New-York tribune., 1903-03-29
The Tribune Bureau,
No. 1922 Est, n. W.,
Washington, D. c.. March =

washington D. c.. March IS
There are two views which may ce taken VI
tie Department of Commerce and LABOR InA'
new planet in the governmental solar system
On which the public eye is focused at the pres
ent moment
One IL the fdealistic view which the naClonAi
lawmakers had in mind when they sought OS
ststute to build q mighty engine to push Ao'-
wsrd the commerce of the country with greater
momentum The other is the matter OF fac'
embryo which is just now going through the
process OF incubation under the jealous Aiu
watchful care of Secretary Cortelyou.
Congress has furnished the ideal; human IN
xeuuity must work out the reality. This IDEAL
Is stated In brief space In the law which Is 70 oe
the constitution of the new department II IL
this:
ut shall be the province and duty Of said de-
partrnent to foster, promote anc oeVeloP 'ne
foreign and domestic commerce, the nInins'
manufacturing shipping and fishery industries
the labor interests and the transportation Il"
cilities Of the United States
Here is q command imposed on the neao U
the new department, which, when the VastnesS
~ anv one of fhe varied interests mentioned is
svelt on with full comprehension. would seem
TO stagger human capacity.
For 1nis reason there is only one philosophlcdl
way to look on the work in hand, and this we"
Secretary Cortelyou is taking The fostering Oh
sIl these varied interests and industries throush
the function Of government must necessarily De
. development from small beginning, an eVo-
luton from painstaking study and !nVesusa
tton. The assistance rendered must be unoo-
rusive. based On the right principles anu
brought 70 bear in a manner which Will not
disturb the delicate equilibrium OF tnat most
aensittye organism known as public confidence
The working tools which have been put into
the hands Of the new Secretary consist, hrst7 OF
several bureaus already brought up TO 90 GER
tain work for various branches OF the executive
departmenta- There was no purpose IN the "orN
done ty these bureaus heretofore other than
nrcper transaction Of the current government
business Statistics were compiled. nuitlpLeo
and 6uplcated but In the completion Of those
statistics the bureaus producing them 1eit Tue
duty done What good they might be to trade
or commerce was not g. consideration 1mnnl-
grafton wss su1ervised, ships were inspected
lighthouses kept Illuminated, foreign trade re-
rorts prtuted and rocks and shoals menaces 10
shtpping were charted But each light was nlo
under q bushei, each energy pulled In dinerent
direction Besides these organized but scat
terinE forces Secretary Cortelyou was charged
with creating two new bureaus, which IN thelr
very nature will become mighty forces IN the
economy of commerce should they be developed
to the desired enc. Inc SlloCl VI SSpdI sAAS
old bureaus from their parent departments is
one phase Of the problem which brings the new
department to the immediate attention Of nearly
every other department Of the government
While these established bureaus not to be
transferred formally until the beginning OF the
fiscal year, Secretary Corteyou has already be-
gun to feel the pulse CT each, and already this
pulse is beating with new and expectant vigor.
Public interest, however, SO far as the new
department is concerned, is undoubtedly CEN
tired in the Bureau of Corporations. which is to
be created out of whole cloth. By thc5e Tho
have cIamored for trust regulation this bureau
is looked to for sweeping results. From the nat
ure Of the authority conferred upon the Com
missioner Of Corporations to inquire into all
phases OF business combinations, capital is most
interested and anxious to see the wheels begin
TO turn.
While this bureau is considered the most i'm
portant function in the department, and
while its head has been chosen-James r. Gar
held-the statement is authoritatively made that
yet the scope and work Of the bureau have
not been outlined. and that nothing whatever
has been done toward its permanent organiza-
ton. That this bureau is all that Congress
vouchsafed TO secure the much talked of trust
publicity there Is doubt and that the bureau
was created to meet this demand cannot be de-
MED. That the legislative mind was feeling its
~sy rather in the dark seems also patent from
Q study Of the provision creating the bu-
reau- Congress wanted officer of the govern
nent charged with the duty Of obtaining corpo-
ration Information, that a knowledge might be
acquired Of the manner and extent to which cor
poration transactions in interstate commerce
might be subjected to the influence of national
legislation. In delegating this power it said that
the Commissioner OF Corporations should "have
power and authority to make, under the direc-
ton and control of the Secretary of Commerce
and Labor, digent investigation into the organ
tzation. conduct and management of the busi-
ness OF any corporation joint stock company or