Evening star., 1902-03-25
ANOTHERDEPARTMENT
Hearing Before House Com
merce Committee.
INTERESTSOF INDUSTRY
ARGUMENT OF T. c. SEARCH AND
OTHERS
It is Claimed That the Additional
Expense Would Be Trihing-Senti-
ment of Business World.

The proposition to establish department
Of commerce and labor was taken up today
by the House committee on commerce.
Four bills have been referred to the COM
mittee on this subject. One of these bills,
known as the Nelson bill, has passed the
Senate. the others having been introduced
in the House respectively by Representa-
tives Roberts Schrm and Brownlow.
A number Of representatives of COM
mercial organizations were present at to-
days hearing, and Chairman Hepburn
suggested that the discussion should first
dwell on the necessity and functions of the
proposed new department.
Mr.. Theodore c. Search of Philadelphia.
president of the National Manufacturers
Association of the United States, was the
first speaker. The department. in his mind,
should be made up of the various united
bureaus of the government already exist
ing.
Argument by T. c. Search.
Mr.. Search discussed particularly the
Senate bill. The opinion which had been
expressed by the business interests of the
entire country, he said, was unanimous in
favor of this bill.
To show the necessity of such a depart
ment. Mr.. Search said:
The magnitude of the manufacturing IN
terests of the country would seem to entitle
them to representation in the cabinet OF
the President and in the executive depart
mentS The twelfth census shows that the
aggregate value of the products of the
| manufacturing establishments of the Unit
ed States during the census year ended,
June /. 1900 exceeded thirteen billion dol
lars, which is probably nearly four times
the aggregate value of all the products OF
agriculture during the same year.
The manufacturing interests of the
United States exceed in volume and impor-
tance the industrial interests of any nation
in the world and Yet there is in the eXecu-
tive departments of this government no
department or bureau that is specially
charged with any duties relating directly
to these interests. Agriculture, labor,
transportation, mining. fisheries ana for
estry all have distinct recognition in one
form or another. but nowhere is there any
agency specifically designed to promote the
welfare of the manufacturing interests of
the country.
Practice of Other Nations.
The United States is almost alone among
the civilized nations in failing to maintain
a distinct governmental department. whose
functions it is TO promote the interests of
commerce and industry. England has her
beard of trade, which exercises n powerful
Influence upon the commerce and industrie;
OF Great Britain and whose president is
cabinet officer. Germany has minister of
commerce. France has a minister of COM
mCrCe. Belgium has a minister of industry
AMI labor. Austria has a minister of COM
neIce and national economy. Hungary has
a minister of industry and commerce. Rus
Sia has special imperial cabinet of four
So ctionS one of which is devoted to agri-
culture and manufacture. The Netherlands
has a minister of public works and COM
merce Spain has minister of agriculture
ana commerce ana public works. Portugal
I has minister of public works industry
and commerce. Switzerland has a minister
q. agriculture and industry. Italy has d
minister of industry and commerce. Persia
has minister of commerce. Most OF the
Spanish American countries have cabinet
officials. whose functions are distinctly COM
niCrcial III character.
No Great Expense Proposed.
THE maintenance of the proposed new
| federal department would not necessi-
tate amy large increase in the total of the
departmental appropriations. The Senate
bill does not contemplate the exercise of
any new functions or the cation of any
new bureaus. but provides merely for the
readiustment, the concentration and the
consolidation of numerous bureaus and
subordinate departments that are now in
existence. Whatever additional eXpend-
lures might be necessary would probably
be very nearly offset by the economies
which would result from the CONSOLIDATE ton
of various bureaus now engaged upon work
that is practically identical. There are
statistical bureaus in the Departments of
State and Agriculture and the Treasury
! Department which are doing work that
could be carried on with equal efficiency
by a single department, and there are nu-
merous other instances of duplicated work
which could be consolidated with consider
able economy and no sacrifice of efficiency.
1t would seem. therefore, that there ought
TO he objection to the creation of a new
federal department on the ground OF ex-
penSe. 1t IL rather a matter of economy
and efficiency than of increased expend-