Evening star., 1933-12-18
ROPER AIMS TO CUT
ExPENSES12,O)O,oDO
Commerce Head Seeks to
Make Department S28, ,0oo,-
600 Agency by Jan. |.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
Secretary Roper is attempting to turn
the Commerce Department. which had
$50, ,795, 900 for expenditure in the 1880
fiscal year, into a $2S,OOO,OOO agency BY
January l.
In his first report to President Roose-
velt, Roper says that s44, ,981 ,408 was
available for the 1888 fiscal year ending
June 80, but only s4c.038,323 actually
was spent. For the present 1884 year,
he adds, every effort will be exerted
to place the expenditures on S20,O0O,-
900 basis by January, 1884"
The annual report says that in April,
MAY and June of this year confidence
was greatly strengthened as result OF
decisive governmental action, and by the
end of the fiscal year (June 3o) prog
ress had been made"
Dissatisfaction Remains.
Nevertheless" Roper continued, "thc
descent from the 1929 level was so sharp
and so long maintained that despite
the constructive work of the President
and the Congress ard the whole hearted
support of the people, conditions at the
satisfactory"
In his annual report the Commerce
Secretary said:
I'm the United States signs Of re-
sistance to further contraction appeared
in the first half of the fiscal year and
by the final quarter the tide of de-
flation was definitely stemmed.
Confidence was greatly strengthened
as a result of the decisive govern
mental action, business activity quick
ened, and by the end of the fiscal year
substantial progress had been made
The report contained few recommen-
dations for new legislation.
AS for the Bureau of Foreign and
Domestic Commerce, the Secretary
said
THE policy and functions of the
bureau are in process of revaluatlon,
to the end that its activities shall rep
resent the highest form of service to
the business community and to the
other branches of the Government.
Urges Manufacturers Census.
THAT it will play an important part
in the economic developments of the
next year cannot be questioned. 1t
must provide a factual basis for the
looking toward the return of stability
and security to our economic system y
The Census Bureau recommended
that a complete census of manufactur-
ers be taken every five years and lin
tied census every year, with certain
quarterly and monthly statistics. 1t
was pointed out that the Central Sta
tistical Board had recommended SUBJ
stantially the same.
The bureau further urged that a
census of population be taken in 1885
along with the census of agriculture
already provided for that year. The
American Statistical Association. the
American Sociological Society and the
Census Advisory Committee have rec
ommended such action.
The Patent Office reported its work
was impeded by vacancies and urged
that it would be advisable ito fill some
of the existing vacancies in the force
so that the patent work may be brought
within the desired 60-day period before
the expected revival of business again
floods the office with new work"
Laboratory is Sought.
The office recommended a reclassifi-
cation of patents which probably would
result in a saving of $174,000 and in
crease the efficiency of examiners not
less than 10 per cent.
The Bureau of Mines urged that the
Government provide funds for a lab
oratory on the campus of the University
of Maryland, where the State already
has decided a 20-acre tract for the pur-
pose.
Roper commented briefly on the bus
iness advisory and planning council set
up by him in June. pointing to the long
range studies being undertaken by the
committee and anticipating invaluable
constructive assistance from the study
research and recommendations of this
volunteer group of public-spirited m
duStrialiStS