New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-03-15
NlYJONAL WOkK IN SCIENCE.
THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.
PROFESSOR POWELL, THE DIRECTOR REPLYING 10
CRITICISM FROM PROFESSOR AGAsSlL

DEFENDING THE GEOLOUlOAh ~"
PROFESSOR POWELL, THE DiRECToR. RIPLfiN" ~
CRITICISM FROM PROFESSOR AGAsSlZ'
W,suISGroN. March 11.-The last pages
urined of the testimony taken Oy the JOINT
of Con ress 10 study the organization Oh l"c So'o
bureaus of the Government, contain le'ter lI''n -
fessor J. w Powell director of the Geological SnrNc''
ip-tfving the cxstence and explaining the WorA oil '
institution Of which he is the head written III repS 10
the letter OF Professor Alexander Aeassz TO thecoh
sion Professor Powell says in substance 'h"' .'''
Arasslz's statements merit attention, not 80 ih"o" W
tb,r intrinsic yalue as from the reinforcement they IT,
ceive from the great of the writer luz Poo.,'
advanced state OF scientific work in America 10 p'
the result of the ms pration Of the elder AGasS@ %
s,s that ca-cful examination of Professor AEass'|
letter reveals the fact that the writer does not l
.necifc charges bus deals ratherln genera "o"" N,
With respect claim that the work OF the sur 'o'
within the limits OF individual inNestiSauo"'
Powell makes a comparison between what tue E'"''',
and STATE Governments have done FOR geologic i0''
h mo ,r,rl, accumulated by private enterprise a
bup,ro1 wear. ago carefully considered pau u '
surveys WAS Insulated which was int'"uo" " ,.t,
ba.is for all ca IasIr.l maps an subserVe al
and military purposes aud later undel the IV'N''
Lewis Cas-, Il geo ogic survey vas IhIr"'o" ~ ~.
sv.teu and eminent biologists were employed lo' VI"
mi ma the MAN been executed according TO inc
ORIGINAL intent the country would now nave co'P'o'
by far The greatest ana most important GeoSI"P"o ~
vey on tie face o. the globe. JnlOrtuhd'eN '''
contract system under which preferred Mduers "oo "
10 the work early incorporated IN the pau
in great extravagdncc ON one hand ana Such u'
,rior,tion ON the other that 1t finally suDsetFeu
the single purpose of parcelhng out glue lan"'
This system of survey has cost. up TO tho present ~
$50 900 OOO ana it Wi! always be matter OF proiou
regret To scholars and statesmen that the Er"'' Pun
poses for which the surveys were primarily 'Ie'n@''
were not fully realized. These facts are recaleu 10
traIe the statement that Topographic surveying mas
been recognized as proper work Of the general GOV
erumrut ever since the adoption OF the constitution anu
g.olocic survcyng ever since the development oil le
science.
For a long series Of years the Government has pro-
vided for general topographic ana seo'H"
surveys with various purposes III VIZ"
and under various ORGANIZATIONS H'''H-
expended III the work considerably more thah Fo'o'o
Co., the OF which have been male "eceSSo'o "
the nullic in mans and works on general and mining
geology and pa, anthology. State GOyerhMeh'S n''e
also made large expenditures for topographic ana geo
logic surveys aggrcgatms more than $Aooo'ooo' !"
Europe Topographic and geolo-ic surveying mas "i""!
been governmental. ., 8,
Itu,y be. Professor Powell says, that Mr. Aeassz III
his condemnation OF the work in ho COmstock Eureka
and Ieadylo districts referred chiefly to the fact ha'
the work was concentrated In them rather THAN ais
trbuted more generally elsewhere, ana tHl IL Was MOI
mis- purpose to condemn geologic WORK az large IL suc
ho b 5 statement
ntte consideration Of facts. From these three dis
trcts more than Az 100000 OF gold and silver bullion
have. neen taken and hundreds Of Tilcs OF shafts ana
galleries have been constructed There were Therefore.
three important reasons controlling tle Judgment
OF the director III planning lhlH "oIh' Inc iiS'
reason the industrial importance Oh these
districts. The second existed IN Tue iact that The cA-
lensIvc underground WOIhu-S rev eae' 10 Vi q 4
scale which Otherwise could not nave Deth discovered
The thrd existed IN the fact lnat these malt an .
ne sruog>t, as when no longer used they become IN
passabie. Under these 'tcuni' ahc'9 ~ "oulu nav e
been folly TO neglect heiI o. Ieseatcu 30 P.oilss
and So important To tho Industries Oh Inc country unt
Professor Powell quotes from Professor Agassz 1t
& an impossible tlug to make good gcOOglc map o.
toHosraphc may Of the country; and that on
that pinnacle truth he becomes veruginons and falls
into Inc error of saving the states Will
Ing to 20 that expense II seems PLAIN That hy do not
wish Government to 20 10 lhat expense Tor them
thus by Implication asserting that the people 40 not
| want Topographic map OF the country. Professor
Powell says thar Congress has provided for t0po.
granite map OF the United states, aud lie thinks It
reasonable 10 suppose that the statesmen of the country
many of the states have engaged III the same work.
mat sind Of Interesting documents which the heads OF
bureaus could get printed Government expense, and
very individuals societies would PRINT even hdd
they the at their command ) and elsewhere that
private individuals had learned nothing from large
class reports Of the survey There is thus pub
lshed to tne American peOpc writes PROFESSOR fo"el
that large corps OF men, believed by the puuic To be
eminent scholars ard high authority III their several
branches OF research are bnt preehder% hlhg hague
EmnOns Gilbert Duttun. Becker, Hayden, Chamber
lain Irving. shaer, MCGEE. Davis, Peae, and many
other eminent geOlOelsis Marsh Nlte, Waco |,
Dali Ward, FOutaine, L"squcrcuX, Newberry and other
eminent paieuntOlOglsts Clarke, GOOch Chatard ana
| other eminent chemists; Cannot, \. H. 1hOmpsOn 6A-
bert Thompson, Woodward and other eminent geogra
phor, and lop0grapners all involved IN THIS whole
sale cOndcmnaOH and the director OF the survey HIM
self is by Implication, published as me chiet oil pre-
tenders Every of the gentlemen whose names are
mentioned has borne an active WStSulSne anu IL mar
been heretofore supposed an honorable part IN American
scientific research 1t Is not hitting even 10y association
that tue name Agssz the Great should be appended
| referring TO Mr.. AgasslIs charge that the pubca
ton, mode OF distribution, and size OF the
editions are wastcfu and cItrdyagant and that there
are not five hundred people or institutions to whom
they will do any good, Professor Powell says the sen
! lnent common in Europe is rarely FOUND IL America
wncn would exclude the people at large from the pro-
gress scientific research ana connue IL 10 hereditary
and scientific and he expresses the opln
ION that time Will soon come when all the
scientific publications OF the Coy eminent VIII be
every county in the United states This Is inperayey
demanded IN order to wise and just distribu-
ton among the people OF the sources OF advancing
knOwled.e. Mr. AgasslZ, he says has devoted many
wears to the accumulation of great fortune, and ha
us the means acquired by successful business opera
for the publication OF scientific books ana the pro
should be accorded him. but hundred
| milionaires could not do the work I'm scientific
research now done by the general Government
Professor Powell urges that 1t would seem To he Wis
dom the part of government designed to promote
the welfare OF the people 10 'de for Investigations
In those fields Vitay affecting the great Industries
in winch people engage; that National survey
efficient and economic than many state surveys that
the plant for geologic Investigation Is too expensive Of
private agencies mat the results OF local investigation
general value 10 many districts ana knowledge
examination of many other localities ana that ali gov
research stimulates. promotes aud guides pr
Vate research
ID