THE FUNCTIONS AND IDEALS OF A NATIONAL GEO- 
LOGICAI^ SURVEY.! 
By F. L. Ransome, United States Geological Survey. 
INTRODUCTION. 
During the period of unrest and uncertainty through which we are 
still painfully groping the many distracting calls upon my time 
and thoughts have made performance of the duty to prepare a presi- 
dential address particularly difficult. In view of these circum- 
stances I may perhaps hope for your indulgence if my effort shows 
some lack of thoroughness in its preparation and falls short of the 
high standard set by some of my distinguished predecessors. The 
subject of a presidential address to the academy should, I think, be 
of wider interest and more general character than would ordinarily 
be an account of work in the speaker's particular branch of science, 
and this condition I have attempted to fulfill. Although what fol- 
lows will deal especially with national geological surveys, much of 
it will apply in principle to any scientific bureau conducted as a 
Government organization. 
REASONS FOR THE EXISTENCE OF A NATIONAL GEOLOGICAL 
SURVEY. 
In the beginning it may be well to review briefly the reasons for 
the existence of a national geological survey. Why should the Gov- 
ernment undertake work in geology while it leaves investigations in 
other sciences to private initiation and enterprise ? The reasons that 
may be adduced will differ with the point of view. The geologist 
will suggest that whereas some sciences, such as chemistry, physics, 
or astronomy, may be pursued successfully with stationary and per- 
manent equipment at any one of a number of localities, geology is 
regional in its scope and is primarily a field science as contrasted 
with a laboratory science. Geology, it is true, must avail itself of 
laboratory resources and methods, but the geologist can not have 
the greater part of his material brought to him; he must himself 
seek it afield. Thus it comes about that comprehensive geologic 
* Address of the retiring president of the academy delivered Jan. 13, 1920. Reprinted 
by permission from the Journal of the Washingtor Academy of Sciences, vol. 10, No. 4, 
Feb. 19, 1920. 
12573°— 21 18 261 
