Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-06
FOK ANOTHER DEPARTuENT

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| FOR ANOTHER DEPA RTMENT
At the last session of congress bill
! was introduced to establish Il dcpnrt.
| mcnt of commerce and manufactures
with secretary who should have Il seat
in the cabinet. This measure was in
compliance with Il request of the Nn-
| tional Association of Manufacturers and
is now in the hands of Il senate commit
tee. 1t provides for a department of
commerce and manufactures which shall
have general jurisdiction over the for
ciGn and internal commerce of the
United States, except in so far as relates
TO the collection of the revenue and the
administration of the customs and in
tCrual revenue laws: also jurisdiction
over all matters relating to the manu-
featuring interests of the United States,
including the extension of foreign mar
l>etS for the same and the increase of
trade and trade facilities with foreign
countries The secretary of commcrc"
ana manufactures shall have and per
form all the duties now incumbent upon
the secretary of the treasury in relation
10 the trade and commerce of the United
States. whether the same be upon land
az water. 1t is provided that Il number
of bureaus in the Treasury department
shall be transferred to the new depart
ment and that it shall also have juris
diction of the consular service as to all
matters connected with the commercial
interests of the country.
The bill was approved by the manufac-
turCrS and Il number of the commercial
bodies of the country and these are pre-
pairing to bring their influence to bear
ut the coming session of congress in be
half of the measure. The Cincinnati
board of trade has recently sent ont II
letter to members of congress asking
them to support the bill and it is to be
expected that other commercial bodies
will follow the example. II is urged
that such Il department would be able
to do Il great deal for the extension of
our foreign commerce. especially with
the SpaniSh-American countries. The
letter of the Cincinnati board expresses
the opinion that it would be greatly pro
motive of business prosperity and in
view of the efforts being made by other
governments TO promote their foreign
trade it is essential to the success of
eur trade with other countries. The pro
posed new department would not. it is
said. materially increase the public OK
penditureS, while there would be secured
greater efficiency in the work Of The sew
eral bureaus which would be transferred
from The Treasury department.
If the promises of the advocates Of
creating IN additional executive depart
ment could be absolutely assured of
realization there would perhaps be very
little objection or opposition to their
proposal. but with the example of the
Agricultural department before them the
people are warranted in doubling
whether department of commerce and
manufactures would be productive of
any such benefits as claimed and would
not considerably increase public eXpendi-
lures. The Agricultural department
costs the people more than did the
]
able whether there have been compensate
ing benefits, The Importance of eX-
tending our foreign commerce will be
conceded. but how far this
would be promoted by Il new department |
is altogether problcnatcal. After all |
the growth of commerce ut home and |
abroad depends more upon the
enterprise and energy of manu- |
facturers and merchants than upon |
anything the government can do. !
assistance is certainly |
valuable, but is not this suGli-
ciopt with the instrumentalitieS we
now have? Certainly the views of the
and commercial bodies
are entitled to most respectful consider
alton from congress. but 50 far as these
have been presented they are not con
elusive as To the necessity for another
executive department.