494 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



vey. Similar cases occurred in Colorado and the southern Ap- 

 palachians, It is evident that if the topographic work had been 

 in charge of another bureau such quick adjustment could not 

 have been made, and the economic geologic work would have 

 been delayed a year or more. Prompt publication of economic 

 work must be made, as its value as an aid to development de- 

 creases with every year and almost every month of delay. Thus 

 it is that co-ordination with any other bureau in mensuration 

 survey becomes impracticable, unless the Geological Survey con- 

 trols it. The work must be carried forward in accordance with 

 the needs of the bureau. 



To promote its own work and to avoid duplication the Geo- 

 logical Survey uses the points established by the Coast and Geo- 

 detic Survey, the Lake Survey, and the Mississippi River Commis- 

 sion whenever they are available. It also furnishes data to the 

 several bureaus and departments of the Government as they are 

 requested from time to time. 



The attitude of the Federal survey toward State surveys has 

 been in the past to co-operate fully and freely, though commonly 

 in an informal way ; and it has uniformly encouraged the institu- 

 tion of State surveys. It has been disposed to encourage a divi- 

 sion of labor whereby economic problems of a local character 

 would be dealt with chiefly by the State survey, while the more 

 general and usually interstate problems, which State surveys 

 have difficulty in dealing with, would receive the special atten- 

 tion of the Federal survey; the latter, including triangulation, 

 topography, paleontology, and special researches, requiring time, 

 labor, and specialists. The Federal survey discusses the relations 

 of the various mineral resources, such as iron, copper, phosphates, 

 etc., to particular geologic formations; then the State surveys 

 come in with their independent organizations and fix the values, 

 methods of development, and other questions relating to the local 

 geology and mineral resources. Partial co-operation between the 

 Federal survey and several State surveys has been thus effected, 

 the States making use of the results of the national work, and, in 

 return, furnishing the Federal survey with data resulting from 

 their more restricted and detailed economic work. 



Co-operation in topographic mapping has been effected in 

 Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York, under 

 an arrangement by which each State pays one half the cost of the 

 work, scale and other details being agreed upon by a commis- 

 sion, or an officer representing the State, and the director of the 

 Federal survey. It is essential that uniformity of methods and 

 results should obtain throughout the topographic maps, and to 

 secure this the execution of the field work and the drafting and 

 engraving of the maps have been entirely in charge of the Fed- 



