The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-25
GOING FOR THE BIOLOGIST.
MR.. YEATES UNDER HOT FIRE
FROM MANY SOURCES.

FROM MANY sou hAESs
uhe BIaIOck Committee Expected ia
Recommend Abolition of the De-
partment-A Claim That DiscOn-
tinuance Would BE Unfortunate.
COMPLAINTS on Account Of the Fail
ure TO Publish REPORTS on the
GeOIogist's Work Pouring in From
Individuals in Every Section of the
State.
Atlanta. Ca, June 24-The members Of
the B.alock investigating committee are
sul as close as so many large sized clans,
but it can be safely stated that they are
on the point OF using their influence to
abolish the geological department, and
this would be a state calamity. Charges
are outstanding against the department
that are not without foundation, but it is
of Importance that the survey Of the state
should go ahead. especially when it is con-
sidered that this is the state which was
considered the richest in gold deposits till
the California gold fields were discovered,
and just al this time the abolition Of the
department would be particularly uufortu-
nate for outside capital has become inter-
ested, and there is pressing need that the
mines in this territory should be known
for what they are worth, and if Geologist
Yeates is incompetent, then another man
should be secured, but the department
ought to stand and it should not be abol-
ished, as it was once before for a mere
item of horse hire or any such trife. 1t
is too valuable and the state cannot do
without it, nor can any state in which the
mineral interests are so large get along
without a department of this kind.
The investigating committee seems to
be particularly mad about the horses fed
at state expense for the use of this de-
partment There are four of them. The
geologist recommended to the geological
board that they be sold. 1t was SO near
the time for another field season to open,
when the horses would be needed, that
the board thought they might as we'll be
kept, although they were doing nothing.
Later the geologlst found that he could
rent horses for the field season cheaper
than the state could own them, and he
reported to that effect. The horses were
ordered sold, but they have not been.
They have been idle and fed about eight
months at the states expense.
During this time the horses have been,
it is charged, driven for private conven-
fence by the geologist or others in his
department. This seems to have been
reckoned a grave crime. The horses
were doing nothing, and if they had no
work to do and were TO be maintained at
the states expense any how it is hard
> ~atrs f4nE, o. off
for those, who had charge of them to ex-
ercise them. Many of the
reports, it is said that
should go to the geological
office, never reached there. 1t is complain
ed that Geologist Yeates is rarely to be
found in his office, and one person who
knows something about the business that
comes before him suggests that the fact
that the geologist made a handsome show
ing at the Atlanta exposition and is now
making a still better one at Nashville culs
no figure with the persons making com
plants against him, as the exhibits do not
meet the requirements they want filed.
Geologist Yeates does not seem to be a
very perfect business man. Many COM
plants have reached his office, and, i'm the
main, they do not attack the survey, but
they do attack his hardness in giving the
results of his work to the public. Com
plants have come in over and over gain
about his failure to answer correspond
ence and to publish reports. The judg-
ment of the department on the true char
acter of minerals submitted for examina-
ton has also been slow to come, and the
owners have evinced considerable impa-
tience
The survey of the state, though the
work has, il appears. been faithfully done,
has made a very poor showing on account
of lack of publication. long list Of bull
letins from correspondents remains UNI
published. These concern the mineral re-
sources of the state. A report on water
power, written during Mr.. Spencer's re-
gime, four years ago, has not been touch
ed. A steady stream of inquiries pours
constantly into the office demanding re-
ports, and people grow angry on account
of the delay in receiving answers. The
etereotyped reply is that the state printers
are unable TO turn out the reports. The
printing company is pretty well equipped
and il is foolishness to say that il would
be unable TO print a bulletin within four
years.
The phosphate interest is said to have
suffered on account OF the biologists tar
diness. He had one or two years ago, Il is
reported, information in his hands which
he failed to publish. Mean time. in Ten
nessee, valuable phosphate deposits were
discovered and those Of Georgia became
less valuable.
The governor, who is a member of the
geological advisory board, said tonight
that if the department was to continue the
geologist ought to be put under bond and
the full responsibility turned over to him
and the geological board be abolished. The
governor is said TO be opposed to the ex-
istence of the department of geology and
the same Is said OF Attorney General Ter
rel. Controller General Wright agrees
that the department may be OF great i'm
portance TO the state and seems TO believe
that 1t ought not to be eliminated, es-
pecially at this time.
CLOSE OF THE UNION CONVENTION.