xxiir. 



it is the recognised practice in the administration of the Geological 

 ^Survey Department of the State, that priority be given to work of an 

 -economic character — but it is expected that officers undertaking field 

 work should spare no pains in the elucidation of the detailed geology 

 of the district concerned. In all cases this principle has been followed, 

 and in all examinations of districts substantial additions have been 

 made to the knowledge of the structural geology of the State. At 

 the same time, special attention is given to the nature and occurrence 

 •of the igneous rocks and all questions of stratigraphy. As a particular 

 example of work of this character, combining the economic aspect of 

 geology with the fullest details of scientifically conducted geological 

 survey, the recently issued memoir on the Geology of the Hunter River 

 CJoalfield by Professor David may be referred to. This geological 

 survey was the direct cause of the enormous development of coal- 

 mining in the South Maitland Coalfield. As to geological work of 

 purely scientific character, reference may be made to the recently 

 ^completed geological survey of the Muriaunbidgee Water Consei-va- 

 tion Area, in which the field work alone occupied over eight months. In 

 Victoria, in recent years especially, the energy of the Geological 

 Survey staff has been mainh^ concentrated in the mining districts, 

 but geological and economic work have gone on hand in hand. The 

 work of Mr. Dunn on the Bendigo Goldfield may be specially cited as 

 an example of a piece of work in which considerations of structural 

 and stratigraphical geology have been employed to determine the 

 structure of the mining field, the occuiTence of the saddle reefs, and 

 the effect which the pitch of the anticlinal axes has on the prospecting 

 operations in the district. This paper clearly demonstrates the great 

 ■economic value of carefvd geological work in the development of the 

 Bendigo Goldfield. In New Zealand the Geological Survey is a 

 separate branch of the Mines Department, and the Director is respon- 

 sible to the Minister for Mines alone. The practice of the survey is 

 to make complete examinations of districts selected by the Minister 

 and Director. These districts are usually those in which mineral 

 •deposits are known to exist, or are supposed to be present. The actual 

 boundaries of the areas examined coincide with those of survey blocks. 

 Within the blocks selected complete topographical survey is done, and 

 the whole work is performed so as to enable the officers to issue a 

 report as complete fix)m the scientific as from the economic stand- 

 point. The annual appropriation for this branch of the Mines Depart- 

 ment amounts to £12,000. I give these details of the practice of the 

 ■Geological Sun-ey Departments in the other States in the hope that 

 the Queensland G-eological Survey Department's work will be 

 streng-thened in its scientific as well as its economic value. 



Proposed by Mr. Maiden, and seconded by Professor Skbrtchlt, 

 tliat tlie same be adopted. — Carried. 



Pi'ofessor Skeats : I wish to bring before this Committee another 

 recommendation from Section C, viz. : — ■ 



{a) '' That a Committee of the Geology and Mineralog}'' section, 

 consisting of Professor David, Professor Marshall, Dr. 

 Jensen, and myself, be appointed to investigate the 

 alkaline rocks of Australasia." 



