Evening star., 1933-09-03
Funds for the Earth's Surveyor
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

One of the most technical and yet
one of the most important and inter-
esting branches of the scientific work
of the United States Government has
obtained a new lease on life through
the ALLEGATION, by the Public Works Ad-
ministration of 50, 900 900 for the Coast
and Geodetic Survey. Only this Spring,
because of action of Congress in dras-
tically cutting the regular appropria-
tions for the survey, many men were
laid of and the work OF the Survey
went into partial eclipse A partial rea
son for this was lack Of understand
ing on the part Of many members Of
Congress as to the importance Of the
surveys work.
Congress was gone. the keenly trained
scientific men Of the Survey had deci
mated and much work had lapsed when
it was brought to the attention of the
Public Works Administration that the
very groundwork of their program was
aSsailed by the diminished functioning
of this scientific agency. 1t was as
though a man had been given an i'm
portant task to perform and then had
one of his most important tools taken
away
One Of the important branches Of the
entire recovery program, as vlsuallzed
by President Roosevelt and by Congress.
was the prosecution Of public works Of
all kinds Public works were depended
upon to increase and spread employ
ment, to create orders for materials
! which. in turn, would produce more
employment and. in general. help along
the whole plan of restoring prosperity
to a perplexed Nation. So. when it was
found that Congress, at the same time
it was appropriating billions for public
works. was saving a small item by
shaving the appropriation for the Coast
and Geodetic Survey. the Public Works
Administration reached down and
pulled some of the public works money
out of that pocket and put 1t back IN
the original Coast Survey pocket. 1t
was all a part of that fiscal juggling
which must 60 or in any big organ
iZation.
Now. however. the sum Of $4,000 900
has been added to the Surveys available
funds and it can proceed with its work
of establishing the foundations OF the
public works For in very real sense.
that Is the underlying function OF the
Survey.
r-Reaching Effects Of Work.
The peculiar charge Of the Survey Is
the very continent on which the Amerl-
can Nation has been built to expert
ence its Joys of prosperity and its sor-
rows OF war and peace. While other
agencies Of the Government are dealing
with the more ephemeral aspects OF the
national life. the Coast and Geodetlc
Survey deals with the very rock whence
the Nation was hewn.
Beginning its work leagues at sea. be-
fore even the coastline is in sight II
carries its surveys to every corner OF
the land 1t is the Coast and Geo
detic Survey which learns about the
hidden valleys OF the sea and the
submarine hills which rise to form
the fishing banks and the shoals. 1t
then studies and reveals the details
OF the coastline itself. 1t Is the Ia
mlliar of the tides and can tell just
what the tidefall of any water will be,
tomorrow or year or a lifetime hence.
Its tables are compiled with an elaoo-
rate care closely akin to the nlcetles
Of astronomy.
But the intimate connection wnlcn
the work has with any public WORKS
program is that the Survey establishes
the levels in every part OF the country
which must act as guides in almost any
kind Of construction work, especially
public work on a large scale.
Observing persons who engage IN
walks about cities or mixers who wan
der in wooded wildernesses and on
mountain tops occasionally come across
a stone with mark on it. Sometimes