SCIENTIFIC NOTES AND NEWS 399' 



The appropriations in the Second Deficiency Act include: $75,000 

 for continuation of the investigation of the mineral resources of Alaska, 

 to be available also during 192 1; and $47,100 for the continuation of 

 magnetic and geodetic work by the Coast and Geodetic Survey. 



The legislative, executive, and judicial appropriation bill (H. R. 

 1 26 10), carrying appropriations for the Bureau of Standards, passed 

 the House on March 4, and the Senate on April i. After agreement 

 to the conference reports the bill was sent to the President, carrying 

 an amendment introduced by Mr. SmooT on April i to the effect that 

 no government journal, magazine, or periodical should be printed, 

 issued, or discontinued without the approval of the Joint Committee 

 on Printing. On account of the inclusion of this amendment the 

 President vetoed the bill on May 13. The objectionable paragraph 

 was eliminated and the bill repassed and signed as Public Law No. 231. 



The act includes $432,360 for salaries at the Bureau of Standards, 

 together with many special research items of which the following are 

 examples : fire-resisting properties of building materials, $25,000 ; develop- 

 ment of color standards, $10,000; optical glass, $25,000; metallurgical 

 research, $25,000; sugars and sugar-testing apparatus, $30,000; high 

 temperature measurement and control, $10,000. Total for the Bureau, 

 $1,217,360. 



Hearings on the Jones-Reavis bill (S. 2232)'' for a Federal Depart- 

 ment of Public Works were held before the Senate Committee on Public 

 Lands on February 11. The bill was supported by M. O. Leighton, 

 Chairman, and C. T. Chenery, vSecretary, of the National Public Works 

 Department Association; J. Parke Channing, Chairman of Engineering 

 Council; G. F. Swain, of Harvard University; F. L. Cranford, Presi- 

 dent of the General Contractors' Association; Colonel F. M. Gunby; 

 C. W. Baker, Consulting Editor, Engineering Nevus-Record; Francis 

 Blossom, of the War Department; C. W. Whitaker, Editor, Journal 

 American Institute of Architects; W. F. Willoughby, Director, Institute 

 for Government Research; and P. N. MooRE, mining engineer. 



A joint resolution looking toward an even more comprehensive 

 reorganization of the executive departments than that contained in 

 the Jones-Reavis bill was introduced as H. J. Res. 353 on May 7 by 

 Mr. Madden. The resolution provides for a Joint Committee on 

 Reorganization consisting of three members each from House and 

 Senate. Referred to the Committee on Rules. 



Another reorganization and consolidation measure is S. 4369, intro- 

 duced by Mr. Henderson on May 12: "To create a Division of Mines 

 and Geology in the Department of the Interior." The proposed 

 Division would be under the direction of an Assistant Secretary of the 

 Interior, "technically qualified by experience and education," at a 

 salary of $10,000. The powers and duties of the present Geological 

 Survey and Bureau of Mines, and any powers and duties of other 



* This Journal, 9: 422. 1919. 



