The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-04-07
TOO MANY BUREAUS
There Are Three That Have Fores-
try in Charge.
AVOIDING DUPLICATION OF WORK
Serious Study In Connection With
the New Government Depart
ment of Commerce. -s,.

From, The journal Bureau. Room, rs, Post
B.tIaing, Washington.
Washington, April Ito prevent the
duplication Of work by various bureaus in
Washington has become a serious study
in connection with the creation of new
department Of commerce. While it was
originally planned to consolidate only
those bureaus which might probably be
put into this department, advantage has
been taken to propose a Redistribution
of al! the scientific bureaus. 1t has been
proposed to appoint commission to work
during the remainder of the fiscal year
upon the subject Of Redistribution, and to
give the president authority to act, when
he shall become sure what he wants to
do. The task Is most difficult and deli
cate one. t-''
There are to-day three forestry bureaus.
In the land Office Of the interior depart
ment there Is bureau having charge Of
the forest reserves which was set off
from the public domain about ten years
ago. In the geological survey there Is a
bureau of timber classification work, ald
in the agricultural department an impor
tant bureau Of forestry. The work Of
these three bureaus necessarily oyerlaps
very much and Is accordingly source of
wastefulness and loss.
Irrigation work similarly overIaps. The
weather bureau has system Of water
measurements for the purpose Of making
predictions. The geological survey, in It's
photographic division does this work on
very large scale. while the agricultural
department In it's division of irrigation
inquiry, still again studies the water
question. In the same way other bureaus
are doing the same work. The coast and
geodetic survey and geological survey
necessarily overlap in many of their i'm
portant measurements.
1t Is obvious that attempts to harmon
lie the situation are very complex. Each
department is studying question where
there Is duplication, for particular
purpose, and were one bureau to make
the study alone, it would have to keep in
mind the various aspects of inquiry which
the different departments desired. and
since the bureau could be in only one de-
partment 1t might oftentimes be doing
work wholly for another.
But the greater trouble Is in the per-
sonal element. Each head of bureau.
in case there Is consolidation, desires
to head the new and larger establishment,
or else his tendency Is 10 oppose any
change. There is considerable variety in
the estimates Of the various undertakings
arising from personal consideration, and
Of course, all Of these difficulties reflect
themselves in congress. It will be neces-
sary to give the president the authority
now to reclassify before such commits
sion has undertaken It's work rather than
afterwards, for no report that 1t might
make could fail to provoke much antag-
onism. 1t will be far simpler matter to
prevent the unnecessary Implications OF
property, such as fish commission boats
and geodetic survey boats. and the stock
and vehicles of the various bureaus.
The prospect which a new department
OF commerce affords for preventing the
waste under the head Of statistical work
n
behalf ~.
W w. Jermane