The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-19
GET A GOOD READY
That Is Secretary Cortelyou's Plan
in His New Government
Department.
Bureau of Corporations Laying Solid
Foundation for Investigation
Of Trusts.
From The Journal Bureau, Room IS, Post Bulk
ing, Washington.

From The Journal Bureau, Room IS, Post Build
ing Washington.
Washington Aug. 1.-THE new depart
ment Of commerce and labor Is still in
process OF being organized. The act of
congress was passed Feb IA, and imme-
diately became operative, except that sec
ton authorizing the transfer Of the va
rious bureaus previously under the juris-
diction of the treasury and other depart
ments- Of the government. That section
was to go into effect July 1, and has now
been In operation about six weeks
The largest task of the new secretary,
George B. Cortelyou. has been the as
sembl1ng OF the bureaus to be transferred.
The five months previous to July l were
employed in getting ready, and the weeks
since have been occupied in reorganizing
and amalgamating. The new depart
ment now embraces the light house board,
the steamboat inspection service, imm1-
grafton, navigation, Alaska fur seal fisher
les, the bureau Of standards, the coast
and geodetic survey, the census, the de-
partment of labor, the bureau of statis-
tics. the fish commission and the bureau
Of corporations. The last named is the
bureau created to investigate corpora
lions supposed to be trusts. .......
The work of assembling the scattered
bureaus and bringing them, without fric-
ton or interruption, under the new de-
partment, has been accomplished. The
larger task of reorgan!zng these bureaus,
and eliminating duplication, has hardly
more than begun. 1t is the purpose OF
the secretary to make some radical
changes In this direction, but he intends
to move slowly and with caution. He has
determined, in fact, not to avail himself
Of the full authority given him by the
act to bring other bureaus than those
| named under his Jurisdiction. The law
gives the president discretion to make
such transfers from any Of the depart
| ments except the agricultural, and
special committee named by Secretary
Cortelyou made a thoro convass OF the
situation and recommended number OF
| transfers. This report was made recent
ly to President Roosevelt at Oyster Bay.
But it has been determined that none of
these changes shall be made until con-
gress shall have given specific approval
| of the proposed changes.
The largest interest attaches to the
operations of the bureau Of corporations,
which Is empowered to make diligent in
vestigation into the organization, conduct
and management Of the business or any
corporation, joint stock company or cor
porate combination engaged in commerce
among the several states and with for
ETC., and to gather such information and
data as will enable the president Of the
| United States to make, recommendations
| to congress for legislation for the resula-
ton Of such commerce, and TO report such
| data to the president from time TO tlme
as he shall require, and the 1n1ormatlon
so obtained, or as much Of 1t as the presl-
| dent NAV direct, shall be made public. !"
The next section arms the commissioner
| Of CORPORATIONS with the inqu1Sitor1al
| power conferred upon the interstate COM
| MERGE commission relative to railroads.
Then follows a further definition OF the
| duties of the bureau as follows: 10 sath-
| err. compile, publish and supply use1ul
! information concerning corporations DO
4 mo business within the limits Of the
4 tinted States, including corporations en-
gagged in insurance.
| This bureau, altho it has been In exist
| ence something over five months IS stlll
| getting ready to begin. Commissioners
| Garfield has not yet undertaken the IN
| yestigation of any corporation. Secretary
| Cortelyou does not feel that there IS any
great hurry; he regards it as more I'M
| porta,nt that the foundations for future
| iahors be laid with care and certainty
| BEFORE beginning the investigation or any
| supposed trust the bureau OF corporations
| will make an exhaustive study and COM
| pilation of state laws under which these
| business concerns are organized ana opef-
ated, and of the largest corporations doing
business In the various states. Inc pu.
reau Is now engaged in this work. and
| particularly in collecting the useful In
| formation concerning corporations tc
! which the law refers, including facts
| about the great insurance concerns. This
has proved a formidable task, and 1t Is
the secretarys belief that the department
will be occupied with 1t until October, Il
| not longer.
Among other duties enjoined upon the
secretary Of commerce and labor oy the
new law is to promote and develop the
| transportation facilities Of the United
States" To this end the bureau will have
a. bureau devoted to gathering and dis
seminating valuable information, statis-
teal and otherwise, on the subject of rail-
WAYS. This bureau, as well as all statis-
| tical work, will eventually be amalga-
mated with the census bureau.
The assistant secretary Of commerce
salary $4,000 a year-has not yet been ap-
pointed Neither has the head Of the
bureau Of manufactures which was also
a. new creation Of this law, been named
No step has yet been taken toward the
organization Of the bureau Of manufac-
lures. This may seem strange, but one
reason for the delay Is the fact that nj
one has yet quite succeeded in defining the
I
In a general way they are defined as tt
promote manufacturing Industries in the
United States, and to seek wider market:
for manufactured goods abroad The gov
eminent Is already doing many things il
the supposed pursuit Of these ends. Jus
what the commissioner Of manufacture
salary $4,000 is to do in furtherint
these projects no one has yet been aSl
to decipher. Secretary Cortelyou ha
taken the position that until the duties
OF the office shall be clearly defined, ant
It shall appear that the proposed officia
Is to fill some useful function not now il
existence, he will delay his appointment
The secretary OF commerce and labo
Is the only cabinet official who has re
NAMED in washington all summer H
will continue in Washington until Aug. 81
when he will go to New York to presid
: over the international congress Of actua
ries. ErsslE -. -
w. w. Jermane.