The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-12-10
THINGS ESSENTIAL.

HllIy-ScVCutu COuSTOSS were 10 du
dress itself strenuously to the real
and unmistakable public needs, to the
practical safeguarding and promotion
of the business interests, the financial
stability, the varied activities which
make for the substantial welfare of
the nation. The president has recon.
mended, for instance, the passage of
the bill introduced in the last congress
for the creation of a department of
commerce and industries, the head of
the department to be a cabinet officer
whose function it shall be to deal with
the promotion of commerce, the inter-
ests of labor and all matters affecting
other great corporations and the mer-
chant marine.
The fact that several of the present
departments are ov%erburdened with
business of importance which does not
properly belong to them is a sufficient
argument for the separation of these.
matters from the old departments and
placing them under the charge of a
lev cabinet officer who can concen-
trate his attention upon them. Our
country alone among the great nations
of the world is without a department
of commerce and industry. In Euro
pean countries the departments of
commerce and industry collect and
publish all statistics touching internal
and foreign trade; have the supervi-
sion of the technical and commercial
schools which are so strongly contrib
utory to the business and industrial
welfare of these countries. They also
collect and arrange for the govern
ment the information upon which reci-
procity treaties inc tariffs are arrang-
ed. 1t would be a great advantage
with us to have the consular reports,
for instance; taken from the depart
ment of state and handed owe to the
departement of commerce where such
matter properly belongs. There are
bureaus IN the agricultural depart
ment which belong to a department of
commerce. It is necessary in our COM
pick civilization to specialize govern
ment work to obtain the very best re-
suit.
1t may be said hat we have attained
our present industrial supremacy and
the expansion of our export trade with
a department of commerce. 1t
is true we have amazed the cicilized
world by our industrial success. Our
manufacturing industries record an
output of fifteen billions a rear. Our
export trade has doubled and trebled
and quadrupfed, within a few years.
This is the very reason why our COM
merce and industries should be placed
under special administration.
1t might be said that such a depart
ment would cost too much and the re-
would not Justify the creation
a special department. An adequate /.
to that is the undeniable sue
cess of the agricultural department,
it was lifted out of the condi-
ton of a bureau attached to one of
the other departments and made a
administration in behalf of
agriculture. The vast bene-
conferred by this new creation of
administrative force on the farming
interests of this country none but an
would deny. There is no
lack of money to maintain such an
department as that, and
the proposed department would not
lack, for it's benefits would commend
it triumphantly to the business and
industrial interests of the country.
Congress can stop the big leak arts
ing from the abuse of second-class
postal matter and divert the millions
which would be gained by the legiti-
mate S of the mails into channels
Of ~undeniable public utility like a de-
of commerce and industry.
The postmaster general says in his
report that the government is practi-
cally, by these abuses, paying a sub
sidy of $12, 600. 900 a year for purely
publishing enterprises run
solely for private profit" It is the
duty of congress to reduce public ex-
penditures in just such channels as
this. The cessation of the abuse of
mail matter would afford
compensation for the loss involved
in penny postage on drop letters or
pay the net cost of extending free
rural delivery over all the feasible
part of the whole country.
If congress chooses to handle pub
ic business in a genuine business way,
It is easy to e how real public inter
est can be successfully advanced and
promoted. The business of a
really business congress ought to per-