Evening star., 1922-11-28
U.S..SEA TRADEH|T
BYDELAY IN DATA
Government Statistics Held
up as Cabinet Is Split on
Reorganization.

While the administrative prog ran
for REORGANIZATION of government dc
partments is held up by Cabinet dis
agreement. American business is sufY-
ering because certain shifts between
departments have not been made. TIL.
greatly delayed overseas trade sta
tistics. Of vital interest to American
manufacturers. exports and import
ers. has emphasized this fact.
Recently. as a result OF severa!
years correspondence aud confer
ences, the Treasury Depar,men,
agreed that its bureau Of customs sta
tistics. which carriers on the work ns
compiling these overseas trade sta
tistics. should be transferred Ia ;I.-
Commerce Department. The Depar'
ment Of Commerce would then he I'm
a position to ask Congress for spf;-
Client money to keep the statistr'.l
reports up 10 date and 10 bring -.
service up to ;he standard demaua"I
by business interests for whose her
fit these statistics are published
bill to thai effect IS 32s5I is r",.
before Congress. IL passed the So
ate during last session. IL WAS la
orably reported by the ways al :
means committee and is now ava. 4
ing action on the House calendar -
The Department OF Commerce (.
that because Of its close con,sct VIII,
business * - in a better position :.
prepare and distribute the figures y
the best interests Of efficient trade d.
veiopment
Appropriation Too Small.
Meanwhile the House appropriations
committee. now preparing the Treasury
appropriation bill. which will be the
come up in the regular tshorD session,
starting Monday next. has had forcih,s-
presented to it the fact that an made
Quate appropriation for clerical en-
ployes has materially delayed the prep
aration of these statistics so .mpor-
tant to American business.
In answer to urgent inquiries from
business houses and the press regard
ing the value of goods imported into
the United States since the new tarir
law became effective. the Department;
of Commerce stated ii is in receipt OF
a letter from New York. where The
SUI are COTlDlleu. ITeUlcriIg i'S
inability to furnish the figures until
between December 20 and January I
These statistics cover imports from
the day the law became effective. Sep
tember o., up to and including Octo-
Der 81.
Lack of help and proper eauipmcnr
unfamiliarity Of clerks with the now
important classification and defective
entries are given by the Treasury De
partment as the reasons for the delay
Present Delay serious.
According to the Department NJ
Commerce. more or less delay in The
statistical reports has always fol-
lowed tariff revisions. but the delay
was never as serious as it is al this
time. Under ordinary conditions. the
figures as compiled by the Treasurs
Department are furnished to the Dc
partment Of Commerce in time to be
made public between the 10th and
18th of the month following the one
to which the statistics relate.
The House appropriations commit
tee has had its attention called to
this fact-that. anticipating increased
Department Of Commerce some
months ago urged tha. more clerks
and equipment be NJ ade available AS
a result forty additional clerks and
extra mechanical equipment costing
$50.24o were authorized by the Treas
ury Department. Limited appropria
tions necessitated the reduction OF
this sum TO s35.Voo. None OF tho ad-
ditional clerks authorized has Yet
been employed. as space In the offices
occupied by the bureau Of customs
statistics is lacking.