Evening star., 1921-05-28
facilities to a certain extent for direct
communication with foreign lands.

Services Scattered.
Notwithstanding that all of these
eleven services have the same pri-
mary function-that of the promo
tion OF the marine transportation in
terests Of the country-they are scat
and are consequently operated as in
dependent or detached units. This
condition is unfortunate from every
point of view. 1t means diffusion in
stead of concentration of responsible
ty in respect to one of the important
tasks of government. duplicatin of
organization and plant. the burden
ing Of departments with duties not
properly pertaining to them. difhculty
in determining and making provi<
sion for the financial needs of work
in this field. and confusion generally
in performing both the legislative and
administrative work of the govern
ment.
To correct these evils the recon-
mendation is made that all of these
United States Shipping Board prop
er. which should continue to be an
Independent establishment. be brought
together under n single departme nj:
to be- known as the department or
maritime affairs. which will have the
single function of caring for the mar
itime interests of the country. In
connection with this recomme ndatlon
the further proposal is made that a
number of these services be elther
abolished or consolidated. due to the
fact that their duties are so nearly
identical with those of other services
that it is uneconomical and ineHctent
to maintain separate services for their
performance. Specifically the recon-
mendations are:
Recommendations Made.
/. That the coast guard service
Of the Treasury Department be aooi-
ished and that it's revenue cutter
service be transferred to the Navy
Department. and its life saving sta
tion service be transferred to the pro-
posed department of maritime al.
fairs, where it shall be consolidated
with the bureau Of lighthouses.
2. That the lakes survey, War De
partment. and the photographic office:
Navy Depa rtment. be abolished ana
their duties be transferred tothe coast
and geodetic survey. which will be
the unit of the department of mari
time affairs, having charge OF all
marine survey, chart construction ana
allied work.
3. That the steamboat inspection
service be consolidated with the bu-
reau of navigation. which will be the
service of the department of mari
ministration OF the navigation laws.
T. That the United States Emergency
Fleet Corporation be divorced from
the United States Shipping Board ana
be made a separate unit under the
proposed new department.
S. That the radio service be trans
ferred from the Navy Department to
the proposed new department.
s. That a new bureau to be known
as the bureau of aeronautics be
created as one of the subordinate
services of the proposed department
of maritime affairs.
Z. That a new bureau to be known
as the bureau of railway transporta-
ton be created and placed within the
proposed department of maritime az
fairs to take over the purely admins
trative duties now performed by the
Interstate Commerce Commission.
Organizat Abolished.
If these several recommendations
are acted upon the proposed depart
ment of maritime affairs will have
the following organization (the abol-
ished services being indicated in
parentheses):
1. Coast and geodetic survey-Gake
War Department. and (hydro-
graphic Office, Navy Department).
9 Bureau of lighthouses-(Life-S fe-Sav-