The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-12-10
LONG FELT WANT
HAS BEEN FILLED.
Commerce and Labor Bureau Has
a Specific Mission.
FIRST REPORT CORTELY0U
TELLS WHAT DEPARTMENT HAs.
ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED.

tR1ASHUNGTON, Dec. 9.-The FRS.
w annual report OF the secretary OF,
commerce and labor gives a fun
account Of the progress made iu the
organization OF the department. dis
cusses at considerable length the worz
OF the various bureaus; complies with
the several provisions OF law relating
to statements Of moneys received and
disbUrsed. and makes such comments
and recommendation I'm regard 10
commercial and industrial affairs as
appear 10 be warranted by existing
conditions.
On July 1. 1908. the personnel Of the
department comprised 1883 employees
In Washington. and 8,S36 in the cOun-
try at large. making a total of 1925.
The appropriations TO be expended un-
der the direction of the department
amounted TO S9.796. S47. Concerning the
bureau Of corporations. Hr. C0rtelyou
says.
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
tons and joint stock companies en-
gagged in such commerce (Other than
common carriers subject 20 the jur-
isdiCtiOn 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 use
ful information concerning corporations
engaged in interstate foreign com
merce, including insurance companies.
The creation of the bureau was
viewed with some alarm, or at least with
suspicion Tt was feared that the pow
ers granted might be hastily OF mad
yisedly used TO the injury of legitimate
enterprise. No such purpose actuated
the trainers Of the law; no such pur-
pose viii control its administration.
Long Felt Want Filled.
Many. corporations have been grant
ed important privileges by the public
and some of these corporations through
consolidation OF capital. have acquired
extensive influence in the industrial af-
fairs of the country. Such privileges
il used improperly not only retard the
progress Of industry. but frequently
breed corruption i'm politics. The legis-
lation creating the bureau of corpor-
atoms was the expression of a popular
belief that further safeguards should
be provided for the regulation of busi-
ness enterprises 10 which special privil-
eyes have been granted by the people.
dishonesty and corruption but if prop
erIy enforced lit win disclose to trade
competitors the fruits of Individual
thrift and initiative, nor permit I'm any
other manner the invasiOn Of private
rights"
The secretary makes the following
suggestions regarding shipping legisla-
ton.
THE work Of constructing the Pana-
ma canal viii probably soon be under
taken. IL win involve the transpOrta-
tion Of considerable material and some
passengers from the United States
Trade by way of the isthmus between
our Atlantic and Pacific coast ports is
now confined to American vessels
American control over the strip Of ter
ritOry through which the canal is TO be
built is to be guaranteed The situation
suggests the inquiry whether the spe-
cial trade between the United States
and the isthmus involved i'm canal con-
struction shall be confined to Amer
lean vessels.
"Au interests concerned viii be bene-
flied by the removal Of doubt as TO our
shipping policy for the Philippines
. trade after July ], 1904