FORTIETH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. GEORGE OTIS SMITH, Director. INTRODUCTION. The fortieth annual report of the United States Geological Survey is an appropriate place in which to compare the present scope of the work with that of the work done during the first year of this organization. The growth of the Survey is suggested by a comparison of the appropriations for 1918-19, which comprise items amounting to $1,437,745, with the total appropriation of $106,000 for the first year, 1879-80. During the 40 years the personnel has been increased from 39 to 967. The corresponding growth in public functions of the organization, which is one of the oldest of the Federal scientific bureaus, can be inferred from the detailed report of activities which makes up the greater part of this volume. The past year has been the most notable in the Survey's history, as it marked the completion of the period of its largest national contribution, and the later half of the year was largely a time of readjustment of program. It seems opportune, therefore, that the special topics discussed in the pages immediately following should be forward-looking and suggestive of the larger usefulness planned for the Geological Survey in the future. SPECIAL TOPICS. READJUSTMENT OF ACTIVITIES. The special war activities outlined in the Thirty-ninth Annual Report continued until the signing of the armistice, when return to the regular program of scientific work began. The policy that had been adopted not to change the Survey organization, but simply to adapt it to the emergency needs of the war period-made readjustment easier. No special appropriations had been asked during the war, but the appropriations made for activities that would contribute to the needs of the country in time of peace had been diverted to similar activities that would contribute to its needs in time of war. The geologist limited his field studies to the search for the raw mate rials most needed by the war industries, the topographer mapped the areas selected by the General Staff; the hydraulic engineer cooperated with the Fuel Administration in power conservation; the statistician met the country's need for weekly and monthly figures of mineral production under the emergency demand; and the engraver and printer reproduced for both Army and Navy the maps required for their operations. The changes in personnel incident to 243 separations after July 1, 1918, for Army and Navy service, together with the similar loss of 234 workers during the preceding year, made the administration of the Survey work more difficult, and indeed without the increased efforts of those who remained some of the Survey's contributions to the war program could not have been made. It should be added that the Survey's honor roll of 477 would have been longer had not "deferred classification" been officially asked for some of the more essential members of the organization, against their personal preferences. With so universal a spirit of full service, only brief record should be made of individual honors. Yet it has been a satisfaction to the whole organization that four Survey members attained the rank of lieutenant-colonel in the Engineer Corps and Coast Artillery. These officers brought to their military duties the special training in geologic and topographic engineering that could have been obtained only in the Geological Survey. The Chief of Coast Artillery, in expressing his appreciation of the assistance rendered by the Geological Survey, mentioned especially the preparation and publication of the "Manual for the artillery orientation officer," stating that this publication was in great demand during the war, as is shown by the fact that over 40,000 copies were printed and distributed. Other contributions of similar type have since been made by a Survey engineer, Lieut. Col. Birdseye, who has prepared pamphlets entitled "Meridian determination" and "Circumpolar ephemeris" for the Coast Artillery Training Center, Fort Monroe, Va. Personal letters from Gen. Pershing were received by Lieut. Col. Alfred H. Brooks and Lieut. Col. Glenn S. Smith. The letter to Col. Brooks expressed appreciation of his "loyal and energetic work as a member of the American Expeditionary Forces" and stated that his services as chief geologist were "of a constructive character in a field new to the military service" and that the results of his efforts "were becoming manifest to all." Col. Smith was commended for the "energy and technical knowledge which aided most materially in securing suitable personnel and equipment for the Topographic Service, in training and organization, and in the making of topographic surveys in France." Citations by the commander in chief of the American Expeditionary Forces have also been received "for exceptionally meritorious and conspicuous services" by Lieut. Col. Glenn S. Smith, "as director of base printing plants." Maj. William O. Tufts, "in topographical surveying with First Army." 66 Maj. Luria L. Lee, “as adjutant, First Battalion, 29th Engineers." Maj. Lee was also awarded the French Croix de Guerre for exceptional service rendered as captain in the 29th Engineers during the Chateau Thierry offensive. A copy of his citation is given below. GENERAL HEADQUARTERS French Armies of the East. STAFF Personnel Bureau (Decorations) Order No. 18094 "D" (extract). With the approbation of the Commander in Chief of the American Expeditionary Forces in France, the Marshal of France, Commander in Chief of the French Armies of the East, cites in the order of the division: Capt. Luria Lyons Lee, 29th Regiment, American Engineers: Rendered exceptional services to the Geographic Branch of the Army during the battles of July, 1918, in the execution of surveys in the region northwest of Chateau Thierry, giving proof under particularly difficult circumstances of very great competency and untiring energy. Capt. A. T. Fowler likewise received the French Croix de Guerre for notable services under the fire of the enemy. A copy of his citation is given below. GENERAL HEADQUARTERS French Armies of the East. STAFF Personal Bureau (Decorations). Order No. 18094 "D" (extract). With the approbation of the Commander in Chief of the American Expeditionary Forces in France, the Marshal of France, Commander in Chief of the French Armies of the East, cites in the order of the division: Capt. Alvah Tennant Fowler, 29th Regiment, American Engineers. During the period from May to July, 1918, has displayed unusual ability and remarkable energy in the conduct of surveys undertaken for the Service Geographique of the Army, in the region of Tartigny, Folleville, Picardy, pushing the work under fire of the enemy and assuring the rapid execution of the work in bombarded villages. A copy of the citation for Lieut. Kostka Mudd, who also received the Croix de Guerre, may be found in the Thirty-ninth Annual Report, on page 10. INADEQUATE COMPENSATION. In a highly specialized scientific bureau quality of public service must depend largely upon training and experience. The compensation offered must be such as to attract the best graduates of the universities and to hold those who prove their aptitude for scientific work. The fact that there have been 77 resignations from the scientific force of the Geological Survey during the last year-17 per cent of the force-suggests inadequacy of compensation, and the percentage of resignations in the clerical and nonscientific force was even larger. This statement of course does not include separations to enter military service. In the previous year, however, the resignations of the scientific members were only about a third as many, owing to a patriotic unwillingness to leave the Government service during the war. Yet the separation was only delayed, and this may be supposed to have caused the 17 per cent loss in the year just closed to be excessive, but this optimistic view is not supported by the number of resignations since July 1, 1919. The fact that there has been a 19 per cent total (scientific and clerical) "turn over" in the Geological Survey in each of the last two years, not including separations for military service, plainly indicates that the Survey salaries are lower than those paid elsewhere. The criticism that has been aimed at the Survey policy of making its scientific investigations useful undoubtedly finds support in the present commercial demand for geologists who have received the Survey training, yet the universities also continue to look to the Government service for trained specialists. The largest inroad upon the Survey efficiency comes from the oil companies: the final result of the pioneer work of the Federal geologists in applying geologic FIGURE 1.-Diagram showing average salaries received by certain Survey geologists compared with the salaries offered to them by outside employers. methods to the search for oil and gas is that a large proportion of the leading oil geologists the world over are United States Geological Survey graduates. Indeed, the future decline in popularity of the Survey as a recruiting station for oil-company personnel will be due simply to the fact that the experienced oil geologists who remain in the Government service are from personal preference immune to outside offers. How much more attractive is the compensation offered in the commercial practice of geology is shown by figure 1. The curves show the relation between the average outside offers and the average Government salaries paid to oil geologists at the same periods. Of the group of thirty oil geologists of 10 years' experience only two now remain in the Survey. The gap between the curves widens rapidly as the length of experience increases and shows a difference in compensation ranging from $1,000 to $7,000. |