating such a difficulty ; which is by dividing the different subjects into sections and sub-sections; we have had sub-sections whenever it became necessary. Sections A and B are generally found to be quite sufficient, however, for the transaction of business, and I am sure that a good many of us who have had discussions in those sections, instead, of complaining of having too large an audience, have been troubled with the opposite difficulty, that is, too small an audience. The detailing of experiments is a matter in which people will not be very generally interested. The result of the experiments is what they want and not the details. And I think that the section of the Association by which a discussion of this subject is particularly committed, would not be likely to be burdened with too large an audience. Mr. Miles—It seems to me that if wre should carry out the suggestion that has been offered here that we should get the Presidents and officers of our colleges into the business, that they would be glad to throw the load off" from their shoulders. Now if it is supposed that these officers are to follow each squad of men around to see what they are doing, and where they go to, suppose you have your geologists —are they to go around and tend to all this work, for the purpose of promoting the study of geology—for mutual improvement ? Must you call in the Presidents of the colleges, to stand over there and see what they are doing all the while? I h e r e you have other Professors, and the Engineer; are they too to join in this work for the purpose of mutual improvement ? It seems to me that the Presidents of these colleges and these other officers would be glad to be relieved of it. If this experimental organization is made a section ol the otner organization, we shall then need sub-sections, and we will have a very complex arrangement. It would necessitate sub sections for chemistry, mechanics, and experiments in physics, and that soon. It seems to me the wider you make the organization, the more complicated it is going to be. Mr. McAffee—I have frequently seen where an object that has been held in view has been defeated by widening that object out and extending it in too many channels. We used to think that an agricul-