THE RELATION OF THE UNITED STATES 

 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY TO THE PUBLIC* 



By GEORGE OTIS SMITH, Director U, S, Geological Survey 



TO SERVE the people is the pur- the public benefit, but are so varied as 



pose of every Government depart- to deserve a simple classification for 



ment and bureau. As a part of purposes of description. The explora- 



the public service the Geological Sur- tion work of the Survey includes the 



vey has functions prescribed by law. In discovery and mapping of the previ- 



the organic act establishing this bureau ously unknown ; the investigations by 



twenty-nine years ago it is specified that the Survey have as their purpose the 



the Director of the Geological Survey determination of the value of all the 



shall be charged with the classification new data collected by the fieldmen ; and 



of the public lands and the examination the publication side of the work in- 



of the geologic structure, mineral re- volves the making known to the world 



sources and products of the national do- the results of these explorations and 



main. Thus did Congress express its investigations. 



recognition of the practical relationship As I speak of the explorations of the 



existing between geology and the min- Survey, I must mention first the twenty- 



eral industry as well as its appreciation five to thirty thousand square miles 



of the fact that these mineral resources of territory that is mapped each year 



constitute the Nation's material wealth, by the Survey topographers. Explora- 



The Survey thus became a pioneer tion is the correct term, for our topo- 



agency in the development of the coun- graphic surveys bring out new discov- 



try. Its name expresses the scope and eries even in portions of the United 



character of its work as national scien- States long settled. For example, the 



tific, and practical. "Survey"' stands highest points in such old states as 



for work in the field, and this branch Ohio and Pennsylvania have been de- 



of the public service is an organization termined only recently in the course of 



for practical investigation in which the the field surveys of these areas by our 



methods of pure science are made to topographers. 



serve utilitarian ends so as to insure The detailed maps that are being thus 



the attainment of the economic results made of the country already number 



desired by the public. To be successful i,8oo sheets, which together cover one- 



a Government scientific bureau must third of the area of the United States, 



be practical. These maps constitute the "mother 



The extent of the operations of the map" of the country in that they are 



Survey depends upon the size of the based upon actual surveys, so that the 



annual appropriations in its behalf, other maps with which the public is 



Congress has gradually increased these familiar, whether published in geog- 



from $100,000 to more than one and a raphy, atlas, or as a folded state or 



half million, so that the Geological Sur- county map, are to a large extent based 



vey has from year to year become bet- upon the United States Geological Sur- 



ter equipped to occupy the large field vey maps. 



of public service to which it was given These topographic maps are utilized 



a title in 1879. "^^ *^"^y ^^ *^^ map-makers who sell 



Its activities are all directed toward their publications, but by the Govern- 



♦Address delivered before the Maine State Board of Trade, September 22, 1908. 

 652 



