The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-12-15

Of the ships owned by the govern.
ment must be reduced TO their 40
tual value for competitive purposes
at the present time and the differ
I ence between that value and the
| first cost should be charged TO the
winning OF the war. The interest
on that difference, the correspond
ing contribution to the sinking
fund and the corresponding allow
ance ior,depreciation will be treat.
cd thus as war losses. and this
| surely is preferable 10 a continued
failure to make annual payments
on the account Of the merchant ma.
rtne to interest, sinking fund and
depreciation"
Although the nations gross for.
eign business was the greatest In
Its history last year, the Score
tary expressed the belief that
American exporters would find It
increasingly difficult to main
tain their position Ia foreign maj,
kets without adequate government
aid and he urged Congress to pro
vide for expansion Of the foreign
attache service and asked for In.
creased appropriations to be usea
in the promotion Of foreign trade.
For Latin.AInerican trade develop
ment, Mr.. Alexander recommend
ed expenditures Of so per cent
more than was used in this field
last year.
The Secretary cited specific
achievements of tho departments
foreign staff as proUt OF the aid 1t
had rendered and was rendering
American business in expanding
and increasing its foreign trade.
He declared the accomplishments
had been marked In every country
and suggested that Congress de-
velop the commercial aid service
apaCe with the growth and require.
ments of the nations foreign com,
merce.
Estimates OF appropriations re-
Quired for the Department of Com
merce for the fiscal year 1922 were
placed by the Secretary at S30,3S3t
4S1, an Increase of $l0,121,712 over
those Of this year.
Cost Of the field work in connec
ton with the enumeration of popll'
latiOn and agriculture for the 1920
! Census will reach approximately
50, 345, 900, consisting OF about ST.
Csc, 900 for enumerators and APP
proximntelyl $1,G95,OO0 for salaries
and travelling expenses of the SUI
porvisors and special agents, Sec.
rotary Alexander said.
Discussing the work OF the bu'
reau OF lighthouses for the year tho
Secretary said a total of G3i new
aids to navigation were establish
ed, including 172 lights and 60 gas
bunys, by the lighthouse service
which on June so, 1920, employed
5000 persons and was charged
with the maintenance OF aids 10
navigation along 1902 miles oil
coast line and river channel.
In his discussion of the work OF
the coast and geodetic survey, Mr..
| Alexander devoted much space TO
Alaska, declaring that there had
never been a well defined and CON
| centrated effort on a big business
| scale to develop the territory as
1t should be done. He pointed out
that Alaska with It's more than 26,
600 miles of detailed coast line
could not be approached without
| plying the waters that nearly sur
round it.
The Secretary said that hundreds
of vessels had been wrecked on the
! Alaskan coast, many of them be-
| cause Of the lack of proper sailing
charts and knowledge of currents
, and he urged that the present o n
ditions as regards to survey work
be remedied by means of complete
survey carried on in a systematic
manner with all possible rapidly
1.-THE millions Of dollars that are
being expended to build the GOV
eminent owned railroad through
the interior OF Alaska said Mr..