Evening star., 1932-12-09
Commerce Department
Given Assistant.

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The purpose of the reorganization
program with respect to the Depart
ment of Commerce is to bring together
SO far as practicable in major groups
all activities of the Federal Government
that have to do with the protection
and advancement of commerce. These
major groups and their subdivisions
are listed below.
INDUSTRIAL AND TRADE GROUP
Bureau of Foreign and Domestic
Commerce.
Bureau of Mines-Federal Oil Con-
servation Board independently.
Patent Office.
Federal Employment Stabinzatior
Board.
SERVICE GROUP.
Bureau of Standards, National Screw
Thread Commission independently Ma
tional Advisory Committee for Aero.
nautics independently.
Weather Bureau (Agriculture).
Bureau of the Census.
Aeronautics Branch.
MERCHANT MARINE GROUP.
Coast and Geodetic Survey-Hydro.
graphic Office Navy, Great Lakes
Survey CWar).
Naval Observatory Navy.
United States Shipping Board Emer-
gency Fleet Corporation Independently
Inland Waterways and Steamboat
mspection-Supervisor of New York
Harbor WAR.
Bureau of Lighthouses.
One executive order on the Depart
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transfer to that department or to the
bureaus of that department certain
agencies and activities which are now
outside the department. but which
logically should be associated with the
activities of either the industrial and
trade group or the service group of the
department. Another executive order
provides for the consolidation and
grouping of merchant marine activities
now in the Department of Commerce
or to be transferred to that depart
ment and placed in the merchant
marine group under the immediate
direction of an Assistant Secretary of
Commerce for Merchant Marine, who
will be directly responsible to the Sec
retary of Commerce. There follows a
discussion of the changes which are
effected in the two executive orders
covering the Department of Commerce.
INDUSTRIAL AND TRADE GROUP.
The only change proposed in this
group is the absorption of the powers
and duties Of the Federal Oil Conserva-
ton Board, now an independent estab-
lishment, by the Bureau OF Mines.
Federal Oil Conservation Board.
The Federal Oil Conservation Board
was established by the President De-
cember 10, 1924.
The board consists of the Secretary
of the Interior, chairman; the Secre-
tary of War, the Secretary of the
Navy and the Secretary of Commerce
Quoted under the direction of an ad-
visory committee consisting of repre-
sentatives of the beard members.
The powers and duties of the board
are as follows: Comprehensive in
quiries into national and international
petroleum conditions as they relate to
production. refining, distribution, future
supply, etc, and the study of the Gov
ernment's responsibilities, with view
to providing ways and means for safe
guarding our national security, and
promotion Of sound economics through
equitable conservation of the country
natural petroleum resources, and sub
mission of findings to the President for
such action as may be deemed proper
The duties of the board as above
stated are primarily of an economic
character, although the purpose OF its
activities is conservation, with a view
to national security. The Bureau OF
Mines is a scientific organization and
covers the general field of mining, in
cluding economic as well as technologic
features of the industry. 1t has ex-
tensive activities dealing with petroleum
and natural gas. In the technologic
branch, the bureau has division OF
petroleum and natural gas which deals
with all the technical phases of the
industry, and in the economics branch
there is a petroleum economics division
which deals with economic problems as
related to conservation, the problems
of supply and demand, etc. In this
division studies are also made of oil
production and refining in foreign
countries through cooperation of the
United States consular offices.
A considerable part of the informa-
ton now considered by the Federal
Oil Conservation Board is furnished by
the Bureau of Mines. 1t appears that
the Bureau of Mines is well qualified
and equipped to conduct the activities
Of the board Under the proposed plan
the President would not be deprived
Of the direct contact and advice of the
board members since they are members
of his cabinet. There seems no logica
reason to retain the board as an indie
pendent establishment.
1t is proposed to abolish the board
as such and to transfer its powers and
duties to the Bureau of Mines.
SERVICE GROUP.
The changes proposed in this groul
are:
l. The transfer of the administrative
duties, powers and functions of the Ma
tional Screw Thread Commission, nov
an independent establishment, to thu
Bureau of Standards and the continu
ance of the commission solely as an ad
visory body.
2. The transfer of the administrative,
duties, powers and functions of the Ma
tional Advisory Committee for Aero
nautics, now an independent establish
ment, to the Bureau of Standards, ant
the continuance of the committee in al
advisory capacity only.
3. The transfer of the Weather Bu
reau, now in the Department of Agri
culture, to the Department Of Com
merce.
National Screw Thread Commission.
The National Screw Thread Commits
sion was created by act of July l8, 19l;
| (40 Stat. 9l2) and was made perma
nent body by the act of April 16, 1922
(44 Stat. 297). The duties of the com
mission are to ascertain and establish
standards for screw threads. which shal
be submitted to the Secretaries of War
Navy and Commerce for their accept
ance and approval and upon such ap
proval these standards shall be adoptet
and used in the several manufacturing
plants of the War and Navy Depart
ments and, so far as practicable. in al
specifications for screw threads in pro
posals for manufactured articles, part
or material to be used under the direc
tion Of these departments.
The director of the Bureau Of Stand
ards is eX officio chairman of the com
mission and an employe of the sam
bureau is designated as its secretary
Inc activity of standardizing sore,