G. 0. Smith — Government Geological Surveys. 183 



Powell was no less brilliant than his simple explanation 

 of the Grand Canyon itself. 



' ' The United States Geographical Surveys West of the 

 100th Meridian" was the title given to the explorations 

 made under Lieut. G. M. Wheeler, of the Engineer 

 Corps, which began with topographic reconnaissances in 

 Nevada, Utah, and Arizona, specifically authorized by 

 Congress in 1872. From the standpoint of American 

 geology this could be better known as the Gilbert Survey, 

 Mr. G.'K. Gilbert serving for the three years 1871-73, the 

 later part of the time with the title of chief geological 

 assistant. Gilbert's contributions included his descrip- 

 tion of Basin Range structure, his first account of old 

 Lake Bonneville, and his discussion of the erosion phe- 

 nomena of the desert country. J. J. Stevenson also 

 served later as a geologist of this Survey, and A. R. Mar- 

 vine. E. E. Howell, E. D. Cope, Jules Marcou, and I. C. 

 Russell were connected with the field parties. Captain 

 "Wheeler's own claim for the work of his Survey empha- 

 sized its geographic side, for he regarded the results as 

 the partial completion of a systematic topographic sur- 

 vey of the country. 



By 1878, when the Fortieth Parallel Survey had com- 

 pleted the work planned by its chief, three of these inde- 

 pendent surveys still contended for Federal support and 

 for scientific occupation of the most attractive portions 

 of the Western country. Unrestrained competition of 

 this kind, even in the public service, proves as wasteful as 

 unregulated competition in private business, s and Con- 

 gress appealed to the National Academy of Sciences for a 

 plan for Government surveys to "secure the best results 

 at the least possible cost." Lender instructions by Con- 

 gress the National Academy considered all the work 

 relating to scientific surveys and reported to Congress 

 a plan prepared by a special committee, whose member- 

 ship included the illustrious names of Marsh, Dana, 

 Rogers, Newberry, Trowbridge, Newcomb, and Agassiz. 

 This report", which was adopted by the Academy with 

 only one dissenting vote, grouped all surveys — geodetic, 

 topographic, land parceling, and economic — under two 

 distinct heads, surveys of mensuration and surveys of 



8 The views of the writer on "natural monopolies" in the Government 

 service are set forth in an address delivered at the centennial celebration 

 of the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survev, April 5, 1916. (See Science, vol. 

 43, pp. 659-665, Mav 12, 1916.) 



