as in the last two years, the appropriation act was not finally passed until late in the year. It is difficult to estimate closely the loss involved, but it is an actual money loss of large dimensions and represents a considerable proportion of the total appropriation. Alaska Railroad Commission.-A special contribution was made by the survey to the work of the Alaska Railroad Commission, which was created by the Sixty-second Congress and charged with the investigation of transportation routes in Alaska. The commission consisted of five members, and the survey geologist in charge of investigation of mineral resources in Alaska was named in the statute as one of the five. Alfred H. Brooks was therefore designated by President Taft to serve as a member and was made vice chairman of the commission. Mr. Brooks visited Alaska with the other members of the commission, leaving Washington September 3 and returning December 1, 1912. The resulting report was submitted to the President and by him transmitted to Congress January 20, 1913. Geologic surveys.-Investigations were continued in 45 States by a force of 140 geologists. More than 60 per cent of the appropriation was expended in the public-land States. Systematic detailed surveys of mining districts were continued in Alabama, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Tennessee, Utah, and Washington, and general and detailed geologic and paleontologic investigations were conducted in all parts of the country. A large amount of geologic work was done in the coal and oil fields of the public-land States, while the search for commercial deposits of potash on the public lands was continued. Alaska surveys.—The appropriation for investigations in Alaska was not made until August 24, 1912, and was reduced from $100,000 to $90,000 with the result that the work was much curtailed, the average length of the field season for the year being only 53 days, as against 110 days in former years. However, 12 field parties were engaged in surveys and investigations during the year, covering 2,000 square miles by geologic reconnaissance surveys, 525 square miles by detailed geologic surveys, and 298 square miles by detailed topographic surveys. Investigations of water resources and of special field problems in the important mining districts were also carried on. Statistics of mineral resources.-The work of the division of mineral resources included the preparation of the report on the mineral resources of the United States for the calendar year ended December 30, 1912. This report will complete the third decade of the work of this division, which was first authorized by Congress in 1882. The reports constituting the volume are printed as advance chapters throughout the year as soon as the data become available. On June 30, 1913, 33 of these chapters had been completed and trans mitted to the printer. These figures are compiled from individual reports received from over 60,000 operators and represent the output of between 75,000 and 100,000 mines, quarries, and wells. In the collection of these figures the following States cooperated with the survey: Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. The Mineral Resources volume, which is prepared under the direction of geologists who have specialized in the subjects treated by them, has come to be a yearbook of information concerning the mineral resources of the United States. Not only are the figures of production, past and present, given, but the Nation's reserve or future supply is discussed, accompanied by general maps showing the areas in the United States producing the precious, semiprecious, and baser metals and the nonmetallic minerals. Topographic surveys.-The new area topographically mapped was 18,578 square miles, making the total area surveyed to date in the United States 1,178,974 square miles, or 38.9 per cent of the entire country. In addition, 3,987 square miles were resurveyed, making a total survey during the year of 22,565 square miles. Topographic surveys were also made in Hawaii to the extent of 153 square miles. The technical topographic field force numbered 156. In addition, 54 technical field assistants were employed during the whole or part of the field season. Water resources.-The extent of the work possible with the survey's appropriation of $150,000 for the investigations of water resources has been considerably broadened through cooperative funds made available by 14 States, the Territory of Hawaii, the Reclamation Service, and the Office of Indian Affairs. Stream-gaging stations were, at the close of the year, being maintained at 1,148 points, exclusive of Hawaii and Alaska. In addition, records were received from 240 stations maintained by private enterprise. A large amount of work was carried on in the public-land States in connection with the classification of the public lands, and investigations of underground and surface water conditions were made throughout the country. Seventy-three per cent of the appropriation was spent in the public-land States. Land classification.-The work of land classification has increased with great rapidity. On May 1, 1912, the Land Classification Board was organized as a coordinate branch of the survey, and on July 1, 1913, the personnel of the board numbered 34, 10 of whom were geologists and engineers, 4 technical, and 20 clerical employees. The great volume of land-classification work which has been thrown on the survey has put the board considerably in arrears, despite the most strenuous efforts and a large amount of overtime work. Publications.-The number of books distributed during the year was 375,213 and the number of maps and geologic folios 724,760, a total of 1,099,973. Of these, 538,245 maps were sold. The amount of money received and turned into the Treasury from the sale of publications was $29,117.66, an increase of $3,362.44 over the amount received in the fiscal year 1912. During the year 85 new topographic atlas sheets were engraved and printed by the survey's engraving division, and 12 State maps were photolithographed and printed, and 4 geologic folios were engraved and printed, the total editions aggregating 1,250,783 copies. A large amount of additional work was done on contract for other departments through the Government Printing Office. Administrative branch.-The official mail showed an increase of little more than 5 per cent over that of the previous year. The total mail handled in the survey was 236,569 letters received and 304,670 sent. The roll of survey members holding secretarial appointments numbered at the close of the year 893, an increase of 13. The library received during the year 4,570 books and 970 maps. RECLAMATION SERVICE. The act of Congress approved June 17, 1902, known as the "Reclamation act," creates a fund for the reclamation of arid lands from the moneys received from the sale of public lands in certain of the Western States and Territories, excepting the 5 per cent of the proceeds of such sales set aside by law for educational and other purposes. The actual receipts from this source to June 30, 1912, were $77,396,161.93, and the estimated total receipts to June 30, 1913, including $247,007.41 from sale of townsite lots, are $81,819,614.99. The net investment of this fund in reclamation works on June 30, 1913, amounted to $76,233,056.95. The act requires the Secretary of the Interior to determine, with a view to its return to the reclamation fund, the estimated cost of construction, and entrymen and private landowners receiving water from reclamation projects are therefore required to contribute their proportion of the cost of construction, operation, and maintenance of the project wherein their lands are situated. The cash receipts from this source to June 30, 1913, were: Building repayments, $2,799,405.73, and operation and maintenance, $1,381,184.61. In addition, sales of water to towns and cities, leases of power developed on the projects, rentals or carrying charges for irrigation water, miscellaneous sales of old material, etc., have produced an additional return of $6,032,440.51. Reimbursement for work done for the Indian Service amounts to $1,987,497.34. Under the respective laws authorizing these transactions this amount is credited as a reduction of the cost of the projects. No new projects have been undertaken since 1906, but prior to that date 25 primary projects had been undertaken, the net investment in which on June 30, 1913, amounted to $75,174,283.26, as shown. in the following table: Net investment in reclamation projects to June 30, 1913. State. Project. Net investment. $9,883, 321. 41 6, 210, 894.01 570, 653. 44 451, 931. 11 5,050, 987.38 8, 155, 463. 02 4,296, 711. 67 380, 954. 77 962, 344. 23 1,631,076. 89 1,013, 072. 87 3,070, 947. 86 5,806, 433. 37 5,029,591.66 732, 910. 61 358,913.60 1,690, 604.78 911, 205.97 1,365, 259.84 2,083, 143. 40 3, 104, 846.96 2,271, 131. 13 582,653.33 5, 731, 143. 14 3,828,086. 81 75, 174, 283.26 592, 412.23 43,710.00 11,723.99 40,366.67 16,916.04 39, 272.27 233,883.76 80,488.73 76,233,056.95 Included in the above are the expenditures on investigation of various so-called secondary projects or enterprises which have not been found to be such as to warrant immediate undertaking. There are also in addition certain investments in town-site development, $16,916.04; in Indian irrigation, reimbursable, $233,883.76; and for general expenses, not distributed on June 30, 1913, $39,272.27; making a total of $290,022.07. Every effort has been directed toward the completion of those projects or portions of projects where the most immediate results can be had in the way of irrigable area. There are numerous requests for the survey of secondary projects which must be denied primarily because of lack of money to undertake them even if they should be found worthy. The following table contains a summary of the results of the work from the time of the passage of the act of June 17, 1902, to June 30, 1913: 5,971 7,961 Canals and drainage ditches built, capacity less than 50 second-feet...do.... Miles of tunnels built, 77; length, 117,760 feet Storage and diversion dams built, volume 9,523,652 cubic yards. Over $2,000..... $500 to $2,000.. $100 to $500.... Less than $100.. Total...... Bridges built: Number, 3,339; length, 70,900 feet. Buildings erected: Offices, 65; residences, 426; others, 407; total, 898. Roads: Miles constructed, 697; railroads built, 51 miles. Telephone lines: Miles constructed, 2,331; phones in use, 927. Transmission lines: Constructed, 351 miles. 627 1, 330 9, 210 39,066 50, 233 Material excavated: Class I, 87,492,753 cubic yards; Class II, 6,296,118; Class III, 5,456,897; total, 99,245,768. Riprap: 419,790 cubic yards; paving, 511,322 square yards. Cement used: 1,533,544 barrels; concrete in place, 1,344,908 cubic yards. Cement manufactured by United States: 338,452 barrels; sand cement manufactured, 95,435 barrels. Coal mined: 30,691 tons. Pipe laid: Concrete, 433,212 feet; tile, 181,339 feet; steel and iron, 32,287; wood, 184,149; total, 830,987=157 miles. Flumes built: Concrete, 3,039 feet; metal, 67,266; wood, 323,640 feet; total, 393,945 feet 744 miles. The crop returns have been estimated, and the following table gives the information available concerning these. |