234 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. LI. No. 1314 



The representatives of the federal organiza- 

 tions mentioned in the executive order of De- 

 cember 30, 1919, met on Januaa-y 16, 1920, and 

 perfected the organization hy the enactment 

 of by-laws for the government of the Board of 

 Surveys and Maps. 



The officers of the board are : Chairman, Mr. 

 C. O. MerriU, chief engineer of the Forest 

 Service; vice-chairman. Dr. William Eoiwie, 

 chief of the Division of Geodesy of the TJ. S. 

 Coast and Geodetic Survey; secretary, Mr. C. 

 H. Birdseye, chief geographer of the U. S. 

 Geological Survey. 



Standing committees have been appointed to 

 care for the various phases of surveying and 

 mapping. Those committees are: 



1. On ooordimation of work among the federal 



bureaua. 



2. On cooperation between federal and other 



map-making and map-using organizations 

 and agencies. 



3. On teolmioal standards. 



4. On topographic maps. 



5. On highway maps. 



6. On general maps. 



7. On hydrographie charts. 



8. On control surveys. 



9. On photographic surveys. 

 10. On information. 



In addition to these committees there was 

 also organized the Map Information Office, 

 with headquarters at the U. S. Geological Sur- 

 vey, which was directed by the Executive 

 Order. 



On all except a few of the standing commit- 

 tees of the Board of Surveys and Maps, repre- 

 sentatives of outside organizations will also 

 be appointed. 



The public meetings of the board will be 

 held in "Wiashington, D. C, on the second Tues- 

 day of January, March, May, Septemiber and 

 November of eiach year and there will be execu- 

 tive meetings held immediately after those 

 public meetings and also on the second Tues- 

 day of February, April, October and De- 

 cember. 



It is interesting to know the steps by which 

 the Board of Surveys and Maps came into ex- 

 istence. The National Research Council had 



its attention called to the desirability of hav- 

 ing an organization that would prevent dupli- 

 cation and provide for cooperation among the 

 federal miap-onaking organizations. The mat- 

 ter was discussed by the National Research 

 Council and was then submitted to the Engi- 

 neering Council for consideration. On July 

 1, 1919, the chairman of the Engineering 

 Council, Mr. J. Parke Channing, wrote a 

 letter to the President of the United States 

 in which he called attention to the necessity 

 for the completion of the topographic map 

 of the TJnited States at an early date to 

 meet the needs of the country in its com- 

 merce, indiistries, etc. The Engiineering 

 Council recommended the creation of a Board 

 of Surveys and Maps to consider the whole 

 quesition of coordination of the work of the 

 government in those branches of engineering. 



On July 27, 1919, the President of the 

 United States directed the Secretary of War 

 to call a conference of representatives of the 

 surveying and map-naaking organizations of 

 the government for the purpose of considering 

 the recommendation of the Engiineering 

 Council. 



This conference held a number of meetings 

 in September, 1919, and on the last of that 

 month sent a report to the President, recom- 

 mending, lamong other things, that the Board 

 of Surveys and Maps be created. Added to 

 the report of the conference were a munber of 

 exhibits which show the surveying and map- 

 making work carried on by each of the sev- 

 eral organizations of the government. The 

 executive order of the President and the or- 

 ganization of the board are considered in the 

 early part of this article. 



It is believed that the creation of this Board 

 of Surveys and Maps is a step that will have 

 very far reaching consequences in completing 

 the topographic mapping of the country and 

 in planning standard methods for carrying on 

 work connected with the surveys and map ma- 

 king of various kinds employed in both gov- 

 ernment and other organizations and agencies. 



Maps have been made in this country ever 

 since the colonists first landed but there has 

 never been any coordinating agency by which 



