The Washington times., 1905-08-03
GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
HAS ITS TROUBLES
Keep Commission VIII Find
Irregularities.
LONG DELAYS IN REPORTS
Labor Organizations and Private Firms
Alleged 20 Have Iuterfered With
Government Work.

When the Keep commission gets up
10 the Geological Survey with its inves-
tIgation into departmental red tape and
how to unravel 1t. it will learn number
of things about the relations of science
TO practical affairs.
It will discover a long list Of things
that need mending. and will learn why
Government reports Of scientists have
in many cases been first published pri-
vately.
Obituaries of dead mining camps" Is
the phrase commonly used by the sur
vey biologists in describing their re-
ports on particular mining regions to
which they are sent. Obituaries" be-
cause in most cases the camp is dead
long before the report is in print.
The reason is that the department is
so tied up with red tape that it can't
by the utmost effort get a report into
print inside of six months, and some of
them have taken two or three years.
Lamentable Delay.
Geologist J. f. Spur. for example.
made an investigation Of the new
Tonopah gold region in Nevada, which
everybody was anxious to know about
because it was becoming recognized as
enc of the most remarkable gold camps
ever opened in the country. In the
effort 10 get some facts to the public
as soon as possible, he prepared special
brief report, which was hurried TO the
prlnter-and was not in print until three
months later. despite all efforts TO hur-
~ 1t.
The pictures and engravings, absolute
" necessary in such an article, delayed
it. The more detailed report on the
same region, including larger maps and
sections has now been six months IN
the hands of the printer. and Is still not
out.
The trouble is that the Survey has an
engraving bureau Of its own TO do GER
tain of its work: but this bureau is
hopelessly inadequate. and It is alleged
that some labor organizers have used
their utmost efforts TO keep 1t in this
cc~ ~ditiGn.
They do not want the Government to
deNalnp a large engraving plant whose
ensnioyes would be independent of labor
organizations and whose existence would
in a large way menace the domination
Of this trade by the organizations.
Private Influences.
Private engraving firms likewise use
their influence against establishing a
properly equipped Government engrav-
ing business. because they find the Gov
ernment work a great convenience. as
well as q source OF profit. Right here
is where the delays in printing reports
CONS in.
The private firms want the Govern
ment work to "fn In their spare time
when other business Is not pressing
They get it ct good rates, without any
time limit, and then take their time
When other work gets slack the Gov
ernment work receives a little attention
and In time il IS sure to be completed
but in time" means geological time.
which the gold prospector anxiously
awaiting information is hardly able to
differentiate from eternity. The Govern
ment Printing Office does It's work
promptly enough, the engravings delay
everything.
A clash between Director Walcott and
Samuel Gompers was precipitated some
time ago. when Mr.. Gompers issued a
protest against importing map engrav-
ers under contract 10 work for the 5u-
rear-
Engravers Needed.
1t was replied that there were not
enough of this class of workmen in the
country. and that the Government sim
ply could not get Its work done without
bringing foreigners here to do it. Di-
rector Walcott offered, in case Mr.. Com
pers would bring forward any American
map engraVers, 10 employ all of them
at nigh wages, but none was produced
When activities in the Joplin lead and
zine district Were such that Govern
Inent report on the region was absolute
~ demanded, one Of the survey scient-
ISIS was sent there to make the eXami-
tt..tsIo.4. 80 NoIhcu eIsht months, get
ting ms field notes and writing the re-
port; then IL took fifteen months 10 get
the report ready for circulation, and this
was made a special case and great haste
was urged and achieved
a report on certain important mineral
districts in western Kentucky. which
We're Investigated in 1902. is still unpub-
lished.
The scientists explain that, confront
ed with these conditions, and with the
public clamOrlng frequently for infOrma-
lion whlch IT Is impossible to get ground
through the Government presses they
often publish articles IN the technical
or scientific press In order that the peo-
pie may get the beneflt Of the work
for these they say they ara paid little
and. in most cases, nothing at all They
simply consider Il better TO publish q
biogFa phicaI sketch Of a mining camp
while il Is alive. than 10 print an obit-
uary after Il is dead