Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 46.djvu/510

494. Similar cases occurred in Colorado and the southern Appalachians, It is evident that if the topographic work had been in charge of another bureau such quick adjustment could not have been made, and the economic geologic work would have been delayed a year or more. Prompt publication of economic work must be made, as its value as an aid to development decreases with every year and almost every month of delay. Thus it is that co-ordination with any other bureau in mensuration survey becomes impracticable, unless the Geological Survey controls it. The work must be carried forward in accordance with the needs of the bureau.

To promote its own work and to avoid duplication the Geological Survey uses the points established by the Coast and Geodetic Survey, the Lake Survey, and the Mississippi River Commission whenever they are available. It also furnishes data to the several bureaus and departments of the Government as they are requested from time to time.

The attitude of the Federal survey toward State surveys has been in the past to co-operate fully and freely, though commonly in an informal way; and it has uniformly encouraged the institution of State surveys. It has been disposed to encourage a division of labor whereby economic problems of a local character would be dealt with chiefly by the State survey, while the more general and usually interstate problems, which State surveys have difficulty in dealing with, would receive the special attention of the Federal survey; the latter, including triangulation, topography, paleontology, and special researches, requiring time, labor, and specialists. The Federal survey discusses the relations of the various mineral resources, such as iron, copper, phosphates, etc., to particular geologic formations; then the State surveys come in with their independent organizations and fix the values, methods of development, and other questions relating to the local geology and mineral resources. Partial co-operation between the Federal survey and several State surveys has been thus effected, the States making use of the results of the national work, and, in return, furnishing the Federal survey with data resulting from their more restricted and detailed economic work.

Co-operation in topographic mapping has been effected in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York, under an arrangement by which each State pays one half the cost of the work, scale and other details being agreed upon by a commission, or an officer representing the State, and the director of the Federal survey. It is essential that uniformity of methods and results should obtain throughout the topographic maps, and to secure this the execution of the field work and the drafting and engraving of the maps have been entirely in charge of the