ARTHUR URBANEK,                   HERBERT W. CORNELL.
PRESIDENT                     CHIEF EXAMINER AND SECRETARY
WILLIAM E. BROWN,                OVID B BLIX.
VICEPRESDENTASSISTANT SECRETARY
VICE-PRESIDENT
JOSEPH H. MALLOY,
OTTO F. HOPPE,                        EXAMINER OF LABOR
ANTOINETTE V. JACKOWSKA-PETERSON,  GEORGE H.ERBACH
SUPERVISOR OF UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION
GEORGE MENSING.                   DR ROBERT C BUELOW.
COMMISSIONERS                 MEDICAL EXAMINER
SEVENTH FLOOR. CITY HALL
MILWAUKEE, WIS.
January , BC6.
Dr.                                             RTdo Leopold,
Soils Building,
University of                        Gammiston
MUadison, Wis.
Dear Dr. Leopold:
On account of your intimate knowledge of the
development near Hales Corners I am addressing you in regard to
two scientific features which a group here in Milwaukee would
like to see included in the new Federal Housing Project.
You will remember that when you addressed the
County Federation of Women's Clubs you were shown the memorial
trees and other features being established in Whitnall Park. A
mile or two east of this point it is proposed to have an astro-
nomical observatory and a wild life refuge established as a part
of the so-called "Tugwelltown" project. The area includes some
land not suitable for houses or gardens and there is particularly
a stream and lake area very suitable for a wild life project.
Dr. S. A. Barrett, Director of the Milwaukee Public Museum, has
gone over the ground carefully and strongly recommends such an
establishment as being entirely practicable as well as desirable.
Dr. Barrett also recommends the establishment of an astronomical
observatory which would be administered as a branch of the Mil-
waukee Public Museum for the purpose of adult education benefiting
the entire community.
The scientific societies in this city very heartily
approve this plan. As far as the astronomical observatory is con-
cerned the M ilwaukee Astronomical Society, of which I am a member,
will very gladly furnish volunteer lecturers and demonstrators who
will make the observatory of maximum public usefulness. Control,
program planing and discipline would be under the direction of the
Public Museum so as to give management by an established scientific
institution and so as to guarantee the kind of results we are look-
ing for. The success of the Museum is a sufficient assurance of the
success of this branch.  While on this subject I may add that
since the establishment of the Milwaukee Astronomical Society three
years ago there has been a tremendous increase in popular interest
in this subject. Many public lectures have been given at the Museum
and elsewhere attracting large crowds of people. The circulation at
the Milwaukee Public Library of books on astronomy has increased
more than eight-fold. The Society itself has had a rapid growth