The address of President Gilman before the Yale alumni at New York, on the "Idea of the American College," contains many valuable suggestions. President Gilman said: "The American college is an admirable place for the training of men. There are now three important factors at work in our colleges - increase of wealth, growth of modern sciences and the progress of religious freedom." This growth of modern science is shown, for instance, at Harvard by the fact that the needs of the department of Physics have increased so much as to be the cause of the erection of a new Physical Laboratory.

President Gilman complains of the small salaries offered to professors. "The professor today has little to look forward to when he becomes too old to lecture or when he is ill. It is suicidal for our institutions to take second-rate men when first-rate men can be obtained." It is one of the weaknesses of our colleges that they are unable to offer greater inducements to able men to take positions as professors. A man of ability who gives up his business or profession for a professor's chair is often called upon to make a great sacrifice, which is more than should be expected of him. The meagerness of the average professor's salary often compels some of our ablest instructors to give their best talents to writing elementary text-books, and leaves no time or opportunity for scientific research and inquiry. The results of this are seen at every American college. The time which should be occupied by our old and able professors in individual research and higher instruction is often almost entirely taken up by elementary instruction, such as could be given as well by younger men.

One of the common complaints against Harvard's system of instruction is that the freshmen do not meet the professors but are generally taught by tutors and instructors. This very fact is a sign that Harvard is endeavoring to utilize the best talents where they do most good. The instructors are perfectly able to perform the duties assigned to them and spare the professors for higher work.