REPORT OF NATIOiSTAL MUSEUM, 1919. 125 



Dr. Joseph E. Pogue, associate curator, was furloiighed to the 

 Fuel Administration on October 1 to assist in formulating a con- 

 servation program with reference to the petroleum resources, and 

 since his return to the division staff in April has continued re- 

 searches on the same subject. Mr. Carl W. Mitman, who was earlier 

 on the division's staff and severed his connection in June, 1917, re- 

 turned to the Museum early in the year and has been devoting his 

 time to furthering the work on the metals, notably lead and gold. 

 Mr. Joseph A. Doj^le, of Xew York, though not regularly asso- 

 ciated on the Museum's staff, contributed so largely of his services 

 that his share in the year's activities deserves special mention in this 

 connection. Much of the credit for what the division has been able to 

 accomplish in its work on the energy resources belongs to Mr. Doyle. 

 Likewise to Mr. Samuel S. Wyer, of Columbus, Ohio, belongs the 

 credit for a large share of the results achieved for natural gas. 



In conclusion, the work of the division during the past year of 

 national emergency has been largely investigative with reference to 

 special problems, notably the energy resources and the nitrogen 

 situation. To a great extent the results have been contributed in 

 the form of reports for governmental use and are not yet generally 

 available at this writing. Completed researches have, however, re- 

 sulted in the publication of three papers prepared jointly by the 

 two curators, Mr. Chester G. Gilbert and Dr. Joseph E. Pogue, 

 three papers by Doctor Pogue, a paper by Doctor Pogue assisted 

 by Mr. Isador Lubin, and a paper by Mr. Samuel S. Wyer. 



In " Power : Its significance and needs," Mr. Gilbert and Doctor 

 Pogue develop the general nature of the power situation in this 

 country, where tremendous emphasis is placed on the use of power 

 resulting in a growing burden on transportation and suggest the 

 character of remedial action demanded. 



Another paper by the same authors, " Petroleum : A resource 

 interpretation," is particularly timely, since of all our important 

 resources petroleum is the most limited and involves the highest 

 percentage of waste, scarcely one-tenth of the value of the resource 

 being recovered under present circumstances, while the unmined 

 supply available under current practice is only about 50 barrels 

 to each person. This is an economic study of the resource and the 

 industry engaged in its development, tracing the causes of waste to 

 certain maladjustments in the economic situation and pointing out 

 how these may be remedied by a constructive economic policy. The 

 desirability of developing shale oil to replace petroleum and the 

 advisability of using benzol and alcohol as substitutes for gasolixie 

 are considered, and the natural-gas industry is also treated. 



The third paper by the two curators, " The energy resources of 

 the United States: A field for reconstruction," mentioned elsewhere 



