BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-01-19
SAN JUAN, JANUARY 20
A Secretary
of Commerce.

The presumption is always against the
establishment of new ofsice. Il must
prove i.s right to exist. To ttis lule ct
sound politics the proposal of sn additional
brsach OF the national executive govern
m sns, to be known as the Department ot
Comme,ee, is no exception. The country
should not demand 4 or apprCvs it, nor
slould Oongres, vote it, if it is intended
simply 10 provide asspsrcel of ssunocc ipied
patriots with pleasant sine cures. Il is
doomed in advance it lit contemp ates
merely the erection OF what Burks's
sarcasm, direrted against the reconstitu5ed
Board Of Trade, described as "a sort Of
gently rpeDiug hot-house, where eight
members of Parliament receive salaries oil
thousand year, in order to mature at q
proper occasion to claim for two thousand" ]"
President Roosevelt urged in his mes
sage the creation of Secretary of Com
merce. His recommendation has received
the endorsement of many merchants and
manufacturers, IN and on Friday the bill in.
troduced by Senator Nelson to establish the
new department was favorably reported by
the Committee on Commerce. 1t provides
that sit shall be the province and duty OF
said department. to foster, promote, aud
develop the foreign and domestic commerce,
the mining, manufacturing, shipping, and
fishery industries, the labor interests, and
the transportation facilities of the United
States" Here is certainly vast field OF
activity. The Presidents language was
even broader; the new department., he declar
ed, should be but one phase of "a compre-
hensive and far reaching scheme Of coli
ishaeilEs sss bssis bs5 @ sna maEna a
Arm our new position in the international
industrial word" In recent article, Mr..
A. b. Hepburn urges that sthe time has
arrived when Congress should broaden is
policy, and aid our people in commanding
the markets Of the world.n Chow better
can this be done," he asks, "than by Great.
ing department OF Commerce and Ii dis
tries, charged with the supervision and pro.
motion OF commerce and trade7n
1t is not easy to see precisely how
Secretary of Commerce coald succeed in
conqueriEg the markets of the world when
confronted by Congress which resolutely
refuses to make the slightest concessions TO
foreign COUNTRIES. Neither Is it possible
that, under our 81 stem of government, that he
should ever possess the powers of the ssfors
Ign section" of The Ministries OF Commerce
IN continental countries, which Is charged
win the preparation OF tariffs and custorns
Ies s'slation, the enforcement Of maximum
or minimum rates, and the negotiation of
treaties OF commerce and navigation. IL
10, however, entirely possible that Depart.
mNnf M Hmm m ahA IL
ous influences 10 dsmss.ic industry. Tks
present driit Of public opinion srggesis that
: might 90 made the agency for sxerting
me authority to regulate interstate com
nerce ltisessy TO conceive Of Secretary
who should have Somewhat tbs same reIa-
on to the business interests Of the coun,ry
y thai held BY the Ccmplrollrr Of ID. |
Currency iowaris tas banks. n the b,Il |
sow pending aud dessgusd 10 SECURE pub. |
'cify IN tAs seconnis Of corporatiops st oalI /
. passed i1e rss Secretary might be- ves cd 1
Fiin the powers both cf sscsfgalaing and
'ubiishing the fse's u dfRsslic busiaes
= uss scma such idea a. lkis wblch led Mr /
JhI, N he recent address az CLieazo. ~
zys s.Ne msn IN the Unlisa St.tss. nos
arr'sg ths Prssllsar, vii sxsre - such a
es.nt inhassse over fas fuiuse his sf tbls Il
.ss.sy 20 Ne ssessixV q lhs DvpassmsuI
Comm~rssp
Is.s say lass will " o. dswsd 4. Caa-
'~ss ei'h sanb powers - tbess. a. thsf kis
'aetieus uf'i b psrmisii@d O. sxpand a. a.
= ltss sssEssisd ~ Nc D.ll, X, % az
. l-<si. h'gAy u1si1siY. Aken: sll tass q
= y expsefsd e ne new a<psr,msas III
st4l bilhi4l,y eootust fAs uask now