The copper era. (Clifton, Graham County, Ariz.) 1899-1911, 1910-07-22
Bureau of Mines and the GEOLOGICAL
Survey.

bureau OF MINES dnu tne ueOlOgICdl
Survey.
"Bunkoed" was the widespread COM
ment through the West when it was
announced that the president had APP
pointed Mr.. George Otis Smith to be
acting director of the bureau of
mines. The judgment is probably too
harsh, and yet, with the highest
respect for the efficient director OF
the Geological Survey, it seems to
have basis. Mr.. Smith has been con-
nected SO intimately with the move
ment to prevent the appointment of
Mr.. j. A. Holmes and to secure the
position for MIR. E. W. Parker, that
this is apparently but an indirect way
to secure that which we understand
was impossible directly, through the
threa tened refusal of the senate to
confirm Mr.. Parker's appointment.
For the president, under these con-
ditions, to wait until congress ad-
journed and then appoint Mr.. Smith
is bound to create bad impression.
All this is said without the slightest
wish to question the personal fitness
for the place of either Mr.. Parker or
Mr.. Smith. Both are administrators
of proved ability and gentlemen of
large attachments and high character.
The objection to putting the work
into the charge of either is that they
are not in sympa thy with what the
majority of those interested in Great
ing the bureau of mines expect the
latter to do, and what, so far as we
are concerned, we believe to be the
proper functions of the bureau. The
members of the Geological Survey
for years have feared that a bureau
of mines would come, in popular and
congressional estimation, to stand for
practical as against supposed merely
scientific interest in mining matters
on the part of the Geological Survey,
and that this would be reflected in
the growth of the bureau at the ex-
pense of the survey. 1t is well known
that for years survey officials refused
to have anything to do with the move
ment for bureau of mines and that
their final attitude was one of acquies-
cence rather than of aggressive help
fulness. In this they have been
fortified by unwise statements on the
part of some of the advocates of the
new bureau. 1t is not true and has
not been, since the Geological Survey
was created at least, that "the min
ing industry is not represented at
Washington" but the reiteration of
that phrase seems TO have got on the
nerves of the gentlemen of the survey
until they have been fairly "seeing
things at night They should have
more confidence in their work and in
the discrimination of the mining
engineers and mining men, on whose
opinion, in last analysis, they must
depend for support. No responsible
mining man wants to take any proper
function from the Geological Survey
and all wish it many years of useful
aess and appropriations many times
compounded; but mining men as well
as others reserve the right to ask for
any needed additional presentation
at Washington and the further right
of opinion as to how presentation
shall be allotted. To pass over to the
Geological Survey not only the inter
probation of its own functions but
that of other coordinate bureaus is
not fair to the latter, nor is it good
We fear that the
director of the Geological Survey has
precipitated, what we are sure he was
most anxious to avoid, a contest be-
tween the survey and the bureau of
mines. He may temporarily control
the situation, but in the nature of
things such a condition can not last,
and the reaction is likely to be more
severe than would have been the
original action had the latter been
met helpfully rather than in spirit
of antagonism.-Mining and Scientific
Press.