130 



daivjj.zation of instrrjnients or of methods, the U. S. Bureau of Stpn- 

 dards Is willing to make such tests. At present it is perhaps het- 

 ter fitted to do so than any other agency in America, 



V;'e may hope (from precedent) that the chemical laboratory of 

 the Geological Survey migl' t similarly make occasional chemical anal- 

 yses in connection with problems of outstanding interest or in the 

 development of new methods. The present limitations of personnel 

 and facilities make it irripossible for the Survey to undertake such 

 work except rarely and on a small scale. But, as it is able to ac- 

 cept outside funds (Page lis), ri development of cooperation in this 

 chemical field is possible. In this field assistance may niso be 

 hoped from the Laboratories now projected b:/ the "Wational Research 

 Council of Canada. 



I. riSTPUM.<]NTATI3N 



The progressive development of instruments of precision has 

 played an important role in the advance of Oceanography. It is, In 

 fact, hardly too much to say that modern knowledrre of the physics 

 of the sea dates from t>ie perfection of the deep-sea thermometer. 

 And the increasingly rigorous demands of oceanic science can be met 

 only by a corresponding development of apparatus. A striking case 

 of this is the method of determining salinity by electric conduct- 

 ivity, recently developed at the Biareau of Standards to/meet the 

 needs of the International Ice Patrol Serx'ice. Recording instruments 

 for continuous record of the density of the sea-water along a vessel's 

 track are also much to be desired, as are im.provements to the pres- 

 ent t-^pe of deep-sea thermom-=ter. 



All this falls directly within the province of the IT. S. Bureau 

 of Standards: in fact, any oceanographic institution in the United 

 States viTill find itself foraed to turn constantly to the latter for 

 assistance in this field. And while federal and state agencies have 

 prior claim on its services, the Bureau is in a position and willing 

 to do much work of this soi't if reasonable time be allowed it. All 

 the Reversing deep-sea thermometers used b7^ the U. S. Bureau of Fish- 

 eries are stand ^'rdized by the Bureau of Standards, and it is desir- 

 able that all instruments of this sort used by other institutions in 

 America receive this same test. H'/droraeters equally require stand- 

 ardization, as do current-meters and various other pieces of appara- 

 tus. 



In the development of new apparatus the most extensive coopera- 

 tion that the Bureau can offer is through its system of research as- 

 sociates, explained on page , but as work of this sort is expen- 

 sive, funds must be prox^ided from other sources, for any extensive 

 project. The Canadian Research Coimcil is also in process of devel- 

 oping a system of National Laboratories corresponding to t>"Ose of the 

 U.S. Bureau of Standards. And when these are in operation they will 

 afford assistance in the general field of instrumentation, and hos- 

 pitality to student workers of the same sort as is now provided by 

 the Bureau of Standards. 



