The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-04-11
THREE DEVOTED TO SUBJECT OF
FORESTRY.
WORK OFTEN DUPLICATED
Serious Study in Connection With the
Creation Of Department Of Com.
merce and Industry.

Minneapolis Journal Washington
Special: To prevent the duplication
tf work by various bureaus in Wash.
lngtOn has become a serious study in
connection with the creation of a new
department of commerce. While ii
was originally planned to consolidate
only those bureaus which might prob.
ably be put into this department, adj
vantage has been taken to propose a
Redistribution of all the scientific
bureaus. 1t has been proposed to ap-
point a 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 a most diff
ficult and delicate one.
There are today three forestry bu-
reaus In the land office of the inter-
ior department there is a bureau hav-
ing charge of the forest reserves,
which was set off from the public do
main about 10 years ago. In the geo.
logical survey there is a bureau of
timber classification work, and in the
agricultural department an important
bureau of forestry. The work Of these
three bureaus necessarily overlaps
very much and is accordingly a source
of w~astefulness and loss.
Irrigation work similarly overlaps.
The weather bureau has a system of
water measurements for the purpose
OF making predictions. The geologi-
cal survey, in it's photographic divi-
sion does this work on a very large
scale, while the agricultural depart
ment in its division of irrigation in
quiry, still again studies the water
question. In the same way other bu-
1eaus are doing the same work. The
coast and geodetic survey and geo
logical survey necessarily overlap in
many of their important measure
ments.
1t is obvious that attempts to har-
monize the situation are very complex.
Each department is studying a aues-
ton where there is a duplication. for a
particular purpose, and were one bu-
reau to make the study alone, it
would have to keep in mind the vari-
Gus aspects of inquiry which the diff
ferent departments desired, and since
the bureau could be in only one de-
partment it might oftertimes be doing
work wholly for another.
But the greater trouble is in the
personal element. Each head of a
bureau, in case there is a consolida-
ton, desires to head the new and lare.
er establishment, or else his ter;lcrt.y
is to oppose any change. There is
considerable variety in the estimates
OF the various undertakings, arising
from personal consideration, ard. of
course, all of these difficulties reflect
themselves in congress-. It will be
necessary to give the president the
authority now to reclassify before
such a commission has undertaken it's
work rather than Afterwards. for NJ
report that it might max, could fail
to provoke much antagon's sra 1t will
be a far simpler matter to prevent the
unnecessary duplication a of property,
such as fish commissi IN boats and
geodetic survey boats, AMI the stock
n vehicles of the vari ,is bureaus.
The prospect which a new .~lerayt-
mem of commerce afford, for pre-
venting the waste under the heal If
statistical work is really the greatest
argument in it's behalf.