Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-19
STUDYING AMERICAN COMMERCE.

ports by American consular oneerS IN
regard to the packing of goods tor snip
ment to foreign countries; Consular Reg
uiati0nS to Foreign Countries, containihs
rules to be observed with respect to snip
ments of merchandise to foreign couh-
tries: Commercial Travellers In ForeiSh
Trade" giving the laws of foreign nations
relative to the admission of commercaai
travellers and their samples. and FACTORS
in Foreign Trade" giving the LANGUAGE
currency. weights. and measures OF Tor,
elgn countries. statement as to posta
the conversion OF foreign currencies into
American money, and vice versa. ana
price comparisons for foreign and Amer1-
can units. In the domestic field can be
instanced an important bulletin by the
late Maj. John NJ. Carson. on Packing
and Shipping Of Cotton" This mono
graph shows the faulty methods OF han,
ding cotton, which cause an annual
heavy loss in this country.
The present division of statistics carries
on the work of the old bureau of Stats
tics. The information
Division of contained in the reports
Statistic. OF this division is OBJ
0'@'ie'Aes' tanned from the COL
lectors of customs. who send in monthly
stateme nts showing the principal articles
imported and exported. the quantities and
countries from which they came or to
which they are going. These statements
are printed primarily in the monthly
summary OF Commerce and Finance. and
distributed to individuals and firms in
terested. The more elaborate tables are
published quarterly, showing the quantity
of ha inn nj
and these quarterly statements are again
made into an annual statement.
The statistical abstract of the United
States. volume of about 500 pages,
presents in condensed form statements
regarding the commerce. products. In
dustries. population. finance currency,
Indebtedness and wealth of the country.
and includes in addition to the compila-
ton made by the bureau the more inn
portant statistical data compiled by other
branches OF the government A volume
entitled Statistical Abstract of For
eigp Countries is published at intervals
and shows the foreign commerce of each
of the principal countries of the world.
the total value Of the trade of each for
long term of years and for a limited
term of years. the principal articles i'm
ported and exported, and the trade with
principal countries
in speaking of the volume Of work
done. the chief OF the bureau. a. Fl.
Baldwin. said that much
Large Volume of the work done by
- w.t. any government bureau
was of a character that
leaves no open record and which can
make no special appeal to the interest of
4 S,,,1>l iot, s, lx,,t xv,1,i o1
nevertheless is essential to the main
tenance of the work.
During the past calendar year." said
Mr.. Baldwin, 'by distributing useful in
formation the bureau Of foreign and do
nestle commerce has sent forth to the
commercial public more than 6,20o.OOO
copies of its various reports. In addi-
tfon to this. confidential circulars. most
ly based on information received from
consuls and commercial agents. have
been sent out to the number of over
100000 copies to carefully selected lists
Of manufacturing firms and exporters,
while about 5000 letters, containing
special information on all sorts Of COM
mercial subjects. have been mailed.
Facts in regard to trade opportunities
in foreign countries and In the United
States-a total Of 10000 copies-have been
asked for by the correspondents of the
bureau. Bi-weekly circulars to the press.
mostly on statistical subjects. have been
distributed to the number Of 100000 cop
les Furthermore thousands of exporters
have been advised by letter in regard to
details Of tariff charges on their products
in foreign countries. and innumerable
other commercial matters about which
the bureau has in its files a vast store Of
information. Moreover. during the year
there have been transplanted and pub
lished the foreign tariffs of Cuba and
Japan, as well as supplements to several
of the customs tariffs already issued.
I'm the Investigations which were re-
quired for the preparation Of this large
volume Of printed matter on commercial
subjects the bureau has been aided by
the service of more than 800 consular
officers OF the Department of State, by
twelve or fifteen commercial agents of
the Department of Commerce and Labor,
by $50 employees Of the statistical branches
of the Department of the Treasury. and
by an Office force in Washington of about
100 employees. A printing fund of approx
imately $3.50 has been expended dur
ing the last fiscal year. while. in addition,
an annual appropriation of approximately
$4,000 is required to carry on the work
of the bureau"
Although more than $500, 600 is the aver
age annual expenditure of the bureau of
foreign and domestic commerce. the full
possibilities Of the bureau have by no
work are being carried on which will re-
suit in printed reports only when the
needed appropriations are forthcoming
One example of this kind Of work is the
collection and listing Of the names of the
organizations Of this country.
a work which has been going forward
during the last year. This work will in
clude record Of their functions, commit
tees. dues income. special interest or ter
ritory served. and similar facts. and will
be printed as DIRECTORY of Trade Or
an annual volume. Bust
ness men. claim officials of the bureau,
want such directory. and bill is now
pending in Congress authorizing its pub
LEGATION. Another similar task held in
allegiance for lack of funds and sufficient
clerical assistance Is the preparation of
new edition of the World Trade Direc-
tory, volume containing a list of the
names of probable foreign buyers of
American products. The volume which
was issued in 1911 of this work was dis
tributed to many thousands of firms, but
a revised edition will shortly be needed.
Separate directories for each foreign
country. or for groups of countries, may
be compiled. however, as being more con-
venient and practical to the users
Recently an effort has been made by an
actual study in the field to discover the
practical commercial use made by bust
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