TFDIRORLAL 
In the United States Geological Survey the geologic branch 
is reorganized by the appoinment of Mr. C. Willard Hayes to the 
position of geologist in charge of geology, to take effect March 
I, 1902. Mr. Hayes has been connected with the Survey since 
1887, and has served with ability in various relations as assistant 
geologist, geologist, and since 1900 as geologist in charge of 
investigations of non-metalliferous economic deposits. He is 
now placed in administrative control of the geologic branch in 
order that the director may be relieved of executive details and 
the organization may be strengthened by the undivided atten- 
tion of its head to carrying out the director’s general policy. 
By this appointment Mr. Willis, who since 1897, as assistant in 
geology to the director, has performed the administrative work 
of geology, is freed from that duty and will be at liberty to give 
more attention to the division of areal and stratigraphic geology, 
of which he has charge. 
In announcing these changes at a meeting of geologists in the 
office of the survey on February 20, the director called atten- 
tion to the plan of organization of the geologic branch set forth 
in the 7wenty-first Annual Report, pp. 20 and 21, and more fully 
elaborated in the forthcoming 7wenty-second Annual Report. The 
fundamental idea of the organization is that scientific direction 
and supervision may be and in most cases should be separated 
from administrative control. Specialists are placed in charge, 
each one of investigations in a particular subject, Becker, Cham- 
berlin, Day, Emmons, Hayes, Stanton, Van Hise, and Willis 
having been thus appointed, but their authority is in general 
limited to consideration and approval of the scientific aspects of 
the work. Administrative authority remained immediately with 
the director, and is now in a degree transferred to the geologist 
in charge of geology, Mr. Hayes. B. W. 
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