The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1925-03-31
TO REQUIRE TWENTY
YEARS TO MAP u. S.
UNDER A NEW LAW
TOPOGRAPHIC ARTS AU-
THORIZED BY CONGRESS
TO BE COMPLETED.
WILL COVER 5000 SHEETS
Would Stretch Over More Than One
Acre of Ground. Work Was Begun
46 Years Ago, But Was Never
Finished. Will Cost SOC, 100000.

WASHINGTON. A map of the
United States that will require twenty
years for completion and an estimated
expenditure of $50,OOO,0O0 is the goal
of the country's official geographers
under authority granted by the Tenn
PIE bill passed by the last congress.
1t has been estimated that it will
cover 5000 sheets. which, if laid on
fiat surface in their proper positions,
would stretch over more than one
acre OF ground.
Begun as Years Ago.
1t is not new work. Rather it is
continuation of task begun some
forty-six years ago, but SO hampered
by lack of funds and facilities that it
is only about IS per cent complete.
A clear understanding of the nature
and scope of the work is obtained best
by brief review of the work already
done on the project. The essentials of
such a summary are as follows:
About half a century ago the gov
eminent began to send out expeditions
to explore the vast country west of
the Mississippi river. 1t soon became
evident that more systematic plan
should be adopted, and in 1879 con-
gress established the United States
Geological Survey. Soon afterward
congress recognized that geological
survey should be based on topographic
maps-relief maps that show not only
the shapes and elevations of land and
water features by contour lines but
also pictures of artificial features, such
as railroads, highways and buildings
in their true relation to one another
and to the land and water features.
Only Third Plotted Adequately.
Because of such recognition con-
gress has made specific appropriations
for topographic surveys each year
since 1889. But these appropriations
have been small and today only about
43 per cent of the area of the conti-
mental United States, exclusive OF
Alaska, has been mapped Topographic
cally.
Moreover, some of these maps made
over twenty-five years ago, are classed
now as reconnaissance maps and, ac-
cording to experts, the area they cover
should be resurveyed. This leaves only
about IS per cent of the area plotted
in manner considered adequate.
Although every state in the Union
has been touched by the mapmakers in
the course OF the topographic survey
the incompleteness of the work is en-
phasized by the fact that in only eight
OF the states is the plotting complete.
These are New York, Massachusetts,
Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jer-
sey, Maryland Ohio and West 'Vir-
gnia.
Now comes the Temple bill, So
called because of its introduction in
the house by Representative H. w.
Temple, of Pennsylvania, which au-
thorizes the president to complete
this general utility survey within a
period OF twenty years. 1t instructs
him to have the work done by existing
map-making agencies of the govern
ment or such others as may be created.
So50,0o0 for First Year.
In specifying an appropriation OF
$o50,000 for the first years work the
bill bases its figures on the estimate of
the Board of Surveys and Maps that
$50,000,000 will be required to finish
the work-an amount cited by friends
OF the bill as approximately the cost
of one battleship. The estimate pro-
poses to spread the annual appropria-
tions over the twenty-year period on
such a scale as to minimize the bur-
den in any one year. The largest
amount for any one year would be
asked about 1880, when it again would
gradually taper off to about $750,O0O
in l941 and 1912.
All told. the government would
spend $37 100000 on the project, ac-
cording to the estimated budget and
the remaining $1200O,O00 would be
supplied by the states through the CO
operative plan of federal and state
financing Of the work
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