130 



operntlon to be c-x-oected from tlrie Governmunt for the rapsons st ted 

 on prge ].;.;iO . rredicti'^n tbrit- it o^.n r.nd will render t^-^ e nssirt- 

 pnce ir instrunvrntr tion ririd ir Inhorrtor:/- rcse^^rches summ-rized 

 above is based or. t'-e fact that these p';rticu]rr fields of service 

 -TO expressly included among tbo principal rctivitios of the "Bureau 

 rs strted in itr circular describing its general polic:/ (Letter Cir- 

 cular 200, TJ. S. P. S. Sept. 24, 1926) , nnd in - statement by tlie 

 Acting Director. 



Thus the perfection of new apparatus falls within the general 

 dovelop-^ent of devices in science and industry, this being one of 

 the fields of research in w]-ich the Bureau is rogul'^rly eng-^ged. 

 Furthermore stand" rdiz.ations of thermometers and of other instru- - 

 m e n t s are r ou. t i ne tasks of t>"0 sort the Bureau regularly carries on' . 

 Ti The qualification that such work sh^^ll not involve compotition 



wj.tb commercial laboratories does not apaly i n the preae nt c^se. 



The Bu.reau may refuse or nostpo^ie such work if" it wov;"'d dela^- mor( 

 Important proiects, Bnt the calls for aasi'-tance f ro ' anv oce'^-no- 

 graphic^l institution would be rclativelT so few, and its neo'-^ for 

 the moat authoritr tive stand •irdi'^-ntion so great thn.t the Bureau 

 would not be likolv to refuse its "^odest renuests if reasonrble time 

 were allowed for f-e reports, and if the sm."-ll fees for testi'ng 

 could be met. 



8. United St-^tes ueologica]_ Survey. 



Thu direct interest of this Survey m Oceanograph": is co'-fined 

 to the strictl-^^ geological aspect, -•nd is f\.irther limited b-^- the 

 fact that the survey's own work is confined, by law, to the hnlted 

 Sf'ates and dependencies. It h's no ships or nersonnel for work nt 

 sea and can u.ndertakc no m-rme explorations of its own initiative. 

 Dn the other h-^nd, many geologic problem^s (P-^ge ) reauire in- 

 formation on such ciuestions as the advance or erosion of shore- 

 lines, W-^e distribution of sediments of terrigenous origin over the 

 sea floor, and t^-e relation of submarine deeps to nearT)y shor;.;s -nd 

 Islands. Therefore the Survey world always be interested in ocean- 

 ographical projects that included studies of sedimentation and of 

 the configuration of the bottom, especiall"',^ over tkie shelf of the 

 -lorth American continent, of the Antilles, and of the Hawailn and 

 Phlliapine Archipelagoes. It is its concern in such questions that 

 justifies the cooperation it can offer in laboratory facilities, 

 etc. summarized above (Page 118 ). 



9. United Stat s Bureau of Soils. 



The United States Bureau of Soils is in a position to assist 

 in tbe study of submarine sediments by anal-'.^'',ing t^'-e mechanical com- 

 nosition cf the samples, ''.'hich must be done before m.icrosconic ex- 

 amination can he undertaken: also, in ascertaining the amount of 

 colloid material present by the methoc's developed in soil work. 



As so often, how --vcr, the Fua^eau could not un'"''ertake ana^ con- 

 sid'. rable amount of such work unless expenses are borne from sone 

 outside source, because its resources now "re f^-lly employed. 



