The Savannah morning news., 1903-12-10

Washington, Dec. 9.-The first an
nual report of the Secretary of Com
merce and Labor gives a full account
of the progress made in the organiza-
ton of the department, discusses at
considerable length the work of the
various bureaus, complies with the
several provisions of law relating to
statements of money received and dis
bursed, and makes such comments and
recommendations in regard to COM
mercial and industrial affairs as APP
pear to be warranted by existing con-
ditions.
The following are extracts from Sec
rotary Cortelyous report:
on July l. 1903, the personnel of the
department comprised 1899 employees
in Washington and 1886 in the country
at large, making a total of 10125. The
appropriations to be expended under
the direction of the department
amounted to $9,796S47.
The civil service regulations have
been observed in every detail from the
establishment of the department. APP
pointmentS have been made, and will
be made, strictly upon merit, whether
under the civil service requirements or
in cases exempt from such require
mentS. Upon no other basis can such
a department be conducted so as to
meet satisfactorily the demands that
will be made upon it.
The lighthouse establishment, bureau
of navigation, steamboat inspection
service, coast and geodetic survey, bu-
reau of fisheries, and Alaskan fisheries
service have already been transferred
specifically to the department Va
rious duties relating to marine affairs,
as the regulation of anchora ges, regat-
tas boarding of vessels, and the en-
forcement of the st. Marys river rules,
have also been assigned to the DEPART
ment. The debates in Congress dis
close the purpose to give the depart
ment general jurisdiction over all mat
tiers relating to merchant shipping.
While each of the marine services now
in existence has its specific duties,
there are various points at which the
work of one touches or affects another.
In such matters the best results can
be obtained only by joint action or by
the exercise of an immediate and con-
slant supervision over all. Two plans
have been considered, the first to es-
tablish a marine board composed of
the heads of all the bureaus concerned
in marine affairs, the second to desig-
nate one officer of higher rank than a
bureau chief as the supervisory au-
thority, under the secretary.
Statistical Work.
One of the most important branches
of the departments work is that of
statistics. By the organic act this new
executive establishment is made the
Statistical 6apartt1oant nf fho oouarn
ment
The department aims to furnish the
business world with more prompt, more
complete, and more reliable statistical
reports upon the various subjects of
commercial and industrial interest.
Special efforts are being made to ex-
tend its facilities for supplying foreign
trade information, and more active as
sistance will be required from the con-
sular service. The relation of this
service to the new department is one
Of its pressing problems, which in the
immediate future must be the subject
of administrative as we'll as legislative
consideration. Essentially commercial
officers, they should play a vital part
IN the extension of our foreign trade.
by careful supervision and timely and
helpful suggestions reports of more
Practical ma ure and of greater useful
ness to our exporters than many of
those hitherto furnished can be OBJ
tainad
In planning measures for the devel-
opment Of American commerce it Is
the purpose of the department to de-
vote itself impartially to the various
interests concerned in that develop
ment. All possible means will be en-
poyed for the extension of our export
trade in products of the farm as well
as in manufactured articles.
An effort is being made to secure
prompter issue Of the departments
Publications without impairing their
accuracy. The value of government
documents depends essentially on their
Presentation of current conditions,
rather than the reproduction OF facts
and figures with which an energetic
country is already acquainted. Bulle-
tins containing the rulings, regulations,
and notices of the department, and also
statistical and other information of I'M
mediate interest to the public. will te
issued with the least possible delay
Bureau of Corporations.
1t is the duty of the Bureau of Cor
porations to gather information on the
subject of interstate and foreign COM
merce, to investigate the organization,
conduct and management of corpora
lions and Joint stock companies en-
gagged in such commerce (other than
common carriers subject to the juris-
dlction of the Interstate Commerce
Oommission), to report the results of
such Investigations to the President