RANSOME: NATIONAL GEOLOGICAL SURVEY IO3 



of mineral statistics is not logically a function of a national 

 geological survey. If, however, such a survey is committed to 

 this task by law, by the lack of any other organization to do the 

 work, or by well-considered reasons of policy, then it is even 

 more certain that the duty should not devolve upon geologists 

 at the expense of their own science, but should be cared for by a 

 special staff. Some cooperation between the statistical staff 

 and the geologic staff may be advisable but the extent of this 

 cooperation should be determined by those fully alive to the 

 necessity of safeguarding geology against encroachments by 

 statistical work. 



WATER RESOURCES 



Studies concerned with the occurrence of underground water 

 are of course as much geological as those concerned with the oc- 

 currence of petroleum. Investigations of surface waters, how- 

 ever, including stream gaging and the study of water-power 

 come within the field of engineering and have so little connection 

 with geology that it is difficult to see any logical ground for their 

 inclusion within the group of activities belonging properly to a 

 geological survey. In an ideal apportionment of fields of en- 

 deavor among the scientific and technical bureaus of a govern- 

 ment, stream gaging and estimation of water-power would scarcely 

 fall to the national geological survey. As it happens, the United 

 States Geological Survey does perform these functions and I am 

 not prepared to say that there is not ample legal and practical 

 justification for this adventitious growth on a geological bureau. 

 There has been little or no tendency to draft geologists into hy- 

 draulic engineering and consequently the principal objection 

 urged against the inclusion of statistical work within the sphere 

 of a geological survey does not here apply. Apparently the only 

 practical disadvantages are the introduction of additional com- 

 plexity into a primarily scientific organization and the conse- 

 quent danger of the partial submergence of principal and pri- 

 mary functions by those of adventitious character. 



It should be pointed out in this connection that certain studies 

 of surface waters, especially those that are concerned with the 



