Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-12-10
3EDF|ELD PLEADS
FOR ECONOMY, IN |
ANNUAL REPORT


the public service is the keynote
the annual report OF Secretary Red
field, of the department of commerce
In summarizing the work Of the mani
bureaus Of his department he under
takes to suggest a wise use Of gov
eminent funds.
IF attention wero directed not I
totals but to the wise use Of funds,
said Secretary RodAeld, 80 that thI
latter should be made to produce thy
utmost possible service. much woul
be accomplished that is now hardl
suggested or attempted. Every indus
trial manalgcr knows that econom
requires his plant to be kept up
the best productive condition. II
not economical, in order to save q toI
tai expenditure, to allow the plant Il
run down and then have to build /
up again This does not save none
but loses II. Economy of this kind
not economy ut all. II merely involveI
a cycle Of expensive changes, costly Il
themselves and more costly in thei|
results
80 'H9tpdb vi III upon IOIdit
without regard to wether the moneI
which comprises these totals has beeI
spent wisely or unwisely, care wer|
centered on the need for expenditure
and for the wisdom with which thai
need Is met money could be saveI
that will otherwise continue to b|
lost"
summarizing the work Of the last veal
In promoting foreign trade, Mr.. Redflel|
says
THE United States is one of the third
foremost commercial nations II Is ed
sential to its prosperity that 1t shout
be inferior to no other country in i'd
governmental system for the fosterinI
and protection Of its trade. both domesti
and foreign. Such a system is now fruI
ly established. In foreign countries tn
admirable trade-development work which
the consular officers OF the department
Of state carry on Is now to be suppl4
mented through the service of a cord
of commercial attaches, which will nj
gap heretofore existing In our Of
ganiza ton as compared with that d
other nations. These, with the group q
special travelling investigators or com
mercial agents who continue the valJ
able technical studies OF markets abroa(
constitute for the first time in the foj
eign field a complete and well-balancd
system Of federal aid TO trade IN fore q
lands.
THE special fund for promoting com
merce In Central and South America, q
which so per cent. Is allotted to field IN
vestlgation and the remainder in Wash
ington, should be continued and suppl
mented. as permanent occupation
Latin-American markets Is the only wis
policy for our government to support.
INVESTIGATING CONDITIONS.
| Various phrases of the work Of invest
eating commercial conditions in the Uni
1 ted States are reviewed at length.
The important work which CongreI
assigned in collecting costs OF productid
Of articles subject to import duty hid
been actively carried on in two branch@
of industry. A survey OF the eartheI
ware pottery industry In the Unitd
States and Europe has just been con
pleted, and most practical and valuab
results have been obtained. over 30 p,
cent. OF the American potteries were II
vestlgated, and no more complete stud
Of an industry. it is believed, was ev,
made. a similar study of the great clotl
Ing industry Is now in progress. tn
committees of Congress will find In sud
reports the essential facts in regard
an industry necessary to intelligent legl
lation on tariff matters. Such facts hay
heretofore usually been available nj
foot lt,i,, +,,I
but from those whose interest might b
either in increasing or lowering tarl
rates The value of such detached an
dsinterested investiga tons of our ind
tries is no longer in question, and tn
service is not alone useful In relation
tariff legislation but Is undoubtedly
very marked promotive value to any II
dustry that may be studied by comp
tent agents.
Several investigations commenced
the bureau of corporations in prior veal
! remained uncompleted at the beg,nnd
of the fiscal year covered by this n
port, namely, lumber. tobacco. agj
cultural implements, State corporate
taxation, fertilizer and petroleum Vol
on all except the last two was initial
I SNApiC lit
substantial progress was made in
of these investigations. and except Il
state taxation of corporations and Il
last two Investigations just mentiond
they were nearly completed during Il
fiscal year under consideration. A mol
definite statement of the matters n
ported on by the bureau during the tisd
year is given below:
Apart from a general nvestigat i}
Of certain legal and economic proble1
relating to proposed legislation, Will
included study of foreign legtslati(
on trusts, etc, certain new investigt
tions were initiated by the bureau d,}
ing the fiscal year. Among the md
important of these was an Investigate
into the economic character and efYed
of the system of resale price mainte|
ance. /. e. the pra ctice Of manufacture
and distributors OF fixing the price
which retailers or other dealers in thd
products shall sell to consumers or 9TH
purchasers
TRUST PROBLEMS.
THE bureau also has in contempt
ton a comprehensive study OF Il
Fundamental problems OF the efficien|
of trusts that Is to say. OF the d
termination of the question wheth{
from the standpoint OF business prof
and also from other standpoints
social welfare, the trust form of q
SANITATION was really, as Is often d
legged, socially and economically eff
cient. While some tentative work wi
done by the bureau in this connectii
during the fiscal year the lack of