The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1918-12-10
CUMMING THE CARDS.

The democratic party, with two years more to con
troll the administration. is not confning itself 70 scram
railroad properties. various other Industrial agen
and constitutional ideals. but has taken W our sta
tistical data. and Secretary Redfeld's department Of
commerce has entered upon a program which, oy the
time it is completed, will render it practically impossible
10 make orderly comparisons Of our foreign trade. The
underlying reason for doing this is said 10 be the fear
which the administration entertains that comparisons OF
our postwar trade statistics with those before and during
the war VIII cause public condemnation Of democratic
policies.
Some time ago the department Of commerce appears
to have slid through the senate. without a dissenting
vote, q proposition 10 do away with our present fiscal
year in making up the annual reports Of foreign com
merce and navigation. The bill now rests in the house
and its early enactment into law is predicted unless the
republicans can head it off. There is no good reason
why the fiscal year should be abolished with respect 70
trade, when il is retained with respect 70 federal finances.
That year ends June Both in the United States. In
Great Britain and Canada. and also in Germany. the
fiscal year ends March 81. In France the fiscal and the
calendar year are identical. Had the department OF com
MERGE requested that We adopt the French system with
respect to our entire governmental activities. instead OF
applying it to trade alone. they might have escaped sus
picion. Now that suspicion seems 10 have been fully
justified by the latest announcement that foreign trade
statistics are 70 be revised and extended
The plans now nearly completed provide for an en-
larged classification for both imports and exports says
the departmental bulletin, instead Of the two ciassin'
cations at present used, and instead Of the present Alpha
hatical arrangement OF items BY commodities there will
JCiAS0l
be a more general assembling OF items under great
groups
There is no valid reason for destroying this alpha
betical listing Of imports and exports. The system has
been in force for half a century, thereby making i easy
10 compare the trade for one month or one year with
that Of some month or year previous. The average man
Is not likely to know that pig iron, for instance, belongs
ia the manufactures for further use in manufacturing
group. but he does know that the figures on it can De
located alphabetically under iron and sreel' II these
trade data are scrambled, as the department wishes, i
viii be a task to make one hesitate to compare the trade
in various articles over a postwar period With what wen
on before or during hostilities, and seemingly that Is
Fthe very thing the department has in mind, for the free
trade brigade does not want the facts shown which vii
condemn its tariff law.
Ii is suggested that when the matter comes up foI
4 consideration in the house. some republican offer ar
amendment putting all treasury and other departmental
business on a calendar year basis. in order to see how
Mr.. Glass and others will receive the idea. And i tbs
amendment is adopted We shall at least have the salts
faction of seeing all governmental statistics coordinated