482 BULLETIN 109, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Sec. 7. The great necessity for gathering and collecting useful and valuable 

 information concerning the mineral and other natural resources of the State, 

 and the present lack of means to ascertain ttie same, creates an imperative 

 public necessity, and an emergency exists requiring that the constitutional 

 rule which requires bills to be read on three several days in each house be sus- 

 pended, and said rule is so suspended, and it is enacted that this act take effect 

 and be in force from and after its passage. 



Note. — The foregoing act originated in the house, and passed the same by a 

 vote of 45 yeas, 37 nays; and passed the senate by a vote of 24 yens, 4 nays. 



Approved May 12, 1888. 



'Immediate control of the survey, as noted, was in the hands of 

 State commissioner of agriculture, insurance, statistics, and history, 

 and it had no connection with any other institution. It v/as to be 

 supported by annual appropriations. 



Administration. — Under this act, the commissioner, L. L. Foster, 

 on September 21, 1888, appointed E, T. Dumble State geologist, 

 giving him full control of the work of the survey, reserving only a 

 supervision of the finances. Mr. Dumble appointed the following 

 assistants: Geologists, W. H. von Streeruwitz, W. F. Cummins, Dr. 

 R. A, F. Penrose, jr. ; chemist, J. H. Herndon. 



The salary of the State geologist was placed at $2,000 and that 

 of geologists at $1,800 each, traveling and incidental expenses to be 

 paid by the State. The only change in these salaries was during 

 the years 1891 and 1892, when the}^ were made by law $2,500 and 

 $2,300, respectively, being again low^ered to the original amounts in 

 1893. 



Arrangements were made by which the chemical laboratory of tht^ 

 University of Texas was utilized temporarily for the chemical work 

 of the survey, and circular No. 1 was issued October 1 to apprise 

 those wishing analyses of the conditions. The charges for analyz- 

 ing and assaying minerals and ores were only sufficient to cover cost 

 of materials and not of services. The fees received for this work, 

 however, were to be paid into the State treasury to the credit of the 

 general reserve fund. The only point which needs to be considered 

 was the fact that such analyses were to be made, as provided in sec- 

 tion 2 of the law, only on presentation of an " affidavit that the 

 specimen offered was found upon the land of the party making the 

 request, or that said request was made at the instance or with the 

 full Icnowledge and consent of the owner of the land upon which 

 specimen was found." j 



The immediate motive of the survey, as outlined in circular No. 2, 

 issued October 11, was as follows : 



1. A search for ores, minerals, oils, coals, clays, and other minerals 

 possessing a commercial value, and the determination of the ques- 

 tion, whenever possible, whether they exist in sufficient quantities 



