The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-08-11
SEVERAL GEOLOGICAL EXPERTS
EMBARK IN A PRIVATE NEWS
PAPER ENTERPRISE.
Mining Journal DepIores Placing Of
Reclamation Work in Hands Of
Federal Survey Bureau.

ical punish the offender by organizing
on opposition publication"
This is a new rule recommended to
the scientists of Washington in the
government departments based on
recent venture into journalism OF
members of the United States Geologi-
cal Survey.
The Engineering and Mining Jour-
nal of New York, on December 6, 1904.
printed an editorial on the geological
survey, in which it deplared the plac-
ing of the reclamation Of arid lands
under the new irrigation policy of the
government under the control Of the
survey bureau, predicting that 1t
would district official attention from
the, really valuable scientific work
for which the survew vas organized.
The editorial was written by an emf
nent scientists.
In consequence of this editorial it
geological survey was much vexed at
what he deemed an attack on his bu-
reau, and was determined to form an
opposition to the offending Journal.
There had been published in Cnica-
go for many years a Journal entitled
the Western Mining World. A plan
was soon laid before members of the
geological survey for them to take
stock in this paper, the name of which
was to be changed to the Mining
World. It was explained that it was
to be made a high-class mining and
engineering paper, eminent scientists
in and out of the government service
were to be made directors and editors
and it would be a good thing for the
scientific world as we'll for those VINO
went into the new enterprise.
In consequence of this the Mining
World appeared in it's new form few
months later, drawing from the geo.
logical survey most of it's editorial tai
ent. The directors were David T.
Day, Kirby Thomas, E. c. Eckle, Geo.
S. Smith, Lyman A. Sisley and ].
Winchester Holman.
Of this list of seven directors four
are officials or attaches Of the geologi-
cal survey. DR.. Day is the head of
the division of mining and mineral
resources All the others are well
known experts in their respective
lines.
For associate editors the newspaper
boosted of David T. Day, c. Willard
Hayes, chief of the survey on econ
omic geology; E. w. Parker, paid
employe and an authority on coal,
who was to write on coal in 'connec-
ton with w. w. Ruley of Philadel-
phia, another paid employe; Clifford
Pinchot, chief of the forestry divis-
ion of the department of agriculture,
to write on forestry, and long list Of
other persons associated with the
survey either by virtue of being state
biologists or per diem employees.
Now the geological survey is gov
eminent institution, which is spend
ing this year, in addition to several
millions from the reclamation fund,
the sum of s1,51442O directly appro-
priated from the treasury but scat
tered through five different appropria-
ton bills. All it's employees are sup
posed to give all it's time to the gov
eminent. They are not supposed to
use the time for which they are paid
in writing for magazines matter which
would be valuable in government re-
ports, although it is true that maya
zines sometimes get the best and the
freshest Of it. Nor are they supposed
to be interested in private enterprises
which are benefited by the work done
in the time paid for by the govern
ment.
Many Of the officials of the survey
subscribed for stock at the solicitation
of leading men of the survey, who
were annoyed at the editorial in the
New York Mining Journal. The rival
magazine is being managed and edit
ed very largely from the geological
survey, and contains articles from
the pens of members of the govern
ment forces.
Began to be Dissatisfied.
Some of the employees of the survey
after they were induced to go on the
staff and to subscribe for blocks of
stock began to feel dissatisfaction ov-
er some things. They suspected that
the magazine had been started for
the purpose of avenging the offense
of the mining journal in New York.
They were not satisfied with the tone
of the paper with which they had al
lied their fortunes. So several of
them resigned.
After sending in their designations