The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-03-22
CONFLICT or JURISDICTION,
Coast Survey objects to Navy's Work
on the Lines of the Island
Possessions.


NEW YORK. March si.--A special
to the Tribune from Washington says;
The superintendent 6f the coast SUR
vcy appeared before the naval comit-
tee OF the house in opposition to the
proposed appropriation to enable the
navy department to continue its sur
veys of the new insular possessions.
Last years naval bill. approved by
the president ON March s, authorized
the navy to make surveys of the Inn
perfectly known parts Of the coasts and
harbors OF the Philippine archipelago
and the islands OF Cuba and Puerto
Rico. with their bordering keys and
waters and minor outlying islands.
on the same day the president sign
ed the sundry civil bill. which provided
for the coast survey OF the treasury de-
partment. with an appropriation, for
every expenditure requisite for and in
cident TO the survey OF the coasts OF
the United States. and OF the coasts
under the jurisdiction OF the United
States" Both departments We're thus
authorized in direct terms to enter the
same field OF work, which they pro-
ceeded to do.
The navy now has two vessels en-
gagged in making surveys in Cuba. one
In the outlying islands eastward OF
Puerto Rico. one In the Hawaiian ISL
ands and one at Guam. and orders have
been issued for the preparation OF six
OF the naval vessels in Philippine waters
to begin the survey OF those waters.
The coast and Geodetic survey has one
vessel engaged in making surveys on
the south coast OF Puerto Rico and one
in the Hawaiian Islands.
Thus far no case has arisen in which
vessels Of the two departments have
surveyed the same ground and there
has been no actual duplication Of the
field work.
But under the provision Of the re-
vised statutes. sections 4Sl and 432, the
navy has been for years surveying in
all parts of the world and has been is
suing charts OF Cuba. Puerto Rico.
Guam. Hawaii and the Philippines,
while the coast survey has been limit
ed to the short line Of the United
States. However. in 1898 the coast sur
vey published chart OF Cuba, made
up from Spanish sources. which had
already been made available to the
government and the people Of the Uni
ted States in the navy department
chart years earlier.
About the same time and before the
treasury department had lone any sur
veying in the West Indies, the coast
survey chart No $40 Of the island Of
Puerto Rico was published in practl-
cal duplication of the navy department
chart No. 1.O01 which has been on is
sue by the photographic Office since
1897. and has the latest information
incorporated into 1t; in the same year
and before the treasury department
had done any surveying in the Hawa
iian islands, coast survey chart No 400
of the Hawaiian islands was published,
duplicating navy department chart No.
1886. which had been issued by the
photographic Office since 1893; and.
again in 1900. and without ever having
done any surveying whatever at the
island Of Guam, the coast survey re-
published in chart No. 1902 the inform
alton that is represented in navy de-
partment chart No 1,74s, which the
hyprographIc office has been issuing
since 1896 and which is now subject
to extensive alterations found neces-
sary through recent naval surveys.
To avoid further duplication congress
will probably confine the operations Of
the coast survey to the mainland Of
the United States. 1t has been found
that to enable the coast survey to do
the work will compel the repair Of the
older vessels Of the coast survey, the
building or purchase Of new ones and
large sums to man them, as the work
Is essentially ship work.