IN an article in the Petroleum Times of January 1949, a "Petroleum Geologist" puts forward proposals for a British and Commonwealth plan for a modern geological survey. He lays emphasis on the fundamental importance of geological survey, and on the urgent need for an appraisal of the mineral re sources of the Commonwealth. He recognizes that the development of the surveys depends on the expansion and training of staff and on the provision of specialist services in such fields as palæontology, geophysics and air survey. The lay-out of the organisation which he advocates accepts the essential independence of the surveys of the several Dominions, but involves a closer relationship between the Geological Survey of Great Britain and the Colonial geological surveys ; he proposes that these should be placed under a Minister (or his nominee) with an advisory board, and that specialist services should be joint. The comparison with the organisation of some oil companies is not helpful, however ; both in Britain and in the Colonies, geological surveys have a much wider range of interest than an oil company, and procedures suitable for the rapid exploration of oil resources are not necessarily adaptable for a survey which, to be economical, must deal concurrently with many topics. Moreover, while it is true, that greater freedom of interchange between Britain and the rest of the Commonwealth is valuable, the differences in the nature of the problems met with, and the importance of individuals with great local knowledge, limit the possibilities of useful interchange. We believe that the Geological Survey of Great Britain is itself as fully engaged on economic problems as "Petroleum Geologist" could desire, while the new organisation of the Colonial surveys promises important and rapid progress as men can be recruited.