514 Br. J. W. Evans — Presidential Address. 



event by the Survey in investigating the mineral resources of the 

 country. 



The Survey publications should be illustrated in every museum 

 and school in the districts with which they deal by small collections 

 showing the characters of the local rocks, and of the minerals and 

 fossils that occur in them, and care should be taken to see that these 

 collections are maintained in good order and properly labelled. 



It would be a good plan for the Survey to appoint a local 

 geologist, an amateur or member of the staff of a university or 

 college, in every area of twenty or thirty square miles l to act as 

 their representative and as a centre of local geological interest. 

 He would be expected to give his assistance to other local workers 

 who stood in need of it. He would receive little official remunera- 

 tion, but inquirers in the neighbourhood would be referred to him, 

 and where commercial interests were involved he would, subject 

 to the sanction of the Central Office, be entitled to charge sub- 

 stantial fees for his advice. He would report to the Survey any 

 event of geological importance in the area of which he was in 

 charge — whether it was the discover}' of a new fossiliferous locality, 

 the opening of a new quarry, 2 the sinking of a well, or the 

 commencement of boring operations. Many of these matters would 

 be adequately dealt with by local workers, but in other cases it 

 might be desirable for the Survey to send down one of their officers 

 to make a detailed investigation. 



One of the most important duties of the Survey, or its local 

 representative, would be to see that the records of well-sinkings 

 and borings are properly kept, and that where cores are obtained 

 the depth from which each was raised is accurately recorded. At 

 the present time the officers of the Survey make every effort to see 

 that this is done, but they have no legal power to compel those 

 engaged in such operations to give the particulars required. Equally 

 important is a faithful record of the geological information obtained 

 in prospecting or mining operations. This is especially necessary 

 where a mine is abandoned. 3 If care is not then taken to see that 

 all the information available is accurately recorded, it may never be 

 possible later to remedy the failure to do so. 



Probably these objects would be much facilitated if engineers in 

 charge of boring or mining operations had sufficient knowledge of 

 geology and interest in its advancement to make them anxious to see 

 that no opportunity was lost of observing and recording geological 



1 I am afraid that in many parts of the country there are so few amateur 

 geologists that this area would have to be increased, at any rate at first. 



2 It is very desirable that arrangements should be made for the co-operation 

 of the Geological Survey or their local representatives with the Inspectors of 

 Quarries appointed by the Home Office, and that the annual official list of 

 quarries should describe the rocks which are worked, not only by their ordinary 

 economic designations, but also by their recognized geological descriptions. 



3 Those engaged in mining are already required to furnish mining plans to 

 the Mining Eecord Office, but there is no obligation to give any geological 

 information that may have been obtained. This office was formerly attached 

 to the Geological Survey, but was transferred some years ago to the Home 

 Office. 



