19 



best bo sold only at a sacrifice, and net very readily at that. 

 The proceeds might, if necessary, at any time be charged to 

 the current survey appropriation. 



The salary of the Assistant, heretofore, had been fixed at 

 $1,000 per annum. Experience proves that this sum is in 

 sufficient to form a permanent inducement to any competent 

 man ; and a continual change of persons has been the con 

 sequence of this inadequacy. Now, all changes of this kind 

 are not only vexatious and involve a serious loss of time, 

 but each one -is in itself a positive pecuniary loss to the 

 State; for the simple reason that full efficiency on the part of 

 the incumbent, whether Principal or Assistant, requires a cer 

 tain amount of personal and local experience, which can 

 only be obtained by connexion with the work itself, for some 

 length of time. I suggest, therefore, that the salary of the 

 Assistant be fixed at $1,500 the same as in other States. 



In the present stage of the survey, the duties of the As 

 sistant would not, as a general thing, be in the field, but 

 in the laboratory ; hence, no additional field outfit 

 would, for the present, be required. The appropria 

 tion now existing, of $1.000 per annum, for current expen 

 ses, is not however, sufficient to defray the expenses of botli 

 laboratory and field work, when carried on simultaneously ; 

 an additional appropriation of $800 per annum, will be no- 

 nessary for this purpose. 



The permanent annual appropriation required for the sur 

 vey, under this arrangement, exclusive of any contingencies^ 

 would therefore amount to $4,800 ; besides which, $-&quot;&amp;gt;00 are 

 at present required to complete the chemical laboratory. 



The act of the Legislature, disconnecting the survey from 

 the University, provides that ; the State Geologist shall keep 

 his office in. the city of Jackson ;&quot; and furthermore that the 

 State Geologist may occupy as a laboratory the two front 

 rooms in the second story of the Penitentiary, and shall be 

 allowed the assistance of one convict, to be named bv the 



