G. 0. Smith — Government Geological Surveys. 191 



Congressional consideration of this National task was 

 like the " voice of one crying in the wilderness.' ' 



In a somewhat similar way the forestry surveys under 

 the Geological Survey helped in the organization of a 

 separate bureau — now the Forest Service. The other 

 important Federal bureau tracing direct relationship to 

 the Survey is the Bureau of Mines, established in 1910, 

 which continued the investigations in mining technology 

 specifically provided for by Congress for six years under 

 the Geological Survey but in some degree begun in the 

 early days of the Survey under Directors King and 

 Powell. 



, Another equally important organization of a public 

 nature, though not a Federal bureau, traces its begin- 

 nings to the Geological Survey : the Geophysical Labora- 

 tory of the Carnegie Institution, which now exercises so 

 potent an influence over geologic investigation, had its 

 origin in the official work of the Geological Survey's 

 Division of Chemical and Physical Research, and its per- 

 sonnel was at first largely recruited from the Survey. 

 The highly original experimental work of this laboratory 

 has extended far beyond the scope of the Survey's work — 

 at least far beyond the scope possible with the Federal 

 funds available — yet most of the results of these inves- 

 tigations may eventually come under even a strict 

 construction of the language used in the Survey's appro- 

 priation "for chemical and physical researches relating 

 to the geology of the United States. ' ' 



The topographic work of the present Survey continues 

 with constant refinement of standards and economy of 

 methods the work of the earlier organizations. The 

 primary purpose of these topographic surveys is to pro- 

 vide the bases for geologic maps, yet these topographic 

 maps, which cover 40 per cent of the area of the United 

 States, are used in every type of civil engineering as well 

 as by the public generally. The annual distribution by 

 sale of half a, million of these maps is an index of their 

 value to the people. 



The hot discussion that was waged for years on the 

 question of military versus scientific administration of 

 topographic surveys is in striking contrast with the 

 present concentration of all the topographic mapping 

 under the Geological Survey in those areas where it may 

 best serve the needs of the Army. In 1916 Congress 

 specifically recognized the possibility of greater coop- 



