The Minneapolis journal., 1901-10-10
Chances in Favor of Another
Cabinet Officer.
BUSINESS MEN ASK IT
Necessary Bill Will Be introduced
by Senator Nelson.
MERRIAM MAY NOT BE SECRETARY
Minnesota Man VIII, However, Re-
main at the Head of the
Census Bureau.

From The Journal BUreau, Room <5, PoA
BHildtn0, WasitingsOE-
Washington, Oct. 10.-The chances are
decidedly in favor of the passage Of
bill by the next congress providing for
another cabinet officer, to be known as
the secretary Of commerce Such a bill
was before congress last winter but its
author, Senator Nelson, Of Minnesota, al
though securing an unanimously favor
able report from the committee on COM
merce. did not press it for passage, the
shortness Of the session and the prior
claims of other important bills prevent
ing. But last sessions work will have an
important educational value, both so far
as congress is concerned and the country
at large. The need is now very generally
recognized, and it is the plan of the
friends of the proposition to push it en-
ergetically the coming winter
First Of all, an effort will be made to
have the president recommend it in his
annual message, and to that end the
boards of trade and chambers OF COM
merce in all the large cities are already
being urged to adopt resolutions ad-
dressed to him soliciting his aid. The
president understands the situation, and
it is a. safe guess that he will readily
comply with such a request. The bill will
be introduced early in the session by Sen
ator Nelson, and will go to the committee
which favored 1t year ago. 1t will be
rannrtad DrOroDfltr ha nd oil
ready having been gone over, and will
come up for passage ahead of other i'm
portant legislation instead of behind it.
1t has been said that 1t ought to get
through the senate shortly after the holi-
day recess. In the house it Is under
stood that ii will have no serious oppo-
sitiOn, and should the president recon-
mend it, that body will make it a part
of the regular work of the session, which
will mean that 1t will come to a vote;
but If by any mischance it should not pass
during the long session, which will not
adjourn earlier than next July, it will be
alive and ready for passage at the short
session, beginning in December of next
year. Beyond any question, President
Roosevelt will be called on during the
present term to name this new executive
officer.
The arguments are all in favor OF the
establishment Of the Office, and it is re-
called that they are much stronger than
they were at the time the department of
agriculture was established. The rapidly
expanding commerce of the country, the
many new and involved features which it
presents, both in our contact with Euro
pean powers, and with the great nations
of eastern Asia, and the important acQui-
sitions of territory which followed the
Spanish war, have combined to emphasize
the need for a more systematic and care
full management of our commercial inter-
ests, and their proper classification under
the direction Of one official. The old pol
icy Of segregation Is no longer advisable
Under that policy part of the work
to be under the charge OF the new minis
ter is done in the state department an
other part in the treasury department,
and still another part in the war depart
ment, and so on. In proportion as COM
mercel has become the chief business of all
enlightened nations, it becomes necessary
that the United States should secure and
hold It's share Of it; and the first impor-
tant step in that direction Is proper or
ganization and direction in Washington.
Under the plan as authoritatively out
lined by the friends of the new bill, there
Will D6 du arrangement VI lnlS SORT. Inc
several bureaus which deal with statis-
tics, with trade and industrial questions.
etc, whether foreign, domestic or both,
will be brought together under the new
secretary, and each Of them will have
a head, who Will report directly to the
secretary and receive directions from
him. The combination will embrace the
bureau Of statistics, the coast and
geodetic survey, and the bureau of i'm
migration, at present under the secre-
tary of the treasury; the commissioner
Of railroads, the geological survey, and
the census bureau, at present under the
secretary Of the interior; the division of
statistics and the section of foreign mar
kets, at present under the secretary of
agriculture; the bureau Of American re-
publics, the department Of Special Com
missioner Kasson, and the purely COM
mercial reports of consular officers, at
present under the secretary of state; the
department of labor, and the interstate
commerce commission, which are acting
Independently. In addition to the fore
going, everything will be turned over to
the new cabinet officer which has to do
with trade questions in the new insular
possessions.
There are enough subjects in the fore
going list to keep a cabinet officer busy,
anu II Is GAp6Clcu, VI course, IQaL MS
work will develop rapidly, quickly making
for itself a permanent place, as the de-
partment Of agriculture has done.
The business interests of the country
it is believed, will be quick to see the
wisdom of the plan and give 1t their
hearty support. The question of active
Endorsement, including letters to the
president, is already before the board
of trade OF Chicago. the chamber of COM
merce of New York, and the commercial
bodies Of other large cities. In time,
every prominent organization Of this
kind in the country will be asked to go
publicly on record as favoring the Nelson
bill.
Nothing has been said about who the
new secretary is to be. Had President
Mckinley lived, former Governor Mer-
riam Of Minnesota would have been in
line for the position, and his friends may
still urge him for the place knowing, as
they do, that he is splendidly fitted for