16 REPORT . 
demand for information from this district. The topographical work of the 
United States Geological Survey which is being done in collaboration with 
the State of Ohio, has been practically completed in the area covered by 
these coals, and it is expected that the work will be greatly assisted by 
the new maps. Assistant Geologist Bownocker has this work in hand, but 
the report will not be completed without another season’s field work. This. 
concludes the list of topics upon which formal reports have been author- 
ized. | 
PUBLICATIONS OF THE SURVEY. 
The method of distribution of the reports of the Geological Survey 
has been the least efficient thing in connection with the work. The state 
has paid out large sums of money. for the prosecution of the Survey. An 
able corps of scientists performed their tasks in a manner which has made 
their labors memorable. Their reports, while not up to the style of publi- 
cation now in vogue, were well printed and well illustrated for the time 
when they appeared. But the state and people have not realized the full 
value of their investment, or rather have not realized as much from their 
investment as they could and should have done, on account of the system 
of distribution. This was not the fault of the officers of the Survey, as 
the matter was not placed in their hands. In all the early reports, the dis- 
tribution of the whole issue was made at once; a small number, generally 
400 or 500, were allotted to the State Geologist for his exchange list and 
free list. The balance of the issue was then distributed pro rata among the 
members of the Legislature who happened to be in office at the time. These 
persons, not having specially considered the question, were generally at a 
loss to know what to do with such large numbers of the reports. They were 
ofteri used very unwisely —and seldom if ever did the allotment of a 
member reach a large percentage of interested persons. | 
This arrangement has also worked a great disadvantage to the Survey 
organization, from the fact that no supply was reserved for exchange or to 
supply the needs of libraries and collectors. Consequently, a short thme 
after an issue was made, it was impossible to secure a copy in any official 
manner or from any official source, except as one happened to know some 
one who had been a member of the Legislature at the time. 
With Volume V and subsequent volumes a new arrangement was 
made. by which the number distributed to the General Assembly was re- 
duced, and a certain part of the issue was placed in the hands of the Sec- 
retary of State for sale at the cost of publication. This arrangement 
proved a great advance over the preceding method, but has proven still 
inadequate, as is shown by the fact that each issue thus put on the market 
was soon sold out. * 
“A few copies of Vol. VII only are now left in the office of the Secretary 
of State. 
