New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-12-29
BATES PROPOSES HIMSELF.
HE WANTS A DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
HIMSELF TO BE THE HEAD OF 1T.
4 UNIQUE REPORT CONTAINING MODEST PRO
POSALS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS oF
NAvIGATION-soME ERRONEOUS
STATEMENTS.

OF william ". Bates Commissioner OF Na|lTa'"'i' vi
the current year is not merely interesting D"t eAoee
ugly unioue Upon the threshold of his report Tile
Commits ioner with characteristic modesty, proposes
that hi, bureau shall following the example OF INC
bureau Of Agriculture, be translated mo sc"V D0
parment and indicates in another portion oi nia ~
port that he would not object To take CHARGE Vi vi.
ner Department" Treating OF Department VI
Commerce the report says:
The Bureau Of Navigation In TINS D s b nepart
the outcome Of moderate agitation iol lnu vp.el
ment Of Commerce, which should iolu th 90. a. the
relation to the trade ana pursuits Vi u rard the in
department of Agriculture no" holds to"aIu ag ~
dmlrries Of the land. The Department OF ha lad
had ts beginning in c0mmlo.onelsinp. and
many wears the start of the Bureau 1f NaVIgt9, con-"
has accomplished great good Tor Inc di ,he cost Of
million, Of dollar, TO this cost, Jet i be borne aI ~
mind the men of ship, ana te .d Y' ced 70 ask for
rcciIro,aOn i'm the good time 'O",s. - mast our
by many patriotic people nir III in cyS and ears and
understanding Of the needs OF iaVlF','' ID for
,bi" h,rtroming The competition OF rival. III hu'h
and Ic course Of empire to the Nes usu' marine
I i f,cr,.t i'm the growth Of orr merchan. I'"' d
nI, dcvcronmcn could not carve out oa'e,' anu
hence became neglected. ~ our ,D ' M ,tion with
% d ' ,ipcc the war il ha, been nearly AL Ian
and mo- ~ra i'm Congress and thc I' moi com
anu n,,r,," tb, This want Of balance lao ~, ,o
1I" i"l,"nu Ya.ioYal a. il ha, commercial lnue
i(ndcrcc through the loss Of our marine III VIZ ''3
FsaG have secretary Of War although we nave ,Nsn NO
var.. and a secretary of mo NAIl n m" " so,rctary
have Dbl, "A ,f-
w. ,rcrcr tinugh have no ship 70 carry "" ~
t,d sifh thc world The indians Dci,1 u Pgrce ~
ut ,,,,, ,,,~s will be the sea win tic ott,,,
1uI ,' ,,,,on. \ merchant marine IN tr , ~,
Tadr j. the only basis for naval pn"crr - ye hay.
80 hin. engineers and semen ol oui Wv I,,r mo
c -" NAV once again defend the national h'''r' PIC
serve Union. and Nccur 2HI mT aim 10 increase
HnallnN " .tle the usefulness OF the Burtan .,
Navigation. hoping NAV one gay in W. The Cabinet with
a a., aver widening Influence among our institutions.
/ tc,, digest Of the laborS Of the lhterhslloiA
Marine Conference il contained IN 'ne P"Tr -. VIZ
,,la,,n,e,, and the revised Rules of the ROAD "ic
" t,..d while a running commentary upon theoe
ii,. and results occupies large proportion OF
IL printed pages. A., ,.,.od
~ ,,.,.,, :, the recommendations Of the 'nited
s,,tcs delegates 'or the constitution "i PeI.,'''",
hoard ~ administer the merchant marine al" U0'I
I . ho r,acr t,e Trca ,ury Department ana compose"
-, ,be Inspector General OF steam vessels 'Ho ON
missioner Of Navigation. the surgeon 'eherdi " .'
,t,, ito.ni,,l the General superintendent OF uF
.aviug service two officers detailed from u'7 INC
i -, the NAVY five experts In matier' p'r'''''"- a." ~
. r,l,,rt marine and an admiralty h"Fc' ~
w. .r treasury 10 be cx oicio pres OF the
b mrs, and thc chairman % the 'omml''ee y" '"'
or. -, the senate and the chairman 81 the 'oH"'''Fe
" ,.-.,,,, Marine ard Fisheries Of the House 81
.,,,o,ives 10 be ex- ofico members the 'ou'-
missioner offers SOME trrnchant cr'''c's' n" r'
| ,-cccds with scli-satsfying generously " '
service, Cabinet o'"'c'' ~. .,o, no ror,arI,ed
f-
.,, Marine Commission would no, CONFORM
Wv Gina. mode Of administering the Government
T iii Z. Lv , department head ara Nu'h o"''' =,
7 t,,i.i,,. a, may be necessary III every "'"" .t
tho pr..ent time the Treasury p'p'' Nv ,t. ,,,
rrr,.,u Of Navigation, the oh'e' u 49,, 80
SURGEON General. of supervising lh'l"' ." ,'it..,.
,,., and Of Life saving service '""''''''
,,i., ~ merchant vessels and seanleh anu
'' ,,r. c,ppected with the building el"pP'"H'
.o,, documcntnc and running oi san an" w
h,,nt,c All these Office are wei oIe''''"' '. ad
~. ~ ,nlarscment to almost any cNo"' s.i,,,,.
A., r,nloiut at the delegates Is not o' '' , 49,
NV ci,,. 30. but the absence OF proper i'"'
o,,rng Governmental supervision oil 'N' S''' 49,, -
,..,s r,pr.,cntcd IN the great SAILING "'0'
u'I' ,rv II /, respectfully submitted ,na' III,
/ ,,.oa,, ~ NAVIGATION. with a techni'a'N P"',''
49,, .onpe,cnt chiefs Of divisions i c''"''' ,tin,,
"" - adm,nisrer all the law Congress s'''' ''',,
nroner 70 enact for the regulation oi ''''''0
/ and for that matter. OF All 'e'sc'' ,,,,
.,orcr, mcdesty in proposing h''iso''
/ . .,o charge Of aud administer All t.'o ,.,a,
! r.ss shall think proper to enact 'o' IN -o.seI
XIV os..ls and " for that matter oil all Ne>Se'S'
nI Ia observed; does he propose 10 ''No
/ the United states Navy TOO ,,,r ronort
! r-ro, the very next page OF TINS ln'e''''"e ,,a
'po' '" pote. generously Offers TO take charge
| -, nerartment Of Commerce aISo-,o NAN c,i
/ i. ot official ~lameSc twins OF hl'''o"' WV
| sP O.. n,,led into onc--for he writes "''''
m r,rit.d states delegates recommlc" r's"'"'N
establishment Of u separate department VI ,,,st.r
,,,cut,-a Department of 'omheNo "
'r""o"' ,,,n,, :, navigation and Transportation
an. IN have been more fully coh'dercu' ""
improvement has poo"
this report. ,.i, sro,ap official
mn, only din, into prophecy but pr"'e0'S ~ 80,
soundly The Postmaster General the '"'' ,, 80,
Congress and the Executive ""','' " w ..an,,s ~
,or their shortcomings IN rrgani 10 u'o "''' -,
.i,,,i,p \ftcr stating that u" the ocean i No' w
ia" Ia, ~, az extraordinary efforts to conquer the
-. maritime powers. the most tremendous 'o"-
c,ts ~ the sea are yet TO CONF lie Pi"v,N
"Iool abroad and what do we see o"ipo"',u'.e
rromotcd to equality with cannon buiiuhs' "' ~
lion ~ scamen put on par WIN tie "a'''He W
,r,ops. new lines Of steamers started by government
"P A., ,,,..ol. of old lines renewed and enlarged.
ro, ~ home and what shall we seel shipouilu'hs
/ ,,ao, lac economists mot statesmen 10 ulc icNci
If wood chopping; the Postmaster 'cherdI o"o'i"S
| occ,n -ong mails to be- carried Nv VI" pun" y,
American steamers the navigation laws "u'''cue"
49, u-c and senate: and the principle of protective
/, ,,vcrumcut denounced from the Executive h'""S'o'
up. l.s,. What madness is 1t that has Selheo our
nu,,ic men, What folly is il that is steering our
shining 10 extinction When shall We see an ehd
10 the lcthargy Of the people and renewal OF pa'ouc
legislation which shall save the American snip ana
preserve the ship OF state
Upor page 223 OF the report te 'o"'"''''o"e'' %
becomes an experienced navigator comes out strongly
IN the chart line giving chart which shows. accord
ing ia It's somewhat turgd title, the progression and
rctrogresson Of American shpbuding for nifty years
s.o 10 1900 showing that it was not the war; but the
abrocaton Of mail contracts, 1895 and 1874 that de-
stroyed American shipping, when at the Senioh OF
success, twice" This curious object lesson winch
its author claims to be compiled from the Official
records. must be intensely gratifying TO the Demo
cratic party for at the highest pinnacle reached by
its projecting line the Commissioner proclaims In
Italic print the a" glory Of American shipping under
the Democratic policy Of subsidy contracts-isiS to
| 1880 Again he plares the " rctrOgesson OF Ameri
can shpbuldingn in 1890 the current year. nearly as
low down as that Of 1913, much lower than n 1880
TO 1858 the result Of reputation OF subsidy con
tracts and free trade era, ana lar lower thdn IN
IS7s To lssI which he terms the result Of second
reputation by Congress Of subsidy contacts; IN