Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-12-18


fishing some facts as to what agree
ments, il any, apparently in restraint 70
trade, are really in aid of competition
and should be exempted from the opera
tion of the sherman act There Is also
an investigation pending with reference
to the merits and dement's of condition
which prohibits n uniform price IRON
being fixed by manufacturers ana Job
bers, binding upon retailers, as to articles
of their nanufa cture"
Secretary Redfed outlines his plans for
n reorganization OF the bureau Of foreign
and domestic commerce:
FOREIGN COMMERCE EXPANDS.
"Our foreign commerce has grown by
leaps and bounds until during the fiscal
year ended June go 1913, it reached the
great total of 1920, 100000 in value OF
this great sum 50, 466, 100000 were exports
and N,SlS0oo,oo0 were imports, showing a
trade balance on these transactions in
our favor of 1868, 100000 1t certainly can
not be said that the government has done
much to foster this great and growing
trade In the estimates for the coming
fiscal year, therefore a sum has been in
Guided which will provide for the re-
organization of the bureau into such form
as will make It the basis for productive
effort in developing American industries
in every field which is normal to them
at home and abroad.
Briefly stat d. the proposed organiza-
ton provides for commercial attaches to
he located at each of II c?ptals ac-
credited to our embassies there b the
tho a +
ly to the department of commerce. Their
purpose will be to study the commerce
and industries of the nations where they
reside They will have no other duties.
They will collaborato with the consuls,
having the advantage of the larger view
and of the freedom from other cares.
1T is recommended that the consuls
shall on purely commercial matters re-
port directly to the department of COM
merce and that they shall cooperate
with the commercial attaches in pre-
senting between them a complete and
unified knowledge of the commerce and
Industries Of our great competitors.
These two forces should normally sup
PIGMENT each other, the attache has the
general field, the consul the particular
field The one collects; the other co-or-
dlnatos. Each supplies with the other
chat which without him we could not
have. Each is at once a corrective and
an incentive to the other.
MORE COMMERCIAL AGENTS.
"It is intended to enlarge the force
Of commercial agents which is composed
of special investigators trained in their
separate lines of study each pursuing
some special theme and for that purpose
travelling from country to country wher-
ever information on that subject can be
had. For this purpose special appro-
priation Of $l00pD is asked for the study
of commercial conditions IN South Amer
lea.
Possibly ! may have erred in not ask
ing more adequate provision for this
great work. Certainly it is not consis-
tent with our national sclf-respect to ask
for less. 1t should be noted, finally, that
now is the appointed time We have
spent several hundred millions preparing
the Panama canal and the nations of the
world have been getting ready for its
use while we have done almost nothing
actively to promote the commerce which
should repay the nation, in part at least
for this vast outlay.
1T remains to state but one further
point of important policy that the depart
ment desires to carry out 1t wishes To
supplement the inquiry now drawing to a
close into the cost of production in the
pottery industry by undertaking an in
qury into the cost of production of cloth
ing Of all kinds and of different materials
including hosiery, knit goods, and theil
fellows.
1T is recalled that not only is this a
matter which affects every man and
woman in the country but that it is 4
subject which has been approached sew
eral times but which has never received
thoughtful study as a whole. The late
tariff board inquired into the cost OF cot
ton and wooden and worsted cloth and Il
Some extent into the cost of making kni
goods and hosiery. II did not, however
pursue its inquiries fully into the cost o.
making all clothing of various kinds.
IMPORTANT SOCIAL. RESULTS.
different States and muncipalitie!
have given study to the important ques
ton of wages and labor IN the clothine
industries and to the working conditions
in them. No one to my knowledge has
ever correlated the work of the various
public and private organizations, national
State and municipal. and has added tC
them an inquiry into the Fundamental
elements Of cost in these industries.
such a study should have important
social results It should develop the
question as to whether the sweatshop Is
economically efficient or whether by {
properly organized and more scientific
method of manufacture it would not b'
eliminated by the natural operation OF
economic law"
For all the work of his great depart
ment Secretary Redield asks Congress
to appropriate SIS, 021O, an increase OF
little more than 100000 over the
present year. The remainder Of his re.
port is devoted to a review or the work
of the bureau of fisheries. the steamboat
inspection service, the bureau of navi,
cation and its efforts for the promotion
Of safety at sea, the census. the bureau
of standards, and important work II Is
conducting for municipalities, and the
activities of the bureau Of lighthouses
and the coast and geodetic survey.