878 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVII. No. 701 



for fear that there is either no work or 

 no place for them. 



It is well known that men of science re- 

 ceive relatively poor financial returns for 

 their work. Capable and industrious 

 workers make a good living, but rarely are 

 able to accumulate wealth. This is true of 

 geologists as of others, and I for one am 

 by no means sure that a change in this 

 regard would bring to our profession any 

 larger number of men of the highest talent 

 and devotion. Be that as it may, the best 

 which can be now offered to the hesitating 

 young man is a good living while he does 

 his work. The opportunities for making 

 his way are found in these lines of ac- 

 tivity: (a) teaching, (b) survey work and 

 (c) industrial positions. 



Geology is seldom taught in high schools 

 and secondary schools though there is a 

 strong and increasing demand for teachers 

 in physiography. This affords an excel- 

 lent opening for beginners. In the col- 

 leges, universities and mining schools geol- 

 ogy is taught as frequently as the other 

 sciences and there are, accordingly, as 

 many positions open. 



The largest number of professional 

 geologists in this country are connected for 

 a whole or a part of their time with official 

 surveys or bureaus. The greatest of these 

 is the U. S. Geological Survey, which in 

 the season just closed maintained ninety- 

 three geological field parties. These each 

 included from one to three geologists or 

 aids. In addition many of the topographic 

 and other field parties were engaged upon 

 work so closely related to geology as to 

 afford suitable opportunity for service on 

 the part of beginners at least. In the 

 forest service and in other branches of 

 government work still other men are em- 

 ployed. Thirty-one of the states now have 

 state geologists or equivalent officers and 

 sustain more or less geological work. This 

 work varies greatly in character from re- 



fined paleontologic investigations to the 

 registering of mining prospectuses and 

 bureau of information work. In some 

 cases only a few hundred dollars are ap- 

 propriated for the summer field work, per- 

 haps, of the professor of geology at the 

 university, and in others several thousand 

 dollars are given annually and ten or a 

 dozen field parties maintained. State 

 survey work, where available, offers pecul- 

 iar advantages to the beginner, since on 

 account of the small force there is less 

 specialization. 



In mining and industrial work geologists 

 are finding an increasing number of oppor- 

 tunities. Many railways, mining com- 

 panies, development companies, etc., now 

 employ one or more geologists. This indi- 

 cates a welcome change of attitude in the 

 public recognition of our work, but for 

 the time being it cripples survey work by 

 drawing away many of the best men. 

 These positions are eagerly sought and pay 

 relatively well, but usually offer only re- 

 stricted opportunities for research work 

 and often prohibitive conditions as re- 

 gards publication. It is to be hoped that 

 in time these restrictions will largely dis- 

 appear. 



Granted, then, that properly equipped 

 and willing workers may rest assured of 

 positions being open to them, the vital 

 question remains as to the work to be done. 

 To some extent, in geology, pioneer condi- 

 tions have passed. In our portion of the 

 world geologic mapping on some scale has 

 very generally been done. In much of 

 Canada, in Alaska, in parts of Mexico and 

 in most of South America pioneer condi- 

 tions, as (regards geology, still prevail. 

 Very little of either Africa or Asia has 

 been carefully studied so that as regards 

 systematic work alone the bulk of our 

 task is still before us. If also we measure 

 the work from the point of view of de- 

 velopment of ideas, the task is even more 



