SKETCH OF THE ACADEMY.

The American Academy of Political and Social Science was founded at a meeting held in Philadelphia, December 14, 1889. It was the outgrowth of the desire for an organization in which the widespread interest in political, economic and social discussion should find a focus. For it was felt by those who called the meeting that these interests should have an organ which could properly represent this wide group of sciences, and be at the same time an intermediary between scientific thought and practical effort. In many fields, earnest men and women were at work in various reform movements, without co-operation, and, above all, without the sympathy and support of those pursuing allied interests, whether in a practical or a theoretical way.

These considerations were laid before the preliminary meeting held in December, 1889, and led to the foundation of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. At that meeting, the Constitution of the Academy was adopted, officers elected and methods of work outlined. Soon after the foundation of the Academy, a proposition was received from the Philadelphia Social Science Association, looking to a merging of that organization with the newly formed Academy. This proposition was accepted, the members of the Philadelphia Social Science Association becoming members of the Academy, and the publications of the older association passing into its control. A record of the useful and honorable career of the Philadelphia Social Science Association was prepared by Mr. Joseph G. Rosengarten and published in the ANNALS for March, 1891.

With this nucleus for a membership, the Academy started under fair auspices, and the rapid growth which soon followed more than justified the hopes of its founders. With each increase in membership it has been possible to extend the scope and usefulness of the Academy's work. The record of activity since the foundation of the Academy has been one of constant growth and expansion. Through the active co-operation of its members and of scholars throughout the world, it has been able to pursue the aims of its founders with a degree of success

which is cause for congratulation. We stand, however, at the beginning of our work. Deep problems of varied character beset modern society, and the intelligent consideration of them demands an unremitting intellectual labor.

The object of the Academy, as stated in its constitution, is the promotion of the political and social sciences, in the comprehensive sense of those terms. It has sought to stimulate discussion through holding public meetings, and to foster scientific research through its publications. In both of these chief avenues of its activity it has been singularly successful.

The meetings of the Academy have been held at irregular intervals through the winter months in the city of Philadelphia. At the outset several papers were often read at each meeting, but experience has shown that unless the topics of the papers be related, and furnish the basis of a common discussion, this plan has its disadvantages. More recently each meeting has been devoted to a single topic which has been fruitful in stimulating discussion. In presenting a record of the meetings of the Academy, it has been found practicable to record only the principal speakers and the titles of their papers. Such a list shows the wide variety of topics which fall within the Academy's activity and their importance to the welfare of the community. The meetings of the Academy have been as follows:

1. March 21, 1890-Dr. Stuart Wood, "Theories of Wages." Prof. S. N. Patten, "Decay of Local and State Governments in the United States."

2. April 29, 1890.-Prof. F. H. Giddings, "Province of Sociology."

Prof. E. J. James, "A New System of Passenger Fares."

3. November 13, 1890.-Prof. W. P. Holcomb, "Our National Bureau of Education."

Prof. F. N. Thorpe, "Are the State Governments Decaying?"

4. December 12, 1890.-Prof. C. Stuart Patterson, "The Original

Package Decision."

5. January 14, 1891.-Dr. John S. Billings, "Public Health and Municipal Government."

6. February 12, 1891.-Mr. F. W. Holls, "Compulsory Voting.' 7. March 12, 1891.-Mr. F. B. Hawley, "Preliminaries to the

Discussion of Socialism."

8. April 17, 1891.-Mr. E. R. Johnson, "River and Harbor Bills." 9. May 15, 1891.-Mr. E. P. Oberholtzer, "American Forms of the Referendum."

Prof. S. N. Patten, "Economic Basis of Prohibition." 10. November 24, 1891.-Mr. F. P. Prichard, "The Study of Municipal Government."

Mr. Lincoln L. Eyre, "The Relation of National Party to Municipal Government."

Mr. William Draper Lewis, "The Political Organization

of a Modern Municipality."

11. December 15, 1891.-Mr. D. I. Green, "Value as a Quality Instead of a Ratio."

Mr. Charles Richardson, "Party Government."

12. January 26, 1892.-Dr. Charles De Garmo, "Ethical Training in the Public Schools."

13. February 26, 1892.-Mr. R. H. Dana, "The Practical Working of the Australian Voting System in Massachusetts."

Mr. C. C. Binney, "Merits and Defects of the Pennsylvania Ballot Law of 1891."

14. April 5, 1892.-Prof. E. P. Cheyney, "A Third Revolution." Mr. L. K. Stein, "The Relation of the Street Railways to the City of Philadelphia."

15. May 13, 1892.-Mrs. S. L. Oberholtzer, "School Savings Banks."

Mr. H. I. Smith, "Postal Savings Banks."

16. November 30, 1892.-Prof. F. H. Giddings, "The Ethics of Social Progress."

17. January 12, 1893.-Mr. Horace White, "National and State Banks."

Hon. M. D. Harter, "American Banking and the Money Supply of the Future."

Hon. J. H. Walker, "The Banking System Old and New."

18. February 23, 1893.-Dr. Isaac Sharpless, "The Relation of the State to Education in England and America."

19. April 27, 1893.-Prof. L. F. Ward, "The Political Ethics of Herbert Spencer."

20. November 17, 1893.-Prof. R. P. Falkner, "The Monetary Conference of 1892."

21. December 20, 1893.-Dr. L. S. Rowe, "Some Factors of Municipal Efficiency."

22. February 8, 1894.-President J. F. Crowell, "Co-operative

Study of Political Ethics."

23. March 16, 1894.-Mr. E. L. Godkin, "Problems of Municipal

Government."

24. April 20, 1894.-Dr. J. G. Brooks, "The Future Problem of Charity and the Unemployed."

25. May 11, 1894.-Mr. Edward Porritt, "Break-up of the Old System of Two Parties in the House of Commons." 26. October 25, 1894.-Dr. E. R. L. Gould, "The Liquor Problem and Its Scientific Treatment."

27. November 27, 1894.-Prof. S. N. Patten, "Teaching of Political Economy in the Public Schools."

28. January 30, 1895.-F. J. Stimson, Esq., "Uniform State Legislation on Subjects of Extra Territorial Effect." 29. March 7, 1895.-Prof. J. W. Jenks, "Proportional Representation."

30. November 13, 1895.-Prof. L. M. Keasbey, "Nicaragua Canal and the Monroe Doctrine."

31. December 18, 1895.-Dr. S. M. Lindsay, "Social Observation; or, the Modern City as a Laboratory."

32. January 22, 1896.-Prof. George Wharton Pepper, "The Methods of Legal Education."

33. February 27, 1896.-Mr. W. M. F. Round, "The Higher Economics of Penology; or, The Value of Reformatory Effort."

34. March 26, 1896.-Hon. Martin A. Knapp, "Railway Pooling, the Conditions Under Which It Could be Legalized." 35. April 22, 1896.-D. S. Remsen, Esq., "The Fusion of Political Parties, Australian Methods and Results." 36. November 20, 1896.-Prof. Roland P. Falkner, "The Organization of the Census."

37. December 18, 1896.-Prof. Nicholas Murray Butler, "The

Administration of City Schools."

38. February 25, 1897.-Dr. Edward T. Devine, "The Shifting and Floating City Population."

39. March 26, 1897.-Prof. Sidney T. Sherwood, "The Philo. sophic Basis of Economics: A Word to the Sociologists." 40. April 21, 1897.-Prof. Edmund J. James, "Training for Citizenship."

41. April 22, 1897.-Mr. George E. Bartol, "Foreign Commerce and Its Relation to National Prosperity."

Prof. E. R. Johnson, "American Manufactures in Foreign Markets."

Hon. Robert Adams, Jr., "Opening of Foreign Mar

kets to American Goods."

42. April 22, 1897.-Dr. Joseph H. Senner, "The Immigration

Question."

43. April 22, 1897.-Hon. James H. Eckels, "The National

Banking System."

The publications of the Academy have been issued under the title ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, and the Supplements to the ANNALS. In the ANNALS there have appeared a large number of papers submitted to the Academy, which have been read and discussed at its meetings, as well as many read by title only. Thus, the fruitful and stimulating influence of the Academy upon scientific research has been brought to the knowledge of its members. It would be superfluous to name here all the important contributions which have been made to political and social science through the Academy, but a classification of subjects and authors may be a useful means of recording this feature of the Academy's work: BANKING.-Henry Bacon, M. D. Harter, A. B. Hepburn, J. H. Walker, Horace White, H. W. Williams. CONSTITUTIONAL

HISTORY.-G. Arangio Ruiz, E. J. James, J. H. Robinson, R. Saleilles, F. N. Thorpe, W. C. Webster.

CRIME.-R. P. Falkner, C. H. Reeve, C. D. Wright. ECONOMIC THEORY.-E. Boehm-Bawerk, M. Block, J. B.

Clark, W. Cunningham, D. I. Green, A. T. Hadley, J. A. Hobson, J. H. Hollander, A. Loria, D. M. Lowrey, C. W. Macfarlane, S. M. McVane, L. S. Merriam, S. N. Patten, E. A. Ross, G. Schmoller, William Smart, W. G. L. Taylor, C. A. Tuttle, L. Walras, F. v. Weiser, Stuart Wood. EDUCATION.-E. W. Bemis, F. W. Blackmar, C. DeGarmo, S. N. Patten, D. G. Ritchie, Isaac Sharpless. FINANCE.-E. L. Bogart, E. R. Buckley.

INDUSTRIAL PROBLEMS.-W. D. Dabney, S. B. Harding, D. Kinley, E. Levasseur.

INSTITUTIONAL HISTORY.-C. M. Andrews, W. J. Ashley, E. P. Cheyney.

INTERNATIONAL LAW.-A. S. Hershey, E. W. Huffcutt, E. L. Lord.