graphed on stone the colors, ranging in number from 10 to nearly 30, necessary for distinguishing in each of about 100 geologic folios the various formations and outcrops. It has printed several editions of most of the topographic maps and at least one edition of the geologic folios, besides revising both as occasion therefor has arisen, and engraving and printing miscellaneous State and United States maps.

The hydrographic branch (see pp. 74–93), including the reclamation service, has recorded during the last fifteen years the maximum, minimum, and mean discharges of all the more important rivers, and for shorter periods the same facts concerning all the lesser tributaries of the many hundreds of streams in the United States. These results have been assembled and studied, and the flow of the streams has been compared with the precipitation as shown by the records of the Weather Bureau. The physical characteristics of the river basins have been studied in respect to their forestation, soil covering, etc., and there has been accumulated a vast amount of data from which it is possible to estimate closely the volume or run-off of each of the streams. The development of the water powers of the country, especially in the Southern States, has received a great impetus in the last few years through the facts brought to light by the hydrographic branch in respect to the volume and regularity of the discharge of, and the amount of fall in, the various streams of the country. Many unknown water powers have been found, and projects already commenced have had their value or their defects made manifest through the evidence resulting from the surveys of this branch. Data have been gathered concerning the public lands which are irrigable and their relation to possible water supplies. A large number of reservoir sites have been examined and surveyed in a preliminary way, and the lands withdrawn from sale or occupation pending more detailed studies. A number of these reservoir and irrigation projects have been studied in greater detail, surveys of the irrigable lands, as well as of canal lines, have been made, and some have been finally approved for construction by the reclamation service. (See pp. 91-93.)

The division of geography and forestry (see pp. 71–74) has made detailed examinations of 110,000 square miles, including a classification of the lands, as forested (with stand and kind of timber), grazing, desert, and cultivable, and has prepared final reports on these reserves, showing the character and amount of the timber and many other facts which will serve as a basis for the future forest management of these properties.

Perhaps the immediate value to the people of the work of the Geological Survey is best shown by the aid it extends in developing the mineral resources and in forwarding important engineering projects in which the people, as well as the State and Federal Governments, are interested. To instance few cases: The work of

the geologic branch has had a wide educational influence upon the public at large, but more directly upon those engaged in the mining industry. Among the many direct practical benefits which it has conferred upon this industry may be mentioned the investigation of the mining geology of Leadville, which has not only guided exploration and secured economical mining in a district that has produced between $200,000,000 and $300,000,000, but has been of even more beneficial result in teaching the mining engineer and the miner the practical importance of geologic study in carrying on their work; in other words, it has greatly improved mining methods throughout the whole country. The investigation of the origin and geologic relations of the Lake Superior iron ores and the publication of numerous reports on that region have so effectively directed the prospector in the discovery of the deposits and the miner in economical methods of development that this region now leads the world in the production of iron ore. The detailed areal mapping and the determination of underground structure in the Appalachian coal field are placing the development of its coal, petroleum, and gas resources upon a scientific basis and relieving these branches of the mineral industry of a large part of the hazard and uncertainty which has always hitherto been associated with them. The collection and publication of reliable statistics of mineral production (see pp. 48-50) have furnished a sound commercial basis for all branches of the mineral industry.

ADMINISTRATIVE BRANCH.

EXECUTIVE DIVISION.

This division is in general charge of the chief clerk. It embraces three sections: (1) Correspondence, records, supplies, and shipments; (2) instruments; and (3) messenger, watch, and labor force.

Section of Correspondence, Records, Supplies, and Shipments.

This section is the successor of a miscellaneous division which was established early in 1885. That division had charge of the preparation of letters and reports, without restriction as to subject, a class of work which was then and for years afterwards done under the immediate control of the Director and the chief clerk, and not by the heads of branches, divisions, and sections, as at present. The old division also attended to the incoming mail, opening, recording, and referring or otherwise acting upon it, and to matters relating to appointments and attendance, much as is done under the present organization; but it did not have charge of property accounting, supplies, or shipments. In May, 1901, the division was reorganized on broader lines, its functions were enlarged, and its force of two or three persons was much increased; the force employed in the section now numbers 12. Recently the more specific name given above was adopted.

This section is that part of the administrative branch in which the official mail of the Survey, including also the money mail, is opened, registered, and distributed to the several branches, divisions, and sections for attention, and through which a large part of the outgoing mail is dispatched. In it the roster of the Survey is kept and all business relating to appointments, promotions, transfers, and other changes is conducted, as is all business pertaining to the attendance of employees. It also has charge of the property accounting, of the custody and issue of stationery, of the purchase and distribution of miscellaneous supplies, and of express and freight shipments.

All letters received by the Survey are stamped with date and serial number. Letters without contents are recorded by the card-catalogue system, while money letters are registered by book system. The mail is then distributed to the various divisions and sections of the office for official action. When answered or otherwise disposed of, letters that relate to the business of the adminstrative branch are filed in this section, together with carbon copies of the answers; but letters pertaining to the internal administration of other branches are filed in the divisions to which they pertain.

At the appointment desk all business relating to appointments, sepaations, etc., is attended to. The Survey's permanent working force, now numbering about 700, is being steadily augmented, and between 700 and 800 changes of one kind or another were made during the fiscal year 1902-3. This work involves much correspondence with the Secretary of the Interior, the Civil Service Commission, and applicants for employment, and the keeping of a full system of records. At the appointment desk is also kept a record of the attendance of employees and of applications for annual or sick leave or leave without pay.

From the purchase vouchers the property clerk abstracts all nonexpendable property and transmits the abstract to the several subcustodians. On its return a consolidated abstract is compiled, which shows the entire responsibility and purchase of nonexpendable property in the field. This abstract is transmitted to the custodian, who in turn receipts to the Director. At the expiration of the quarter, purchases as shown on the consolidated reports are inserted in a property return.

For all open-market purchases made in the District of Columbia the written authority of the Secretary of the Interior is required. The obtaining of these authorizations, the making of requisitions for the supplies, and the checking of the bills constitute another branch of the work of this section. All stationery used by the Survey in field and office is likewise procured through and issued from this section.

The shipment and receipt of supplies, field material, etc., by freight and express, and the registering of mail and handling of incoming registered mail are also parts of the work of this section.

Bull. 227-04-2

Section of Instruments.

To this section are intrusted the details regarding the purchase of, accountability for, and repairs of all instruments used by the Survey. The clerk in charge is designated custodian of instruments.

When the Survey was organized the stock of instruments was very small and no particular custodial method was observed. Their aggregate value was perhaps $10,000, while now the valuation approximates $90,000. Those used by the topographic force were under the control of the chief topographer, who supervised their purchase and their issue to the field parties and attended to the necessary repairs. As operations were extended the stock of instruments so increased and the wear and tear assumed such proportions that a custodian for all classes of instruments was designated and an instrument shop was established for their systematic repair. This shop was continued until a reduction in appropriations for the topographic branch in 1890-91 necessitated its abolishment. Shortly after this a change was made in the administration of the topographic branch, when the duties of the chief topographer were delegated to the section chiefs, and one of their number took charge of the purchase and repair of instruments, the custody remaining as before. Repairs of such instruments as actually needed attention were then made annually by contract with instrument makers. This method continued for several years, when the duties connected with the purchase and repair of instruments were transferred to the custodian, and a separate allotment was made to him for the purpose of attending to these details without drawing on the allotments for the various topographic sections.

When plans are determined upon for field work an estimate of the instruments required is furnished to the custodian of instruments, and it becomes his duty to see that the necessary articles are forthcoming when needed. In the topographic branch sufficient stock is kept to meet, as far as possible, any unforeseen conditions, but in the geologic branch instruments are obtained for each field party as occasion arises. If the stock is not sufficient it is augmented by purchase. The section chiefs determine what types of instruments will be the most serviceable, and the instruments are purchased when and where the best interests of the Survey will thereby be subserved. They are issued to the party chiefs upon requisition and are charged to them on memorandum cards.

When instruments are transferred from one party to another in the field, a special invoice card is made out in duplicate and exchanged between the persons or parties involved, and the duplicate, acknowledging the transfer, is sent to the custodian, so that the proper entries may be made in the records.

When practicable, separate parts of the instruments used are kept

in stock and are supplied upon requisition, letter, or telegram, so that there is never any delay in furnishing field parties with necessary instruments.

Each year every instrument used is carefully overhauled. On returning from the field the users of instruments tag them, make notes of their condition, and call attention to needed repairs. The instruments are examined by the custodian, who is thus able to determine their probable condition, especially any peculiar defects noted by the user, and he then arranges for the repairs. These are made either by the manufacturers, who are able to take a number of instruments in hand at one time, or by the Survey mechanician, who attends to the minor but equally necessary repairs.

Standard types of instruments are used wherever applicable, but for most of the work the best instruments are of specially designed forms adapted to the requirements. Among the latter are theodolites, planetable movements, and telescopic and sight alidades.

The topographic records are also in the custody of this section. The field methods in use at the time of the organization of the Survey consisted entirely of the taking of notes, so that the records were all in book form, and for some years there was no necessity for an elaborate system of filing. As the work progressed, however, and the plane table was brought into use as the principal instrument for mapping, the results assumed different shape. This necessitated a systematic method of filing, and a double entry card-catalogue system was adopted. The plane table sheets and the books are numbered and filed in cases by themselves. Other miscellaneous material connected with the survey of individual areas is filed in special envelopes, each envelope containing the material for a particular area. The records now comprise over 18,000 pieces, and the catalogue necessary for them consists of about 40,000 cards.

Messenger, Watch, and Labor Force.

In this force are included a steam engineer, firemen, a carpenter, elevator conductors, janitors, watchmen, messengers, laborers, and charwomen, all of whom are under the direction of the chief clerk, either immediately or through a watchman in charge.

DIVISION OF DISBURSEMENTS AND ACCOUNTS.

That portion of the Geological Survey which has supervision of the finances is known as the division of disbursements and accounts. This division was, necessarily, one of the first to be organized after the Survey was established in 1879. It has always been in charge of a chief disbursing clerk, who at the present time has 13 assistants.

This division prepares the annual estimates of the amounts which the Director judges the Survey will need during the next fiscal year,