The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-12-13
A Department Of Commerce.

TN a COUNTRY in which corsti-
tutiona! government prevails it is
Il perhaps no less an evil in it's way
to have too many departme Hta of
state than to have too few. Executive
autocracy is bad, but ministerial bur-
eaucracy is scarcely a shade better,
Too much administrative red tape has
a tendency to strangle official efficiency
in the nation as in the department. In
this republic, however, there is little
danger of u superfuity OF cabinet
Offices. The president cannot create
them, and there is small reason to fear
that congress will permit the multiple
cation OF bureaus which are rot only
expensive, but which in the course of
time might become dangerously inde-
pendent of congressional supervision.
Neither the president nor his. cabine
is directly responsible to congress. 1t
is possible, though hardly conceivable,
much less probable, that Q. strong presi-
dent supported by the political in
1iuence. the personal patronage and
collective enthusiasm o. his advisers,
might shape the future o. the country
in a way inconsistent viii, o. antagon-
istc to the highest national interests
In England the executive is not
merely directly responsible to parlia-
ment, but the cabinet forms a COM
mittee of parliament itself. A vote OF
censure passed upon it by the House
of Commons, and it automatically
In
ditions, Englishnlen are complaining
that there are too many cabinet Off
GERS; that Is, too many heads Of de-
partments. 1t leads, they think, To
nepOtisln and, in general, to ine1,ici-
ency In France the ministry in rer-
tain respects has Il dual existenca. In
= ministerial capacity 1t is responsible
to the Chambe" OF Deputies: in all en-
ecutive sense to the president and sem
ate, but practically al its other func-
tons end with its parliamentary pre-
rogative. France is pre-eminently a
land of bureaucracy, and actually the
ministry is supreme,
In advocating the creation nC a lie.
partment of commerce President Roosc-
~
commercial industrial ana financial ln-
terests of the country. 1T has long been
seen and felt that such a department
would he of paramount lmportance to
our home and international business
relations. When 1t Is erected there can
be no question that tbs department of
commerce viii be OF the utmost import-
pylse ln
endowed with large powers tie does
not specify what these shall be. But II
they are TO he analogous to the loard
of Trade in England they Will be aNke
extensive ana commercially Dominating.
Great Britain has immense maritime
interests. Over all its vast aggrega-
tion of ships and shipping the Board
of Trade exercises an abiding interest
that amounts in detail almost to par
entail control. This is, of course, only
one division or its multifarious func-
tions, but IL is the most important one.
Others include railways, the supervision
and regulation OF factories, and kindred
matters. 1t is among the oldest OF the
cabinet offices. The department of
commerce with us viii be the youngest
when IL comes into existence
An objection that has been raised to
the extension of cabinet Offices Is that
they tend TO undermine state rights, not
directly but insidiously 1t Is COM
plant which deserves and which should
receive strict and imperial consider
alton. The consciousness of national
unity is the yeast of our political activ-
tty. The sovereign state is the symbol
"f om national life. No true American