Williams news., 1922-12-08
States and Investigations of under ground waters in 10 States.


 than 25,Q0O cases referred to it ir 1 connection with the administration ol
 the public lands; and made decrease 1 of 3,914,oOO acres in outstanding Government coal reserves, of Il ,O0C
 acres in outstanding petroleum re. 1 serves, and of 299 900 acres in phos- i phate reserves. There was, how
 ever, a net increase of PCS, ,OOO acres
 in the area classified as phosphate land. The present acreages classi- fled and reserved by the Government
 as coal, petroleum, oil-shale, and phosphate land are coal, 5,OOO,OOG; petroleum, 6,5OO,OOO; oil-shale, A. 100, ,oo0; phosphate, 2,7OO,OOO. The Survey also made a net increase of 5000 acres in power-site reserves, designated 3s2, ,000 acres in Nevada under the ground-water reclamation act and made net increases of 5,7GO acres in public water reserves, of B. 989,000 acres in enlarged designations and 4,778, 1000 acres in stockraising homestead designations. The Washington office distributed 6o2,000 copies of book publications and 695 1000 maps, of which 562,OO maps were sold.
 The Geological Survey is a scien- tific bureau which has to do with the mineral resources of the earth rather than with men. Therefore it is known to but comparatively few, for to most people it's reports seem to lack human interest. The work of it's large topographic force, for in stance, is recorded in lines on paper .maps-which do not lend them selves especially we'll to columns in the newspapers. Where the Geo. logical Survey leaves off others take hold. Thus the geologist may care fully explore and outline on a map the structure of an oil field, and so the wildcatter where or where not to drill; yet little public interest attach es to the region until the oil man sets up his rig and begins to drill. So it is with all the work of the organiza- tion; it is basic, foundation work, upon which many kinds of develop ment may rest later, after the Geo. logical Survey has moved on to new 1eIdS Of 1nveSt1gat1On-
 An example of the forward-looking | policy of the Geological Survey is ;een in it's anticipation last winter of | he coal strike, when as measure of | in cooperation with the Census, it made an inventory of the amount of coal stored in the United ! States, and also prepared and pub s-I. howing the coal mining districts.
 The work of the Geological Survey n connection with oil, says the Direc- or, continues to be of increasing alue, and the application of geology c practical affairs is shown by the act that in four oil fields that have cen extensively developed the early mapping indicated the exist nee of oil in the ground, which was ater proved by commercial develop ant. Other activities of the Geo ogical Survey included examination f deposits of oil shale in four states; studies of the Colo ado and San Juan rivers in Utah and Arizona with reference to reservoir ties; the completion of studies of carnotite ores and 1gsten deposits of the United States; he preparation of timely reports on he production of coal and other uels; making nearly 2, 900 detailed nalyses or rocks and minerals and % analyses of surface and under round waters; the preparation of oecia1 physical and shaded relief aps of Alaska, California, Kentucky ( nd several other areas; continuation . the preparation of the United : tates portion of the international lap of the world, for which maps of 6 States have now been completed nd are on sale at nominal prices; the of monthly reports on le production of electricity and con- lmption of fuel by public utility \ ower plants; and the publication of aps of IA States showing the loca- on of power sites and transmission nes. These in common with all the 900 or more different maps of the eological Survey are fore sale at onninal prices. The United States Department of griculture maintains a butter-in- ection service on the Boston, Chica-