The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-01-24
A DEPARTMENT. OF SCIENCE,
1 Novel Proposition Which Has Much
Merit.
proposal to Unite All the Govern.
ment'S Scientific Service to
Promote Economy.


Moore Chief Officer of the Signal Serv'
Ice Bureau at Washington, incloSang a
circular treating of the work of Charles
w. Dabney, Jr., relative to uniting all
the principal scientific bureaus of the
Government under one department,
Thereby making a great saving both in
cost and work. The circular is as fol-
lows:
Few persons have any idea of the ex-
tent and Importance of the work of the
Government is doing for the develop
ment of the resources of the country and
the promotion of it's industries. In an
article in Science for January 10th,
Charles w. Dabney, Jr, Assistant Sec
rotary of Agriculture, publishes sum-
mary of this work and its cost, and
makes an argument for its consolidation
into one department. He shows that,
emitting all those charged with purely
executive business, the Government
schools and the testing laboratories of
the War and Navy Departments, the
United States maintains twenty eight
scientific bureaus for developing our re-
sources and advancing industry, at
cost of nearly SIS, 100000 annually. They
employ over 5000 persons in the entire
country.
These bureaus are engaged in doing
all kinds of scientific work, from deter
mining the movements of the heavenly
bodies to studying insects and bacteria
We have bureaus for studying the earth
and it's products, the atmosphere and its
changes, economic plants and their
culture domestic animals and their
kind. We have surveys for measuring
the land of the country and sounding
its waters; bureaus for investigating
many economic problems, and statis-
tical agencies for collecting, compiling
and discussing the results of many in
duStries. We have agricultural expert
mant stations for developing the pro-
ducts of the land, and a Fish Commits
sion for increasing and improving the
life of our waters. Other bureaus teach
us how to protect our forests, or how to
save the forage resources of our West
eHn plains; still others promote fruit
culture or teach US how to protect our
crops and fruits from injurious insects
or disease. Finally, We have great mu-
seunls for collecting, preserving and ex-
hibfting all objects of art, ethnology,
natural history, mfneralogy, geology,
products of our peoples work. AS Mr..
Dabney says:
These noble esta blishments for the
promotion of science, both pure and ap-
piled, are the most unique feature of our
Government and the admiration of all
foreigners. They represent the true
American idea IT is the more to be re-
GREETED, therefore, that this grand idea,
I.I;g 10
adequately represented in the organiZa-
tion of the Government
As all these agencies have a common
purpose, namely, the development of the
resources of the country, one would ex-
pect to find them organized according to
some definite plan, and directed by a
single head. AS a matter of fact they are
distributed among six different depart
ments of the Government, two of them
being entirely independent.
Much valuable work has been and is
being done by them, but the writer
thinks that a great deal more would be
accomplished and much money saved if
all the BUREAUS, having this common
purpose, were consolidated IN one de-
partment. Scattered as they now are
through all the departments, operated
under very indefinite laws and super
vtsed by different Secretaries, usually
not scientific men and always overrun
with other work. there is ample oppor-
tunity for confusion and duplication Of
work and consequent loss of time and
energy The Government has, for ex-
ample, three separate and distinct agen-
cies for measuring the land of the coun-
try, connected with two different de-
partments; four separate photographic
offices for sounding the waters of bays
river, lakes, etc, in four different de-
partments; and five separate chemical
laboratories in the city of Washington
alone. The statistics of the natural re-
sources and products of the country are
collected by eight different agencies
connected with six different depart
ments and bureaus, not counting the
Census which usually goes over the
whole field again. This is doubtless one
reason why Government statistics are
so often discredbed by business men.
The pending proposal to consolidate all
the statistical bureaus and esta blish a
permanent census, which shall do, in a
systematic way through ten years. the
work hitherto done in a haphazard way
at intervals, is heartily indorsed
The following rather amusing irlustra-
ton Is given of the confusion in which
important work is often involved amidst
these many bureaus:
THE Secretary of the Interior and the
Secretary of Agriculture some time ago
appointed a board to compile the laws
on irrigation, find out what each bureau
OF each department should do. and
make a report thereon. 1t took this
board a whole year to unravel the laws
and the red tape they had created and
inform the Secretaries what was re-
ouired of each of them. It's report shows
that eight bureaus in the two depart
ments must Cooperate in order to ac-
e-ornplish any thorough work on the
great problems of irrigation. Three dis
1fnct branches OF the Interior Depart
ment alone are engaged in irrigation
work. viz. the General Land Office, the
Office of Indian Affairs, and the Geologi-
cal Survey. The Census also prepared a
report on this subject. 1t is needless 10
say that, with so many agencies to pro-
mote irrigation, very little has been
done by any of them.
Mr. Dabney thinks that what is need
ed is a general coordination OF the
scientific work of the Government, and
that the only way to accomplish this
is by first bringing these bureaus to-
gether under on executive head. When
this has been done the reorganization
would take place naturally and easily
without injury to any OF the good work
now going on. The first thing is for
Congress to decide upon general pro-
gramrne, and. as opportunity offers,
-fatr d. I. and CTNyz-