New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-07
COMMERCE AND LABOR.
Mr.. Metcalfs Report ON Corpora
tons, Commerce and Immigration.

20 1qo5 the total disbursements amounted to $11,-
2723s1 49, The estimates for the fiscal year enoins
June 30 1907 are 1852 10 less than the amount ap-
propriated for the present fiscal year In regard
! to estimates, the Secretary says:
In determining the final estimates for each or
the services under this department II mas c con
my purpose to exercise such economy eie ~ in
! doins the work imposed upon the department
! dVersifed business interests of the country. but
affecting directly through the Bureau OF lmlngIa-
Hand If is NV desire to cut off things that have
outyed their usefulness and do not seem TO justi-
| fy any further expenditure of money. have not
! hestated to keep vacant positions authorized by
that the work could be done by less number o OF
clerks with little added gigeneT and Wboueyer
work of the department
WORK OF CORPORATION BUREAU.
In reference to the work of the Bureau OF Corpo-
rations the Secretary says:
The work of the Bureau of Corporations has de-
yeoned along the lines indicated in the first annual
dTk of legal nature has been the further study
of the plan proposed in the first report lot IIS
Corporations engaged in interstate and foreign com
merce The inadequacy of State Iegsaton TO
lions engaged in interstate COMMERCE has peen
sfs and the greater Industrial corporations
extending their operations through many StaI he's,
f9lai lf tPeir Charters were obtained Some of
these "orporations have shown not only disregard
for state laws but have become potent factors in
directing the political policies of the State
The federal license plan recognizes that s Ieai
supervision real regulation, can only De Iiaoiogo
bv a government whose jurisdiction and power are
great enough to cope with the corporations 10 De
# the principle underlying such plan be &C
cepted it will not be difficult to suggest the Ge
that it Would apply to too many corporations and
would unnecessarily Interfere WITH SINAI, uis{on
should be extended first over the greater corpora
s9s 5n9 Foreign commerce which BY their size
and diverse activities tend to monopoze any 81 'o
fact outside the control Of State AUTHORITY t4 f
time is ripe for Congress, by means OF appiso1
affirmative legislation. to assume SUCH super
or control, 49,, hoe neon COM
narrative study of all State corpora ton laws the
federal and State anti trust laws ana tGe md
tion at the request of committees on to rail
Oh the dgP feIeersphy and the corporation law
Of The District of Columbia. ,,-
The question Of federal supervision over inS sur
ance companies has been carefully considered Inc
recent Investigations under State authoTloy %
tain insurance companies show the n2ea OF ijoe
of Corporations under the present act ana III i Wv
Of the decisions Of the supreme Whether the
federal government supervise and regulate f ~
further Iegiqiation and judicial decision - .
special report dealing Win ce[l f +b Presidenr
trsnsnttpd 10 Congress March g. 1900 mat inNes-
tSafion was conducted in pursuance Of resoiuJio9
Of the House of Representatives, Inc puuI i4i
report dealt only with that portion or t t
betUeen the price of cattle and dressed beer; me
other portion of the resolution regaroiLs +Et
tfon was not reported upon for the reason ina a
1mestions relating thereto were then pending IN
court ana 5epg of he Bureau of Corporations is
obtain facts upon which Congressional ACtIo I
to prosecute for violations OF law Whlle lnese
duties entirely distinct there az acessari I1
obtain facts with which the Department OF Justice
is to the President for such
ton he may deem proper ana IeG Gga ~ r7er
resentatives special Investigations OF the on any
efeei industries are being conducted IN oott OF
these Industries general inquiries had theie'oi'P
been begun by the bureau = -,-,,,nss aaaI
The other Investigations now IN PROCESS al az
with sugar toPacGo fUal eI from the produc-
covering the questions of transportation ana olsll
button as well as n9nG66s Of the great staples
for the reason that trade conditions are anecte9
directly by the worlds markets II the gGsutT b eI
these Investigations are TO be Of real Xaue oHgy
must be based upon the proaaeSL p0S Ia abrosd
edge of all conditions both at nome ana 'D'OV'
affecting special industry -,o+od as raDidIv
Each investigation will be competeu d. i"pl0''
These Investigations have brougntt, me oyI ~
OF the leading industries of the country the PoiiSy
of the department and the bureau N Gems b enera1i
resulted in obtaining their hearty ana aCIES oo
eratior They appreciate that wise. helpful leg,
station on industrial questions can only be oosaneQ
by cfOrding to the fedeTtti os SIsiress
information regarding their methcds OIL ouSlliSS'
and needs. ,,,,,, will not meet the an
The WORK ,o 0a ' Who think that Industrial cond
Hons can be changed by hasty legislation nor OF
tTnaa U-lO
proos. of persons charged with unfair business
methods or wrongdoing. but the departnem1t ana
Durt1u ~ all men who believe in fair dealing and
who recognize that permanent Improvements IN VI
trTtb regarding those conditions has been founQ by
s 4s Ras out of eondeTed
ore oi1ite as great as those which such legislation
seeks to destroy.
FOREIGN COMMERCE FOR THE YEAR
Tie Bureau Of Statistics Which is ohaTged with Ta
ports gratifying condition in our trade ana trace
The foreign Commerce Of the United States in
the fiscal year 1895 exceeded, both IN imports anu
e+Torts that Of any preceding year. the imports
& e. q 75i3Gn in value exceeding by $s17SS 4
those of 1908 the highest record OF any pTece9ing
YEAR a 43 me those Of 19o and BY 1855 ne
highest record OF any Garner S teIja1s for nse in
manufacturing, and the growth In exports occurs
chiefly in manufactures The yad1e OF s45s 9S 7ga
fn 1904 TO s529 457 in 1895, and formed IN lsOS
47G9 per cent OF the totaI Tapord fo s159 az s3
in 1904 to $4S 6O 95 in 1905, and formed in the latter
ea &c a Der cent of the total exports of domestic
products
STEAMBOAT INSPECTION SERVICE.
II Is the duty of the Steamboat Inspection Ser
wee 10 s5d ppnances and to examine the dualca-
Hons OF ofhcers, engineers and pilots of certain
the safety Of life in Connection with traf
R mon Che public waters of the United States,
The number of vessels Inspected and csrtihcated
was SOS, with a total tonnage Of 6slo,S24 a de-
crease from the previous year OF SsS IN the number
0 OF yessoa ana Of vessels inspected and
certf1cated. there were S2S IoreIgn passenger
decrease from the previous year Of q
in number and decrease IN tonnage Of
domestic steamers, with total OF S.e0s,7m gross
tons decrease from 1901 OF S56 IN number ana an
total of 10 84 gross tons, an increase of AZ in num-