SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS 



THE FEDERAL BOARD OF SURVEYS AND MAPS 



Acting on the report of the map-making conference which was held 

 in September, 1919/ the President of the United States issued an 

 Executive order on December 30, 19 19, creating a "Board of Surveys 

 and Maps of the Federal Government," to be composed of one repre- 

 sentative from each of certain Federal organizations, as follows : ( 1 ) 

 Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army (Col. C. O. Sherrill) ; (2) U. S. Coast 

 and Geodetic Survey (William Bowie); (3) U. S. Geological Survey 

 (C. H. Birdseye) ; (4) General Land Office (Frank Bond) ; (5) 

 Topographic Branch, Postoffice Department (J. H. Robinson); (6) 

 Bureau of Soils (C. F. Marbut) ; (7) U. S. Reclamation Service 

 (E. C. Bebb); (8) Bureau of Public Roads (C. D. Curtis); (9) Bureau 

 of Indian Affairs (W. M. Reed); (10) Mississippi River Commission 

 (R. L. Paris); (11) U. S. Lake Survey (F. G. Ray); (12) International 

 (Canadian) Boundary Commission (J. H. VanWagenen); (13) Forest 

 Service (O. C. Merrill); (14) U. S. Hydrographic Office, Navy 

 Department (G. W. LittlEhalEs). These representatives were 

 appointed by the chiefs of the several organizations named. 



The Board is directed by Executive order to make recommendations 

 to the several departments of the Government or to the President for 

 the purpose of coordinating the map-making and surveying activities 

 of the Government and to settle all questions at issue between the ex- 

 ecutive departments relating to surveys and maps, in so far as their 

 decisions do not conflict with existing law. The Executive order also 

 directs that the Board shall hold meetings at stated intervals, to which 

 representatives of the map-using public shall be invited for the purpose 

 of conference and advice; and that the Board shall establish a central 

 information office at the U. S. Geological Survey for the purpose of 

 collecting, classifying, and furnishing to the public, information con- 

 cerning all map and survey data available in the several government 

 departments and from other sources. 



All government departments are directed by the Executive order to 

 make full use of the Board of Surveys and Maps as an advisory body 

 and to furnish all available information and data called for by the 

 Board. 



So much of the Executive order of August 10, 1916, as grants addi- 

 tional advisory powers to the U. S. Geographic Board, is rescinded and 

 these additional powers are transferred to the Board of Surveys and 

 Maps. The Executive order in question had granted to the U. S. 

 Geographic Board advisory powers concerning the preparation of maps 



1 See this JoURNAi,, 9: 605-607. 1919- 



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