JOURNAL 



OF THE 



WASHINGTON ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



Vol. io FEBRUARY 19, 1920 No. 4 



GEOLOGY. — The functions and ideals of a national geological 

 survey.''- F. L. Ransome, Geological Survey. 



INTRODUCTION 



During the period of unrest and uncertainty through which 

 we are still painfully groping, the many distracting calls upon 

 my time and thoughts have made performance of the duty to 

 prepare a presidential address particularly difficult. In view of 

 these circumstances I may perhaps hope for some indulgence 

 on your part if my effort shows some lack of thoroughness in its 

 preparation and falls somewhat short of the high standard 

 set by some of my distinguished predecessors. The subject of a 

 presidential address to the Academy should, I think, be of wider 

 interest and more general character than would ordinarily 

 be an account of work in the speaker's particular branch of 

 science, and this condition I have attempted to fulfill. Although 

 what follows will deal especially with national geological surveys 

 much of it will apply in principle to any scientific bureau con- 

 ducted as a government organization. 



REASONS FOR THE EXISTENCE OF A NATIONAI. GEOI.OGICAI, SURVEY 



In the beginning it may be well to review briefly the reasons 

 for the existence of a national geological survey. Why should 

 the government undertake work in geology while investigations 

 in other sciences are in general left to private initiation and enter- 



1 Address of the retiring president of the Academy delivered January 13, 

 1920. 



85 



