42 



The National Geographic Magazine 



tinned these studies, and out of them 

 developed definite plans for the construc- 

 tion of large works, and began the build- 

 ing of these with the funds furnished 

 through the terms of the reclamation act. 

 There thus took place from 1902 a rapid 

 change in character of the work, and the 

 researches of the Geological Survey be- 

 came almost overshadowed by the great 

 operations of the Reclamation Service. 

 The latter was at no time connected with 

 the Geological Survey, as such, but from 

 the fact that the Director of the Geologi- 

 cal Survey was also the Director of the 

 Reclamation Service, the two bodies 

 have frequently been confused. The 

 Reclamation Service was an offshoot 

 or development of the Hydrographic 

 Branch of the Geological Survey, the 

 principal men of that branch, Mr Newell 

 and Mr Davis, becoming the leaders in 

 the Reclamation Service. 



With the retirement of Mr Walcott 

 from the directorship, the connection, 

 which had been growing less and less, 

 was finally terminated on March g, 1907, 

 by the designation of Mr Newell as Di- 

 rector. With the experience gained 

 through nearly five years, the Reclama- 

 tion Service is now in a condition to 

 stand alone. 



The period of survey and examination 

 of the Reclamation Service has already 

 passed and the principal efforts are being 

 devoted to the construction of great 



works. The third period of its exist- 

 ence — that of operation and mainte- 

 nance — has already been entered upon, 

 and water is being diverted during 1907 

 to about 200,000 acres of agricultural 

 land scattered throughout the western 

 part of the United States. The expend- 

 itures have been made at the rate of one 

 million and a half dollars per month, and 

 in this regard the Reclamation Service 

 has reached and passed the period of 

 maximum activity. Henceforth the ex- 

 penditures will decline somewhat, and it 

 is expected that during 1907 the total ex- 

 penditure will be about $12,000,000, and 

 in 1908 about $7,000,000; so that by 1909 

 about $40,000,000, in round numbers, 

 will have been invested in revenue- 

 producing works. 



The engineering features of the Recla- 

 mation Service have been placed under 

 the charge of Mr Arthur P. Davis, who 

 was for many years the assistant chief 

 engineer and principal field man in direct 

 contact with all of the engineering 

 features. The Director, Mr Newell, 

 will give his personal attention to mat- 

 ters of general policy, cost of the works, 

 and especially to the problems of opera- 

 tion and maintenance. Upon this latter 

 depends the future success of the recla- 

 mation act, as it is essential to obtain 

 from the completed works the cost of 

 construction and to invest it again in 

 other large projects. 



NOTES 



AT a recent meeting of the Council 

 of the Geographical Society of 

 Paris, Mr Henry Gannett, Vice-President 

 of the National Geographic Society and 

 Chief Geographer of the United States 

 Geological Survey, was unanimously 

 elected an honorary corresponding mem- 

 ber. The Geographical Society of Paris 

 was founded in 1821 and is the oldest 

 geographical organization in the world 

 It has fifteen honorary corresponding 

 members, among whom are included Dr 

 Nansen, Sir John Murray, Prof. Albrecht 

 Penck, and three Americans, Major Gen- 

 eral A. W. Greely, U. S. Army; Com- 



mander Robert E. Peary, U. S. Navy, 

 and Prof. William M. Davis, of Harvard 

 University. 



The July number of the National 

 GEOGRAPHIC Magazine will contain a 

 map of the North Polar regions in seven 

 colors, 18 X 18 inches, prepared by the 

 Editor, Gilbert H. Grosvenor. The map 

 will show all discoveries to date and will 

 contain inserts of the Smith Sound 

 region, of Franz Josef Land, and of 

 Spitzbergen. The number will also con- 

 tain several articles summarizing recent 

 explorations in the Far North- 



