Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-12-09
SEC. OF COMMERCE
REDFIELD'S REPORT
Economy in the Public Service
Is the Keynote-Wise Use of
Funds More Important Than
Watching the Totals-Other
Interesting Features.


/ Washington, Dec. s.-Economy in the
public service is the keynote of the an
nuai report of Secretary Redfeld of the
Department of Commerce. In summarize
ing the work of the many bureaus of his
department he, undertakes to suggest a
wise use of government funds.
/ IF attention were directed not to totals
but to the wise use of funds" said Sec
rotary Redfield, $50 that the latter should
be made to produce the utmost possible
service, much would be accomplished
that is now hardly suggested or attempt
ed. Every Industrial manager knows that
/ economy requires his plant to be kept up
in the best productive condition. 1t Is
not economical, in order to save total
expenditure, to allow the plant to run
down and then have to build it up again.
This does not save money. but loses It.
Economy of this kind is not economy at
all. 1t merely involves cycle of expen-
sive changes, costly in themselves and
more costly in their results.
eff, instead of arguing upon totals,
without regard to whether the money
which comprises these totals has been
spent wisely or unwisely, care were CEN
tered on the need for expenditure and for
the wisdom with which that need Is met,
money could be saved that will otherwise
continue to be lost
Summarizing the work of the last year
in promoting foreign trade, Mr.. Redfield
says:
THE United States is one of the three
foremost commercial nations. 1t is essen
tial to its prosperity that it should be in
ferior to no other country in its govern
mental system for the fostering and pro-
lection of its trade, both domestic and
foreign. Such system ia now firmly es-
| tablished. In foreign countries the adj
mirable trade-development work which
| the consular officers of the Department
of State carry on is now to be supple
mented through the service of a corps Of
commercial attaches, which will fill a gap
heretofore existing in our organization as
compared with that of other nations.
These. with the group of special travelling
! investigators or commercial agents who
continue the valuable technical studies of
markets abroad, constitute for the first
! time in the foreign field a complete and
well-balanced system of Federal aid to
trade in foreign lands.
1.-THE special fund for promoting COM
merce in Central and South America, of
which 500 is allotted to field investigation
and the remainder In Washington, should
i be continued and supplemented, as per-
manent occupation of Latin-American
markets is the only wise policy for our
government to support"
/ Various phases of the work of investi-
eating commercial conditions in the Unit
/ ed States are reviewed at length.
''rhe important work which Congress
assigned In collecting costs of production
of articles subject TO import duty has
been actively carried on in two branches
of industry. A survey of the earthen-
ware pottery Industry in the United
States and Europe has just been COM
pleted and most practical and valuable
results has been obtained. Over 900
of the American potteries were in
vestigated. and no more complete study
of an industry, 1t is believed. was ever
made A similar study of the great
clothing industry is now in progress. The
committees of Congress will find in such
reports the essential facts in regard to
an industry necessary to intelligent
legislation on tariff matters. Such facts
have heretofore usually been available
not from disinterested governmental
source but from those whose interest
might lie either in increasing or lowering
tariff rates. The value of such detached
and disinterested Investigations of our in
dustries is no longer in question. and this
service is not alone useful in relation to
tariff legislation nut is undoubtedly of
very marked promotive value to any in
dustry that may be studied by competent
agents.
Il Several Investigations commenced by
the Bureau of Corporations in prior years
remained uncompleted at the beginning of
the fiscal year covered by this report,
namely, lumber. tobacco, agricultural i'm
plements, state corporation taxation, fer
tilizer and petroleum. Work on all ex-
cept the last two was initiated before the
present administration.
Substantial progress was made in all
of these Investigations, and except for
state taxation of corporations and the last
two investigations just mentioned, they
were nearly completed during the fiscal
year under consideration. A more definite
, statement of the matters reported on by
: the Bureau during the fiscal year is given
a below:
l Apart from general investigation OF
certain legal and economic problems re-
3 lating to proposed legislation. which In
J, cluded study of foreign legislation on
trusts, ETC., certain new investigations
were initiated by the Bureau during the
: fiscal year. Among the most importan,
4 Of these was an investigation into the
: economic character and effects of the sys
: tenn Of resale price maintenance, |. e.. the
4 -