, 1874-12-17

A BUREAU OF COMMERCE.
Tho Adswace Of Dec. II prints u worry inter-
eating mud important paper from tho Hou.
WILLIAM W1NDos1, United Stntes Senator from
Minnesota, upon the rracticnbility md dcsir.
ability Of establishing Governmental Blu
rcnu of Commerce ut Washington, for tho col
lection OF statistics Of domestic commerce,
having special reference to tho business and
property represented by railways, ships, and
other agencies OF internal transportation, and
tho values of commodities annually moved by
them. At present, tho scarcler for infornla-
ton on tllesa topics Inns to gather it
at great labor, expense, and wasto Of
time, from the statistics Of Boards
of Trade, Chambers Of Commerce, mud trans
portation companies. To remedy this, son-
ator WNpoM strongly urges the establish
ment Of this Bureau, limiting tile duties Of
such Il Bureau to the collection Of four gen.
eral classcB Of facts l. The areas Of produo-
ton; quantities Of goods moved to homo
markets; prices; demand and supply of
transportation facilities; quantities shipped
from tho United States aud from nil otLer
countrieg to the principal foreign mar}iets Of
tho world; aud the price Of labor, cost Of
transportation, etc., under which we COM
pete with other countries in those mr.
kots. 9. 70 collect statistics relative
to tile railroads, and all the do
tnils Of construction, transportation of
passengers and freight, cost Of transportn-
ton, rates Of freight and fares, mud Auctua-
ton in those rates. 3. The collation. Of re-
ports from reilrom companies, express COM
panios, and alcspingcar companies, as to the
details Of their ennul business. 4. The
collection and compilation of valuable in
formation with rcgard to tho improvements
| iu the facilities for transportation on rail-
roals, md on canals, and other water routes; !;
the geographical limits of the usefulness Of
| the various leading routes and the com,ner-
| cial conditions, burdens, and necessities of
the various sections of country served by
them" Tho above comprises the salient points
Of Dir. WINDOWS plan, and would coll
| stituto Bureau somewhat like tho Railway
| Department Of tile British Board Of Trado.
A bill providing for sucll Bureau was mt
| tured ut the last session Of Congress by the
Senate Committee on Transportation, and
was reported by its Chairman to tho Senate
| n few days prior to adjournment It is now
pending in that body, aud strong effort
will undoubtedly DO made to secure its pas
sage. Az to the importance Of the organiza-
ton Of such Buroau, there does not appear
| to bo any doubt. On the other hand, twould
| supply very important want, and by con-
centrating these statistics i'll adepnrt,nent ut
Washington. uuler some competent and skill
full statistician, the Hon. DAVID 4. WELLS, for
instance, it would not only supply much val
liable information, but it would save grcnt
labor and expense, suc1 as nro involved in
the journeys of transportation committees.
Congress would have complete ind Of
ficial cyclopedia of transportation statis-
tics ready at hand, instead Of being
obliged to appoint committees and
send then, I'LL over the country at
great cost Of time aud money to collect
| thcm. In this respect, there would he every
advantage. There is to bo considered, on the
other hand, the danger which grows out Of
multiplying Offices, md the additional liabil-
ity that the Bureau may grow into cumbor-
some aud expensive institution, and set a
precedent for the organization Of moro
| Bureaus. If Senator WINDOW can Indicate
any way in which these dangers may be
escaped, we fec 10 reason why his Bureau Of
Commerce should not be established at once.
| ------.---@
THE FREEDMEN'a-BANK sWlNDLE.
The reports which have been current so
long regarding the desperate condition Of the
slfairs Of the bankrupt Frcetlnlen's Savings
Bank arc more than confirmed by tho report
of the Commissioners appointed to liquidato
them. It would have been less cruel to tho
tlepositors had tho full truth been told long
ago. II hna been apparent during the past
six months that thero WIS no hope for tie
unfortunate depostors, and, notwithstanding
this fact, tho truth has only been partially