principally by the conservation branch and the field work by the Alaskan branch. The field work is done by the engineers assigned to the Alaska local offices, under the immediate charge of B. D. Stewart, supervising engineer, who has headquarters at Juneau, and J. J. Corey, coal-mining engineer, at Anchorage. The use of the same personnel and facilities for both the leasing work and the work on mineral resources makes it extremely difficult to distinguish accurately between the two. The point of real importance, however, is that by this plan duplication of activities is avoided, costs are lowered, and the technical facilities are focused on the main problem, which is the development of the Territory's mineral resources. At present about three-fifths of Mr. Stewart's time, all of Mr. Corey's time, and two-thirds of the time of the clerk is considered to be devoted to the leasing work. The charges for the maintenance of the local office are shared between the leasing and mineral-resources work on ratios of about 2 to 1. In the fiscal year 1929 the allotment for field expenses was approximately $1,400, an amount that is inordinately low and that proved adequate only because the Alaska Railroad has extended to the limit its services in facilitating the movement of the engineers.

The primary purpose of the leasing work is to supervise the operations under the coal and oil leases or permits that have been granted by the Government and to advise and consult with the proper authorities, both Federal officers and private applicants, regarding lands that may be under consideration for lease or permit. Practically all the coal mining and much of the oil prospecting in Alaska is done on public lands by private individuals or companies under leases or permits issued by the Secretary of the Interior. The interest of the Government in these lands requires not only that these grants shall be a source of revenue to the Nation, but that proper methods of extracting the minerals shall be employed, thus preventing waste or damage to the property, and that the lives, health, and welfare of those engaged in the work shall be properly safeguarded. Practically all the producing coal mines that have been opened in the Territory are in the region adjacent to the Alaska Railroad. The Government has therefore an especial interest in their successful operation. For this reason the Federal engineers have given intensive study to the problems confronting these mines, to be of as much assistance as possible to the operators, by giving them competent technical advice and aiding them in making their ventures successful. Among the points to which special attention has been given are the installation and maintenance of safe and efficient mining and hoisting equipment, adequate ventilation, the reduction of explosion and blasting hazards, and the providing of adequate pillars in advance of all mining operations. This service is appreciated by the operators, and the relations between them and the engineers are extremely cordial and friendly, with no hint of the antagonism that sometimes exists between inspector and inspected.

At present drilling for oil is being done under Government permit at only one point in Alaska, and consequently little of the time of the engineers is spent in the supervision of oil developments. There are, however, many tracts of public land in Alaska that appear to hold promise of containing oil, and hundreds of prospecting permits

for oil have been issued by the Government throughout the length and breadth of the Territory. If the staff were larger it would be good practice for the engineers to check up on these permits occasionally by field visits. Under present conditions it is necessary to rely mostly on local unofficial reports, especially as these indicate no active oil prospecting in progress. In this connection it should be pointed out that the number of engineers needed to look after the Government's mineral lands in Alaska is not comparable with the number required in certain of the States. Neither is the need to be measured by the revenues received by the Government, nor by the number of leases or permits outstanding. In Alaska the open season is so short, the distances so great, and the means of transportation so slow and infrequent that either a proportionately much larger force must be maintained or supervision in the more remote parts must be reduced merely to a gesture.

TOPOGRAPHIC BRANCH

C. H. BIRDSEYE, Chief Topographic Engineer

ORGANIZATION AND PERSONNEL

The organization of the topographic branch at the end of the year is shown below.

Atlantic division, Glenn S. Smith, division engineer, in charge.
Central division, W. H. Herron, division engineer, in charge.
Pacific division, T. G. Gerdine, division engineer, in charge.

Section of inspection and editing, W. M. Beaman, topographic engineer, in charge.

Section of computing, G. W. Hawkins, geodetic engineer, acting in charge. Section of photographic mapping, J. H. Wheat, topographic engineer, in charge. Section of cartography, A. F. Hassan, cartographic engineer, in charge. Map information office, J. H. Wheat, topographic engineer, in charge. The technical force comprises the chief topographic engineer, 3 senior topographic engineers in charge of divisions, 25 topographic engineers, 2 geodetic engineers, 1 cartographic engineer, 139 associate, assistant, and junior topographic, geodetic, or cartographic engineers, and 84 engineering field aides and draftsmen of various grades, a total of 255. The clerical force comprises 14 clerks.

EXPENDITURES

Appropriations and expenditures for topographic surveys for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1929

FIFTIETH REPORT OF GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Appropriations and expenditures for topographic surveys for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1929-Continued

$34,000.00

913, 290.51 $476, 527. 34 1,389, 817.85

1930.

Represents 37.5 per cent of total cost; balance of 62.5 per cent included in charges for State cooperation. $452.541.39 expended on State cooperation.

Includes $57,945.84 Great Smoky and $33,924.78 Shenandoah Park funds available during fiscal year

GENERAL OFFICE WORK

General office work consisted in the inking and inspection and editing of the topographic field sheets prior to their submission for reproduction, the computation and adjustment of the results of control field work, and the preparation of partial culture and drainage basins from aerial photographs. A base map of California was prepared, and the base map of Arkansas was revised. A partial

culture and drainage base map of the Tensas Basin, Louisiana and Arkansas, was compiled for the Mississippi River Commission. Cooperation with the Air Corps, United States Army, was continued whereby aerial photographs were furnished for use in topographic mapping. (See also p. 80, "Inspection and editing of topographic maps.")

SUMMARY OF RESULTS

The condition of topographic surveys to June 30, 1929, is shown on Plate 1. The status of topographic surveys is further shown in the following table:

Minnesota.

New Jersey.