Evening star., 1912-11-10

the water resources branch" Is carry
Ing on an important work. This branch
Is making a complete study of rivers.
great and small. from their sources to
of streem have been collected at more
than 1.5O0 stations throughout this coun-
try for long period, in order to deter
mine the average flow Of the rivers.
work as inland navigation. food preven-
ton. water-power development. irriga-
lion reclamation. swamp drainage and
municipal water supply. or in reality.
river regulation as whole. In one year
$50 600 acres of land. not previously
examined. were investigated by engineers
Of this branch In connection with water
power Withdrawals
Not only is the geological survey busy
Investigating lands and rivers in the
United States with re-
Conservation spect to their economic
ra.%...a value. but each year 1t
is GALE upon to a great
er extent than before to apply the re-
suits Of those scientific researches into
the mineral resources Of the country
along lines Of practical economic develop
ment and rational conservation-that is.
the fullest possible utilization with the
least possible waste. Uncle Sam is. for
instance the largest owner Of oil lands.
phosphate lands and water power sites
as we'll as coal lands. in the United
States, holding title to an area Of such
mineral lands aggrega ting more than
80, coo COO acres. The classification Of the
coal lands has been begun. In the in
stances of the oil and phosphate lands
~ l.~~ 49,
be Classified until proposed legislation
providing for their proper development
he's been passed by Congress-
Seven or eight Of the rub,ic land states
contain extensive oil deposits. and in
many localities the oil is associated With
natural gas Large areas of the western
Oil fields have been geologically exam
ined, and the acres withdrawn in Cali
fornia. Oregon. Wyoming. Utah, New
Mexico. Colorado and Louisiana total
tana and Florida are the great phosphate
deposits belonging to Uncle Sam The
worlds supply of phosphate rock is very
meager. but the largest known deposits
nave recently been discovered In these
states. As result of geological exam
nations 2,611 40 acres Of phosphate land
now stand withdrawn, awaiting legisla-
tlon that will safeguard them against
speculation and monopolization. Water
power sites have been withdrawn to the
amount of 1,747.522 acres. while reser-
voir Withdrawals have also been made
to the extent of 94,90S acres.
For the year 191O-11 Congress appro-
priated less than s1.5o0,0OO for the MAIN
tenance Of the entire
Cost of geological survey, or only
or.~,.-- about six times as much as
W. the survey saved for the
government as result Of one line of
work. the Classification and valuation of
the coal lands. At the FAD of the sur
vey as director. is George Otis Smith.
The survey is made up of several d'vi-
sions. The division of geology, compris-
ing six sections, has nearly 12j biologists
come cted with it. The division Of Alas
kan mineral resources, dealing with MAX
ing geologic and topographic and water
resource Investigations in Alaska, com.
prises a force Of more than f1fty, OF
which number twenty are experts IN
either geology, topography or engineer
| 'ne. The topographic div sion is divided
into four sections. the force numbering
about go, of which seventy are field as
sistants. Besides the force necessary to
carry on the work in Washington the
water resources branch receives reports
from 1900 stations in this country.
During a sing year the geo og cal sur
vey issued nearly 200 publications OF
various kinds. The total number of print
ed pages in these pub ications was 1905.
or nearly LOGO more pages than COM
prised the publications the previous year.
Many Of the bulletins and other rapers
issued by the survey are illustrated. IL
lustrat tions for single year numbered
approximately 1000 OF that numser 2Si
were maps, 1,119 dias rams and 5S1 re-
touched photographs. In one year ASS. $50
books were distributed and DS. llo
maps. AS result OF the sale Of books
and maps s21.5S3 was turned into the
Treasury. OF that amount more than
$40 OUo was received for topographic and
geoiorical maps The instrument shop OF
the survey repaired LEO Instruments of
various kinds. while near'y 5000 square
inches of copper plates and llOO square
inches Of e 'ectrotypes were made. The
Photographic laboratory made l6OO ~
NEGATIVES and 4O75o prints, OF winch
1881 were maps and diagrams. and the
remainder photographs for illustrating.
Some idea of the work done in the ad-
minis.rative branch Of the survey can be
gained from the fact
Administrative that 1886 pieces Of
incoming mail were
0CIdA1S' handled in a year, OF
which number $3.50 were registered. That
number does not include the pieces of
mail QlStT1DuIeQ uHOpcuCu w lAC voAAoo
branches and individuals in the survey.
A four-month record Of such mail shows
a total of almost 100 600 pieces. To record
and file this amount of correspondence
required five clerks who worned contin-
ually. The number Of outgoing letters
from this branch in the same year was
92.12S. The number Of pieces of freight
handled in one year was 4,OOo of which
1852 were incoming, the remainder out
going.
An important feature Of the geological
survey is the library. which contains
Sc GOO books. 10000 pamphlets. and about
10000 maps Accessions to this library
are restricted as closely as possible to
publications that will probably be OF per-
n1anent value, works on other scientific
subjects being sent to the Library of
Congress. Even under this strict classi-
ficat.on, the accessons in one year
amounted to more than 11.0OO books and
pamphlets and over 800 maps The value
of the library can be appreciated from
the fact that in a year 1873 used 1t,
while 1O.2 .2a6 books were loaned for outside
use and 52l maps were also loaned.
Since its establishment In 1879 the geo.
logical survey has grown to such an ex-
tent that two now independent bureaus
were at one :ime merely part of the
survey These are the reclamation serv-
ice and the bureau Of mines. In addit on