710 
GEOLOGY: COMMITTEE REPORT 
Proc. N. a. S. 
these complex motions into several components, has now progressed so 
far that a number of recording seismologic stations have been established 
in the United States by various government bureaus, in educational 
institutions and in private laboratories. In order that the records of 
such stations should be of much real value it is necessary, however, that 
certain conditions should be met. The sites must be selected with good 
judgment, the instruments should be of the best type, their installation 
must be satisfactory, and they must be in charge of skilled observers. 
Further, the efficiency of the seismologic stations in this country would 
be increased if they were under the supervision of a central coordinating 
organization. Such an organization does not exist, as yet. It would 
require, moreover, large financial support to establish the desirable num- 
ber of special seismologic stations, with observers and adequate equip- 
ment, at all desirable points. The stations of the Weather Bureau are 
widely distributed, at many of them are trained observers capable of 
caring for seismometers and allied instruments, and it is, therefore, for- 
tunate that Congress has for several years past appropriated a small 
sum of money which the Weather Bureau is authorized to spend in seis- 
mologic work. 
It is the opinion of this Committee that, until a permanent special 
organization is created, the seismologic investigations of the Weather 
Bureau should be extended by the equipment of additional selected 
meteor ologic stations, with the proper seismometers and other necessary 
instruments, to be operated by the staff of the Weather Bureau. The 
Committee, however, believes that the seismologic research of the Weather 
Bureau, if thus expanded, should be placed under the immediate direction 
of a trained seismologist, belonging to its corps. If this is inexpedient, it 
is suggested that the desirable supervision and advice might be secured 
by cooperation with the American Geophysical Union, connected with 
the National Research Council. It is to be noted that the Chief of the 
Weather Bureau and several of its staff are members of this Union, which 
includes also several of the leading seismologists of the country. 
II. Investigations in Volcanology and Seismology by the Weather Bureau 
in the Hawaiian Islands. — Bearing in mind the general considerations as 
to researches in seismology and volcanology presented in the earlier 
part of this report, the Committee has reviewed the exceptionally favor- 
able opportunity for obtaining valuable contributions to these sciences 
in Hawaii through the administration of the Kilauea Volcano Observa- 
tory and other studies of volcanic action by the Weather Bureau. The 
broader relations of such investigations have been considered. It is 
evident that the supervision of this work should be directed with due 
regard to general, provincial, and local relations which may now be dis- 
cussed. 
Observations and researches in volcanology and seismology carried 
