Las Vegas optic., 1914-12-28
THE CORPORATION
BUREAU WILL
QUIT
1T PREPARES FINAL REPORTS;
WILL BE MERGED WITH
NEW COMMISSION


the last session of congress there vii
be available for its use not only {
large amount Of available data, bui
a cohesive and efficient body of EN-
ployes trained in the specialized kline
Of work which the commission will
Of necessity carry on, is made eyi
dent by the annual report Of the
commissioner of corporations, Joseph
E. Davies, made public today. This
report reveals the bureau of corpora
tions to be very busily engaged in
the preparation of data for the new
commission into which it is to be
merged, with the purpose of making
the bureau force available at once
for the work of the commission.
During the past few months, a gen
eral comprehensive survey has been
made by the bureau Of the whole in
dustrial field, with a view to having
Immediately available to the commits
sion, if needed, the general facts Of
the processes Of manufacture, organi-
zation, and dominant financial control
in any line of industry. A large card
index system, showing the directors
of the principal industrial, railroad
and public utility corporations, insur-
ance companies, and banks, has also
been completed in line with this pur-
pose. This preliminary work has re-
yealed that there are approximately
$500 corporations, exclusive of those
under the jurisdiction of the inter
state commerce commission, which
have a capital stock or bonded and
other Indebtedness amounting to ST.
100000 or over, and which are en-
gagged in interstate commerce, in adj
dition to many smaller corporations
which will likewise come within the
jurisdiction of this commission.
Over one-third of these corporations
have voluntarily furnished the bureau
upon request reports as to their finan-
cial condition, organization, and 9th
er valuable facts, to be at the dis
position of the commission upon its
organization.
During the past year the bureau
has engaged in a number Of extern
sive Investigations, most Of which
were made at the direction of con-
gress. Reports on the taxation Of
corporations, covering the tax move
ment of the United States in 1912,
and the system of corporate taxation
in force in the mountain and Paci-
fic states, were issued during the
year. A report covering the condi-
tion of production, wholesale dlstri-
button and prices in the lumber in
dustry, as well as the results Of a
special investigation into the shin
gle and lumber industry Of the state
of Washington, was made public.
At present the full force of special
agents, attorneys, statisticians and
other employees are exerting every eff
fort to complete the remaining work
Of the bureau before the organization
Of the trade comission. Final re-
ports on the tobacco industry, on
farm machinery associations, on state
corporate taxation, and on competi-
tive conditions in the retail lumber
trade, are to be issued in the imme-
date future Special reports on the
fertilizer industry and on the inves-
tigation made under the resolution of
the United States senate as to GER
tain alleged determinations in the
Oklahoma oil fields are being rapidly
brought into shape for publication.
The investigation which the bureau
has been making into the economic
and facts of the system of
resale price maintenance, /. e., the
practice of manufacturers and dis
Eributors to fix the price at which
retailers or other dealers in their
products shall sell to consumers or
other purchasers-is rapidly advanc-
Inga and the investigation being
made into the divergence in state
laws relating to foreign corpora
ions, with the purpose of securing a
more uniform system, with it's at.
.endant benefit to the business world
ind to the public, rs nearing COM
)letion.
With the completion of these re-
ports, the Ii years work of the bu-
eau Of corporations win close. Dur
ng that time this bureau has made
over 40 reports on the various in
Yestigations of the largest industries
n the country. and in addition has
been Of constant assistance to other