Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-12-10
REDFIELD TALKS ECONOMY
Secretary of Commerce Says He Gets
Results for Money Spent.
TOTALS ARE UNIMPORTANT
IL 10 Necessary TO Keep plant In
Good Condition 10 secure Highest
Returns-HOme and FOr-
eiRn Trade.

WASHINGTON, Dec. S.-Economy in
the public service is the keynote OF the
annual report of Secretary Redfield of
the Department of Commerce. In sum
marizing the work OF the many bureaus
of his department he undertakes 70 sug-
gest 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 not hardly suggested or attempted.
Every industrial manager knows that
economy requires his plant 70 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. It merely involves a cycle OF ex-
pensive changes, costly in themselves
and more costly in their results.
IF, instead Of arguing upon totals, with
out regard to whether the money which
comprises these totals has been spent
wisely or unwisely, care were conferred
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:
Promoting Foreign Trade.
THE United States is one of the three
foremost commercial nations. 1t is es-
sential to its prosperity that 1t should
be inferior to no other country in it's
governmental system for the fostering
and protection of it's trade, both domestic
and foreign. Such system Is now firmly
established In foreign countries the ad-
mirable trade development work which
the consul officials of the Department of
State carry on is now to be supplemented
through the service of a corps Of COM
mercial attaches, which will fill gap
heretofore existing in our organization as
compared with that of other nations.
These, with the group of special travel
ing investigators or commercial agents
who continue the valuable technical
studies of markets abroad, constitute Tor
the first time in the foreign field COM
plete and well-balanced system of fed
eral aid to trade in foreign lands
1.-THE special fund for promoting COM
merce In Central and South America, of
which so per cent is allotted to field in
vestigation and the remainder in WASH
ington. should be continued and supple
mented, as a permanent occupation Of
I.atin-American markets Is the only wise
policy for our government to support"
Various phases OF the work of investi-
eating commercial conditions in the
United States are reviewed at length.
Cost of Production.
THE important work which congress
assigned in collecting costs of produc-
ton of articles subject to import duty has
been actively carried on in two branches
of industry. A survey Of the earthenware
pottery industry in the United States and
Europe has just been completed and
most practical and valuable results have
been obtained. over 80 per cent of the
American potteries were investigated and
no more complete study of an industry,
it is believed. was ever made. 4 similar
study of the great clothing industry is
now in progress. The committees of con-
gress will find in such reports the essen
tial facts in regard to an industry neces-
sary to intelligent legislation on tariff
ally been available not from disinter-
ested governmental source. but from those
whose interest might lie either in in
creasing or lowering tariff rates. The
value of such detached and disinterested
Investigations of our Industries is no
longer In question, and this service is
not alone useful in relation to tariff
legislation, but is undoubtedly of very
,,aa rLad rroraofiva vaIua m any fn6IatFV
that may be studied by competent agents.
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
tiizer and petroleum. Work on all except
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 def
mite statement of the matters reported
on by the bureau during the fiscal year is
given below.
Apart from a general investigation Of
certain legal and economic problems re-
lating to proposed legislation on trusts,
etc, certain new investigation into the
ecoromc character and effects of the sys-
tenn of resale price maintenance, l. e.,
the practice OF manufacturers and dis
tributers of fixing the price at which
retailers or other dealers in their products
shall sell to consumers or other pur-
chasers.
Efficiency of Trusts.
THE Sureau also has in contemplation
a comprehensive study of the funda-
mental problems of the efficiency Of
trusts: that, is to say. of the determine
ton of the question whether from the
standpoint Of business profits and also
from other standpoints of social welfare.
the trust form Of organization was really.
as is often alleged. socially and econom-
icalIy efficient. While some tentative
work was done by the bureau in this con-
nection during the fiscal year, the lack
of an adequate appropriation made 1t i'm
practicable TO organize a comprehensive
Investigation of this very large subject.
Nevertheless. fairly comprehensive sur
vey Of the industrial field has been made,
which will furnish a basis for this work