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OCR Rendition - approximate
304 Life and Letters of Francis Galton I have no evidence of the final form of Galton's letter to the Principal of the University, but I judge it was at the very least written in the above sense, and I know that during the four remaining years of his life the University certainly troubled me with a minimum of what Galton describes as "red-tape entanglement." It is a sign of his insight into men's characters, that he emphasised what I largely dreaded, but had not insisted upon as a great difficulty to him. 7, WINDSOR TERRACE, THE HOE, PLYMOUTH. Dec. 20, 1906. MY DEAR KARL PEARSON, The enclosed from Sir A. Rocker has just reached me. I am most grateful that you consent to supervise. I can assure you that you need not have the slightest fear that the direction you may give to Eugenic work will disappoint me, for I know that what is done will be thorough and such as could not have been done by other means as effectively as in connection with your laboratory. Please return me Rocker's letter. I send back your newspaper cuttings. It is astonishing to watch the difficulties that intelligent people-of "Child-Study" stamp-have in taking in new ideas. You recollect how it was in Darwin's time.-Poor humanity! I have just been reading a daring book by Dr Rentoul, Race Culture or Race Suicide (Walter Scott Publishing Co.). It is full of shortcomings but very suggestive, and shows how much has been written and done here and in America. There is a massive movement going on out of the public sight. He mentions a fact that may be new to you,. as it was to me, that a certain "Malthusian League" sends pamphlets "Why have any more children?" to the parents mentioned in the Birth Columns of Newspapers. Have you seen any of these? I recollect something of the sort long ago by (?Annie Besant). You shall have the proposed form of the Table (Centiles etc.) in a day or two*. Once again I am most grateful to you. Affectionately yours, FRANCIS GALTON. (12) Scheme for the Francis Galton Eugenics Laboratory. As a result of our interchange of letters in the last three months of 1906, I was able to put on to paper a scheme for the small beginnings of a Eugenics Laboratory-for so the Eugenics Record Office was re-named-which more or less satisfied both of us, and which on February 1st, 1907, was accepted by the University practically without modification. Galton presented an additional £1000 which with the balance of £600 or £700 from his first gift enabled the little Laboratory to run for three years. In 1909 and 1910 Galton made further gifts of £500 for the years 1910 and 1911. Final Form o f Scheme for a Eugenics Laboratory for the University of London. HAMPSTEAD. December 22, 1906. MY DEAR FRANCIS GALTON, I had my last day of College work yesterday, and I have been trying to put into form my thoughts on the Eugenics Laboratory work, as they have been settling down in my mind during the last few weeks, for your suggestion and approval. Let me just explain a number of points first. I want to make the Eugenics Laboratory a centre for information and inquiry. I want to extend the tendency which is growing up for outside social and medical workers to send their observations to the Biometric Laboratory. But to do this I think we ought to try and associate some half dozen men (in the first place, say) with the Laboratory as an advisory committee or as associates. (I mean by this men from whom we can seek advice on points in their own fields of research.) I have not yet consulted the individuals I have in mind. Now as to personnel. I don't think we shall do better than Heron. He is very keen....He is doing some mathematical teaching at present of which he has to give a month's notice of termination. So that if you approve, I would suggest his name at once to South- Kensington. This paper in the form Galton desired with Centiles calculated by Dr W. F. Sheppard was published in Biometrika. See our Vol. II, pp. 401-2.
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