94 HISTORICAL SKETCH

ture and rainfall of the state. These charts were exhibited at the
World's Fair at Chicago and distributed at important points both in
Maryland and throughout the country. Two biennial reports to the
General Assemblies of 1894 and 1896 have also been published, in
which a general review of the climate, topography, geology and soils
of the state was included. Maps and tables were introduced to show
the leading climatic features of the state. Both the regular and
special reports have been sent widely throughout this country and
Europe.

THE MINE INSPECTOR'S BUREAU. —The position of Inspector of
Mines was established by an act of the General Assembly in 1876, ¹
" regulating the working and proper ventilation of coal mines in Alle-
gany and Garrett counties. " At the session of 1878 ^J the original act
was repealed and re-enacted with amendments, the duties of the Mine
Inspector remaining substantially the same. Annual reports have
been generally published by the Inspector of Mines, in which the
volume of output, the condition of the mines and the number of work-
men employed have been described. These reports are not intended
to be of a geological nature, the information being in most instances
restricted to statistical statements.

THE BUREAU OF INDUSTRIAL STATISTICS. —The Bureau of Industrial
Statistics was created by the General Assembly of Maryland at the
session of 1892. ³ It replaced a Bureau of Statistics which had been in
operation since 1884 within a much more limited field. The law
creating the office provided that " a bureau of statistics and informa-
tion concerning the various branches of industry practised in this state,
and the needs thereof, is hereby established. " The duty of the chief
of the bureau was to collect statistics of every sort, including " infor-
mation in regard to the agricultural conditions and products, " and " in
regard to the mineral products of the state, the output of mines, quar-
ries and so forth. "

The appropriations for the Bureau of Industrial Statistics have been

¹ Laws of Maryland, 1876, Chapter 173.
² Laws of Maryland, 1878, Chapter 157.
³ Laws of Maryland, 1892, Chapter 29.