o. f; 



EEPOPvT OF XATIOX^VL ilUSEUM, 1020. 185 



to depict the industrial processes of mining, milling, and manufac- 

 ture : some show only the material stages from the native occurrence 

 to the finished product ; scarcely any may be said to deal adequately 

 Avith the economic aspects, the most difficult and at the same time 

 the paramount issue in the undertaking. For coal, glass, lead, 

 natural gas, asphalt, the cements-lime-plaster group, and for sev- 

 eral of the minor minerals what is chiefly needed is a thorough- 

 going attention to the work of arrangement and labelling. All 

 the others still have gaps in what is materially available; but even 

 these would be greatly enhanced as to worth by a like attention 

 to the latent possibilities afforded in what is at hand. 



As matters stand at this writing less than half of the mineral 

 resource field has been covered. Additional exhibits are needed and 

 those already assembled need amplifj^ing. To make up these defi- 

 ciencies, however, the Museum must look to cultivating the indus- 

 trial interests inA'olved rather than to its own resources; for only in 

 this Avay can it hope to meet tlie tests or keep the instructiA'e Avorth 

 of the Avork aliAC to the issues of the day. From past experience 

 industrial cooperation may be counted on. but the Museum must 

 take the initiatiAc and at the same time be prepared to produce 

 results. This need for Avidening the scope of the exhibits calls for 

 sA'stematic attention especially in connection Avith the metals, where, 

 Avith the exception of lead, the representation is Avoefully inadequate. 

 Of paramount importance. hoAvcAcr, is the need for SA'stematically 

 arranging, labelling, and otherAvise bringing out the full potentiality 

 afforded in Avhat is already on display. As already stated, the focus 

 of attention earlier in the division's development Avas to give scope 

 to its offering even at the cost of thoroughness. While the results 

 are still far short of covering the Avhole field, their range has come 

 to be such that the Museum can Avell afford to turn its energies more 

 toward perfecting Avhat has been assembled. This is the Museum's 

 responsibility to its industrial cooperators no less than to the pul)lic, 

 and if it is to go on profiting from industrial cooperation it must 

 render a faA'orable accounting for Avhat it has alread}^ receiA-ed. The 

 first essential is, of course, to reconstitute the diA'ision on an active 

 Avorking basis, and the AA-ork primarily in hand is that of rounding 

 out tlie division's tAventy exhibits and proA'iding for their effective 

 display. 



