81 



sundry civil act approved July 7, 1884, to consider present orga- 

 nizations of Signal Service, Geological Survey, Coast and Geodet- 

 ic Survey, and Hydrographic Office of the Navy Department to 

 secure greater efficiency and economy, to submit their report. 

 (Joint resolution No. 1, 23 Stat. 515) 



June 20, 1878: Coast Survey redesignated Coast and Geodetic 

 Survey (20 Stat. 206, 215) 



March 3, 1879: U.S. Geological Survey was established (20 Stat. 394; 

 43 U.S.C. 31) within the Department of the Interior. The broad 

 objectives of USGS are to perform surveys, investigations, and re- 

 search covering topography, geology, and the mineral and water 

 resources of the U.S.: classify land as to mineral character and 

 water and power resources; enforce departmental regulations ap- 

 plicable to oil, gas, and other mining leases, permits, licenses, de- 

 velopment contracts, and gas storage contracts; and publish and 

 desseminate data relative to these activities. 



March 2, 1887: Hatch Act of 1887 further encouraged scientific ag- 

 riculture by providing for agricultural experiment stations in the 

 land-grant colleges. (24 Stat. 440) 



October 1, 1890: Weather Bureau established within the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture. (26 Stat. 653) 



March 2, 1901: Appropriations for the Department of Agriculture 

 for fiscal year 1902 made separate appropriations for the Bureau 

 of Chemistry, Bureau of Plant Industry, and Bureau of Soils, 

 thereby establishing them as separate and independent bureaus. 

 (31 Stat. 922) 



March 3, 1901: National Bureau of Standards established in De- 

 partment of the Treasury, replacing the Office of Construction of 

 Standard Weights and Measures. The new bureau was given full 

 powers over custody, preparation, and testing of standards and 

 responsibilities for "the solution of problems which arise in con- 

 nection with standards * * *." In addition to service to Federal 

 state and municipal governments, the bureau was to provide for 

 a fee standards for nongovernmental units or individuals. 



The legislation was an indication of the renewed willingness and 

 ability of Congress to provide an administrative means of dealing 

 with government science needs. [On February 14, 1903 the bureau 

 became part of the new Department of Commerce and Labor. 

 Public Law 87: 32 Stat. 825] (31 Stat. 1449) 



March 6, 1902: Bureau of the Census was established in the Depart- 

 ment of Interior, giving permanency to an organization for the 

 census in perference to the previous temporary organization set 

 up every ten years and subsequently allowed to lapse. (Public 

 Law 27; 32 Stat. 51) 



July 1, 1902: A bill to increase the efficiency and change the name 

 of the Marine Hospital Service to Public Health and Marine Hos- 

 pital Service was enacted. The law authorized the establishment 

 of specified administrative divisions, and, for the first time, desig- 

 nated a bureau of the Federal Government as an agency in 

 which public health matters could be coordinated. (32 Stat. L. 

 712) 



January 12, 1903: Secretary of the Interior was directed to transfer 

 all census records and volumes to the Census Office. (Public Law 



