Arizona republican., 1901-12-12
SCIENTIFIC BUREAUS
Reason For the Presidents
 Recommendation
That They be Put Under the Agricul- ture Department-The Plan Only a More Equitable Division of Work.


 scientific bureaus generally should be put under the department Of agricul- ture," said President Roosevelt in his message. In the original scheme for the department of commerce and indus try, as expressed in a bill which was in- troduced in the Fifty-sixth congress, it was the intention to include the scien- tific bureaus of the government in the new department. It is now understood. however. that the president is opposed | to including the scientific bureaus in a department of commerce, he desires that the new member of the cabinet. if congress decides to provide one. should not have so much upon ihis hands but that he can give practically his whole attention to matters of foreign trade.
 While recommending a department of commerce represented by cabinet off cer. the president also recommends fur ther that the scientific bureaus should | be grouped under the secretary of agri culture. These bureaus. representing an annual expenditure of about ss,000.- GOO. are now in several departments. | The scientific work of the government | is very widely diffused. the ar engagement being largely the result of accident. Each new bureau created has been attached to the department which happened at the time to be the newest. For instance. the coast and geodetic survey. the oldest of the scientific bu- reaus. was attached to the treasury de- partment, as that was at the time the catch aIl'' for newly created bureaus. 1 The geological survey when created was attached to the department of the interior. at the time the youngest of | the departments.
 The scientific bureaus are now dis 1 tributed as follows: In the treasury department are found the bureau of statistics, life saving service, coast and geodetic survey and marine hospital service. In the navy department are | found the naval observatory. nautical almanac and museum of hygiene. In ! the department of the interior are found the board of education. the geo | logical survey and the census office. Not connected with any department are the bureau of labor. commission of fish and fisheries. board of geographical names and bureau of standards.
 The coast and geodetic surveys, now under the treasury department. carries on surveys along the coast and makes careful determination of points in the interior of the country. The geological survey. under another department, that of the interior. takes up the work of the geological survey and finishes the topographic mapping. If the personal relations between the heads of these bureaus happens to be cordial. as they are at present, beneficial cooperation rsults: if the relations are otherwise. more or less duplication and friction re- suits.
 The forestry work of the government. fully shown by the president in his message is widely scattred and should be consolidated to obtain better results. The irrigation investigation begun in 1888 by the geological survey and car ried by them from standpoint of na- tional interest in the matter are being duplicated in part by the department of agriculture from a local or state con- trcl point of view. No good reason can be advanced for not having all the irri- gation work done by one department. and if the geological survey Is trans ferred to the Jurisdiction of the secre- tary of agriculture harmonious action would be insured.
 The statistical work of the govern ment is being duplicated in part by the statistic bureaus Of the treasury de- partment and the department of agri- culture and by the census office in the department of the interic-. The work of the census is at present temporary and not CO., ordinate with existing bu-
 
 in the census office to repeat the work being done by men in government em- ploy elsewhere. With a permanent cen sus bureau as is now proposed. placed in the same department with other sci entific bureaus or bureaus of informa ton, such duplication of work could be prevented
 Including the pension list. which i5 in the department of the interior, the
 
 vises the expenditure annually of ap- proxirnately S4,OOO, 900, whereas the sec retary of agriculture. a coordinate off, cer in the cabinet, supervises the ex- penditure of only about $4.00O,000. The enormous amount of business which comes to the desk of the secretary Of the interior from the many ramifica- tions of his department are only realized by those who have endeavored to secure prompt action in matters re- quiring his decision.
 The bureau of forestry alone has fur nished the secretary of the interior with more questions. Investigations and adjudications than one man should be called upon to take care of, and nee essarily precluded giving proper atten- | tion to other and even more important features.
 The business of the government has become so enormous and so unwieidy that it requires the utmost system to insure dispatch and guard against duplication. As the government is now constituted, it's machinery is a matte. of growth and evolution. new features being taken on hero and there from year to year wherever it seemed possi- ble to effect lodgement for them.
 The segregation of the scientific bu reaus or bureaus of information from the different departments is equally as important the creation of a new de partment as proposed The president. while fully aware of the importance o6