Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1929-12-26
AVIATION SPURS
y, MAPPING PROJECTS
Survey of Unsettled Areas
Is Urged.

Washlngtcn.-The surveyors transit
and rod and the airplane are sup
planting the covered wagon and the
pick and shovel of the early pioneer
in present day opening up of the I'M
settled areas of North and South
America, according to DR.. William
Bowie of Washington, d. G., speaking
in Mexico City at the Pan-American
Institute of Geography and History.
Doctor Bowie, one of three dele
gates from the United States to the
first meeting of the newly organized
institute, was designated by the Ma
tlonal Geographic society. He is chief
Of the division Of geodesy of the Unit
ed States coast and Geodetic survey
and world famous authority on isos-
tasy.
charting Potential Resources.
Maps which give precise locations,
elevations. and other topographic in
formation constitute the framework Of
further surveys of forest, mineral,
plant, animal, water power and other
forms Of potential wealth. the speaker
explained.
Therefore the engineers and other
leaders in industry are making their
wants known in regard to Topographic
mapping" he continued. at has truly
been said That only rich nation can
afford to develop its natural resources
and its industries without previously
having executed the topographic sur
veying and mapping. Thus are avoided
wastaful mistakes of the past in road
building and railway construction by
routes which are clrcuitous ind in
areas which have not the latent re-
sources or are too far from markets
to be profitable.
A major program Of the institute is
the coordination Of topographic sur
iiveys already made Independently; and
stimulation of mapmaking programs
of the governments themselves.
Another imperative demand for map.
ping Of hitherto unexplored areas
arises from the commercial air.
plane lines, Doctor Bowie said, for
Rirplanes now are using routes over
tracts which know neither the high
way nor the steel rail.
1--WE have heard much in recent de-
cades Of the application Of scientific
principles to agriculture and other
great industries in exchange Of goods
land in communication" Doctor Bowie
said. "But science can only go GER
tain distance towards lettering the
condition of humanity and making
civilization nobler without having
geographic facts. 1t is here that the
geographer must supplement the work
Of the physicist, the chemist, and the
engineer. For without geographical in
formation and background the other
sciences cannot be efficiently employed
in the utilization of the resources
which Nature has given boundantly
to the nations of the world.
Not Thoroughly Mapped.
"The officials Of the National Geo
graphic society have expressed fire.
quently, and do on this occasion
through me, their opinion that civili-
cation will be greatly advanced by an
early completion of the mapping Of
the world.
1--WE all should like to see the day
when there is an adequate Topographic
zeal map covering the area of each of
the countries in the Western hemis-
phere. Much mapping has been done in
my country but only 43 per cent of
the United States has as yet been
geographically surveyed and many Of
the map sheets are inadequate to meet
the modern needs Of agriculture, min
ing, development of hydroelectric pow
er and extension Of transportation
and communication systems"
Doctor Bowie concluded with a re-
sumo Of the expeditions sent out for
the past quarter OF century by the
National Geographic society, showing
how the society's numerous explora-
tions have added a remarkable variety
Of data to our knowledge Of the world
In which we live.