202 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. LL No. 1313 



cation of geologic results, and those that have 

 little if any connection with geology. 



The speaker is one of those who believe that 

 a geological survey should be essentially what 

 its name implies — that it shoiild confine its 

 activity to the science of geology. This opin- 

 ion is held, however, in full realization of the 

 fact that here as elsewhere some compromise 

 may be necessary. This may be dictated by 

 law or may be determined by policy. 



The organic law of the TJ. S. Geological 

 Survey, for example, includes among the 

 duties of the organization "the classification 

 of the public lands." There may be some 

 difference of opinion as to what the framers 

 of the law meant by this provision, but it is 

 at least a reasonable conclusion that they in- 

 tended the sort of classification adopted by 

 the General Land Office. If so, the determi- 

 nation of the so-called " mineral " or " non- 

 mineral " character of public lands is un- 

 doubtedly a proper function of the U. S. 

 Geological Survey, although it is one that 

 was neglected by that survey for many years 

 and has not yet received the recognition of a 

 specific appropriation, except recently, in con- 

 nection with the stock-raising and enlarged 

 homestead acts. 



Topographic Mapping. — ^Inasmuch as the 

 preparation of a toxMgraphic map is a nec- 

 essary preliminary to accurate and detailed 

 geologic mapping, a geological survey is 

 vitally interested in seeing that satisfactory 

 maps are available as needed. Whether the 

 national geological survey should itself under- 

 take this mapping depends upon circum- 

 stances. If another government organization 

 is equipped for doing this work and can pro- 

 vide maps of the requisite quality when 

 needed, it would apjwar that the geological 

 bureau should leave this work to the other 

 organization, particularly as the maps re- 

 quired to keep abreast of geologic require- 

 ments are likely to constitute only a part of 

 the work of the topographic bureau. There 

 are certain decided advantages, however, in 

 having the topographic work done by the 

 geological survey and these advantages must 

 be weighed against other considerations. 



With the topographic and geologic work 

 under a single control, the geologist is more 

 likely to be assured of getting the kind of 

 map desired at the time needed. Cooperation 

 between geologists and topographers is apt to 

 be both closer and more flexible than were the 

 two staffs in separate organizations. Finally 

 the field work in topography and geology is 

 in some respects alike and is carried out by 

 similar methods and equipment. Occasionally 

 the two kinds of work can be combined and 

 carried on simultaneously. 



The general question, Whether a national 

 geological survey shall do its own topographic 

 mapping, appears to be one that can not be 

 answered once for all but must be determined 

 for each country. In an old country where 

 accurate and detailed maps have long been 

 made by military and other organizations, a 

 geological survey may be under no necessity 

 of providing its own topographic base maps. 

 In a new country, where exploration is still 

 in progress, the geological survey may have 

 to make its own topographic surveys. The 

 The main point, as I see it, is that the geo- 

 logical survey must have maps of the stand- 

 ard required by it with the least possible 

 delay, but should not undertake to make them 

 itself if other organizations that can and will 

 provide the maps needed are already in the 

 field. 



We have seen that there is at least a very 

 close connection between topographic and geo- 

 logic mapping and that in this relation may 

 lie a sufficient reason why both kinds of work 

 should be undertaken by the same organiza- 

 tion. Is there as good a reason why the 

 study of geology and the collection of statis- 

 tics of mineral production should be united? 



Statistics of Mineral Production. — When 

 shortly after the organization of the TJ. S. 

 Geological Survey the collection of statistics 

 was begun, those geologists who were most in- 

 fluential in m-ging that the survey should 

 imdertake statistical work adduced as the 

 principal reason that the people desired such 

 figures and if the Geological Survey did the 

 work it would be able to secure larger appro- 

 priations than if the task were left for others. 



