Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-12-07
METClLF MAKES HIS REPORT
Large Amount Saved BY Consolidation and
Reorganization Of Bureaus
Mr.. sARFItlDs WORK is REVIEWED
Reports ON Electrical Service, Saw
inRs Banks, Insurance, Fisheries
and Judicial Statistics
Recommended,

with the provisions OF the organic act, the
annual report OF this department:
The recommendation made in my report
Tor the fiscal year ended June 30 1901
that as far as practicable, the disbursing
offices authorized by law and now exist
ing in some of the subordInate bureaus be
consolidated with the disbursing office Of
the Department of Commerce and Labor
is renewed. Such a consolidation will re-
suit in saving OF both time and expense
In the examination of accounts and the
payment OF vouchers. The bookkeeping Of
the department win be sffnplifled, and the
exact status of accounts and balances of
appropriations, Including the balances of
advances on acquisitions, can be ascertained
without difficulty as the. ledgers Of the
department will show the disbursements
Should consolidation be effected, the
work of disbursing the appropriations OF
ofiices thereof will come under the personal
supervision OF the. secretary. EI
Estimates.
The estimates submitted for the fiscal
year ending June 30, 1907. for the general
salary account and contingent and miscel-
the total amounts appropriated for similar
purposes for the fiscal year ending June
30, 1905. and the allotment for, printing and
in that expense OF $4,000 This is a total
reduction of 1852 3sO.13 from the amount
appropriated for these purposes in the pres
These decreases have been made possible
by the consolidation and organization of
work done by. the office of the secretary
and some of the bureaus, and by reducing
the estimates for the work of the Bureau
of the Census and Immigration Service.
arH Is 1 for ID 1 Ie sp
cial agents to examine trade relations
abroad and to inquire into the methods of
work and the efficiency of the Department.
employees scattered throughout the United
| States and contiguous foreign countries,
but as a reduction of $3.50 is made in the
oeTNew 81 Co. h. % 1NaV
relating to annual salaries, the net in
crease for that Office is $6s $50.
Bureau of Corporations.
| The work Of the Bureau Of Corporations
/ has developed along the lines indicated
In the first annual report Of the commits;
| nature has been the further study of
| the plan proposed in the first report for
! the supervision and regulation. by federal
! license" of corporations engaged in inter-
state and foreign commerce. The made
| quacy of state legislation to regulate or
| lions engaged in Interstate commerce has
been most clearly demonstrated. The great
| railway systems and the greater industrial
| corporations extending their operations
| through many states. some throughout the
| entire United States. are but nominally
supervised or controlled by the states from
which their charters were obtained. Some
of these corporations have shown not only
a disregard for stale laws, but have be-
come potent factors IN directing the poll
| teal policies of the state.
The federal-licenso raan recognizes that
| real supervision. real regulation, can only
he enforced by a government whose juris-
diction and power are great enough to cope
with the .corporationsSto' be supervised or
The question Of federal supervision over
insurance oprhpanies Yhas been carefully
! considered. The recent Investigation under
state authority OF reeEsain Insurance com
panies show the need of careful supervision.
but It Il slsaT ana n
|
has. no jurisdiction oyer insurance com.
panies. Whether the Federal government
can supervise and regulate insurance com
panies can be determined only after further
| legislation and judicial decision.
| special report dealing with certain fea-
lures of the beef industry was. by direction
March 3, 1905. That investigation was con-
Quoted in pursuance OF resolution of the
house of representatives,. The published
report dealt only with that portion of the
| resolution having to do with prices and
the margin of profit between the price OF
cattle and dressed beef; the other portion
| of the resolution regarding combination
was not reported upon, for the reason that
questions relating thereto were then pend
Department of Justice.
In pursuance of resolutions of the house
| of representatives, special investigations of
the oil and steel industries are being con-
| Quoted. In both of these industries general
inquiries had heretofore been begun by
the bureau. The other investigations now
in progress deal with sugar. tobacco, coal.
and lumber. In all OF these subjects the
inquiry extends from the production of the
raw material to the finished product, COW
| ering the questions of transportation and
distribution as well as manufacture. 1t is
necessary to study the foreign conditions
Of the great staples, for the reason that our
trade conditions are affected by the world S
markets. If the results of these investiga-
lions are to be of real value, they must
be based upon the broadest possible
knowledge of all conditions, both at home
and abroad. affecting a special industry.
Bureau of labor.
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1906
the bureau of labor issued its nineteenth
annual report-that for 1904. This report
presents the results of an extensive inves-
tigation into the wages and hours of labor
in the leading manufacturing and mechan-
ical industries OF the United States during
the period from 1890 10 1893, inclusive This
investigation was designed to cover thor
oughly the principal distinctive occupations
| in the leading industries belonging to this
large Industrial group In all sections OF the
country, with view to securing data which
! would be representative of conditions and
| show the trend of wages and hours OF
reSTetted that the force Available for the
| prosecution of the work did not admit OF
| the extension Of the investigation to some
of the other great Industrial groups, such
| as transportation. mining, and agricul-
ture.
Another report completed and printed
during the year relates to labor disturb
ances in the state OF Colorado The report
comprehends an exhaustive history OF
| labor disturbances in that state during
the period of twenty-five years-from 1881
TO 1904, inclusive. The accounts of the
strikes previous to 1903 as given in this
report, are based upon local histories
official reports of state officers and records
contained in the state library OF Colorado
TO ascertain the facts regarding the
strikes of 1903 and 1904 an agent of the
bureau visited the various localities in
| volved and obtained statements from the
| mine managers and labor union officials
| He also interviewed officials of the state
of the Mine Owners association at va
rious places and of the Citizens alliance
| and citizens generally. The report is be
| lieved TO present complete information II
regard to the questions at Issue in th'
| various strikes.
During the year work has been carried
forward in the collection OF data relative e
| strikes and lockouts in the United States
which will form the subject OF the twenty
first annual repOrt-that for the year 1906
The report will cover strikes and lockouti
during the period from 1901 to 1905, in
elusive, In continuation OF the reports
already made covering the period 1881 t
1900
Additional Inquiries Recommended
The annual report OF the director calls
attention to the fact that the bureau OF
the census has nearly completed the speciaL
reports authorized by the permanent census
| law, and that the time Is opportune foI
taking up certain other Investigations Of
great interest and Importance. some OF
which have been entirely neglected hereto
fore, probably because OF the lack of
| permanent statistical ONCE with resources
been undertaken at an earlier period by
| the QenRua and ought now "a he brOught M