HISTORY ii 



The lack of comprehensive knowledge of the occurrence and 

 distribution of iron, despite numerous state and private in- 

 vestigations, is then set forth at length : 



To claim that the iron question will ever be adequately 

 investigated as a whole, either by private enterprise or State 

 surveys, is to betray a total lack of appreciation of the char- 

 acter, magnitude, and needs of the industry. 



What is true of this single metal is equally true of nearly 

 the whole catalogue of the mineral products of the United 

 States. A few exceptional items, like quicksilver, occur in such 

 restricted areas that private or State enterprises could contrib- 

 ute all the knowable facts and features of the business of pro- 

 duction. But as a whole it is true, and can never be refuted, 

 that the Federal Government alone can successfully prosecute 

 the noble work of investigating and making known the natural 

 mineral wealth of the country, current modes of mining and 

 metallurgy, and the industrial statistics of production. 



Provided Congress extends the field of the Geological Sur- 

 vey over the whole national territory, and appropriates the 

 comparatively small amounts necessary for the maintenance 

 of the organization, it will be entirely practicable to carry 

 forward this work, and contribute powerful aid to the mineral 

 industries. Of the desirableness, from every point of view, 

 of the results of a general geological survey, I conceive there 

 cannot be two opinions. That these results can only be at- 

 tained by an organization under Federal patronage, is, in my 

 opinion, scientifically certain. 



It was not until two years later that the recommendation of 

 the Director was adopted by Congress and then only in part. 

 The sundry civil appropriation act of 1882 (act of August 

 7, 1882, 22 Stat. L., 329) added to the original words of ap- 

 propriation, which had been repeated in the act of 1880 and 

 1881, the words, "and to continue the preparation of a geo- 

 logic map of the United States." It will be observed that the 

 provision for "examination of the mineral resources and prod- 

 ucts" which had been made in the original act with respect 

 to the national domain was not by this act extended to the 

 country at large. It was not indeed until 1888 that all re- 



