96 RANSOME: NATIONAI, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 



interesting to more than a small circle of scientific colleagues. 

 Every effort should be made to enlarge this circle by simple 

 and attractive presentation. In some cases I am inclined to 

 think that a geologist might issue separately or as a part of his 

 complete report, an abstract or resume in which all effort is 

 concentrated on an endeavor to be interesting and clear to as 

 many people as possible. If this were done, I am sure that the 

 writer would be in a position to appraise more truly the value 

 of his complete report and might proceed to rewrite some por- 

 tions of it and to omit others, without loss to science and at a 

 saving in paper and printing. 



RELATIONS WITH UNIVERSITIES 



In connection with the subject of education attention may be 

 called to the fundamental importance of establishing and main- 

 taining close and cordial relationship between a government 

 scientific bureau and the universities. The advantages of such 

 a relationship are so many that it is difficult to enumerate them 

 all but it may be pointed out that any plan of popular education 

 in science will be seriously crippled if the professional teachers 

 whose influence in molding the thoughts and determining the 

 careers of the young men and women of the country is so great, 

 are out of sympathy with the government organization that is 

 attempting to quicken the interest of the people in a particular 

 branch of science. Moreover, it is vital to such an organization 

 that it should attract to its service young men of exceptional 

 ability in science. This it is not likely to do if professors of geology 

 feel that they must conscientiously advise their most promising 

 graduates to avoid government serAace. Doubtless some teachers 

 of geology in the universities fail to realize the necessity for some 

 of the compromises inevitable in a government bureau, or in their 

 impatience at some of the stupidities of bureaucratic procedure 

 are inclined to place the blame for these where it does not belong ; 

 a few may cherish personal grievances. No class of men is 

 without its unreasonable members and neither rectitude nor 

 tact can prevent occasional clashes; but if a national geological 

 survey cannot command the respect and hearty support of most 



