Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-11-05


commended, and will doubtless again
recommend to the next Congress-, that
uniform and definite restrictions be
placed upon the political activity Of
unclassifled and excepted officers and
employees.
The bureau Of foreign and domestic
commerce is the spearhead Of the De-
partm ent of
Commercial Bureau Commerce. It's
District Offices. nes. "a to nro-
mote Uncle Sans commerce abroad. It
Department Of Agriculture does for the
farmer. It reaches out into the world
and gets business for American manu-
facturers and 1t is on the job in every
continent all the time. Through the
increased appropriations that are be-
ing allowed by Congress. the scope of
the work has been broadened, and this
additional money helps to meet the
added demands for information and
other assistance that have resulted
from war conditions.
One Of the interesting features of the
work Of the bureau Is its system OF
what are known as district offices, To-
Gated at New York, Boston. Atlanta, st.
Louis. Chicago, New Orleans, San Fran
cisco and Seattle. These were estab-
was felt that in that way the bureau
could keep in closer touch with manu-
facturers and exporters by stationing
it's experts in the principal business
centers. The results have proved the
theory correct. for much real service is
no IN SyiV hu M {N
can business men.
The agents in charge of these Offices
not only assist in the distribution of
commercial Information from the
Washington office. but they arrange
conferences between business men and
returning consuls. special agents and
commercial attaches. as well as be-
tween business men and visiting for
eign buyers. The service they render
business appears in the fact that more
than $4,000 representatives Of Ameri-
can firms called at the New York office
during 1916, and $1,000 letters were re-
ceived there last year, while $50 rep
resentattves of foreign firms made use
OF the offices as headquarters. From
one OF the latter cases there arose q
business arrangement with a house in
eastern Europe whereunder 10000 bales
Of cotton per annum for five years are
now purchased under contract. Those
who will trouble to figure what this
business amounts to will find that this
single transaction more than pays the
cost OF operating all the branch Offices
or the service during the past year.
These district offices fitted in Sc
well with the needs of the various
business communities that other cities
wanted similar services. This has led
to the establishment of what are called
really foreign trade departments in
the local chambers of commerce., but
the expert in charge is selected with
the assistance of the bureau. He rem
ders exactly, the same service that is
rendered by the agents in charge OF
the district Offices.
With an appropriation allowed by the
last session Of Congress the bureau
has been enabled to organize a Latin
American division. which devotes all
our trade with our sister republics to
the south. More than a dozen special
agents are now employed for the sole
purpose of travelling in Latin America
tain specified lines of trade. such as
boots and shoes. electrical goods. rail-
way equipment. lumber and paper.
Another OF the interesting features
of the work of the bureau is the
school Of commerce which has been
established for the benefit Of such en-
ployes Of the bureau and other offices
of the Department of Commerce as may
wish to prepare themselves for a
foreign trade career. This school has
already had a noticeable effect upon
the efficiency of the staff.
All possible steps are being taken at
this time by officials of the forest serv-
ice toward the protec-
Safeguarding ton of the lives OF
oportsmen. tional forests, and those
making use of the forests during the
the greatest possible care to prevent
forest fires and to avoid such accidents
as yearly result fatally. Last year one
of the forest rangers was mistaken for
a bear. it is said. by a careless hunter,
who fired without waiting to be sure
what he was shooting at. killing the
ranger.
TO show that such accidents are not
uncommon. officials of the service say
that the biological survey states that
between $50 and 200 persons are annu-
ally killed in hunting accidents in this
country and that this number is in
creasing. Furthermore. it is stated by
the forest service that Is per cent of
all the forest fires in the national for
ests are caused by careless hunters and
other campers.
The national forests are said to con-
tain the best hunting grounds in the
United States. The number of game
animals is increasing on account of the
protection from forest fires and illegal
killing which Is afforded by forest off,
GERS On many Of the forests deer, elk,
mountain sheep and other species are
fairly plentiful. while small game is
usually abundant. Bear. mountain lion
on most Of the forests. The killing of
these meat eaters is encouraged. be-
cause they prey on domestic stock and
the herbivorous game animals.
In urging the hunters to be careful
of fires the officials of the forest serv-
ice point out that the value of the for
ests for hunting grounds depends
largely on whether they are protected
from fires. Forest fires destroy the
range and breeding places of the game
and often kill large numbers of the
animals themselves. while great
many more are driven out Of the coun-
try by the flames. Furthermore, streams
flowing through burned-over areas are
flow and are often so choked up with
deposits Of sediment that fish cannot
live in them.
Each year, officials of the service
say, sees an increase In the numbers of
persons who visit the national forests
for hunting and other recreation pur-
poses. Every effort Is made to encour-
age this use OF the forests.
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