of the various productions; that considering the extent of country over which our minerals occur, their wonderful variety, and yet unmeasured amounts, it cannot fail to be apparent that no private individual or power is competent to do what long since ought to have been done, namely, to sustain a thoroughly practical investigation and exposition of the mineral industry; that even the results of associated efforts, as in the instance of the “Iron and Steel Association,” however valuable, must inevitably be fragmentary and imperfect, and that “the Federal Government alone can successfully prosecute the noble work of investigating and making known the natural mineral wealth of the country, current modes of mining and metallurgy, and the industrial statistics of production.” Selecting the subject of iron as an example, he shows by an elaborate exposition how “hopeless it is to look to any other source than the government for this service.” With regard to the question whether the government has any constitutional power to extend such investigations over the several States, it is urged that “from every analogy of past legislation, Congress has clearly assumed to possess the requisite authority;” that “if it can investigate agricultural industry and maintain a department to execute that branch of inquiry, it can investigate mineral industry; if it can make a coast and geodetic survey over the whole United States, it can make a geological survey.” The cost of carrying on a geological survey covering the whole of the United States is estimated by the director at the same sum which is annually expended by the Coast and Geodetic Survey. The importance of the results of the collection and dissemination of such information as the geological survey would gather can scarcely be overestimated. Being now so fortunate as to have in the service of the government a corps of scientific men of signal ability and energy to undertake this important work, under a direction eminently capable to give system of action and harmony of purpose to their operations, there is but little doubt that the American people would willingly approve an expenditure small in proportion to the general benefit to be expected. I therefore earnestly commend the suggestions of the Director of the Geological Survey to the consideration of Congress.
PENSIONS.
Since the beginning of the present administration the organization of
the pension service has undergone some important changes. Better
methods of adjudication, involving more care in the examination of
claims and a more perfect system of files and records, have been adopted.
The most radical change was the consolidation of pension agencies,
which took place in 1877, under the Executive order of May 7 of that
year. The 58 agencies then in existence were reduced to 18, and new
districts conforming to the change were created. The advisability of
the consolidation was questioned at the time, but actual experience has
proven its wisdom. Prompt payments, an improved system of accountability, uniformity of practice in disbursements, a more effective super-
