Evening star., 1917-01-14
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT Is DOING

The project OF covering the s,000, 900
square miles of the United States with
accurate land surveys was
National adopted by the government
Survey. asia as far back as 1852. ou. the :
half completed, according to experts Of
the geological survey.
I It is said that the standards Of ac-
lcuracy and refinement in this work have
been constantly raised by the engineers
carrying 1t on, with the view OF meet
Ing adequately every use to which the
| resulting maps can be put. The law
provides for the sale of these maps by
the survey at the cost Of printing.
which is interesting when it is taken
into account that this cost is only a
small percentage of the cost Of survey
ing the area it represents.
The federal government itself is max
ing large and increasing use Of these
| Topographic maps. but the expenditure
OF public funds for these surveys is
otherwise fully warranted. the officials
OF the geological survey think. only
as the public uses the maps To pro-
mote this use. the survey has recently
| given more attention to the wider dis
! tribution OF the maps.
| According to those who have been at
| work on this plan and are most inter-
| ested in its success the distribution of
a government map is largely a problem
| of publicity, though the necessity OF
! adopting commercial business methods
| in handling orders for the maps when
! once q demand Is created is not over
looked. In Informing the public Of the
existence Of authoritative maps publish
| ed by the government a special EFFORT
| is now made to reach the communities
in each area covered by the map, and TO
this end every map, as issued. is brought
I to the attention of the local and state
press. as well as to postmasters and
| school teachers.
| Other methods of promoting wider
| distribution involve the cooperation of
boy scout masters, schoolboys and ho-
| tel managers. well of a large
| number Of book stores as local agents.
1t is said that within the past year
gained through the voluntary cooper
alton Of several press services and
magazines of large circulation. in con-
nectfon with their policy of bringing
the people into closer touch with the
work and publications of the federal
| government. According to one of the
f! officials in charge of this work, the
publication in one magazine Of brief
| statement regarding the surveys maps
| resulted within month I'm orders for
$50 maps and thousands of inquiries
| for the state indexes that show the
| areas already mapped.
| The periods of maximum demand for
| these government maps are the begin
ming OF the vacation period and the be-
| ginning of the school year. The larger
| use Of these maps during 1916. both in the
open and in the classrooms has gratified
| the experts of the survey in the new
methods that they have adopted for
| reaching more people with these maps
/
x x
The childfen'S bureau, Department of
Labor. has recently completed a scien-
tific inquiry into
Infant Mortality the cause of SO
in Rural Districts. aansu a"s >
babies and country mothers and what
the government should do about it The
inquiry resulted, the experts say, in
suggesting a constructive plan for the
future in connection with these deaths
According to experts of this bureau,
the census Office figures show average
infant mortality rates in the rural dis
tricts higher than the mortality rates
found by the children's bureau in the
more prosperous sections of the cities.
which II has studied.
Again. the census figures are said to
show markedly high death rate
among country women of chi1d-bearing
age for which large number Of pre-
ventable deaths from maternal causes
appears. to officials of the chiIdrens
bureau, to be responsible. 1t is esti-
mated that more than 5000 women die
each year i'll this country from condi-
tions incident to maternity, while the
= M h. ~
present unknown.
An argument which the experts put
up for better care Of rural childhood is
based on. the high percentage of phys
schools given in reports of state boards
Of health.
In connection with the bureaus rural
studies a child hygiene expert holds a
chiidren's health conference to which
parents bring their children for ex-
animation and advice about daily care
1t is said that parents have shown
great eagerness for this kind of help in
the counties which have already been
visited. bringing their children often
long distances.
State officials are urging the bureau
to cooperate with them in these stud
les. 1t Is believed by officials of the
bureau that such federal studies maxi
ing plain the necessity and suggesting
a method are bound to lead toward
adequate local provision for maternal
and child welfare.
Many a farm in the United States is
yielding at least a small profit, when,
according TO strict
Food Supplies bookkeeping tally, it
seems to be losing
VI oAAeAS' proposition, according
TO those officials of the Department of
Agriculture who recently have had this
subject under investigation.
This paradox is explained by the
facts brought out by the experts. Food,
fuel and shelter, which every farm
furnishes to the farm family without
money cost, are the factors which
strict bookkeeping does not take into
account, and which constitute the diff
ference between profit and loss on the
farm which seems to be losing money
when in reality 1t is breaking even or
perhaps making a little profit.
The facts which have been brought
out were gathered by survey Of
thousand families. representing widely
separated sections in fourteen differ
ent states. Figures were gathered by
the departments experts covering the
value of all food. fuel. shelter and
itemiZed to show what part was
bought and what part furnished by the
farm.
1t was found that the average an
u,aI value of meats consumed per