ods of manipulation employed in a particular branch of industry, generally comparatively simple, should never be separated from the theoretical training of a chemist and if men are to be produced who shall be originators of progress, the technical schools will have to make provision for as complete and efficient instruction in theoretical chemistry as may be had anywhere in the universities.

The highest object of all chemical instruction is to show the way to chemical research. No matter what the ultimate career of the young chemist may be, whether he devote his energy to pure or to applied science, patient research will always be his only way to success. Whether his object be to create a new industry, starting from a new raw material, or whether his task be to improve old processes or to find out the causes of troublesome difficulties, the way to success in all these different tasks is always the same, it consists in a logical application of the old, well-known and time-honored methods of experimental research, either analytic or synthetic.

To be successful in original research a chemist must be fully conversant with all the difficulties of chemical manipulation, and as this consumes vast quantities of time aside from all the time which must be devoted to theoretical instruction, it follows that students are not ready for research at a very early period. In fact the complaint comes more often than otherwise that young chemists are incapable of research, not because they have not been schooled in research, but because they have devoted themselves to research at too early a period of their lives. They are incapable of drawing conclusions from one experiment and making these the basis of the next following one; consequently incapable of research, for research is nothing else than a succession of experiments, each forming the direct consequence of the preceding one.

There is no foundamental difference in the methods of research of pure and applied chemistry. Consequently we can not admit the necessity of a difference of instruction for the two. A well organized instruction in pure science is the best preparation for any young chemist for his future career. Specialism follows as a matter of course in later life. But no matter how deeply any chemist may involve himself in the intricacies of any given subject, he can still gather useful information for his own work from the contemplation of work accomplished in other branches of science. If we want our schools to produce men fit to reap the great harvest before us, then let them produce chemists who enthusiastically embrace their science as a whole, and who are incapable both of separating practice from theory and theory from practice.

Having thus hastily reviewed those parts of the discussion on the most suitable education for a technical chemist in which I think there is the largest amount of agreement among those who are most com

petent to speak authoritatively, I wish only to add that our course in chemistry at The Pennsylvania State College has long been focussing upon just these same points.

1. We aim to indoctrinate the student, as thoroughly as possible, even from the very beginning, with the view that an experiment is a question addressed to nature, and that in so far as we school ourselves to understand her language, and to address the question in exast terms, nature never withholds the reply, never varies a hair's breadth from absolute truthfulness and never misleads. And we aim to adhere to this doctrine as the most fundamental one in the pedagogics of our science.

2. We do not entertain any sympathy with the view that there is an education for a sugar chemist, another for a paper chemist and another still for a soap chemist. We do teach that there is an education for an intelligent chemist, but when this is acquired a man is ready to attack the problems presented by any specific branch of industry whatever in which he may ever find himself, as a result of environment, choice or fate. It is not, indeed, to be wondered at that here in Pennsylvania, parents occasionally send their sons to college with the thought that they may become iron and steel chemists, and we must respect this demand when it arises. But it is our most earnest conviction and steadfast belief that we do the young man the greatest service if we hold him down to the search for truth in nature along the lines of pure science, rather than permit him to grapple, unprepared, with problems which he cannot hope to solve, in a field where he can at best only execute the manipulation of methods arbitrarily prepared for him by others.

3. We do not mean to exaggerate the importance of any one branch, and we make it a matter of fundamental importance to see to it at all times that our students receive well-balanced instruction, that the right proportion of attention shall be paid to general chemistry and to analysis, to organic and inorganic, to theory and to industry. We must teach the chemistry of petroleum, of coal, of glass and of iron, but we give the same relative weight to the chemistry of soap, of sugar, of explosives and of the textile industries.

4. We do not hurry our students into research. The actual working time within the four short years of a college course, with its long vacations and numerous interruptions, is at best exceedingly short. It does not suffice for enough practice in familiarizing ourselves with the results of others, and certainly not for attempting original work of our own. The happy mean is approximately reached if we can pave the way to research without really engaging in it. Hence, it is rarely that we have carried on any piece of work in our laboratory which could be properly called research. There are occasional exceptions on the part of our most advanced students, but they are not

numerous and we do not intend that they shall become so. In obedience to the time-honored custom of the College, our students prepare commencement theses and these are usually very creditable pieces of

work. But even in these the Department aims to lead the student again over old paths rather than to strike out prematurely into the unknown. The method is directed so that it shall be essentially the method of true research, but our real aim is a valuable practice which is generally a preliminary to research rather than research itself.

We are thus designing, Mr. President, to keep our. work in this Department very closely within the lines laid down by the foremost teachers and technicists of our times. What we are suffering from is that our manufacturers are so unwilling to co-operate with the colleges. They often want a mere "tester" at suitable remuneration for an office boy, and, of course, they get what they demand. They use him just so long as they see a daily profit in it and then they let him go. They do not at present see, as they ought to see, and as in good time they surely will see, the importance of the highest scientific training as applied to their industries.

It was my privilege a few years ago to visit a great chemical factory on the Rhine where over a hundred scientific chemists, highly trained, many of them having devoted years to the prosecution of original research, were employed for the purpose of obtaining new results. The salaries paid were liberal. I was told, I have every reason to believe on good authority, that one gentleman receiving five thousand dollars per year, a man of considerable distinction, continued working there for several years without obtaining any result of commercial value to his employers. After a while, however, he made a discovery which not only repaid them ten times over, but placed them in the possession of a new branch of manufacture. We know nothing of this. sort in our country and there is surely a lesson here on the application of science to industry and whenever our manufacturers will appreciate the value of such work, we shall find it an easier task to prepare young chemists for a useful career.

Yet that the opportunities for the young industrial chemist are constantly improving in this country I do most firmly believe.

Routine matters calling for report at this time are not numerous. We have carried on the work of the year without interruption of any sort. Six seniors expect to graduate in chemistry this year. They are industrious, earnest, well-trained men and constitute a better equipped division than the department has before sent out. Our force of instruction remains unchanged, save that the assistant, Mr. W. P. Smiley was released on the first of February last to assume the duties of a more attractive position elsewhere, but his place was immediately taken and ably filled by Mr. F. T. Beers, of the class of 1898. I feel that we are prosecuting our work short-handed and that the restora

tion of the assistantship which we cut off two years ago is next to an urgent necessity. But I do not propose to urge Department wants or needs here further than to call attention, most respectfully, to my presentation of this and other needs in my Department, as set forth in my financial report handed in a few days since.

With keen appreciation of the cordial endorsement which my efforts have never failed to receive from yourself, from the Board of Trustees and from my colleagues on the Faculty, allow me, sir, respectfully to submit this report.

State College, Pa., June 1, 1899.

G. G. POND, Professor of Chemistry.

VI. ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING.

To the President:

Sir: I herewith submit my report on the Department of Electrical Engineering for the College year 1898-1899.

A rather greater improvement in the character and thoroughness of the work, than usual, is to be observed in the operation of the Department during the closing year. This is partially due to the large number of exceptionally strong men pursuing electrical engineering in the higher classes, and partially to the improved facilities at hand for carrying on the work.

Instruction Force.

As you know, the Department has been carried on for the past year with an instruction corps of two men. You will also remember that the third man was dropped from the standpoint of Department economy with the hope that the money thus saved could be more usefully employed in the purchase of new apparatus and equipment. It was understood that such reduction in the teaching force should not be permanent and that it could only be of practical advantage at this time when there is very great need of certain apparatus which could be purchased by the funds thus saved. I believe, for the sake of good work, that a third man is imperatively needed for the work to be done during the next College year. The man is especially needed to assist in the laboratory, but should at the same time be sufficiently well trained as a mechanician to be able to construct apparatus and make laboratory fittings. Instead of engaging one man, it might prove more desirable to employ two of our recent graduates at the same total compensation, with the understanding that they use part of their time for advanced study.

Last summer, with your approval, Mr. Frank Thompson was appointed instructor in Electrical Engineering, to succeed Mr. Budd Frankinfield, resigned. Mr. Thompson is a man of excellent training. He was graduated with honor at Princeton University, receiving the degree bachelor of arts. He was then appointed fellow in science for one year, at the end of which time the degree master of arts was conferred upon him. After this he took the two years' post graduate course given at the same institution, receiving the degree electrical engineer. He also taught at Union College for one year, as instructor in physics, but doing a large portion of the work in electrical engineering. In addition to Mr. Thompson's scolastic training, he has had a valuable practical experience in many lines of electrical