Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-12-26
REAL MAPPING Of
j. 6. WILL COST
ENORMOUS SUM
Sixty Per Cent of Total Area
Not Properly Known; Whole
Undertaking To Cost Forty
Millions.

tsrscIhL coRREsPohpERcE TO MORNING JOURNAL
Washington, Dec %. Several
factors have combined to put added
emphasis on the country's need of
an adequate large-scale map of its
whole territory The industrial de-
velopment of the nation and the con-
sequent variety of engineering pro-
jects of land reclamation, of power
generation. and most recently of high
way construction have created de-
mand for the topographic data that
are best displayed by topographic
map based upon accurate surveys;
and the war not only called atten-
ton to the defenseess condition of
much of the country's border area,
where the army had no maps upon
which to base its campaigns, but
their military experience overseas
taught hundreds of thousands of cit
izen soldiers how to read and use
topographic maps.
With nearly 90 per cent of the
area of the country totally unmapped
and much that has been " lpped in
need of resurveys and VIII he Geo
logical Survey, the rappymapping
organization in the r. IS goodlrveying
only about 40 pers are now area in
40 years, the Il us in any wd is for
more speed. lie Navajos assis TO serve
their fun pue well rig and lotlng ma
tional develG Hopis have op4e country
must pc nlhe work in conpls seHela a.,
tlon' or development in sn 'le III ~
decade. loject to the cap,ooNsoe o M ne =,
nappinis rye of this worf 10 he older
surveys the Indian appyn this work
within the on July l of ! would, how
ever. invo to this districShe appropri-
alton of tH this amountloney by the
federal andirectly from hments, An
organization club last rod rained engi-
neers must he built up by means OF
gradually increased appropriations,
beginning with S700, 600 for the field
season of 1919 and reaching u maxi
mum of 81 BOT Bu0 IN lH2S. Ii Is be-
f.etss 4 sssss6 IA ss.sa q ss.te " e.Ft ndl-
ture the field surveys could be both
economically and effectively executed,
and the work could be completed in
1892
The active cooperation of the states
in such a program is expected by rea-
son of the increased interest in topo-
graphic mapping throughout the coun-
try, for counties as well as states are
now planning for dollar for-dollar CO.
operation with the federal government
in financing these necessary surveys.
With the Geological Surveys appro-
priation for topographic surveys, with
cooperative state funds, and with the
special funds for military mapping
contributed by the war department,
approximately $500, 900 becomes avail
able for the year beginning July l.,
1919.
AT an engineering conference held
at Chicago last April of engineers, ar
chitects, and constructors representing
IA national, state, and local orBaniza-
tons, with an aggregate membership
of over 100 900 men, resolutions were
adopted urging the speeding up of
this work of completing the topo-
graphic map of the United tSates.
This Endorsement of the topo-
graphic maps by the engineering pro-
fession was a well-considered express
sion of a general demand for some
thing needed by the members OF the
engineel '"g organizations represented
at the conference. These pracucal
men realize that every dollar OF fed
eral and state funds appropriated for
these surveys, If spent in the next
ten years, will save many dollars that
otherwise must be expended by cor
porations and individuals and even
government bureaus in fragmentary
surveys made for special purposes,
and the worst feature of such an un-
economic procedure would be that 1t
would provide no maps for the use
of the general public. 1t is therefore
an underestimate of the national econ
omy involved TO say that the dollar
spent in time for this purpose will
save nine. The program of mapping
the whole country for the use of this
generation appears warranted as an
essential item in the larger plans for
the best use of the nations re-
sources