The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-02-09
IrlEpHONE NUMBERS:
Editorial Rooms. S23 Counting RooH,.... 672
THE INTELLIGENCER.
WHEELING, FEBRUARY 0, 1900.
The Legislature and State Survey.

The Legislature and State Survey.
The Intellisencer is in receipt Of the
new preliminary geological map OF the
state Of West Virginia, just published
under the direction Of the State Geolog-
ical Survey, together with the report of
of State Geologist DR.. I. C. White, laid
before the present legislature, as re-
quired by the act Of 1897, establishing
the survey.
The report OF the commission and the
matters recommended by DIR. White
should be read and carefully considered
by every member of the legislature, for
1t Is of the greatest Importance to the
state and its future, and the work OF the
survcy,which has been needed foryears,
having begun in Il systematic manner,
should have the liberal support of the
legislature. For that body to ignore
the matter would be to neglect an i'm
pcrativc duty.
Before referring to the nature of the
. icSoIiilHSitdd'ipil ps lhe Stdtt 6culOSlSt,
1t may be well to state that DR.. White
has consented to take charge of the
work of the survey In corporation with
the government survey, and to direct it
at a great financial sacrifice to himself.
since the salary of the state geoloSst
~ merely nominal. The annual report
Of the state Se0losist and economic sur
vey commission. referred to above as,
just published, is made to the lcgisla-
turc, and is doubtless on the desk OF
every member OF the house of dele
gates and the state senate. 1t is, there
fore. unnecessary to review It here. The
Intelligencer trusts that each member
will carefully read it. particularly that
part of it prepared by DR.. White Civ
tons necessary to carry out the great
and valuable worl: OF the commission
in corporation with the United States
geological survey, the national organi-
cation to undertake the work If the
state will share in it.
DR.. White quotes Topographer Her
bert NJ. Wilson. of the United States
geological survey, as to how the citi-
zcns of West Virginia would share in
the work. He says that, according to
the plan in other states, but limited
number OF men will be sent from Wash
ington. the larger number being en-
ploycd in the regions where the work
IS in progress. Ten or 4 dozen of the
experienced topographers OF the United
States will act as chiefs of parties.
while all other surveyors, level men.
transit men, rod men, assistants and
helpers will be employed in the locality
in which the work Is DONE Thus the
local engineers OF Yves: Virginia will
find employment. the salaries of all
employees being paid by the federal gov
errmcnt; the money will naturally be
expended within the state. The money
payment for the subsistence OF parties
and supplies.
DR.. White estimates the annual ap-
preparations necessary to carry out the
requirements of the act establishing the
state survey, II the cooperation with
the national survey is inaugurated by
the present legislature, at $4,000 a
Topographic survey OF the state will
be of untold advantage, and West Vir-
ginia should not be behind her sister
states in this particular. Ten thousand
dollars OF this sum will be for co-opera-
ton with the United States survey, in
the preparation OF q complete topo-
graphic map Of the state. We trust the
legislature will act upon this matter
without delay, for it is n rare oppor-
tunIty to accomplish what has been
needed for years. and that too, with the
assistance OF the federal government,
and ut remarkably low cost.