East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1909-12-13
Secretary of Commerce and
Labor Would Widen Scope
of Bureau OF Corporations.
RECOMMENDS BROADER LAWS
FOR CURBING WHITE SLAVERY
Suggests That Corporation Bureau he
Developed In an Agency With Coun-
try-widc Scope-Federal Authori-
ties Need Drastic Laws to Fight
Successful White Slave Traffic
Nearly Million Aliens Enter Country
During Year.

Washington, Dec. 13.-The report
of Secretary Nagel of the department
Of commerce and labor, made public
today recommends development of the
bureau of corporations into an agency
to perform for the whole country
what 1t has been doing in specific In
stances. Secretary Nageps recon-
mendations suggest an agency to
which the management and condition
Of all interstate corporations must be
reported The need of properly safe
guarding business secrets is recognized
and would be provided for. The sec
retary declares the comparison that
the commercial and financial life OF
the nation has become nationalized
and suggests that it is now in order
to natlonalize its corporate life.
Another important recommendation
made by Secretary Mabel is for proad-
er laws to stamp out the white slave
traffic. While the present statutes
prohibit the importation of women Tor
immoral purposes, there is no law
against transporting them from one
state to another. The secretary says
It, must be realized that the white
slave trade is an organized business
and that tighter laws are needed TO
enable federal authorities to fight 1t
successfully.
Secretary Nagel recommends the
further development of the bureau OF
corporations. At the end of the us
cal year the department still mas on
hand Investigations of the lumber and
steel industries; the International
Harvester company, concentration or
water power ownership, transportation
by water in the United States.
definite federal system of statu-
tory publicity is urged. This would
compel all important corporations en-
gagged in the interstate commerce 10
report at stated intervals to federal
agency. such as the bureau OF corpor-
ations. the essential facts regarding
their organization, management ana
condition.
ANY attempt to solve this problem
through state action has been. and
necessarily will be futile, says the re-
mort. No considerable number OF
states ever can agree upon estapllsh-
ing or maintaining one system NO
ono state alone can make its system
effective.
Nearly Million Aliens Enter.
In all during the fiscal year 944'-
235 aliens entered the country and %
ner cent of them came from Russia
and the countries of southern Europe.
A total of 90 per cent of illiterates
is shown by the report. These aliens
brought s17,331,S2S into the country
an average of s23.50 each. 1t is pe-
lieved that 20 per cent of them were
assisted to reach this country
In one portion of his report Secre-
tary Nagel takes up the white slave
traffic.
The departments Investigations
show that the traffic in immoral wo-
men is an established and extensive
business. by no means confined TO
trading in imported women 1t IN
cIudes alien women who have entered
the country in regular way ana
American women as well. The pres
ent federal law merely prohibits the
bringing of women into the country
for immoral purposes.
Prohibits Interstate Trafiic.
The secretary recommends that the
law be amended to prohibit as well
the bringing of women for such pur-
poses from one state into another