The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-12-06
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
AND LABOR.
Deals With Question Of the Eight
Hour Law.


| commerce and labor has had under his
immediate supervision the application
of the merit system Of promotion to a
large number of employees, and his
discussion of this method of promo
tons based on actual experience I COM
mend to the attention of congress.
The Census Bureau.
The taking of the census has pro-
ceeded with promptness and efficiency.
The secretary believes, and 1 concur,
that it will be more thorough and ac-
curate than any census which has
heretofore been taken, but 1t ia not per-
feet The motive that prompts men
with false civic pride to induce the
padding of census returns in order to
increase the population of a particular
city has been strong enough to lead
TO fraud In respect to a few cities in
this country. and I have directed the
attorney general to proceed with all
the vigor possible against those who
are responsible for these frauds.
They have been discovered and they
will not interfere with the accuracy
of the census, but it is OF the highest
importance that official inquiry of this
4 bOAI S4OQ10 nut Oc 0AuOaTIdSsSQ ny
fraudulent conspiracies in some private
or local interest
Bureau of Lighthouses.
The reorganization of the lighthouse
board has effected very considerable
| saving in the administration, and the
estimates for that service for the pres
ent year are S428, 600 less than for the
preceding year. In addition three tend
ers for which appropriations were
made are not being built because they
are not at present needed for the serv-
Ice The secretary is now asking for
a large sum for the addition Of lights
and other aids to the commerce Of the
seas, including a number In Alaska.
The trade along that coast is becoming
so important that 1 respectfully urge
the necessity for following his recon-
mendation.
| Bureau of Corporations.
The commissioner Of corporations
has just completed the first part OF a
report on the lumber industry In the
United States. This part does not
treat of the question of a trust or COM
bination in the manufacture of lumber,
a subject to be dealt with later. The
commissioner does find, however, a
condition In the ownership Of the
standing timber of the United States
other than the government timber that
calls for serious attention.
The direct investigation made by the
commissioner covered an area which
contains 80 per cent of the privately
owned timber of the country. His re-
port shows that one-half of the timber
in this area is owned by 200 individ-
uals and corporations, that Il per cent
is owned by three corporations and
that there Is very extensive interown-
ership Of stock as well as other cir
cumstances. all pointing to friendly re-
ladons among those who own a ma
Jority of this timber, a relationship
which might lead to a combination for
the maintenance Of price that would
be very detrimental to the public in
terest and would create the necessity
of removing all tariff obstacles to the
free importations of lumber from other
countries.
Bureau of Fisheries.
I am glad TO note In the secretary's
report the satisfactory progress which
is being made in respect TO the preser-
walton Of the seals of the Pribilof
islands. Very active steps are being
taken by the department Of state to
secure an arrangement which shall pro-
tect the Pribilof herd from the losses
due to pelagic sealing. Meantime the
government has secured seal pelts OF
the bachelor seals (the killing of which
does not interfere with the mainte-
nance Of the herd, from the sale of
which next month it is expected to
realize about $50, 900, a sum largely
In excess of the rental paid by the
lessee of the government under the
previous contract.
Coast and Geodetic Survey.
The coast and geodetic survey has
been engaged in surveying the coasts
of the Philippine archipelago. This is
heavy work because of the extended
character of the coast line In those is
lands. but 1 am glad TO note that
; about half of the needed SURVEY has
been completed. So large a part of
the coast line of the archipelago has
been unsurveyed as to make naviga-
ton in the neighborhood of a number
of the islands, and especially on the
east side. particularly dangerous
Bureau of Labor.
The commissioner of labor has been
4 actively engaged in composing the diff
ferences between employers and en-
ployees engaged in interstate trans
4 portation under the Erdman act joint
~ with the chairman of the inter
state commerce commission l cannot
speak in too high terms of the success
of these two officers in Cancellation and
settlement Of controversies which but
for their interposition would have re-
suited disastrously to all interests.
I invite attention to the very serious
injury caused to all those who are en-
gagged in the manufacture of phos-
phorus matches The diseases Incl