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MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING WASHINGTON, D. C.

FEBRUARY 24-26, 1944

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The annual meeting brought together 26 representatives of State Geological Surveys, all apparently eager to contribute to the discussions and share in the ex­change of experiences and ideas. Those who were present are listed in the alpha­betical order of the states they represented:

Stewart J. Lloyd ••••.............•• Alabama Olaf P. Jenkins .................... California Edward L. Troxell ...••............. Connecticut Garland Peyton ., .••.•.............. Georgia M, M, Leighton ...••....... , ........ Illinois Ralph E. Esarey ••.••............... Indiana A. C. Trowbridge •.................. Iowa John C. Frye ....................... Kansas D. J. Jones ••.••.•...•............. Kentucky Joseph T. Singewald, Jr ••.......... Maryland Richard A. Smith •...•.•............ Michigan H. A. Buehler •..••................. Missouri G. E. Condra .•..................... Nebraska T. R. Meyers ••.......•............. New Hampshire Meredith E. Johnson ••............ ·. NeVI Jersey C. A. Hartnagle ..•...•............• New York Jasper L. Stuckey ••................ North Carolina Wilson M. Laird .•.•....•........... North Dakota Robert H. Dott ..................... Oklahoma Earl K. Nixon •....................• Oregon George H. Ashley •.................. Pennsylvania E. P. Rothrock ••................... South Dakota Walter F. Pond ....................• Tennessee Art hur Bevan ••..................... Virginia Harold E. CulVer •...•.............• Washington E. F. Bean ..•••..••••......•.•..... Wisconsin

Guests

Ralph Stone ........................ Pennsylvania

Meeting ££ Thursday, February 24th

Acting President Nixon called the meeting to order at approximately 10:00 a.m. and appointed the follovdng committees:

a. Ballot: Bean, chairman, Trowbridge.

b. Auditing: Esarey, chairman, Lloyd.

c. Resolutions: Leighton, chairman, Culver, Johnson.

Motions were made, seconded, and carried as follows:

That the Editor's report be accepted.

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That the Secretary's report be accepted subject to audit by the Com­mittee appointed. The latter committee subsequently reported that the Secretary's books were in order, the report was accepted and the com­mittee discharged.

The ballot committee announced the election of the following officers for

Earl K. Nixon, President Robert H. Dott, Vice President Meredith E. Johnson, Secretary-Editor

A motion was made by Dott, seconded by Bean, and carried, that a continu­ing committee be appointed to study the matter of ground-water work in the States, ~~th special reference to cooperation ,nth the U. S. Geological Survey. The follow­ing members were appointed to this committee: Condra, chairman, Trowbridge, Frye, Bevan, Jenkins, and Laird.

After discussion of the circulation of the Journal, Leighton made a motion that it should be sent only-to members of the Association, and to the directors of the U. S. Geological Survey, U. S. Bureau of Mines, and Canadian Geological Survey. Also, that members be entitled to receive two copies each upon request. Motion carried. In this connection the suggestion was made that a complete file of past issues of the Journal be made available so that anyone lacking old issues could have them copied at his own expense.

Without a dissenting voice it I'las decided to staple printed separates glvlng the American Year 900k data pertaining to Geological Survey activities to an issue of the Journal.

Vice president Dott called attention to the fact that 1946 will be the 40th anniversary of the Association and suggested that the members consider the thought of holding a meeting of broad, general interest at some mid-western point that year to which all geological societies YlOuld be invited. Dott was appointed chairman of a committee to investigate further the desirability and feasibility of such a meeting; other committee members being Leighton, Trowbridge, Esarey, Buehler, Frye, Jones, and Jeru(ins.

A motion vms made by Bevan, seconded by Hartnagle and carried, that the President appoint a committee on regional correlation of stratigraphic units which should explore all possibilities of accomplishing this desirable end. The committee appointed was: Ashley, chairman, Condra, and Dott.

President Nixon next called for a general discussion of the exploration and further investigation of mineral deposits by federal agencies in :which all mem­bers participated. It was brought out in the discussion which followed that in some cases there has been duplication of effort .nth consequent waste of public funds; that there has also been some dissatisfaction over the publicity given some of the work; and that there is considerable local resentment directed toward the expanding federal usurpation and domination of local matters.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:30 p.m.

Social meeting ~ ~ Willard Hotel

By mutual agreement, the evening of February 24th was spent by the members in getting better acquainted with one another. This pleasant and desirable 'occupa-

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tion was enlivened by the successful efforts of Condra in switching the members of groups who sat too long together, and by the appearance of a sailor who just wouldn 1 t believe the explanation given him for the hilarity and good fellowship in evidence.

Meeting of Friday, February 25th

The meeting was called to order soon after 9:00 a.m. and the members were invited to discuss the work of the U. S. Geological Survey in their respective 'states. In the general discussion which followed it was brought out that although in general there was little to criticize and relations were of the pleasantest, there has been some wasted effort due to a lack of coordination with the work of the State Surveys, and there has been difficulty occasionally in getting information from the U.S.G.S. within a reasonable period of time.

Director ~!lrather of the U. S. Geological Survey was next invited to ad­dress the members of the Association and he spoke ably and at length on the work of his organization. After replying to several other questions, he was asked if the U.S.G.S. had as yet made any post-war plans for the expansion of topographic work vnthin the United States. To this he replied in the affirmative, and added that he expects more and more work to be done from aerial photographs by the multiplex pro­jection method. Mr. Wrather was given a rlslng vote of thanks for his kindr.ess in taking the time to 'address the members and to answer their questions.

Further discussion of the overlapping of work in the investigation of mineral deposits by the U.S.G.S. and the U. S. Bureau of Mines developed the opinion that the Association could do a constructive service, based on our position as repre­sentatives of cooperating agencies, by indicating to Secretary Ickes our interpreta­tion of the respective fields of activity of each organization. The Committee on Resolutions was, therefore, requested to draft a letter to Secretary Ickes with ac­companying resolutions to incorporate this thought.

Meeting adjourned at 6:00 p.m.

Evening Meeting \uth Invited Guests at the Willard Hotel, Feb. 25th - -

An opportunity to get better acquainted with the men in federal employment whose work parallels our own and with many of whom Vie work 'directly, Vias provided by a smoker held in the Cabinet Room of the Willard Hotel from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. The following federal men were present:

TT C! Bureau of Mines u • ..... R. R. Sayers A. C. Fieldner E. W. Pehrson

War Production Board Wm. B. Heroy

U. S. Geological Survey Messrs. Wrather, Mendenhall (retired), Loughlin, Parker, Pendleton, Paulson, Meinzer, Fiedler,'Davenport, Staack, Miser, Baker, Hewitt, Burchard, Mansfield, Nolan, P. S, Smith, Bannerman, C. S, Ross, Reeside, Bridge, Ladd, Watson, Sargent, Sadler, and Wilcoxon.

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Messrs. Bateman a.nd Leith of the War Production Board and Mr. pike of the U. s. Geological Survey were unable to attend.

The meeting was marked bJr a lack of formality and by good fellowship. There were no speeches, and just enough elbow room to permit the circulation of guests and members in search of friend or refresrunent.

Meeting E.f Saturday Morning, February 26th

The letter to Secretary Ickes and accompanying resolutions as prepared by the Committee were read and after discussion and some revision a motion was made by Bevan and seconded by Dott that they be adopted as expressing the united opinion of the members of the Association. The motion was carried.

C. K. Leith of the War Production Board next appeared by invitation and spoke briefly on the present .situation in this country with respect to mineral sup­plies. He brought out the fact that problems of supply have already been licked, and that problems are now arising in connection ¥uth the concellation of some war con­tracts and a reduction in the demand for some metals. Generally speaking, the staff of the Wa,r Production Board now believes that we have safe supr.>lies of all metals for presel'!t and continuing military operations. However, the W.P.B. wants the ex­ploration of mineral deposits continued in order to insure future supplies.

The big advances made in the technology of the use of metals have resulted in big tor~age savings. Mr. Leith pleaded for a wider recognition of the affect of new processes on the demands for different minerals. In this connection he suggested that a list of the new minerals in use be obtained from the War Production Board and published in the Journal. He concluded his remarks by stating that the state c-eolo­gists can help maintain adequate mineral reserves by educating the public to our mineral needs.

It was moved, seconded, and carried, that a letter should be sent to the Director of the Bureau of Mines (and a copy to Secretary Ickes) embodying the' points agreed upon in the discussion of the functions and activities of that agency. Such a letter was prepared by a committee appointed for that purpose by the President, and after discussion and some amendment the letter was approved and the Secretary directed to mail copies.

After discussion it was agreed that the only news release to be issued in connection with the Annual meeting should be a brief statement of the names of the newly elected officers.

It was moved by Dott,seconded, and carried, that the Ground-'·Yater Cor!LTJlit­tee be empowered to prepare a memorandum e'!lbodying its views on h~w ground-wate~ co­operation should be conducted, and that sa~d memor~ndum be trans~t~ed to the D~rec­tor of the U. S. Geological Survey through the cha~rman of the co~ttee. The following RESOLUTION was accordingly prepared and adopted for publication in th!,! next issue of the Journal:

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2.

Inasmuch as ground-water is inherently a geologic resource, and

Because its scientific study, development, and utilization are based on some of the. fundamental principles of geology -- particularly stratigraphy, structural geology, and petrology, and

Because many industrialists, municipal and other officials, and other lay leaders la.ck an understanding of these basic geologic facts and

, relations,

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THEREFORE, it, is hereby resolved by th.e Association of American State Ge­ologists that:

a. More emphasis should be placed upon ground-w~er geology in the teaching of geology.

b. Adequate support should be given to ground-wat er geology in the respective states.

c. Ground-water investigations should be considered primarily as being in the field of economic geology rather than in the field of engineer­ing.

It is further resolved that a copy of these resolutions be sent to each director of a federal ager!cy which is concerned with ground-water 1r1"es­tigations •

Following passage of the above resolution, Mr. Lew Suverkrop, petroleum engineer and geologist, from Bakersfield, California, was introduced and given an opportunity to exhibit and explain the working of his "universal surveying equipment 11,

a device which apparently combines the features of a num~er of existing surveying instruments.

The ~eport of the Resolutions Committee was then read and a motion made and passed that the report be adopted and the Conrnittee discharged.

Report of the Resolutions Committee

The Resolutions Committee respectfully submits the follovling report:

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2.

The Committee recommends that the Association instruct the Secretary to v~ite appropriate letters of condolence to the family of our for­mer esteemed member, Dr. Edward B. Mathews, and to the families of the former Director of the U. S. Geological Survey, Dr. George otis Smith, and of our former collaborator, Dr. E. O. Ulrich.

The Committee recommends that the Secretary be instructed to write a letter to the Director of the U, S. Geological Survey expressing the warm thanks of the Association for the hospitality and courtesies which he extended during the annual meeting of the Association.

The Committee further recommends that each State Geologist consider the ways in which he may cooperate with the editor of the Journal of the Association in making his task lighter and tIE Journ,'1.l still better.

Respectfully submitted,

M. M. Leighton, Chairman Harold E. Culver Meredith E. Johnsqn

There followed a suggestion that the officers of the Association take up with the American Institute of Yining and Metallurgical Engineers the desirability from our standpoint of holding all important committee and section meetings prior to Thursday of the week in which the A.I.M.E. meetings are held.

A motion was then made and carried that the Annual Meeting \:)e adjourned.

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~'cntlonlln:

On behalf of Secretary Iclco:::; '.:ho i:::; Oelt of to\ln, I an ac~mopledCinc (l COllY of the r,]solution SUbl:littod i:1 :<'c:)ruary 194,1 by the I'.ssociation of ;'-.~,erican :Jtate G0010~ists reGardins the rO:J:::,ective funr:tions of the Goolo:;ical Survey (lnCl tho Bureau of l'tincs wi th ~arti­cular referonca to the invos tiCa tion of ,'.c:)osi ts of l-:-,inorals.

-;e o.~1!rociClte tl1c i!1tOP03t S}lorln b:i :;our orGa11i­zation and vlOlcome U"w sHsc;estions ccnd l'ecof.1J1cndatior.s presented in the resolution. T)-'O~T ':rill be carefully c0113idered by the De:1artmont, ' .. 'hich has ~1ad. the rola­tionshi;;s betHeen the BlL"eaU of ;:ino:3 fl nc[ the Geolor;i­cal Survey undor review for t;lO past ;:o\'o1'al nonths. '!e hope in t:1e near futuro to a1'r1 'Ie at f-I. !~u tually sati3factory forr:1Ula, '.:hich ':rill :wovh'.e a bluo:Jrint for efficient conJ.uct of the De'Ja1'tl':ont. 1 s e;:nloration work for ::1inora1 rO:Jources i.n ':ii:ic;! this :,oulltry is cleficient and at the sa;:l0 ti:~,e I'Till cau:Jc the least pos~iblo Jisturbance to t~e cur~cnt war activities of the two or~anizations.

Very tl'ulj" :raul's, tZt.o

(Signod) h-£. Portns ActinG Secretary of the

Intorior

Association of hmerican Stnte Geoloc ists , I.1r. Ecredith E .. Johnnon, 3ecretnl'Y Trenton, New Jersey April 12, 1944

~~ ~ ~ "D -at;-.~ ~~~ <;-~ 9 ~r-::~ ~~r-~ 7' ~Xb<e 4 *' Ivr/./ /~1 ,~cfr'a.ee~4U-<AW!~;- - )t-t.--rf'~-

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United States Department of the Interior

Bureau of Mines Washington 25, D. C.

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March 27, 1944 Association of American State Geologists Mr. Meredith E. Johnson, Secretary Trenton, N. J.

Gentlemen:

This is in reply to your letter of February 26, in which are stated :he objections of the Association of American State Geologists to the conduct of ce:tain of the activities of the Bureau of Mines.

The matters enumerated by the Association in that letter are contrary to the policy of the Bureau of 1unes, and I shall be glad to take the steps that a~e necessary to remedy any of them when specific instance uf SUe!1 departure from the policy of the Bureau is reported.

The following statements refer tv similarly numbered statements in ycur letter.

1. The Bureau of Mines has enjoyed the cooperation of the state geo:o~ica1 surveys for many years and desires to continue such cooperation. At the present time this Bureau is working with 19 of the state geological surveys under signed cooperative agreements in accordance with which the surveys assist in the collection of informa­tion in their states and in their capacity as agents of the bureau t~ey have access to certain confidential information that they need for their own work. The Bureau will welcome the cooperat-.ion of the state geological surveys on the ;:;rojects, within their respective states, in the investigation of deposits of strategic, critical, and essential minerals.

2. The Bureau is endeavoring to overcome the delays in publication of results of investigations of deposits of strategic. critical, and essential minerals by the issuance of War Minerals Reports. In order to accomplish the objective of these re­ports the number issued is limited by the duplicating facilities available in the Department of the Interior and distribution accordingly is restricted to persons and organizations that have a bona fide interest in specific deposits. These reports are available to the geological surveys of the states in which the suojective de­posits occur. The Bureau expects that cooperation soon will b~ arranged whereby, through more active partfcipation in the projects, the state geological surveys will be enabled to obtain on th« sites most of the information for which they have immedi­ate need.

3. The Bureau has been extremely careful to use the public funds ror only the pur­poses for which they were appropriated. The appropriations for investigations carry with them the authority to use such portions as may be necessary t.o establish methods of using unusual, refractory, and low-grade ore, and a reasonable proportion of the funds have been used for this purpose. The investigation of deposits of minerals by the more costly methods of core drilling, trenching, and shaft sinking is based upon indications apparent at the surface or in existing min.es. These investigations are

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uncertain, other\~se it would not be necessary to make them, and patently in many instanees the results of the investigations have not been favorable despite apparent ,iustification for the use of public funds for the work. This is an inherent factor in this kind of investigation.

4. The Bureau seeks to prevent the influence of any state or local political fac­tors in its work. If occasional .instances occur in which district engineers appear to have been influenced by local politics, they will be corrected when they become known to the administrative authority in the Bureau.

I shall be glad to advise with representatives of the Association of American State Geologists at any time when the Association feels that such counsel will contribute to improvement of the program of the Bureau or to mutually profitable relations be­tween the state geologists and the Bureau.

Very truly yours,

(signed)

R. R. SCl.?ers, Director

Letter from D. J. Jones, Kentucky, to Robert H. Dott, March 29, 1944:

It VlaS with deep reeret that I learned from your letter and also from press articles that Chief Buehler has passed away.

I did not have a very clos e personal acquaintance with him. Many times we have corresponded on various business and scientific matters, and he certainly was one in whom implicit confidence could be placed.

Chief was always firm in his convictions and did not pull his punches. He was never guilty of hitting below the belt, and his code of ethics was one that we can all adopt with pride and satisfaction.

Henry A. Buehler, State Geologist of Missouri, will always live with us, his friends and his associates. No matter who succeeds him, and how good a record he turns in, we will all be prone to observe, 'l\'Vell: Chief would have done as good a job and very likely a much better one".

There should be no tears or lamentations in our future councils -- such would be against his wishes. When questions of vital importance are before our group and decisive' action is difficult, someone will relate an anecdote as to how straight­forward, hard-hitting Buehler handled a similar situation. Such a monument would be appropriate.

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REPORT OF RETIRING SECRETARY

February 15, 1944

Receipts

Balance on hand, February 15, 1943 Dues from 39 members @ $7.00 for 1943 Dues from 32 members @ $7.00 for 1944 Dues from 1 member for 1945 Refund from National Advisory Board of Surveys and Maps

Expenditures

Printing $40.91 ll.68 53.76

Covers Stationary Acti vi ty Charts

Supplies

Labor

Envelopes, paper, stencils, etc., for JOURNAL

Cuttin~ stencils, mimeo­graphing JOURNAL, ques­tionnaires, etc.

28.95

100.00

Miscellaneous Postage, telegrams, bank charges 54.67

$289.97

Cash on hand $398.39

states paying dues in 1942 -- 37 States paying dues in 1943 -- 39 States paying dues in 1944 -- 32

Comparisons wi th past years: Balance on hand at end of 1940 -- $248.98 Balance on hand at end of 1941 -- 218.28 Balance on hand at end of 1942 -- 175.88 Balance on hand at end of 1943 -- 167.39

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$175.88 269.50 224.00

7.00 11.98

$688.36

$688.36

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REPORT OF RETIRING EDITOR

Several questions arise as to JOURNAL policy. What is t he JOURNAL? What is its function? How can iw function best be met? The JOURNAL has been described as the Association's forum between meetings. As such, it is a publication specifi­cally for State Surveys, and has the following functions:

a. Report of the annual meeting, to give a permanent record for those attending and to apprise those unable to attend of what transpired. Report of Association business transacted by the officers; and ac­ti vi ties of Association commit tees between meetings.

b. Presentation of ideas on Survey operations, techniques, publicity, and other matters of common interest; ideas developed in one state that will be of int erest to others.

c. Presentation of facts regarding national developments that affect State Surveys.

d. Presentation of personal items of interest to members.

e. Presentation of articles of general geologic interest, especially applicable to State Survey operations.

During past years it was the custom to send copies to t he University of Illinois library, Library of Congress, the Geological Society of America, U. S. Ge­ological Survey, U. S. 3ureau of Mines, the magazine Science, a nd to a few other non-members. During 1942, several additional requests were received,and the Editor was apprehensive that compliance with these and future similar requests cight tax the publishing facilities of the Association. Furthermore, during 1942, it was necessary to present facts and opinions on controversial questions. material that seemed out of p lace in a magazine that circulated beyond the membership of this Association.

At the last annual meeting, the Eiito1' asked for instructions; and the members voted the following motion: " •.• that the circulation of the JOURNAL be restricted to members of the Associatim ..." These instructions have been followed, and with the restriction of circulation in mind, controversial subjects have been treated rather frankly in the pages of tte JOURNAL during 1943 .

. The present policy is not wholly satisfactory, and in He Editor's opinion has the following weaknesses:

a. Restriction cannot be complete, nor can the JOURNAL be kept wholly confidential. At least two instances in evidence of t his have corne to the Editor's attention.

b. Single copies of the more helpful articles on techniques are inade­quate for a large State Survey organization.

c. Several ~rticles of high merit have been prepared by members of the Association, or by some member of their staffs, during 1943. These show considerable labor in preparation, and are entitled to broader

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circulation, both for the credit of the author, and the benefit of geologists generally. The Editor took on himself to send a few such articles to other societies and publications.

Recommendations

It is recorrnnended that:

a. The JOURNAL be devoted to non-controversial, non-confidential material.

b. Confidential matter be handled by circulAr letters ,md held confiden­tial by members.

c. Members contribute more articles on operating techrliqu8s, publicity, etc.

d. More states should feel an interest and responsibility in the JOURNAL. The following tabulation was prepared to indicate the sources of JOTJRt'JAL items from April 1941 to January 1944, inclusive:

STATES CONTRIBUI'ING TO JOUENAL (April 1941 - January 191;.4, inclusive)

Number of Contributions

NU:-:-DG1' of States Con;-,ribu.ting

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Majors 5 1':0 1'':, s ----------.----------------

7 3 3 1 1

6 states made no contribution 10 ma,ior items were contributed by fc)deral

offi cials and other non-·members

13 7 2 6 3 2 1 2 1

e. Limit circulation to State Surveys, associated federal bureaus, and Geological Survey of Canada. Do not include any libraries or other orgenizations.

f. Authors submit JOURNAL articles of general interest to other publica­tions •

g. Memb.ers request as many copies of each issue of the JOURNAL as they wish for their own staff.

Several Surveys have incomplete sets of t.he JOUHNAL, and it has been suggested that missing numbers not otherwise obtainable be copied and mimeographed, depending on the number needed, to fill out all sets. Several att.empts have been made to locate surplus back numbers to fill gaps of other members, with some success. The Secretary might make a canvass of the members to ascertain which numbers are in demand, and take steps to have them reproduced.

Finally, the Editor wishes to take t.his opportunity of thanking members who have so kindly and generously contributed to the JOURNAL during the past year. May the contributions continue and increase. Appreciat.ion also is felt for the help­ful suggestions and kind remarks about the JOURNAL.

Letter from Geo. H. Ashley. Pennsylvania, to Meredith E. Johnson, March 29. 1944:

To me, as doubtless to you, the death of Chief Buehler came as a distinct shock. While appearances may have been deceiving, he appeared to be in ordinary health whe~ we saw him only three weeks earlier. I do not know of any of our fellow members who will be more missed, both for his colorful personality and for hi!) wis­dom which his long service enabled him to share ,'rith the Association. Perhaps none of us have been more prominent in service to our states or occupied a hi~her place in the councils of the State Government. As we think back, we can remember more matters in \~ich he has been a leader. I think particularly of his topographic mapping on a large scale, such matters as his use of the insoluole residues for identifying lir:testones, and a score of other things in which his initiative has been of service to all State Geologists. He will be greatly missed in our future meetings.,

Letter from Edward L. Troxell"Connecticut, to.Robert H. Dott, Barch 20,1944:

I appreciate tremendously your kindness in sending us word about liThe Chief". I was always impressed with the affection and respect shown him by the members of our organization; I had assumed that possibly some of you had studied or worked with him in the earlier days. He was a man of remarkable personality and we will miss him greatly in our future meetings.

Letter from R. A. Smith, Michigan, to Robert H. Dott, March 28, 1944:

All who knew our much beloved Chief Buehler will have a deep sense of personal loss. No one Gould know him without being impressed by his mental as well as physical bigness. ,His strong personality, utter frankness, good sense, genial friendliness, and rough humor cannot be forgotten. All of us will miss him greatly from' our family of State Geologists.

Personally to have the more than thirty years of acquaintanceship ripened into ~ood friendship so. suddenly ended was a shock not to be soon forgotten.

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