NATIONAL GEOLOGICAL SURVEY—RANSOME, 269 
tion should be discountenanced. A geological survey should in- 
clude on its staff one or more men of high ability who are especially 
gifted in interesting the public in the purposes, methods, and re- 
sults of geologic work—men of imagination who can see the romance 
of science; men of broad sympathy who know the hearts and minds 
of their countrymen from one border to the other; men imbued 
with the truthful spirit of science; and, finally, men skilled in the 
art of illuminating the cold, impersonal results of science with a 
warm glow of human interest. 
It should be the duty of these men to see that so far as possible 
all the results of geologic work are interpreted to the people so that 
every citizen can benefit to the limit of his individual capacity. 
Magazines, the daily papers, moving pictures, and all other possible 
means of publication should be utilized. There should be close 
contact with educators, and special pains should be taken to pre- 
pare material for use in schools and colleges. Carefully planned 
courses at university summer schools and elsewhere might be given 
by members of the educational or publicity staff or by certain 
selected geologists from the field staff. 
Geologists in preparing papers and reports should consider with 
particular care the question, Who may be reached by this? Some 
scientific results can not be popularized, and papers on these may 
be written in the concise, accurate language of science. Others, 
however, may, by taking sufficient care and trouble, be made interest- 
ing to more than a small circle of scientific colleagues. Every effort 
should be made to enlarge this circle by simple and attractive pres- 
entation. I am inclined to think that in some cases a geologist might 
issue separately or as a part of his complete report an abstract or 
résumé in which all effort is concentrated on an endeavor to be 
interesting and clear to as many people as possible. If this were 
done, I am sure that the writer would be in a position to appraise 
more truly the value of his complete report and might proceed to 
rewrite some portions of it and to omit others, without loss to 
science and at a saving in paper and printing. 
RELATIONS WITH UNIVERSITIES. 
In connection with the subject of education attention may be 
called to the fundamental importance of establishing and main- 
taining close and cordial relations between a government scientific 
bureau and the universities. The advantages of such relations are 
so many that it is difficult to enumerate them all, but it may be 
pointed out that any plan of popular education in science will be 
seriously crippled if the professional teachers, whose influence in 
molding the thoughts and determining the careers of the young 
