Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-22
SECRETARY METCALF
POINTS IN ms FORTHCOMING AN
NUAL REPORT.
More Assistance Needed In His Depart
ment and the Bureaus Where In
crease il Demanded.

Secretary Metcalf, In his forthcoming an
nuai report. will ask Of Congress decided
Increase in the appropriation for the De-
partment OF Commerce and Labor. The
Secretary said today that the work Of the
department was growing every day. and
that the force at his command was entirely
inadequate to the proper performance OF
the labor required Of 1t. Since the organ
ization OF the department under Secretary
Cortelyou various matters have come up
for attention that were not altogether ex-
pected at that lime. and force of experts
in the various lines will be necessary in
order to take care Of all details.
Bureau Of Corporations Work.
The Inquiries into trust affairs by Mr..
Garfield. COMMISSIONER of corporations. are
being constantly carried forward to the end
that Congress may have the result In q
report by that official at the coming session.
and every other bureau in the department
is forced to the utmost to take care of the
work daily coming before It for adjustment.
For several months the investigation into
the so-called beef trust has been carried
on. and Mr.. Garfield has expressed the be-
lief that his report will be ready for In
corporation into that OF the Secretary.
Although no definite Information has been
obtainable regarding the results of this inn
many recommendations will be found by
Congress In the report Of the commissioner
of corporations. who has taken keen in
terest in the work to which his bureau has
been assigned. Al carefully trained lawyer
himself he has left no stone unturned that
would shed light upon the question OF
the legality of the actions charged by the
public against this trust in an important
commodity. and 1t is firmly believed that
his report will have the effect upon Con-
gress Of securing to the people laws which
will materially assist In curtailing the pow
ers of the capitalists over those of the
masses.
Steamboat Inspection Service.
Regarding steamboat inspection. Secre-
tary Metcalf said today that a large in
crease in the force of inspectors would be
asked and that 1t would be shown that
they were vital necessity to the proper
conduct Of the service. The New York In
spection district extends to Boston and
there are at present but three supervising
inspectors for this extensive territory.
These will be augmented, II Congress sees
fit to act upon the recommendations OF the
Secretary of Commerce and Labor, by as
many others are deemed necessary Tor
the proper performance OF the work and
as many assistants as these supervisors
may require. An extremely unfortunate
portion of the law, according to the op1n--
ion of Secretary Metcalf, is that which
number of vessels annually inspected. This
clause he feels should be amended to
make the payment of these officials uni
form for any Service rendered and not de-
pendable upon the amount OF work per-
formed in given time.
He does not think 1T possible for the num-
Der of inspectors now operating In the dls-
trict of New York to do their work with
ed More than three thousand vessels
were inspected by these inspectors last
year, a number that would indicate that
they could not have been inspected as care
fully as the law intended. The matter has
been brought forcibly to the attention of
the Secretary by the report of the Siocum
commission. and there can De no DOUBT
that the department will do all In Its power
to secure from Congress an appropriation
sufficient for the carrying out of the laws
in the spirit in which they are enacted.
Annual Meeting Of Inspectors.
The annual meeting Of the supervising
steamboat inspectors of the steamboat In
spection service win be held in Washington
on the 25th instant. at which time 1t is UNI
derstood that drastic reforms will be rec
commended to the Secretary of Commerce
and Labor to include in his report. The
statement of former Inspector Rode, who
was dismissed by the President for his
connection with the inspection OF the
steamboat Slocum will not Immediately
receive the formality of a reply at the
hands of the Secretary. although 1t Is not
definitely determined that 1t will be per-
mitted to go unanswered In his report to
Congress. 1t is thought to be possible that
it will be given to Mr.. Cortelyou to an
swer after the close of the campaign in
which he Is taking such an important part
because it was of that official that Rode
spoke in his statement, in which he charg-
ed the former Secretary with indifference
In failing to approve important recommen-
dations made to him by the last meeting
of supervising inspectors at the time of the
establishment of the Department Of Com
merce and Labor.