Evening star., 1925-11-24
NEEDS Of GE0DET|C
! SURVEY STRESSED
Col. Jones Particularly En-
phasizes New Buildings Re-
/ quired to Carry on Work.

Repeating previous requests for
new buildings to house the Coast
and Geodetic Survey, Col. e. Lester
Jones, director of the survey. de-
clares In his annual report today
that continuance OF appropriations
for upkeep of the present quarters
OF the bureau 'is a direct waste IN
view of their ultimate abandonment.
II would be the part of wisdom to
make the replacement as soon as
possible ne adds.
Col. Jones cites the permanent
good that has resulted from the re-
classification act, but lays emphasis
on the fact that lit is now time 10
rectify certain antiquities in the
legislation and so provide without
delay certain increase in salaries or
positions that 80 far have not bene-
flied as deserved"
Continuation Of this situation, he
said. is one OF the outstanding causes
of the turnover in the Federal serv-
ice, which is quite the opposite of
economy and makes the administra-
tive cost of every bureau higher, as
whenever an employe leaves the bu-
TSdu lIlS SERVICES VI SblllC cllC VlSC
are required to train the new en-
ploye 1t should be pointed out that
the additional money needed to pro-
vide just and adequate salaries,
which, no doubt, We're intended in
the legislation in question, would
more than offset the high cost in
volved in this repeated turnover.
Retirement Law Defect.
Another reason for this large
turnover IN the bureau, as we'll as
throughout the Government gener-
ally, is that the present retirement
law Is unsatisfactory and not in line
with the present idea of good buSi-
ness methods of making the future
of sufficient interest to the employees
so that. after having served the Gov
ernment faithfully, in their old age
they may be adequately taken
care Of"
Unusual credit is due the chief
clerk OF the bureau. the director says.
for caring for the mass of hetero-
geneous" buildings housing the unit.
Through his untiring efforts and
those of the personnel under him, in
sanitary buildings have been made
fairly livable in spite Of poor assort-
ment of tools, and a saving in funds
has been accomplished"
uE " IclAI SOl.
said: There are two outstanding fac
tors in the present retirement law
that are distinctly unsatisfactory. One
is that the retirement age is too high.
The other is that every employe has
TO contribute from his salary toward
the small annuity that he is to receive
upon reaching the retirement age.
While there is some merit in the EN-
ployes contributing toward this an
~ -fyaro n-,t 1Sy hn, Ia
be more liberal and provide for op-
tional retirement on a basis similar
TO the military forces; that is after 80
years Of service.
LAS the law now exists, young
man entering the Government service
at the age of IS is retired at the age
Of 20 years, after 80 years of service,
on an annuity of $50 per month, pro
Vidtng his average annual pay for the
preceding 10 years was $1,000 or more.
This has the effect of employees gen
orally asking TO be continued after
they have reached the age at which
they should be legally separated from
the Government service because of
their realizing that their small an
nuity will not nearly pay for the ac-
tual necessities of life"
Many new distractions to naviga-
ton were discovered and charted as
pared during the fiscal year by the
survey. More than 230, 900 corrected
charts were issued during the year
Evidencing the painstaking detail
necessary in this branch of the serv
Ice, the report cites that in addition
to the frequent revisions necessary to
keep published charts up to date, 1t
was necessary to add during the past
year more than a million hand cor
.Lg Ia ,tc
work the survey had the co-opera-
ton of the Bureau of Lighthouses,
Army engineers, port commissioners
and harbor boards and private or
ganizations and individuals along the
coasts.
Tide and Current Surveys.
Tide and current surveys were
completed during the year in the
harbor of New York City and In San
Francisco and Delaware Bays, while
another survey is being made in
southeastern Alaska, and 1t is in
tended to make others in Boston,
Portland and Portsmouth Harbors.
These surveys, the report says, are
necessary to the safe berthing of
large vessels. where an unknown
current sweeping counter to the sur
face drift might bring a ship to dis.
sster.
During the year the bureau under
took archaeological work, new
branch. The st. Lawrence earth
quake of February %, 1925, and the
more serious quake at Santa Bar
bara in June increased public inter-
est In this study to the extent, the
report added. that the division of
seismology received numerous re-
quests for information. The survey
IS cooperating with several official
and private investigators in Cali
fornia with the intent of protecting
the people Of that section.
There are several things that the
Government can do in this connec-
ton to benefit the people," states Col.
Jones. "One is to collect and pub
iish ali possible information. Even
though earthquake prediction may
not be practicable, it is certain that
various regions can be designated, as,
for example. regions definitely sub
1ect to severe earthquakes, regions of
modern activity and regions practi-
Cally exempt. When this is done
CONSTITUTIONAL details, fire production
and other important earthquake prob
lens can be worked out according to
the conditions"
The director also reports that the
bureau has aided the Army and Navy
by means of special surveys in west
ern Alaska and in the Philippines,
Hawaii and the Virgin Islands. MANY
ereas have been examined by the
wire drag, a device which reveals
pinnacle or boulder rocks that pro-
trude above the ocean floor to menace
passing ships. The report also indi-
catee the changes which will prob