Evening star., 1915-06-27

those now under the Smithsonian were
developed. and from the collection of
agricultural statistics, the annual an
preparations for which were increas-
ing. in 1S49 an agricultural division of
the patent office was recommended and
later this recommendation was carried
into effect.
Before the war 1t was found neces-
sary to engage larger quarters outside
the building for this division. 1t was
found necessary also to enlarge some
of the bureaus In the other depart
ments.
The land office, owing to the settle
ment of the territories. was growing.
as also the pension office The customs
business, attended to heretofore in the
office of the Secretary of the Treasury.
had been made a bureau. with a COM
missioner at Its head and the mining
interests of the same department We're
looking to matters other than lead and
copper. the gold mines of California
then attracting much attention.
New Department Recommended.
1t was soon after the termination of
the Mexican war that Robert j. Walker,
Secretary of the Treasury, called at
tention to the enormous work deyolv-
ing upon the head of that departments
and that some of the duties had no con-
nection with commerce or public f.
nances. He also said that the patetn Of
f1ce work had no proper connection with
the State Department, that Indian af-
fairs and applications for pensions
could be better administered outside
the War and Navy departments, and he
accordingly recommended a new de-
partment to manage the offices named
The committee on agriculture of the
House February Il. 1S49. presented a
report indorsing Mr. Walkers views
and bill for the creation of the Home
Department or Department of the In
terror
VY%l>a
date considerations which urged the
establishment of the new department
were the mischiefs, losses and dangers
resulting from the existing irrational
and ruinous distributions of executive
powers and duties.
1t added, however that there were
broader considerations of public policy
debating the creation of such a de-
partment. Since the establishment of
the federal government. sixty years
before, it said, some SI0n, 100000 had
been expended for purposes OF military
aggression or defense, and the aver
age expenditure for the War and Navy
Departm was then twelve or four
teen millions of dollars.
The whole amount of expenditure dur
Ing the same period for the promotion
of the arts of peace. the development
OF agriculture and of the mechanical
sciences and for the facilitation of in
ternal intercourse and trade, the sup
port of education and the diffusion of
knowledge did not exceed si,O00,000.
The report continued:
Rap for War Preparation
The general fact remains unaffected
that war and preparations for war have
been practically regarded as the chief
duty and end of this government. while
the arts of peace and production.
whereby nations are subsisted, civili-
zation advanced and happiness secured
have been esteemed unworthy the at
tention or foreign to the objects of
this government. 1t seems to us that
this should not always continue, but
that we should. as a wise people, reor
ganize the government so far as to
fulfill these duties also. which are sug
gested by the nature, aspirations and
wants of our race as physical. moral
and intellectual beings: that it should
do something toward protecting the
people against those internal enemies
ignorance, destitution and vice-as well
as against those foreign foes who may
invade or who it is apprehended may
assail US"
In pursuance Of the recommendation.
Congress passed the act approved
March 3, 1S49, entitled AN act to es-
tablish the Home Department"
The administration of President Polk
was succeeded the next day by that OF
President Taylor, and Gen. Thomas
Ewing was appointed to take charge
of the new department.