The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1922-05-04
WORK Of BUREAU Of
MINES AND GEOLOGY
BENEFIT TO THE STATE
Dean Thomson Explains Sys-
tenn by Which Appropria-
tons Used to Advantage

board of control of the State Blu
reau of Mines and Geology was
held in the governors office in
the state house at Boise April 18th.
Present were Governor d. w. Davis.
chairman of the board; Dr.. f. b
Laney professor Of geology Univer-
slty OF Idaho; Stewart Campbell. state
mine inspector; J. b. Eldridge. Boise.
vice president Idaho Mining associa- .
ton; Dean Francis A Thomson, of the
school of mines, secretary of the bu
reau.
The annual report of the secretary
showed that during the four sixths OF
the Dlennium five-siXths of the bien-
mum program has been completed with
corresponding expenditure of about
the same proportion of the bureaus
funds, in addition to a corresponding
proportion OF the federal money from
the United States geological survey
and the United States bureau of mines.
In cooperation with the United
States bureau of mines, five experi-
mental projects having to do with
notation and ore treatment have been
carried on In cooperation with the
United States geological survey, seven
geological and typographical investiga-
tons have been under way. and a
large number of minor projects have
been carried out on a non cooperative
basis
Dean Thomson explained that the
reason for pushing the work during the
earlier part of the biennium is that the
reports may be made up prepared for
the printer and published before the
close of the biennium.
Replies to Criticism.
The Boise Statesman. in its issue of
April 20, having INDUCED in some crit
icism of the bureau for spending
practically all its available funds in
the first year OF the biennium and
leaving too small an amount to do
anything with for the second year"
Dean Francis A. Thomson has issued
a public statement explaining why this
policy was followed, the wisdom of
which must be apparent to any one
giving the matter serious considera-
ton. Dean Thomson's statment fol-
lows:
The statement of expenditures Civ
en- out by the auditors office is correct
and no question has been raised as to
the propriety or wisdom of the expen-
ditures made. The implication, how
ever, which might be drawn is l fear
somewhat unfair to the members of the
bureau board and especially myself,
since under the law, and with the cor
dial and sympathetic support of the
governor, 1 have been mainly respon-
sible for the bureau program and ex-
penditures.
The situation briefly is this Five |
siXths of the appropriation has been |
expended in doing five-sixths of the |
work in four sixtbs OF |
the biennium.
That this policy is a sound one, !
few moments consideration will show |
Why Policy Is Sound.
The greatest expense for such work |
lies in equipment, in field work and in |
investigation, relatively |
small proportion of it lies in publica- !
ton to make the results of such inves- |
LEGATIONS available for public use.
Preparation of scientific and tech
meal manuscripts and the publication |
thereof is a slow, tedious process, and |
in. order that the results of the bien-
NUNS work may be published before |
the end of the biennium it is necessary |
that the maximum expenditure, name
-, that for research, should be made |
in the first half of the biennium, and |
that the minimum expenditure name
Iy, that for publication, should come |
in the last half.
The situation is something like that
Of the merchant whose expenditure for
goods to be sold during the summer
must be made in the spring.
Coming Publications.
1.-The state bureau of mines and geol-
ogy has in proof or in manuscript
seven bulletins dealing with the min
eral resources of the state, as follows:
Petroleum Possibilities of Certain
Anticlines in Southeastern Idaho Vir-
gil R. D. Kirkham.
Geological Reconnaissance of Saw
tooth Mining District S. NJ. Ballard.
Water Resources of Central Ida
no. Francis A. Thomson.
Treatment of the GOld-Silver Ores
Of Southern Idaho Francis A. Thorn
son and A. W. Fahrenwald.
Treatment of the Ores in Pend
iOreille District A. w. Fahrenwald.
"Artesian Water Resources of Goose
Creek Basin A. w. Piper.
"'Gold Resources of Central Idaho
Francis A. Thomson.
in addition, the field work for four