Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-07
Gives Provisions of the New Treaty
With Panama.
GOVERNMENTS COURSE JUSTIFIED

To the Senate and House of Represen-
tatives:
The country is to be congratulated on
| the amount Of substantial achievement
| which has marked the past year both as
| regards our foreign and as regards our
| domestic policy.
| With a nation as with man the most
| important things are those of the house
| hold, and therefore the country is especial
| Iy to be congratulated on what has been
| accomplished in the direction of providing
| for the exercise of supervision over the
great corporations and combinations of
| corporations engaged in interstate COM
| merce. The Congress has created the De-
partment of Commerce and Labor, includ-
| ing the Bureau of Corporations. with for
| the first time authority to secure proper
publicity of such proceedings of these great
corporations as the public has the right to
know. 1t has provided for the expediting
Of suits for the enforcement OF the Federal
: antitrust law; and by another law it has
secured equal treatment to all producers
| in the transportation of their goods. thus
making a long stride forward in making
effective the work of the Interstate Com
merce Commission.
Department Of Commerce and Labor.
The establishment Of the Department Of
Commerce and Labor. with the Bureau of
| Corporations Hereunder, marks real ad-
vance in the direction of doing all that
| is possible for the solution of the questions
vitality affecting capitalists and wage
workers. The act creating the Department
was approved on February A. 1903. and
| two days later the head of the Department
was nominated and confirmed by the Sem
he Of
been pushed as rapidly as the initial APP
preparations permitted, and with due re-
gard to thoroughness and the broad pur-
poses which the Department is designed
| to serve. After the transfer of the various
| bureaus and branches to the Department at
| the beginning Of the current fiscal year, as
provided for in the act, the personnel COM
prised 12S9 employees in Washington and
1886 in the country at large. The scope of
the Departments duty and authority en-
braces the commercial and industrial inter-
ests of the Nation. 1t is not designed to
restrict or control the fullest liberty of
legitimate business action, but to secure
exact and authentic information which will
aid the Executive in enforcing existing
laws. and which will enable the Congress
to enact additional legislation, if any
should be found necessary, in order to pre-
vent the few from obtaining privileges at
the expense of diminished opportunities for
the many.
Bureau of Corporations.
The preliminary work of the Bureau OF
Corporations in the Department has shown
the wisdom of its creation Publicity In
corporate affairs will tend to do away with
ignorance, and will afford facts upon which
intelligent action may be taken. syste-
Inv, ficvof inn q
developing facts the knowledge of which is
essential to a right understanding of the
needs and duties of the business world. The
corporation which is honestly and fairly
organized, whose managers in the conduct
of its business recognize their obligation to
deal souarely with their stockholders. their
competitors, and the public. has nothing to
fear from such supervision. The purpose
of this Bureau is not to embarrass or as
sail legitimate business, but to aid in bring
ing about q better industrial condition.
condition under which there shall be obedi-
ence to law and recognition of public obli-
CATION by all corporations, great or small
Functions of New Department.
The Department of Commerce and Labor
will be not only the clearing house for In
formation regarding the business transac-
tons of the Nation but the executive arm
of the Government to aid in strengthening
our domestic and foreign markets. in per-
fecting our transportation facilities, In
building up our merchant marine, In pre-
venting the entrance of undesirable immi-
grants, in improving commercial and in
dustrial conditions, and In bringing to-
gether on common ground those necessary
partners in Industrial progress-capital and
labor Commerce between the nations Is
steadily growing in volume. and the ten
dency of the times Is toward closer trade
relations Constant watchfulness is needed
to secure to Americans the chance to par
ticipate to the best advantage in foreign
trade; and we may confidently expect that
the new Department will justify the expec-
tation of its creators by the exercise of this !
watchfulness. as well as by the business
like administration of such laws relating to
our internal affaiSs as are intrusted to IT'S
care.
In enacting the laws above enumerated
the Congress proceeded on sane and con-
sentative lines Nothing revolutionary was