The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-03-22
PUBLIC LAND CLASSIFICATION.
United States Geological Survey Issues
Report Describing Procedure

/
one and third billion acres, acquire
in the preceding half century-ls03
1853 by purchasing, discovery, explora
: ton, and eession, and with another thir,
OF billion acres in Alaska, constitutin;
a later purchase, the nation felt that j
could be lavish with its lands. The vii
derness called for pioneers of every type
and large premiums were held out t.
capital enterprise and individual initia
tive. Development was desired whatever
the cost in lands that were intrinsically
o. little value without settlement. But
with the most and the best of the ma
TONS land already alienated, the nation
al duty is now to put to its best use
what remains.
Utilization of lands for their greatest
value necessitates the determination OF
that value, which is, briefly, land CLASH
fication; and to be adequate, land CLASH
fieation must be based upon first -hand
acquaintance with the particular land
under consideration. With a national
i estate including country ranging from
salt-inerusted deserts to valleys knee
deep with grasses or giant forests almost
| impenetrable because of luxuriant under
growth, no general statutes that may be
enacted can be made SO definite as not
to require the exercise of well-informed
judgment in their execution. To this end
examination and classification OF the
public lands constitute an initial step in
their disposition for development and
settlement.
To insure appropriate disposition and
to secure highest use of the nations
lands, scientific land classification by the
United States geological survey has been
made an integral part of the public land
administration. The purpose of land
classification is highest utilization, and
to attain this end it has been necessary
TO coordinate the work of scientific in
vestigation with the administrative
functions of the department of the M
terror. The large participation of the
geological survey in the public-land adj
ministration has naturally presented
problems involving changes both in Office
and field organization and in executive
and scientific methods. For these changes
there has has been little or no precedent
Scientists and public men OF older eoun
tries have been outspoken in their in
terests in this new application of science |
TO governmental administration. and re- |
quests have been made for more detailed !
on the subject than is avail I
able in the references appearing in ad |
reports of the secretary Of /
the interior and his subordnates To |
meet this demand the survey has just |
published bulletin covering the subject
No 537.
The introduction, on the purpose Of
and classification, is contributed by the
director of the survey, and the other sec
ions of this publication, describing the
procedure employed in the work, are
written by members of the survey, who
nave originated for the most part the
ul and authoritative classification. The
development of the surveys organization
or land classification is described by w.
;. Mendenhall, who as chief OF the land
board has been directly re-
ponsible for the preparation of the bull
etin. The history and legal basis of
Justification are discussed by VI. w.
tall; the classification and valuation of
oal lands by G. H. Ashley and C. Z.
,esher; Mr. Lesher also contributes a
hort section on the preparation of data
Or classification. Field methods in coal,
il, phosphate. and potash classification
re discussed by +. G. Woodruff, c. II.
Tegemann, r. w. Richards, f. r. Clark,
nd II. s. Gale, all of whom are geolo-
lists of wide experience in field work
aiding up to and classification. j. ID.
orthrop has contributed the section on
assificstion of oil and gas lands, and
r. Schultz the section ON classification
potash lands Potash bearing lands and
leir classification are treated by Messrs
,hultz and Gale 4. H. Finch has con-
ibuted the section on miscellaneous
IN metalliferious lands, F. C. Calkins
lie discussion OF inetalliferous minerals,
Id &. s. Rogers section on "By-pro-
lcts of mineral land classification" {
be discussion of classification in rela-
on to water resources has been pre- {
red under the direction of " c. Grover. ,
ief engineer of the land classification ,
ard, NJ o. Leighton, Herman Stabler, ,
C. La Rue, and w. B. Heroy eollabor-
ing
A full statement of the policy of land l
lssifcation and a detailed description @
the procedure and methods SO far ]
1nd necessary to carry out that policy. e
the stage of development already reach e
are presented in this report. which
gers nearly 200 pages. This infOrma- ..
m is believed 10 be OF value both TO 4,
ldents OF government and to geologists
engineers interested in the applica- =.
N of scientific investigation to prac-
al business. The historical and legal :
ases Of the discussion may be Of great
interest to the citizens concerned in
eountry's highest development. and '
description OF field methods should e
Of immediate value in indicating new n
uirements imposed upon scientific =
lcation, for details Of this business
icy Of the government are ALREADY
nc adopted in private and corporate e
4 examinations
copy Of bulletin NO. 5s7l nav be nj
aimed free on application 10 the d. OF
.ctor Of the geological survey, Wash al
ton