COMMITTEES ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT 327 



knowledge a contribution of great importance, highly commendable to the 

 United States. 



" Before taking any further steps in this matter, I desire to have estimates of the 

 cost of such explorations prepared, assuming that the work is to be completed in 

 ten years, and that the various branches of the scientific surveys cooperate with one 

 another systematically and heartily. 



" I therefore appoint the following Board of Scientific Surveys to prepare sucli 

 estimates and to make such suggestions as may appear to it pertinent in the cir- 

 cumstances, viz: 



" Mr. Charles D. Walcott, Chairman. 



" Mr. Frederick C. Coville 



" Mr. Barton W. Evermann 



" Mr. W. H. Holmes 



" Mr. C. Hart Merriam 



" Mr. Gifford Pinchot 



" Mr. Otto H. Tittmann. 



" Sincerely yours, 



" Theodore Roosevelt." 



The board held five meetings in March, May and June, 1903, 

 appointed a committee on plans and organization, prepared 

 estimates of expenditures, drafted a bill for the consideration of 

 Congress, drew up various memoranda, and transacted other 

 business. After that the matter was held in abeyance for two 

 years, but on February 7, 1905, President Roosevelt sent the 

 report of the committee of the Academy to Congress, with the 

 following message: 



" White House, 



" February 7, 1905. 



To the Senate and House of Representatives : 



" Circumstances have placed under the control of this Government the Philip- 

 pine Archipelago. The islands of that group present as many interesting and novel 

 questions with respect to their ethnology, their fauna and flora, and their geology 

 and mineral resources as any region of the world. At my request the National 

 Academy of Sciences appointed a committee to consider and report upon the 

 desirability of instituting scientific explorations of the Philippine Islands. The 

 report of this committee, together with the report of the Board of Scientific 

 Surveys of the Philippine Islands, including draft of a bill providing for surveys 

 of the Philippine Islands, which board was appointed by me, after receiving the 

 report of the committee appointed by the National Academy of Sciences, with 



