The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-12-10
MI. CoTtelyou's First Report.
What the New Department Has Done
and Hopes to Accomplish.

and Hopes to Accomplish.
The demand from all parts of the
country for Secretary Cortelyou's
first annual report. was only to be ex-
peeted when one considers the wide.
spread interest which has been taken
IL the new Department of Commerce
and Labor. ever since is creation by
act of Congress on February il, of
this year. The exact field which the
department expects to occupy, what 1t
has already accomplished, and what il
hopes to do in the near future, are all
clearly set forth in this report. Even
the most curseTy reading cannot fail
IL reveal two facts: that there was
need of the new department, and that
the Secretary and his assistants have
done an immense amount Of work in a
short time. The task alone of organ
iziHg such an immense bureau. with
ali its varied and various ramifca-
tons, of getting it IN shape and sci
ting Its machinery IN motion, has been
10 small task. All this preliminary
work has been done with an astonish-
ing elearness of purpose and efieien-
ey of detail; so that now though much
yet remains to be done along this line,
the department Is a concrete and es-
tablished fact, accomplishing the pur-
pose for which It was intended. No
one can question the wisdom, nor, in
deed. the necessity of grouping to-
geiher the various allied boards and
bureaus, numbering about a score IN
all, and of bringing them together
under the direction of one head.
Among the most interesting pages
of the report are tRos- dealing with
the departments efforts to stimulate
10 greater efficiency those branches Of
the Government service that come
Under Its influence. Our eonsuls, for
one thing, are TO be made to feel, as
never before, that they are the repre-
sentatives abroad of our merchants
and exporters. With the rapid growth
of our foreign trade, In competition
with that of Germany, England.
France, and the other producing
countries, there is a crying need Of the
most efficient, trained, and intelligent
consular corps possible. As We are
destined to become the greatest ex-
porting nation in the world, so we
should have the best body of eonsuls
men capable Of keeping our mer-
chants posted as to conditions Of trade
and the markets Of the several eoun-
tries to which they are accredited. II
is to be hoped that the demands made
upon our eonsuls by the Department
OF Commerce and Labor viii make it
evident that our eonsulships should be
something more than political spoil;
that the incumbents shenld not be re-
moved just as they have learned their
duties and are becoming efficient.
The Secretary promis - that the re-
ports from his department on such
vital subjects as foreign tariffs, labor
conditions, trade, manufactures, ETC.,
shall be without partisan bias, and
that recommendations shall be made
fearlessly. There is no doubt that
under the departments present man
agement this promise viii be kept, and
il is to Re hoped that the high ideals
thus inaugurated can remain perma-
nently in force.
Among the important bureaus in
connection with the department which
rave got actively TO work, may be
mentioned that of corporations. The
Secretary mentions the alarm and sus-
pleion with which this bureau was re-
garded in certain quarters at the time
of its creation, but adds that publicity
viii be employed only to disclose IN
fair dealing, dishonesty, and corrup-
ton.
The recent acquisition Of much I'M
contiguous territory has greatly In
creased the labors of the Coast and
Geodetic Survey, and it Is interesting
10 note that important surveys have
been made in the Philippines, and
many geographical positions deter
mined. A careful study also has been
made Of our trade with our uncontig-
nous territory.
A recommendation that should be
carried out at the earliest possible
moment Is that relating to the estab-
lishment Of a national aquarium.
There is no reason why we should not
have in time an aquarium of as great
public interest and scientific value as
that existing at Naples.
w L !