Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-08
Operations of the Department
of Commerce and Labor.
LICENSE FOR CORPORATIONS
Proposed Government Regulation of
Great Industrial Concerns.
EXTENDING TRADE ABROAD


grafton Over 1,7oo, 900 - Mostly
From Southern Europe.
Secretary Metcalfs annual report shows
of Commerce and Labor last year reached
SIS. 593. ss377. while the disbursements ag-
gregated SIC. sos, 1851. The lighthouse es-
tablishment claimed the greatest amount.
namely. s.. 2s2, 695.97 while the smallest was
paid out by the special disbursine agent Of
the steamboat inspection service, of $4,000.
Proposed License for Corporations.
According to the report, the bureau of
corporations by its work has justified its
creation. Its Investigations have furnished
reliable Information regarding the conduct
and business of corporations engaged in in
terstate and foreign commerce. plan is
suggested to require the greater industrial
corporations to obtain license from the
federal government If they are to engage In
Interstate and foreign commerce Under
a license the federal government should re-
quire, as condition precedent to granting
the license, full disclosure of all facts
necessary to show the ownership, proper
ties, financial condition. and management
of the corporation; Furthermore, the corpor-
atoms records should be open to proper
inspection: annual reports should be re-
quired; and finally, the government should
have the power to revoke the license and
prevent the continuation Of engaging in in
terstate and foreign commerce in the event
the corporation fails in its obligations to-
ward the government or is convicted of VIC
lating federal laws.
The bureau of labor made an extensive in
vestigation of the penal and reformatory in
situations of the United States. The prim-
airy object was to determine the number of
convicts employed in productive labor, the
industries in which they were at work. the
systems under which their work was done,
the value of their labor, the value of the
product turned out by them, and the COM
mercal effect of the competition Of convict
made goods.
Extending Our Trade Abroad.
The bureau of manufactures collected
during the year a large mass of informa-
ton in regard to the manufacturing in
dustries of the country, having special ref
erence to extending the sale of American
products in foreign markets The value of
this work has been highly esteemed by
manufacturers and exporters. The Secre-
tary recommends that, because of the pres
ent inadequate force, provision be made for
supplying the necessary clerical assistance
10 meet the constantly necessary demands
for such data. Mention is made of the
work done by the four special agents during
the year. The bureau distributed in all a
totai of 1,6S3,560 copies of periodicals in
twelve months.
The lighthouse board desires the estab-
liShment of three additional districts; one
to comprise Hawaii and the Pacific islands,
another Porto Rico and Guantanamo. and
the third the Alaskan waters. On account
OF the insuficency of salaries paid light
no M limo
year, Secretary Metcaf recommends that
this average he increased to 500 year.
The census bureau issued a large num-
Der OF statistical reports on a variety of
subjects.
These covered factory systems, lumber
and saw mills, flour mills, number OF we ge
earners in different states, municipal
finances. marriage and divorce, transporta-
ton by water. cotton ginning and others.
The coast and gcodetic survey cid good
work during The year on appropriation of
less than $4,000 while the steamboat in
spect;n'. service, with %. men and $4JOOO0,
inspected and certified S, I05 vessels. Mills
and boilers We're also inspected.
Foreign Commerce.
The bureau of statistics shows that the
increase in imports during the year occurred
chiefly in the trade with Europe North
America and ASIA the increase in imports
from Europe being ninety three millions,
from North America eight millions and
from Asia eighteen millions, while imports
from South America showed a decrease Of
ten Millions. die mainly to reduction in
tn, quantity OF coffee imported from Brazil
Tie exports 10 Europe increased 1T9 mil
lions, due chiefly to an increase In the guam
tity oftreadstuffs ard provisions available
for foreign markets, to North America
fCxty-eight million dollars and to South
America eighteen and one-quarter millions.
The exports to Asia show decrease of
twenty-three million dollars, occurring
chiefly in the trade with Japan and China
The exports to Japan during the year were
thirteen millions less than those of 1905
and those to China ten millions less.
The bureau of fisheries reports that the
aggregate number of fish and Holsters
Fishery legislation is dwelt upon by the
Secretarys report and also the Newfound-
land fishery relations.
Slaughter of Seals.
The Alaskan fur seal service reports
that Notwithstanding the efforts of this gov
eminent to put stop, through interna-
tional agreement, to the indscriminate
slaughter of seals by pclagic sealers under
the flags of foreign nations, the Pribilof seal
herd without doubt suffered more severely
from this cause during the past season than
at any previous time in it's history.
The Secretary asks that better and more
ing. Reports indicate that the total catch
last spring on the northwest coast by Cana
dian vessels was /, 1885, and that the total
catch of the Japanese sealing fleet for the
season of 1906 was 1905, of which about
1900 were taken in BERN: sea from the
Pribilof herd during the past summer by a
feet of 81 vessels.
Foreign Carrying Trade.
Navigation is dwelt upon at length, and
it is stated that the time is propitious for
the entry again of the United States into
the foreign carrying trade. Stress is laid
upon the desirability of more intimate trade
relations with the great republics of South
America. 1t is claimed that the most eff
fective means of promoting such relations
is the establishment of improved Steamship
communication between the continents.
Tonnage duties during the year reached
1867 o--.4S, the largest amount received
during any year since the method of levy
was changed in 1884 OF this total Ameri-
can vessels paid $s4, sO2.67 and foreign yes
sells $3.50, 1881, Of which amount British
vessels contributed $500 1915 The figures
show that in any reciprocal arrangement for
the abolition of tonnage duties and corre-