Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-12-10
First Report of Depart
ment of Commerce
and Labor.
1T is COMPREHENSIVE
Organizing Has Taken
Great Share of
Attention.

Washington. Dec. 1O.-The first an.
nual report of George b. CortelyOu
secretary of the newly formed de-
partmen of commerce and labor was
made public today and furnishes da-
ia giving a comprehensive idea of the
scope embraced in the work July L
1908, the personnel of the department
comprised 1889 employees in Washing
ton. and S,S36 in the country at large,
making Il total of 1925. The ap-
preparations to be expended under
the direction of the department
amounted to $9.796,S S47.
The determination of those respOn-
sible for the organization and admin
istration of the department to lay
its foundation on broad lines and to
build thoroughly and conservatively
for the future has been very generally
understood" Says Mr.. CortelyOu:
In but few instances has there been
any criticism of this course, and then
only from those unfamiliar with the
magnitude of the task of organizing
a new department or unmindful of
the necessity of making liberal pro-
vision for its growth and usefulness.
Ii would have been a derelictiOn of
duty, even in the face of pronounced
demand for immediate action in GER
tain directions, to sacrifice the essen
tials of sound organization to the de-
sire to make an early showing or to
achieve immediate results from i'll
considered and ill-timed investiga-
TONS.
The civil service regulations have
been observed in every detail from the
establishment of the department. APP
pointments have been made, strictly
upon merit, whether under the civil
service requirements or in cases eX-
empt from such requirements
Bureaus under the department are
those of manufactures. labor, perma-
nent census. statistics, fisheries. navi-
cation. immigration and standards be-
sides the control of the lighthouse
board and the coast and goedetic sur
vey. Respecting the work to be done
under these heads the report says:
Controls Statistics.
''One Of the most important branch
es of the departments work is that of
statistics. BY the organic act this
new executive esta blishment is made
the statistical department of the gov
ernment. The department aims to
furnish the business world with more
prompt, more complete, and more re-
liable statistical reports upon the
various subjects of commercial and
industrial interest. Special efforts are
being made to extend its facilities
for supplying foreign trade informa-
tion, and more. active assistance will
be required for the consular service.
The relation of this service : o the new
department is one of its pressing
problems, which in the immediate fu-
ture must be the subject of admins
trative consideration. Essentially COM
mercial officers, they should play a vi
tai part in the extension of our for
eign trade. By careful supervision
and timely and helpful suggestions re-
ports of a more practical nature and
of greater usefulness to our exporters
than many of those hitherto furnish
ed can be obtained.
''It is the duty of the bureau of
corpora tions to gather information
on the subject of interstate and for
eign commerce, to investigate the or
ganization, conduct, and management
of corporations and joint stock com
panies engaged in such commerce
(other than common carriers subject
to the jurisdiction of the interstate
commerce commissiOn), to report the
results of such Investigations to the
president through the secretary of
commerce and labor, and to compile
and publish useful information con-
corning corporations engaged in inter-
state and foreign commerce, including
insurance companies.
Was Viewed with Alarm.
'The creation of the bureau was
viewed by some with alarm, or at least