Evening star., 1924-06-03


ated In the. Treasury Depaxtmsat The
ufe-saydng service, 1t Ia true, IL MAIN
tainad - an aid and a. protection to
navigation, and, as q matter Of theory,
mi1ht properly be situated in the De-
partment OF Commerce, along with the
liEhthoease establishment and tho other
maritime agencies of that department
But the coast guard, which embraces
also the revenue cutter service, is noW
an important agency Of the Treasury irr
the protection of our coasts against
smuggling, and especially against the
operations Of rum-runners, and to the
committee this 10 a sufficient reason for
continuing it in the Treasury repart-
ment. y
Hydrogranhic Once.
Serious consideration was given by
the Joint committee to a. suggestion
that the photographic ONCE should be
transferred to the Department. of
Commerce, and the department given
the function now performed by the
naval establishment of manufactur-
ing and distributing nautical charts
of foreign waters. The argument in
favor or this change rests upon the
ground that the coast and geodetic
survey OF the Department Of Com
merce prepares and distributes such
cnafts Tor our own coastal waters
and the waters contiguous to our in
sular and territorial possessions. The
coHmlttee was not convinced, how
ever that there is in fact any dupli-
catlon between the. two departments
concerned in the matter of collecting
ana disseminating nautical informa-
ZION. On the other hand. there seems
val vessels from time to time to make
soand1hgs in foreign waters and on
lhe h1gh seas. Under these conditions
no recommendation Is made to alter
the status Of the hydrographic Of
nee. although the committee believes
coast and Geodetic survey should be
exteaded to include all waters contig-
ooas TO, the United States and it's de-
pendencies. including the great lakes
ana other navigable lakes in the con-
unentai United States, and the waters
aaoJacent to Cuba, Haiti and the
Virgin IslaAda
Public Works Once.
EFFORTS by number OF groups,
cnleny the engineering societies, to
nave department. Of public works
Incorporated in the scheme of ad-
minfstrative establishments received
serious attention by the joint COM
mftee, which found that these sus-
sssffons have much to commend
them, for 1T has long been evident
that the goxernnents engineering
ana public works enterprises, al
SnouEh divided among a number of
ospe1naents, are OF SUFFICIENT impor-
tance and require SO large a pervopnel
In their prosecution, as to raise q
presumption in favor of their con-
censrafion in a department devoted
eAciustveiy to their administration.
Ihe committee does not, the report
states, however. recommend such ac-
tion at this time 1t proposes instead
a concentration of certain pnbiic
works activities under the Depart
mene nrasent OF the Interior, having in their
functions which, in the Judgment of
Sne conHitfee, can be performed to
pest advantage by the organisations
which now have them in charge.
ihe primary concern Of the interior
of the public lands and the resourn.s
which underlie them.
Inc important services now in the
oepArtment Of the Interior which
deaf With engin eering matters or have
d connection with the administration
OF the public lands are as foIowa.
The general land Office, the recIa ma
ton service, the geological survey.
tne National park service, the Alaskan
engineering commission, and the In
oiAn service. To these it is proposed
70 aoo the once OF the supervising
architect. from the Treasury Depart
ment. and the bureau Of public roads.
from the Department of Agriculture.
together with the Organization now
maintained for the construction and
n@latenance Of roads and trails in
Alaska. under the board Of road com
siorers for Alaska, which is Connected
with the War Department, and which
the committee recommends should be
abolished.
Similarity Of wsrk.
The general similarity of the work
Of the agencies which it is proposed
to locate in the Department of the In
terror will be evident from an emu
meration of their activities as they
will appear under the organization
recommended.
The department will in reality be-
come a department of public domain
and public works, and its pfincipal
subdivisions will be as follows:
Public domain-Alaska and Hawaii,
eral land once, geological survly and
national parks.
Public works-Publie roads. Alas
kan railroads, Alaskan roads and
tE4S, IsCIananon ana water power,
and public buildings.
These activities all involve impor-
tant engineering operations-even those
which are here classified under the
heading public domain. They all re-
quire to a considerable extent a per-
tion OF the same general character. And
the committee believes that il they
Aro placed in the control Of the same
department--a department. having
these responsibilities exclusively-a
general Improvement Of the service
of administrative costs.
River ana Hazbsr Work.
The committee gave careful consid-
GRAFTON to recommendation urged by
many that river and harbor work
should be WITHDRAWN from the War
Department.. where it is now handled
by the chief Of engineers, and placed
in the Department Of the Interior
along with the engineering functions
above enumerated. 1t is true, of
course. that at the present time the
improvement Of rivers and harbors
and the construction and maintenance
of river and port works is chiefly
done in the interests of nAviEation
and commerce and presents few if
stitutes the basis fer the view that
river and harbor work should be re-
moved from the Jurisdiction Of the
military establishment
With this view. however. the COM
mittee is not in accord. The assign
ment of Army engineers to river and
harbor work is at the present time
the principal means whereby these
officers can acquire the enzineering
experience necessary to At them to
meet the demands put upon them in
time Of war; and, on tho other hand.
there is q mesaure of economy in using