Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1932-12-29
OurGoyerumeut
How 1t Operates
BY William Bruekart
DEPARTMENT OF
COMMERCE


row additionally business people
The growth of our population and the
growth OF our business structure has
been coincldental. Lapses have oc.
Cured In business development. of
course. but the people always have
found way out and always have gone
on expanding In influence Among the
nations OF the world, In development
OF new and better things. In content
among ourselves.
In view OF this condition, then, why
should not this great factor Of our
national life be recognized With some
thing OF permanency besides the print
ed record OF our doings7 Holding the
belief that there should be this recog-
milton. am not among those who
complain that the congress directed
the expenditure of a reckless amount
OF money for construction of the build.
Ing In Washington that Is the home OF
the Department OF Commerce. look
upon that strueture-one of the great
est office buildings In the world and
constructed at cost Of s17.0O0.0O0-
as monument to American ingenuity
In accomplishing commercial success.
individually and as nation.
This building of three city blocks In
length and one In width. and with Its
seven stories Of height will stand "un-
I'll the sands Of the desert grow cold"
as sign of the nations wealth. It's
concrete and steel and It's MARBLE
like to envislon those who will gaze
upon II several hundreds years hence,
as we Of this day gaze upon St Peters,
at Rome. or the Assumption, at Mos
COW Moreover they will give credit
to this nation
But what Is going on within that
structure? Thousands OF workers are
busy. the very aspect OF 1t typifies
American life.
Although one OF the newer of the
executive departments. 1t is one OF
the largest. 1t was made so because
commerce and industry sought GEN.
tral place to 20 for advice, for consul
tation about It's problems. for records
of the past and Of the present.
Let us Just make a tour OF the place
and see the manifold activities that
go on day by day. week after week.
Because 1t is interested In every
phase of commerce and Industry, aside
from agriculture to which the govern
ment has dedicated separate agency,
there are units of the Department Of
Commerce given over to all OF these
things. II has the great bureau OF for
eign and domestic commerce. given
over to the broad phases of domestic
and foreign business operations OF
those who produce and sell as we'll as OF
those who buy. II has branch given
over to neronautics. with all OF Its at
tendant interests. and has bureau OF
mines that is far reaching In the work
that 1t does In connection with the ma
TONS great mining industry.
Besides these there Is that vast In
stitntlon. the bureau of standards
whose name tells absolutely nothing
about the myriad tricks which It's per-
sonnet makes science do for the CON-
mon veal That bureau, OF which we
will have more later, stands alone In
the whole world as many-minded,
many-armed giant of multiple pur-
poses. and yet Of the single purpose
to make this world a better place In
which to live.
And Of the United States patent
mention. Commerce and industry
,wes as much to that agency as 1t does
to the bureau Of standards. because,
had not the fathers foreseen that per-
sons were going to invent the tele.
phone or the automobile or the mil
lions Of other things used In daily life |
and provided protection for them. they |
would never have been able to attract |
the capital necessary to produce them. |
So that patent office stands as a great |
bulwark assuring the genius of the |
nation that 1t shall have the fruits |
Of its energies expended In the direc-
ton of invention.
Then for shipping. for the fishing In
dustry. there Is provision for govern
ment help through the bureau Of light
houses. the bureau of fisheries. the
bureau Of navigation. the coast and
geodetic survey, and the steamboat in
spectnn service. Each In its sphere Is
an aid to the commerce and Industry;
each In Its own way provides protec-
ton for life and property.
Imagine. II you will, what condl.
tions would be If ships were COM
PEELED to sail uncharted coast lines
and harbors and passage without
maps, without buoys or markers, with
out lighthouses. Few persons would
care to invest money In ships that
were faced with such conditions, and
fewer persons would care to trust
their lives or their property as cargo
aboard ships. 1t becomes obvious,
therefore, the charting OF the coast
line and the constant examination OF
channels serve all Of MS as
well as those who engage In the in
dustry directly represented. SThe bu-
reau OF navigation. the coast and
geodetic survey and the steamboat In
spection service combine to see that