Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-02-21

OngreS>man henmnS New Scutu4t-
Combining Commerce and Agrirui-
ture I'm One Department-Utilixin
the Consular Reports. Etc.
Special Dispatch 20 the Register.
WASHINGTON, February y20.-Congressmsn
Kenna, of your State, has bill which he
proposes 10 submit tomorrow, and which
is intended to establish another department
of the government that shall combine the
agricultural and commercial interests
under one head. There have been bills to
establish Department OF Agriculture, or
rather to elevate the present bureau, which
DR.. L0ring so efficiently superintends, TO
the dignity of q separate departments md
bills TO establish a Department Of Com
merce, but all have failed because neither
branch of industry, as represented in Con-
greSs, was strong enough TO secure what il
wanted of itself.
Agriculture and Commerce.
Kenna thinks that by combining the two
interests the end desired can be attained.
and their points OF union are 80 close and
frequent that they ought not be difficult to
weld. information concerning our sgri-
cultural products has got TO be supple
mented by information concerning markets
and foreign competition, before it is OF
much practical value, and freights have
come 10 be almost rs big factor in the
social problem as years Of plenty or years
of famine. There are a large number of
bureaus nov tackled on to Departments TO
which they are in no wise related. For in
stance the Life Saving and Signal Service,
the Bureau OF Statistics and Navigation,
steamboat inspection, and others, are
fastened on to the Treasury Department,
simply because there is no natural and
proper head to which such branches can
be attached. Others are SO managed that n
great portion of their labor is expended to
little purpose. one of the features OF the
Consular service
now is the gathering OF facts and intor-
nation by our representatives abroad, Of
practical and economic interest to citizens
Of this country. XTheir reports are printed
periodically. and ii any one had the time
and industry TO plod through the consuls
reportS printed as they are
In Extensio,
he might learn something about what for
eign countries were doing in the way Of
competitor with our home products, and
what ports offered markets for our man
ufactureS The trouble is that life is short,
and while We have all the time there is
Cnly a little OF il is available. II these re-
ports were
Boiled Down
and cOllated and the information from each
country on the subject of farm and factory
products were set down under the head of
wheat and iron, the man who runs a plan
tatiOn or manages a rolling mill might de-
rive some benefit from what now goes to
waste through its own unwieldiness.
Kennas idea is that if these and similar
branches were combined under one head,
the information pertaining TO and gathered
by them. could be so Systematized and
tabnlated As To make il available and use
ful for those most Interested. ITr PrV
POSES to call his new department
THE Department OF Industry"
a title comprehensive enough to comPre'
hend the toilers on the head waters Of
Gauley. As well as the toilers of the sea,
and in spite of the adaptation from the
French which the title suggests, 1t is a
popular plan already, and seems likely to
find favor the more il is discussed. lhN.