Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-06-19

There are many able and Intelligent
cltIzens who do not fully appreciate,
or do not appreciate at an. thc value
OF an efficient state mining and geo-
logical bureau. Too often their idea
OF such bureau IL that the office
holders arc drawing down fat salaries
Tor sinecnre work and writing reports
watch nobody can understand or use.
or else they believe that "A b the
chief purpose of such d bureau TO
discover mineral resources ana they
rldieule the idea of honest men doing
such work for The government Instead
OF for themselves.
Apart from scientific work In tho
furtncrancC OF educational purposes,
geological and mining surveys 10 nave
a decidedly meritofions value aud are,
Ia fact uB Indispensable adjunct To-
the up-to~date state. In down-to-date
Japan there are even ug,iciai pcoieg-
ical surveys for several 81 the counties
and lesser districts
The purpose ~ geological survey
is not 10 discover mineral deposits.
although this has often been dour by
survey members, accidentally or
otherwise. Rather. the raisen d'ctro
uf such survey Is 20 Investigates
Known mineral occurrences. and this
for two purposes. First To inform
those operating the propertics as Of
the geology, mode of occurrence and
possible extension of their mineral
values. Secondly. ana this ls ri most
Importance the survey affords the
public. both within and outside tie
state, an unbiased and honest des-
Criptlon and discussion of The pr lD-
critics This gives the possible inyes-
tor tho most reliable authority ex.ant
both az 20 properties n whicl Il may
be reasonably saie 90 Invest, and as
10 properties toward which reason
counsels cautious appr0nch The
greatest monetary return 90 zoe uate
lies in this function 0f lhc g2o'Ogleal
survey as publicity medium und
" the survey be conducted Win sUf-
iiCient dignity. and with freedom rom
the habit of Undue booming" IT,
uttcranccs are bound 90 cam ami ob-
tain an attentive ear an tie sound
respect OF the investing public.
N9w York. Louisiana aud Oreeoa
present three sirlklns examples os tic
value OF an efficient gooiopigal survey
una the cnect % he "a Eonce uf sieh
8 bu eau. Tho Now York state str-
vcy has been lntcTruptedly IN opera
tiOn since 1896. II has been ~ ines
tlmable value In helpins 90 develop.
among other practical" things. the
cement gypsum, salt aud quaFrylng
Industries Of the state. Up 10 the
early 't0's, before the survey proved
that workable coal WAS absent 10 the
stale OF New orR. th0u ifr1s OF dri-
lars were aquaudered annually To-
irutlcss mornings in barren rock. Il
has been estimated that the entire
coui of ihe survey since 1886 has been
very nearly ~ not quite, 'dpald go The
state by discountcnancing such ox-
penditures and saving 20 successive
generations 81 ciflzcng sums of money
which ~ spent iu feavcAing for coal
could have no other return than 90
be- sunk irrevocably into the earth.
Even more viyidly Illuminating b
the record ef Louisiana From the
late sos 10 about 1910, this state en-
logged an enormous mineral Develop
ment especially n uil and gas. salt
and sulphur Not that Harris state
sociological survey. which was Ia exist
cnce during these years actually dis