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ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
,..
SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR
1905
,...
...
WASHINGTON
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
1905
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DEPARTMENT 01' Cm.tMERCE .-I.ND LABOR
Document No. 49
OF.'ICE OF THE Sl!l('RETARY
2
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00:NTENTS.
Page.
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Introduction .•••...•..•••••...•••.......••.•.•......•.•...••••.••••.•••.•
5
Appropriations and expenditures •.••••..•.•••.••••.•••••.••••...•.•••••..•
5
Estimates ........•..••..•..........•.•......•••••...••...•...•.•.......•.
10
Personnel of the Department .••..••..•••.•.•.•••.......••.•.•.....•..•••••
10
Statistics relating to the personnel ..••..•••••••..•.••.....•.•••••••.•••
11
. 12
lmpro\•emerrt in the general status of the per!lOnnel ............•......•.
Shipping commis8ioners ...•...•..•...••••.•..•.••....•.••....•.•.••.•
12
The need of special agents in the Office of the Secretary ..••...••....•.••
13
Print.ing •..••......•.•.....••...•.•.•..•............•.......••••..••.•.••
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15
Purchase of suppliet> ...•..••..•...•••••.....•••.•.......•••.•.•.•.•.••••••
Bureau of llanufactures .....•••...•.•••.••.•.•••.••••... ..•.••..•••.••••.••
15
Bureau of Corporations ...............•.•••.•.........•.•.••...••••.•.•.•• · 16
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Bureau of Lahor ....•..........••..••...•...•...•. ......•.........•......•
Light-Hou~ Board .•........ .•.....•...••••.•.•..•.•.••.........••......•
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23
Bureau of the Census .•...•.•..•....•••..••.•••.••........•••.•••.••......
Additional inquiries recommended .•••••.•••..••••••.•..•.........•.•.
24
Tabulating appliant-es ....•.........••....•..........•.•.•.....••..•••
25
Coru,,t and Geodeti<' Survey ..•.....•...••.•..•••..••...•.•.•... ; ••.•..•••.•
25
Bureau of Statiati('8 •........••...•....•.........••..•.....•...•..........•
27
Import record of the year ...............•••......•........••.•.•..••.•
27
Growing demand for tropical products .••.•..••..•••...•......•........
29
Export record of the year .•.•.•...•....................•.......••••••.
29
Trade with grand divi~ions of the world ..•.........•.. :.: ••••••.••.•..•
30
Commerce with Cuba under redprocity .••••••••.....•.•.....•••..•••..
31
Trade with the noncontiguous territories of the l:nited States •..••......
32
Gold and ail ver movement •.••.••..•..•••••..••••••.•.....••..•..••.••
32
Steamboat-Inspection Ser\"ice .... : .•.•...•.•.•.••.•...•...•...............
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Expenses .......•.•........•...•... - - .... - . - .•... • ••..•.... •. - . • • • • • •
Inspection of vessels ........•••••.•..•.••••...•••...•..••...••••.•••.•
33
Offit-ers licensed .......•....••.•.•..•...•••............•...•......•••.
34
Inspection of boiler plates and life-preservers ••...•••.••••..••.•••.•...•
34
Casualties .•........••••...•.••.••...••• _••.•••.....••.•••.•...••..•..
34
34
Changes in laws ....•..•.....•.•.•....•.•••.......••..•...•.•...••••.•
Changes in rules and regulations .•..•.••••..•..••..•.•.•.•.•••••.•....
35
Special reinspection of steamers ....•..•••.•.•••••.••...••.•..•...•.•••
35
Redpro<'al international inspection ..•••••••......•..•.•.•••.••••••••••
36
Bureau of Fisheries ...•..•...•..••••.•...••....•.•.• ~ •..•..••..•••••...•..
36
Fish propagation ...••..••....•.••..••..•...••.....•....•..........•••
36
37
Alaskan salmon hatchery .•.......•....•..•.•.•...•.....•••.••..••.•..
37
Fish life and irrigation operations .••.••.••••••..••......•••••.•.••••••
In veetigations .•........••. ·.••••••••.•••••...•••••••••••••••..••.•••••
37
38
International Congress of Fisheries •.••••••.••••••••••.•.••••••••••••••
3
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CONTENTS.
Pllge.
Alaskan salmon fisheries. . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . • . . . • • . . . • . . . . • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Encroachment of Japanese fishermen..................................
Alaskan fur'-seal service...................................................
Skins taken in 1905...................................................
Seals reserved for breeding............................................
Pelagic sealing . . • • • • • . . • . • • . . . . • . . . • . . . • • • • • . • . • • • . • . • • • . • . . . . . . • . • . .
Catch of foxes . . . . . . . . . • • • • . . . . . . • . • . • . • • • • . . • . . • . . . . . . . . • . • • . • • • . . . .
Bureau of Navigation.....................................................
Bureau of Immigration . . . • . . • • • . • . . • • • • • • . • . • • . • • • • . . . . . . . . . . . . • • . • • • • . . •
Chinese exclusion.... . •.•••..•..... .• . • • . . . . .• . .. •••. •. • . . . . . •. . . .•..
Bureau of Standards •...•..••...•..•..•••... .- . . . . • • . . . . . . • . . • • • • • • • . . . . • .
eights and measures.......................... . . . . . . • • • • • • • . • . • . • . . •
Heat and thermometry . . . . . • . . . • . . . • . • . . . . • . • • • . . . . . . . • . . . . . . • . . . . • . .
Light and optical instmments.........................................
Test.ing of materials and engineering instruments • . . • • • . • • . . • . • . • • • • . . . .
Electrical work .........•..•..•••.••.•••.........•.••..•.••..•..... :.
Chemical work. . . . • . . . . . . • . • • . . . . . . . . • • • . . • . . . . . . . . • • • • . • . . . . . . . . • . . .
Special agents to investigate trade conditions abroad ••••........•. :.........
Building for the Department.............................. . . . . . . . . • • . • • • • •
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ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
DEPARTMENT OF Col\fMERCE AND LABOR,
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY,
Washington, December 1, 1905.
To the PREsIDE:-.T:
I have the honor to submit herewith, for transmission to Congress,
in accordan<'e with the provisions of the organic act, tbe annual report
of this Department:
APPROPRIATIONS AND KX.PEXDITCRES.
Tbe itemized statement of exp~nditures from the contingent fund
of the Department of Commerce and Labor will be tl'tl.nsmitted to
Congress in the usual form.
The following table shows the aggregate amounts of the annual
appropriation~ for the various bureaus and services of the Department of Commerce and Labor for the fiscal year ended June 30, rno5,
of the appropriations for public works and balances of appropriatiom1
in the Treasury available July 1, rno-t., for public works, which under
the law are expended without regard to any particular fiscal year,
and of permanent indefinite appropriations:
Annunl ap-1 Approprla•
I
l'ermaneut.
I
tlon• for indcllnlle ILPTotals.
Iproprlation•,
1905.
public works.' proprlatlons.
-omce·----------------·- -·-- -.--1 . --- !I....- -.. ..- ......
--- of Becretarr or Commerce and Labor . · I mi, 889. 84
: $232,889.134
1
1
...
• • • • • • • • • •• • ••
Bureau of Corporation•. ..... ........... . . ....
156,220. 00 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I
156, 2'.I.O. 00
Bureau of Manufactnl'<J8.. ...... .• .. ••••... . . .
16,660.00 •• .• •... • . •... 1.. ... .. ... . . ..
15,660.00
BureanofLAbor.... . .. . .......... . . . .. .. .....
184,0'lO.OO 1.............. 1.............. 1
184,0'.I.O.OO
Light-House Boerd • . • . • • . . • . . . • • • • • . • • • • • . . • .
44, 2r.o. 00
1
44,260.00
Llgbt-Houoe E•tabllshmeut .. .. . . ............ . 3,637,000.00 • . . • . . . . • . . . . . 1••• • • • • • • • • • • • I 3,637,000.00
1
Light-houses, beacon•, fogslgnalA, etc ..••.... •............. .t,S,l,286,69.5.50
I 2,286,695. 50
.Bureau of the Censu• •. •...• .•.••.• ...•.••.••. Jbl, 498, 27'2. 40 I•••. ••... . ••..
i 1, 4911, 272. 40
a Thb represents the aggn•gate of 84 Items of appro1,riatlon• made at different times by Congress
for repairs to and the erection of light-houses, b<,iu•nn•. fog signals, Jight•shlp~, Jlght•house depots,
etc., In Treasury 1Ll"allable Julr 1, 1904. Contrnct• ha"" been m1Lde, or will he made as !!0011 a., plans
and •pe<>Ulcatlon@ can be prepared and appro\'ed, thnt will require the expenditure of the enlin· sum.
Of the amount, '862,430 was appropriated by the act of Congn•AA approved April '.l/1, 1904, entitled "An
act making appmpr!atlons for sundry <'!vii expen•e. of the Go,·ermnent for the fisc1Ll year ending
Jnne 30, 1905, and for other purpo«e,<."
b Includet< fl20,62'7.04 of appmprlation "(',01lectlng stnti.tlcH, Census Office, lOOl>-6," which WWI
expended during the fuocal year ended June 30, 1905.
I..............'..............
:..
!..............
!..............
5
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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
-----------------
~~::;~::~~!:~~;~~ ·;~;~~~~~;~~~1:.
Annual ap- Approprla- I·Permanent
lions for lndetlnlte apIproprlatlolll4,
11)(>';.
public worb. proprlatlons.
Totals.
1- - - -- 1
~ . ow. oo
$85, 700.00
I..•. ..... •••• ·1·... ... .. .... .
l. ••••••••••••
$!Sl , 223. 76
.!. ......... ... .
Steamboat•ln!IJ)ecllon Service • . . . • . • . . . . • . .
11,940.00 ... • •.•...•• •
Steamboat-Inspection Service . ••• •. ••. . ••• .• • T . . . . . • •• . • . . . . . .••.•. . ... . .
Bureau of Na,·lgatlon ..... •... •.. ••••......... 1 28, 080.00 ; . •• ••• •••• •• •
11, 940.00
884,223. 76
28, 080. 00
Ml,071. 86
7, 000.00
20, 849.63
1
··············· ..............
Balarles, shipping servlce .•.•.•. . •••• •• ••• ••••
Ml,071. 35
I
I
Contingent expensea, shipping 11ervlce... . • . . .
7, 000. 00 ••• •.. . . . .• .• . 1• • • • • • • • ••• •• •
Services to A:nerlClln vt'88els . ..• •••••.•••.•.•. .. . .. •.•••... . •. . ..... •.•• •• I
20,849. S3
Refunding penaltl"" or charges erroneously 1
'
eXActed . .. . .... •. •• ••• .. .... •. •. . •. •• ..... . ·I· ............. ..............
2,318. 28
2,S18. 28
27, 210. 00
Bureau of Immigration •• . . •• • ...• •••...• • ••• · 1 27,210. 00 , .. .• • • .. .• .. . • , .. .• .. • • ••. • ..
Enforcement of the Chinese-exclusion act... .
600,000. 00 1• • •••• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
600,000. 00
Expenses of regulating Immigration .. ••.• •. . . ....•......... ': . ..... •• . •.. . ' 1, 48'2, 8'.!i'. 70
I, 482, 827. 70
Ferryboat, New Island. rcpalno, etc., at Ellis !
Island (N. Y . ) immigrant station ••.. ...•••• 1• .... ..... ••• • t.?iS, 479. 80 ••• . • ••. • ••.•.
273,479. 80
Bureau of Standards... . . .. .... . .. .. .. . .. .....
178,530. 00
12, 500. 00 .•..•• . • • . .•..
191,mll.OO
1
Coast and Geodetic Survey . ••• •• •............ ~1,020, 770.43
IIS,019. 91 .... •.. •..... . 1, 118, 790. S4
1
1
Bureau of 1''1.8herleff .... . ...... •.. . . . •. . .. .••.• 1 608,660. 00 . .••• • • • .• • ..• .. . • ••• • .. • • • .
603,660. 00
Fish hatcheries, launch, ~teamers,ete.... . . .. .•.• . ••••... ..
190,tll0.93 1• • • • • • • •• •••• • 1 190,810. 93 ·
Salaries and expenses of agenL, at 11eal tlsh- I
erle,, In A J,..ka .. . ... . ...• • . .. .. . ...... . . .. .. 1
12, 9:,0. 00 . • . • • • • • . . . • . . . • . . • . • . . . . • • .
12,950.00
Supplies for native Inhabitants, Ala.,ka .. •. . •. ;
19,500. 00 . . . . . . . • . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19, 500.00
Total8 . . .... ~ .'.. • ..... : ~ · ~ · · : ~· · · : 8,363'.~~7 , ~~~1 , 506. 14 : 1,.949,~: ~ _i 1~~,8'.!9. 4S
a Of this amount 13-16, 700.M Is to be expended without regard to fiscal )"Hr.
The following table show!'! the disbursements made by the disbursing clerk of the Department for the fiscal yenr ended Jum' 30, 1905:
Fil'Mt
qw1r1<-r.
Bureaus and titles of appropriations.
fl,•,•onrl
qunrtcr.
I
Fourth
q1111rter.
Thlr<I
qunrter.
Totl!.ls.
I
OF t' ICE OF THE SKC'RF.TARY.
i
'
Salaries, Olli<•e of Se..retnrr of Com•
mercc and Luhor, l\lO.'I . .......... . .. ... !'-'9, 72'1. 0I !'.?9, ti69. f>3 I $30,391 . ti6 1 !30, 517. 9'l
Balarle•. I>cp11Mment of Commert•e und
Luhor. l~I .. . ••.. ... . . ... . . .. . . . . .. . ,
816. 6.'> . .. . . . ..... . 1. . . ......... · · ·: · ··· · · · ·
ConUng<'nt 1•x1)(•t1s1•s. lJt'pnrtm.-nt of
Commer1'l' ll1td l..obor, 190,, .. . .. . ..... . i 3,096. 29 21,0;!.',. 53 I 19,57i. ii i H , 178.2'1
Contingent expcn,..,•s, l),•1>11rtmcnt of ·
I
r,,r.8. 5;;
6,1. 40 . .. •. ... . .. .
Commer<·•• 111ul Ll\l,or, 1903-1. • • . • .. . . .. IS, 2111. 24
SI ~'O, 310. 12
816. 65
I
57,886.81
Contingent t':'(JWl1!-t'~. l>epllrtml"nt of
('-ommert•e ,rnrl Labor:
Fumltnrc, for burcan• transferred,
I
'
6.SO
Ca,,,.,111 anrl rPpnlrs for bureau• I
trausfern.•d, 1904 . •...• . ..•. ..• . . . •.
Gos. ett•., for bureaWI transferred, ,
18.21 .. ........ . . ... . . .. .. . .. · . ..•..• .. · · II
13. 21
190! . . ... . .......... . . . ... . ..... . .. .
21.11 . . .• ..... . . .. ... • .. •..•. · ··· ······ · ·,
21.11
1!1(1-1 •••• • • • •• •• • •••• • •••• •••••• • • • ••
New,pnpcno 11nrl books, for bureaus I
transferred, 1904 ..•. . •.... •• . . .... .
Rent. Department of Comme~ and 1
Labor, 100.·, . . . .. . ............ . . . . . .••..
Rent. Dcp11.rtment of Commcr!'c anrl
Labor, 191~H •. ... • .... . .... .. . .. .. . . ..
Snlarle,o nn,t traveling expcnseH or ;
agenL• at Nt·nl llsheri,•s In Aluska, 190i',.
Sa.larle« 1111<! trnv,•llnic 1•Xf>1•nst'll of I
agenLs 111 seal tlsheril'S In Aluska, 190! .
Salaries 111111 trn vcling cx/"'nses of
agents nt l't>al llsheries In,\ 11ska, 1903.
Pf.~r''.~~ ~!.~1.''.'.' .~.~
:~•~.r~~·~ .~~ ~1.".".~~:. I
i
6. 80 ,. •• •. . • •· • •· ·· · ·· • ·· ·•·· I·· · · · •· · ·• ··
12. 37 ....• . • ... • .. • •• . .• ...... . . . ... .• .. .
3, 911-1 . 97
6,492.41;
6,292. 44
12.87
23,072.Sl
I
98-'> . ~
1,793. 8',
365.00
4, 71f>. 90
1,163. 90 ·
6.i3. 15
I
13G.48 .... . . . . ...• 1• •• • ••• •
••••
!
i
s, 9i5. 90
4,S.'>2. 38
I
186.50 . • ••. •. .... ... ... .• •.... ·· •• ••• ··· •·
186. 50
306. 60 ;. ...• • ... .... ···· · · · ···· : . . .. • ..• •... ,
306. 60
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BEPOBT OJ!' THE SECBETABY OJ!' COIIMEBCE AND LABOR,
B
I-
I . First I Second 1, Third
d Il
f
rl ti
urea119 an t t el! 0 approp a on~~· quarter. I quarter. , quarter.
on1cs
OP TBB
OCRBTABY-cont'd.
I
i
Shelving and tralll!ferrlng of records,
etc., Department of Commerce and
Labor, for bure&ll8 transferred, Ulot .•• 1
Numbering, adding, and other machlnee, Department of Commerce and I
Labor, for bureall8 transferred, 1904...
I
~~:
~~nB~?i~1h~t~~=':~i
I
merceand ~r.1904.... . . . ..... .. ...
I
I
1
Fourth
_qu_a_rte_r_._ 1__To_ia_1a.
__
I
I
f.!66. 89 ,.. .••. • .••• •• •. • ••••••• • ...•• •• .....
I
I
I
I
124. 72 •.•• ••••••• . ••••• •• •••• . .•• • •• •• • .••
I
i
2,896.50 ·• .•.••••••.. 1. . . . . . . . . . . .
124. 72
I
!
1············i
2,896. r,o
Bu~~~~~~:~'.:~::...~'.:~! ::::::: i= =~!·-236-,-:-L-.:Bt:RliU OP COBPOBATIOIIB.
I
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I
'
:
Salarlee, Bureau of Corporations, 1905 •• • ' H, 07'2. 71 I '15,382.26 ! 814,915.00 816,205. 76
Salaries and expenS<.>ll. "l)e('lal nttomeys, :
I
I
examlnen, etc., Bureau of Corpora• I
tlons, 1906 • . ••. ...... .. . . ... .. .. .•.•.•. : 6,616. 70 I 6, 1196. 87 I 9. 871. 98 1 6,101 . 44
Salaries and expenllC!I, opeclal agent,,, 1
R:r.'~~~~'.~!.~~.~.~~~.~~.~~~:.·
I
I
s,964.52
Salaries and expenses, •peelal agent,,, 1
Department of Commerce and Labor, I
I
I
6,144. 23.
,
l~~~;:: :::::::::::::::: : : : :::::::=:=:......~:~.:::::::::~: : :::::::::.::
69,625. 72
'
I
27,686. 94
I
10,466. 1r,
2,565. 25
1
I
28,120. 75
j
4,103. 66
119,436. 08
BUREAU OP IIA!ll!PAC?URE8.
Salarle<t, Bureau of Manufactures, 190.~ . . '
1,130.00
Bl' BBAU OP LABOR.
1
1, ISO. 00
1,982. 9f>
========
2,763.06
I
Sal.lrlea. Bureau of Labor, 1905 . . . ... . ... 1 26, 202.66 26,194.88 I 26, 442. 22 26,430.80 '
Salaries. Department of Labor, 1904 ••. •• ,
8.l:lo ' . .••. ••• •. . • ·.• •.• ••• ..•. ··• ·•• • •••• •
I
)Ut'Ct'llaneous expenSC!<. Bureau of
Labor. 1905 .. .. . . ..... . . ••..•... ••. ... .
9,979. 88 12, 793. S9 15,149. 08 17,340. 71
)ll!IC('llaneou. expense,,, Department of
Labor, 1904 . . •.. • .. •.....•.. ... ..•..... , 2,642.31 ' ... ... .. .... 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Stationery, Bureau of Labor, 1905 ... . ... 1. . . . . . . . . . . . 1
71 . 48 :
434.63
180. 93 '
Stationery, l)(>partment of Labor, 1904..
375. 87 ,.. ... ... .... ..... .. .. . .. . . ....... .. .
Library, Bureau of LRbor, 1906 . ..... . . .. '
272.66
11!-1.47 '
21!-1.07
120.96
Library, DeJ1Rrtment of Labor, 190L....
8-1. 45 . ... ... .. ... ·
4. 87 ..... . ... .. .
Rent,BureeuofLabor, 1001> . .. ....... . ..
1,125.00 1 1,687,50
1,687. 50
1,687. 50
Contingent expenses, Bureau of Labor, :
I
1906.. ... ... .. .... . ...... . ......... . ....
1/H. 87 I
687. 71 I
601. 38
I, 42t. 96 '
Contingent expellllCII, Department of 1
,
1
Labor, 190! . . . ........ . . . .... ..... ..... 1
687. 03 .... . . .. .. . . ,.. ... .... . .... . ...... . . . '
Po8tage to l'olltal l'nlon rountrle<1, Bu• 1
I
reauofLabor,1906 . . .. . .. .. . . . ..... . ... . . . . . .. . .... ,
2f>O.OO .. ... ..... ..
200. 00
105,270.06
3. 85
M,263. 06
2,542. 81
687. ot
375. 87
86'l. 16
89. 32
6, 187.50
2,798.92
687. 03
450. 00
Total .... .. . ...... ............. .... :....... .... . 1......... .. . ... . . . ...... . .. .. .. .. ... --17_5_,-21-1. 1-2
IUOHT·IIOU8F. BOARD.
I
Salarlec, Office of J.lght•Hou.se Board, I
1906 . . .. ... . ..... ....... .... ... .. ....... , 10,796. 60
•::!~:.~~~.~~.~~.~,:~~~.~~:.i
283.48
I
I
11, 096. 73
I
1
11,056.67
II , 065. 05
1. . . . . . . . . . . . / . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I
!
44.015.oti
283. 48
Total . .. ... . ...... .. ........ .... ... i... ... .. ... . 1. . . . . . . . . . . . I. . . . . ... ... . -. -. .-.-. .-...-.-..-·.·- -...
-.~'98-.-530
BUBEAU OP 8TATl8TJC8.
i
Salaries. Bureau of Statlstlc.-s, 1905 .... •.. 17, 905. 23 : 19,427.77 : 19,041.42 19,161.99
6alarlea, Bureau of Statistics, 1904 . ... . .. 1
3".!9. 60 .... . . .. .... ·.. .. ....... . .. .. . ...... .
'
I
Colltttlng •tati,tlca relating to com• I
862. 77 I
37R.41 I
1127>. 00 .
merce. 1906 . ...... ... .. .. . .. . ..... . .. .. ,
762. 00 I
Digitized by
75J ,'l6. 41
329. 60
2, 8'.18. 18
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8
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
Fl rst
I Second
Third
Fourth I
quarter.
quarter.
quarter.
quarter. I
- - - -- - -1-----1--
Bureaua and titles of appropriations.
Totals.
BUREAU OF 8TATIBTics---eontlnued.
Co11atfng tariffs of foreign countries,
1906 ........... . ....................... .
Publication of diplomatic. coneular.
and commercial report..., 1904 ... - ..••.. 811,144.36:
37:iS.15
$1,476.118
'4.83 .....•.••... ............
11,149.111
$717. 83
-----+------11-----f-----91, 3111.36
Sala::~~~:~~::·::~:;::;::~:;~:.· ........... ··i ............
General. Bteamboat-ln"PeCtlon !:lervIce, 1906 ....... . ................... . ...
Salaries, Bteamboe.t-lnspection Service .
Con ti ngen t expense•,Steam boR t· lrupection Servlee . . . .. . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . • . .
i ~ · .......... .
I
2,985.00 I
'
2,98o.OO
75,666.91
I
2,985.00
51,673.27
21'>, 839. 00
20, 182. O'l
1
77,885.29
2,985.00
109,683.83
15, 128. 66
18,603, 2li
.
11,9(().00
314, 409. 30
79,147.98
Total ........................ . .. .. ............. ·........................ ·............ ,
406,497.28
BUREAt· OF NAVIGATION.
Salariea, Bureau of Navigation, 1905 . . . .
Contingent c:spenses, shipping service,
6,706.00 I
7,170.00
1906 ............................................................ ,
'"'""::.:.;::::::::::::: :1·.::: ·
7,020.00
6,689.16
899. 09
2,169.43
27,684.16
s, 068.62
30,662.68
1· ..' : :~· ...: : ~· 1· ..,:~·:,
Salarlc•, Bureau of Immigration, 1903-4.
98. 00
Enfor<•emcnt of the Chlnese•excluelon
act, 190.'i ............................... 70,006.08
Enforcement of the Chinesc-excl nslon
act, 1904 ............................... H,5-16.91
Expenses of regulating Immigration.... 308,617. JI
lmml!lrantstntion, Ellis Island, N. Y ... 10,022.79
Bt~~\!~_l.~·.~·•·e·,~· ~~~'::~~·.~~l_l~.~~1.":".~:.
New Island, near Ellis Island, N. Y .....
......... . ..
,
· 117,iOS.55
I
10,693.64 1
910.4.'i
38-1,f,41. 65
30.18
I....................... .
'
26,690.82
98.90
j
126,912.27
144,378.56:
,
'459,004.46
I
3i7.60 ............
46,834.89
3i5, 196. 39 I 3..'lti, 5ii. 96 ' 1, 40[>, 083. 10
26,86Y.30 I 36,841.84:
73,764.11
344. 99 1. . . . . . . . . . . . I
24.00 ............
. 39
!
1............ ............
11, 039.02
24.00
Total ...................................................... ,.......... . . !· ........... 1 2, l1ll, 489. 30
Bl'REAt· OF STANDARDS.
E1~:&:n1~t ~~~'.~~~.1• ~~~~~ ~.r. :.~.~~:.
Equipment, National Bureau of Standard>, 1903..............................
Gcncr11! expensea, Bureau of Stnnclnrds,
1905....................................
a:.:~.~. :~::;:~~;i~~~l·
20,239.51
~r·
1~:;:::::~i~~~··~~;.;,. ~c··~~~~~~:·
I
2,466. 7'2
21,415.111' 20,969.77121,094.68
16,35.1.91
31,642.05
li,982.0G
15,511.89 '.... . .......
991. 73 .. ......... .
I
598.50 ................................... .
83,719.10
68,444.74
16,503.62
598.50
I'
1, 749. i6
General expenses, National Bureau of
~~~~~.
I
!
Snlaril'l', Bureau of Standards, 1905 •••••
Equipment, Bureau of Standards, 1905..
I
4,681.33
3,427.72
2,662.12
I, 397. 74 .... . ................... 'I . . . . . .
24 · 00
..... .
1············ ............ ······ .... ..
Bureau of Standard.•, 1905 ............. , I, 000. 00 ·................................... .
Outbuilding, Bureau of Standards ...... '............ .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1~. oo 1
-.-:--:--:~1············
Total ........................... . .............. ·:.:.:.... ······· ..
12,520.93
1,397.74
24.00
1,000,00
15.90
18-1,224.63
iii!, 801. 4i ' &59, ii0-1. !!R j 921, ~'9..'i. 50 ............ .
Totals for each q1111rtcr . . . . . . . . .. . 781,618.81
Grand total ........................................................... ·............
!
...
'
Digitized by
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.
REPORT OF THE SECHETARY OF C'Ol\IMEilCE A~D LABOR.
9
The disbursements during the fownl year ended .June Ho, 1905, from
the annual appropriations for that year, from the appropriations for
public works, and from the permanent indefinite uppropriations during the same fiscal year were as follows:
By the di~hurain!l cl1>rk, Department of Commel'<'e and Lahor, on
account of l'alaries and expen!'et! of the office of the 8ec·rt>tary of
Commer<'e and Labor, the Bureaus of Corporations, !\lanufacture",
Labor, Stati~til's, Na\·iiration, Immigration, and Standards, the
Light-House Board, the Offi<'e of the Supervising lnspector-Ueneral,
Steamboat-Inspection Sen·ice, expenses of regulating immigration,
expenses of enforcing the Chinese-exdusion act, salaries and
expenses Steamboat-Ins(l{'ction Service at large, salaries and
expenses of agents at eea.l fisheries in Alaska, and protection of
salmon fisheries of Alaska (shown in detail in the above table of
expenditures)._ .. _._ ... _. __ .. __ . ___ ... ___ ....•... _._._ ••..•.. _. $3,314,220.06
By the disbursing clerk, Bureau of the Cerumf', on accutmt of salaries
and experuoea of the Bureau of the Census_ ... _..... ---· ....•••• -· 1, 4lll, 836. 86
By the special disbursing agent, Coaf't and Geodetic Survey, on
account of salaries, expem,es, and public work!! of the COll8t and
Geodetic Si1rvey .•..... __ .•.. ___ ..... -· _......... _. . • _... _____ _
921,160.35
By the special di@hul'!ling agent, Bureau of Fisheriett, on account of
salaries, expenses, and public works of the Bureau of Fisheries •.••
668,166.45
By the special disbursing agents of the Immigration Serviefl at large_
32,535.78
By the engineer and naval secretaries of the Light-House Board, engineers and inspectors detailed from the Army and Navy to duty in
the Light-Houl!e Establishment .. _........ _.. _. _.. _.. _. _... _. _. _ 4,681,052. 26
By customs officers, on account of witnesses' fees in steamboat investigations .••.••..•..•.•.•.•........ _.. . .... _•........•........ __ •
382. 16
By the Auditor for the State and other Departments on account of all
the Bureaus, offices and service@, from annual appropriations for the
fiscal year ended June 30, 1905, appropriations for public works,
and permanent indefinite appropriations. ___ . _. _.. _____ •. _.•. _. _.
240,037.54
Total.dii,bursements during the fiscal year .. _........•....... 11,272,391.45
The recommendation made in my annual report for the fiscal year
ended June 30, HlO-!-that, n.'i far as practicable, the dh,bursin~ offices
authorized hy law and now existing in some of the subordinate bureaus
be consolidated with the disbursing office of the Department of Commerce and Labor-is renewed. Su<'h a consolidation will result in a
saving of hoth time and expense in the <'Xamination of ac<"ounts and
the payment of vouchers. The bookket>ping of the D<'partment will
be simplified, nnd the (~xact stntus of nc<"ounts and hnlan<'es of appropriations, induding the h1ilunres of advances on requisitions, ean be
a.,;certained without difficulty, a:-i the ledgers of the Department will
show the disbursementil from day to dny.
8hould consolidation he effected, the work of dh;hurlling the appropriations of the Department and the i-e,·e1-al bureaus and offices thereof
will come under the personal supervision of the Secretary.
13041-05-2
Digitized by
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10
REPORT OF TlIE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
ESTDIATES.
The estimates suhmitted for the fiscal year ending ,June 30, 1907, for
the general salary 11.ccount and contingent nnd miscellaneous expenses,
are $222,380.13 less than the total amounts appropriated for similar
purposes for the fiscal year ending June HO, IH06, and the allotment
for printing !tnd binding is ei-timatcd ut ~H60,000, a reduction in that
expense of i140,000. This is a total reduction of ,362,31'l0.13 from
the amount 11.ppropl'iatcd for these purposes in the prei-ent fiscal year.
These decreases have been made possible by the <·onsolidation and
orgnnization of work done by the Office of the Secretary and some of
the bureaus, and by reducing the estimates for the work of the
Bureau of the Census and Immigration Serviee.
The estimate for the Oilice of the Secretary is increased ~70,000 for
additional special agents to examine trade relations abroad and 1.o in<1uire into the methods of work and the efficiency of the Depurtment's
employees scattered throughout the l'nited ::;t,ate:; and contiguous foreign countries, but as a rcdudion of $3,540 is made in the estimate
for the Offii-e of the Secretary relating to annmtl salaries~ the net increase for that Office is $ti6,4tiO.
An increased appropriation bas heen at'-ked for the Light-House
E:-tabli:,;hment and for the 1ww hurenus authorized hy the act creating
the Department. The largest item of increase is for the Light-House
Estabfo,hment, and my iuvestigution eonvin<·es urn that the needs of
navigation an<l the prot!wtion of life and property require a large increase in the expenditures fot· tho:,;e purposes. This is cspeeially true
of our posi-essions in the Pncifie O1·ean other than the Philippine
Islands, and of Porto Rico, where at present, due to lack of appropriations, there are prnctically no aids to navigation.
In determining the final estimates for each of the services under
this Department it has heen my purpose to exercise sueh economy as
is (•onsistent with the highest degree of efficiency in doing the work
imposed upon the Department-work touching, as it docs, not only
the great and dfrersified business interests of the country, but affecting directly through the Bureau of Immigration the citizenship of our
people. On the other band, it is my desire to cut off things that have
outlh·ed their usefulness and do not seem to justify any further expenditure of money. I have not hesit:uted to keep vacant positions authorized by Congress when it has been demonstrated to me that the work
could be done by a less number of clerks with a little added diligence.
I shall continue to follow this course wherever and whenever economics
can be effected without detriment to the work of the Department.
PERSONXEL OF THE DEPART~IEXT.
The Division of Appointments was organized on February I. 11.)04,
by the transfer of the clerk:; and other employees who had been
Digitized by
Goos le
11
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
engaged on appointment and bonding work in the disbursing office,
and by the assignment of a special a.gent in the Bureau of Corporation:,1 to act as chief of the diviision. The acting chief was appointed
chief by the Secretary under a provision in the act making appropriations for the legislative, executive, and judicial expenses of the Government approved February 3, 1905.
STATISTICS RELATING TO THE ' PERSONNEL.
The following table ishowis the number of regular or permanent
positions in the Depurtment on ,July 1, 1905. These positions are
classified by bureaus into those that are statutory, those not statutory,
those in the District of Columbia, and those outside of the District of
Columbia. In giving the number of positions which are out~ide of
the District of Columbia. cure has been taken to include only thoi;e
filled h.r persons who are permanently employed entirely outside of
the Di:strict. Temporary employees in the Light-House Establi:,1hment
and in the field service of the Bureau of Fisheries, also enlisted men
on vessels of the Coast and Geodetic Survey, are not included in this
compilation.
TABL& SHOWING,
nv
NUMBER OF STATUTORY POSITIONS t· NDER
TOE
DEP,\RT:IIENT, THE NnmER OF NoNSTATUTORY POSITION!', THE NU)IBER IN THE
HuREAUS, THE
D,s-
Tl!l(."f' OF CoLUldllIA, AND THE NnlBER OUTSIDE OF THE DISTIUCT OF COLUMBIA.
j
I
Bureau, office, or service.
I
S1'1tu•
tor\'
• •
In the
Nonstat• Dlstrkt
utorv of Col um•
I
• •
b,l
,
0Ut8lde
o~ Dlfltract of
Colum•
bia.
,i,
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -1- - -- -- - - - - -Office of the Secretary. . .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. .. . • .. . •. . I
Bureau of ~fa11ufac1urC11 .. .. . . . .. .. ... . . .. .. ... .. .. .. [
Bureau of <'..orporations . . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .
Bureau of Labor . . .. . .. .. .. .. . • . . • . .. . . . . .. .. .. . . . .. .
Llght•Hou8C Estahll•hment...... . ..... .. .. . . . .. . . . . .
Bureau of the Census. .. . ............. . .. ... . ..... . .. .
VO&.'!t and Oeod etlc Survey. ... .. .. .............. .....
Bureau of si..ti.t1c8 . ..... . . ... .. . .. . . .. .. .... ...... .. .
Steambont•Insl)C('tlon Service... .. ... .. ... .. .. .. ... ..
Bureau of Fisheries . . . .. . .. .. . • .. . .. .. .. . . .. .. . . . . . . .
Bure~u of Nu vlgatlon .......... .. ..... ....... . . . . . . . . .
1
Imm1grat100 Servkc ............ . ...... .. ... . .. . . . . • .
Bureau of Swndards . . .... . . . .... . ............ .. . . ... . j
Total . . .... . .. .. ....... . ............. .. . .. . . , ... \
- - - ------ - - - - - - - - - - - -
151
4
17 .. .. . .. . .. 1
46
&J
39
691
223
51 I
10.~ ,
297 1
21
21
li,281
800
93
I
I
!
I
I
I
7
15
22 1
49 [
22 ;
I, 187
87 '... . .. ....
93
7, 683 ;
-
-
- -
Total.
4155
bl7
<67
22
5,274
101
d5,320
800
80
• 1. 491
/816
II 66
218
812
71
1,209
f,5
206
1219
49
22
29
1,180
87 1... . .. . . . . ~
i
-' -
l
g '
6i
79
46
691
236
4
l , &11 '
I
- - - _, _ _
147
li
h 108
I ---
I
l, hi6
-
I,
7,838
9,414
-
a Includes 4 Ala•kan senl fisheries employees.
b lnl'lu<tcs 10 p<11<ition~ transforred from Bun•au of Statlstl<'B July I , 190.'>.
c Exl'hL•lve of 8 temporary spet•lal agents, etc,
rlinclude,. 1.413 keepe..,. of po•t llghll<.
• Exclusi\'e of •pt-clal agents, specl1tl classes.
I Exl'lush-e of <>nli•tcd men on ,·es.•els.
II Ex<'luslve of 10 JlO,'ltlons tran,ferrcd to Bur<'all of Manufnctnres July I, l\lO.';.
A Includes a,..isl1111l lnspe<•tors and l'lerks to loc1tl boards.
I Include,. station employees exl'ept those at Washington , emrloy<'<'S nl large. distribution emplo~·eea, 2 )()(•al agent•, 2 snhuon agents. and emplo~·ce• 111 the ,·cs:,e ser\'h-e.
J Exclmdve of 6 members of ,1sitlug committee serving without compensntion.
Digitized by
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12
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
DIPROVEMENT (N THE GEXERAL !,'TATl"l! OF THE PER!IONNEL.
Considerable improvement relating to the general stat.us of the
personnel of the Department and looking toward the betterment of
the service has been made during the past fiscal year. A large mnnber pf employees in the immigration sl'rvicf' along the Canadian and
Mexican horders, who had been employed under an exception to the
civil-service rules, were brought within the competitive i;erdcc by 1m
Executive order, effectirn April 15, Hl05, and thm, made eligible for
transfer to points within the United States where their experience
may be of advantage. Recently immigrant inspector and Chinese
inspector positions were, by authority of the Civil Service Commission, made interchangeable for purposes of examination and transfer.
T~is change allows greater freedom in the matter of ad,·antageous
assignment of officers connected with the enforcement of the immigration laws and the Chinese-exclusion act. The matter of temporary
employment and the appointment of med1anics and laborers in connection with the field operations of the Bureau of Fisheries i1,1 now
heing given attention, and regulations governing this branch of the
personnel of the Department are being considered, with a view to
establishing tests suited to the requirements of the variom; positions,
in order that such peri,;ons may be permanently appointed instead of
temporarily employed.
SHIPPING COllllflBBIONERB.
The law relating to the appointment of shipping comm1si,noners
should be amended by the repeal or modification of section 4502 of
the Revised Statutes. The section provides that every shipping commissioner shall give bond to the United States for the sum, iu the d,:.~eretion of tlw circuit _judqe, of not less than $5,000. This section also·
provides a special form of oath to be taken, which oath i:,1 to be
indorsed on the commission or ce1tificate of appointment. The same
rea.r.;oms that were urged in favor of the repeal of the section of the
Revised Statutes requiring supervising and loeal in:;pectors of steam
vessels to gfre hond apply in the ca..-,e of shipping commissioners. The
ac-t of CongrPss of June rn, 1886 (2-! Stat. I..., 80), which aholh1hed the
collPction of fees l,y loeul inspcetors of ,,:tellm vessels, abo abolished
the collection of fees by shipping commissioners.
In the event that the r<'peul of section -!502 ii,, not deemed de:--irable,
the section should at lea:'!t he amended to pl'Ovide that the hond shall
be in the discrf'tion of an<l approved h_v the Secretary of Commerce
and Labor instead of the circuit judge. This duty on the part. of the
circuit ju<lge eddently exists only by virtue of the fact th11t prior
to the act of ,June 26, 188-! (:m ~tat. L., 5H), shipping commissioners
were appointed by the circuit courts, and when the law was changed
Digitized by
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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
13
to vest their appointment in the Sccr<'tary of the Trea:e-nry it may
poS::1ibly ha,·e heen un oversight that section -!;302, relating to their
bonds, was not l\llll'ndC'd in like manner. Tlmt part of section -150~
relating to the oath of offie<' of shipping commis:,:ioners should likewise he amended. There is no apparent reason why Rhipping eommissioners should execute a particular form of oath, and the indorsement
of the oath on the commi:-sion or certiti<"ate of appointment is cumbcr:-ome and inco"'·enient. This requirement of lnw should he rC'pC'aled
and shipping commissioners placed on the :-nme hasis in this resped. as
other public offieers.
THE NEED OF SPEC'IAL AOEXTS IN ·rnE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY.
The Department ne<'essurily maintains a large number of offices
throughout the United States, Porto Rieo, Hawaii, and in several
foreign countries adjacent to the U nitf'd States for the tranl'ltlction of
the business relating to immigration, th1• insp<'ction of steamboats, the
shipping service, the maintenance of the Light-House Estahlishment.
the propagation of food fishes, and the work of the Coast and Geodetic
Surrny, in which 1;ervi<"es there are regularly employed at the present
time out.-:idc of the Dist~·ict of Columbia 7,0118 persons. In maintaining these offic('S it is neeessary to purchase a large an1ount of office
supplies, under contract and otherwise, us required by section 3709 of
the Revised Statute1,1. The work of administering these offices must
frequently be intrusted to per8ons who have only a limited knowledge
of the laws relating to the administration of Government work, the
making of contral'ts on behalf of the C'nitN1 8tates, and the incurrenee of obli~rations to he discharged by th(' Department.
It is my desire to be able to employ a number of speeinl agents with
expert knowled~e of the administration of Go,·ernment husines1,1, the
laws and system relating to making contracts on behalf of the Government, and the submission of vouchers and accounts for obligations
incurred hy the Department, in order that tlwy may inspect the offices
and ret·ords and inquire into the eflieiency of the employees of the
Department outside of Washington, with ll view to recommending
better administration where neeessary, and detf'rmining whether the
work of the Government can be more el'onomieally performed.
Frequently (•barges are preferred against suhordinntP ottieers und
employees of the Department outside of "?n:-hington and, for the want
of assbtants who are entirely disinterested in the questions at issue in
the <·barges, I am compelled to take action on the recommendations of
immediate superiors, who arc frequently more or less biased in preparing the report upon whkh my decision must be bas<'<l, on ac<·mmt
of a,qsociations with the person by whom or a1,,rainst whom the charge'!
are made.
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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
PRINTING.
The work of issuing the Department's publications has progressed
satisfactorily during the yeur. As in the preceding year, the Office
of the Sel'retary has conduC'ted the relations between the Government
Printing Office and all of the hureami, except the Bureau of the Census,
preparing the requisitions on the Public Printrr and keeping record
of them and of the l'OSt of the work. The Secretary is thus enabled to
maintain dose impervision over the Departnwnt's expenditur<'s for
printing and bindi11g (with the exception noted). aud to lmve all publications examined before thl•ir isRue, with a view to their revision,
when necessary, in the interei-ts of uniformity, brevity, and el'onomy.
As a result of this supervision it is notable that despite the growth
of the Department, and the fact thnt the annual publications of the
bureaus transferred to it ,July 1, l!Jll3, tirst apprared as a charge
against its appropriation in the past fiscal year, the expenditure for
printing and binding increased hut fi:2 per cent, and about 43 per cent
of the sum appropriated by Congrei:-s for these purposes (exclusive of
the appropriation for the Burenu of the Census) will be covered into
the Tl'easury. As the number of books and pamphlets printed in the
fiscal year 1905 was over 300 per cent greater than in the preceding
year, owing to the cnuses above noted the reduction of the cost of
each volume is seen to be considerable. A part of this ,·eduction is
due to the elimination of unneces:;ary text and illustrations, and in
future it is hoped to effect much larger economy in this way. The
saving effected in the past year was chiefly in the cost of the relath·ely
few publications which were carefully read by the newly organi?.ed
editorial force, and it ii. believed that the value of these puhlications
was also coni-iderahly enhanced.
The limitations contained in section 8!l of the printing act as to the
number of reports, publi<"ations, or documents whieh may be printed
seriou1-1ly handicapped the Department on several oc<"asions during the
past year. The province and duty of the Department-- '' to foi;ter.
promote, and develop the foreign and domestic commerce, the mining,
manufacturing, shipping, and fishery industl'ies, the labor interests,
and tho transpot-tation facilities of the Cnited :,;tates"-is discharged
largely through the dissemination of information and data collected at
great care and expense. The prompt and wide circulation of reports
and publications on these subject:; is not only of primary importance,
but i;l absolutely necessary to enable the Department to attain the end
for which it was creati>d. It is obvioui; that reports and publications
of this chumdrr should not he classed with reports of purely adminhitrative work which have hut a limited eirculation among officers of
the Go,·ernment. I therefore recommend thut the SeC'retary of Commerce and Labor be authorized to have printed an edition of not to
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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
15
exceed 10,000 copies of any publication issued by the Department
whenever there is a <lemand and necessity for such an edition.
Pt;RCHASE 01<' Sl:'PPLIES.
\Vith the exception of purely technical supplies-such as scientitic
instrmnents 1md apparntus-all the stationery and supplies used hy
the Department in ,vashington and hy its rnrious i,:erviees outside of
,vai;hington ha,·c been purchased through tlw Division of Rupplies of
the becretary\1 Office during the past year. In the fiscal year past the
Department has made it,- own contrads for the purchase of stationery
and supplies for the first time, and in consequence a uniform and mueh
higher standard of quality has been obtained.
The consolidation of the contingent funds of the variom; bureaus
with the gencrnl eontingent fund of the Department is again urged, in
order that the present cumbcrson1e and expensive system of reimbursement may he avoided irnd that a 1miform standard and greater
economy in the purchase and distribution of supplies for the whole
Department may he procured.
BUREAU OF MANUFACTl:'RES.
The Bureau of :\Iannfadures, although authorized under the act
creating the Department of Commerce and Labor, was not organized
until February, 1905, and has made sati:-fadory progress. ln April
circular letters were sent to commercial nnd trade organizations requesting i-uggestiom1 regarding the best means of promoting the foreign
trade of the United States. The answers received show that rnry general interest was felt in the accomplishnwnt of the objects for which
the Bureau was created, and all of the writer:; expressed a rcadine:-;s
to cooperate with the Bureau in this work.
In ,July circular letters were addressed to manufacturers and exporters calling attention to the purpose of Congress in establbhing the
Bureau of :Manufact.ures and soliciting their cooperation. In reply
many responses were received and information furnished that will be
useful in prosecuting the work of the Bureau and which has been made
the basis of what is intended to be a eomprehensive card index of our
manufacturing and commercial concerns~ nnd espet~ially those engaged
in ma.king and handling goods for foreign markets.
pn ,July 1 the Division of Consular Reports, which upon the orgirnization of the Department was attaehed to the Bureau of :--tutistics,
was transferred to the Bu1·eau of ~fonufuctures. The publication of
the reports received from consuls is in charge of this division. L'pon
the transfer the publication heretofore known as "Consular Reports''
was girnn new form and direction. Its title was amencled to cornr
the publication of information deemed useful to our manufacturing
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and commei·eial interests other than that contained in consuhu· reports.
1t is now known as "Consular and Trade Reports." The chnnge has
added to the usefulness and populnrity of the publication, and has
recefrNl the commendation of nil whose interests it is intended to
promote.
The work of the Bureau has largely outgrown the provision made
hy Congres-; for discharging the duties which are assigned to it, and
this work i::1 coni,;tnnt.ly inercasing. In the legislative, executive, and
judicial nppropriati<m act for Hl05 provision was made for clerical
assistance, which was considerably reduced by the same appropriation
act for the current tiseal Jenr. ender the hitter net five clerks and
one assistant me:;senger are authorbwd. This force is entirely too
small to do the current work of the Bureau, and its inerease is recommended. Additional a:;sistanee is also urgently needed in,the work of
preparing the consular reportq for publication.
BUJrnAU OF CO~PORATIO:SS.
The work of the Burcnu of Corporntions has developed along the
lines indicated in the fir,;t annmtl report of the Connui&-1ioner. Its
most important work of a legal nnture has been the further study of
the plan proposed in the tir:;t n•port for the supervision and regulation, by '' Federal license," of corporations engaged in inte1·state and
foreign commerce. The inadcquacJ of State legislation to regulate or
control in any proper measure the corporations engaged in interstate
commerce has been most clearly demonstrated. The great railway
systems and the greater industrial corporations extending their operations through many Stat~•s, some throughout the entire United States,
are hut nominally supen·ised or cont.rolled by the States from which
their charters were obtained. Some of these corporations have shown
not only a disregard for State liLws, hut have become potent factors in
directing the political policies of the State.
The Federal-license plan recognizes that real superviflion, real regulation, can only he enforced by a go,·ernment whose jurh•diction and
power are great enough to cope with the corporntions to he supervised
or regulated.
If the prin<"iple underlying i-ueh a plan he aecepted. it will not he
difficult to sugge:--t the detuiled prod:-;ion:,; for carrying it out. The
objection thnt. it would apply to too muny eorporations and would
unnecessarily interfere with small husinrsi,; _tramiactions is not well
taken. Such supen·ision should be extended first over the greater
corpomtions-those which are dearly engaged in interstate and foreign l'Ommerce, which hy their size and diverse actidties tend to
monopolize any of the great staples, or which ha,·e been shown to be
in fact, outside the control of ~tate authority. The time is ripe for
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Congre1-1s, by means of appropriate affi11nath·e legi~lation, to assume
such superdsion or C'ontrol.
·
Other legal work of the Bureau has been a comparative study of all
State <'Orporation laws, the Federal and State antitrust laws, and the
consideration, at the request of committees of Congress and of the
Department, of questions relating to railways, wireless telegraphy, ana
the corporation law of the Di1-1trict of Columbia.
The question of Federal supervision over insurance companies has
been carefully considered. The re<·ent im•estigations under State
authority of certain insurance comp1mies show the nt-ed of careful
supervhiion, hut it i11 clear that the Commissioner of Corporations,
under the pre11ent act, and in view of the decisions of the Supreme
Court, has no jmisdiction over insurance companieH. Whether the
Federal Government can supen·ise and regulate insurance companies
can be determined only after further legislation and judici11l dech,ion.
A special report dealing with certain features of the beef industry
was, by direction of the President, trarn~mitted to Congress March 3,
1905. That investigation was conducted in pursuance of a resolution
of the House of Representatives. The published report dealt only
with that portion of the resolution having to do with prices and
the margin of profit between the pri<'e of cattle and dressed beef;
the other portion of the resolution regarding <•ombination was not
reported upon, for the re1tson that questionH relating thereto were then
pending in court and being considered by the Department of Justice.
A duty of the Bureau of Corporations is to ~btain factR upon which
Congressional action may he based; 11. duty of the Department of ,Tus
tice is to prosecute for violations of law. While these dutiefi are
entirely distinct, there are instances where the Bureau of Corporation:1
must necessarily obtain facts with which the Department of Justice i:-1
concerned. Such fll..:lts are treated as other information-reported to
the President for sm·h action~ he may deem proper and necessar.r.
In pur1mance of resolutions of the House of Representatives, special
investigations of the oil and steel industries are being conducted. In
both of these industries general inquiries had the1·etofore heen hegun
by the Bureau.
The other investigations now in progress deal with sugar, tohac<'o,
coal. and lumber. In all of these subject,; the inquiry extends from
the production of the raw material to the tinh,hed product, covering
the questions of transportation and dii-itribution a.'i well as manufacture.
It is necessary to study the foreign conditions of the great staple~, for
the reason that our trade conditions are affected dire<'tly hy the world's
markets. If the results of these investigations are to be of real value,
they must be based upon the broadest possible knowledge of all condi ·
tions, both at home and abroad, affeeting a spe<.'ial indn:-1tr_r.
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BEPOBT OF THE SECRETARY 011' COMMERCE AND LABOB,
Each im·estigation will be completed as rapidly a~ is consistent with
thoroughnes:,;.
TheMe investigations have brought the Bureau into close touch with
the representatives of many of the leading industries of the country.
The policy of the Department and the Bureau in dealing frankly and
rnirly with such representatives has generall~, resulted in obtaining
their hearty and acth·e cooperation. The.r appreciate that wise. helpful legislation on industrial questions can only be obtained by affording to the Federal Government the fullest information regarding their
metho<ll'I of business and needs.
The work of the Bur<'au will not meet the approval of those who
think that industrial conditions c-an be changed b~· hasty legislation,
nor of those who demand the con\'iction. in advance of proof. of persons <·barged with unfair husim•ss methods or wrongdoing, but the
Department and Bureau do expect to gain the confidence and support
of all men who believe in fair dealing and who l'<'cognize that permanent improvement in our industrial conditions can onl.r be ohtained
when the truth regarding those conditions has been found h_r unprejudiced, painstaking investigations, and that the evils arising out of illconsidered legislation are quite as great as those whic·h such legi:-,llltion
seeks to destroy.
Bt:lU-:At; OF LABOR.
During the tiscal year ended ,June ao, 1!➔05, the Burenu of Lahor
issued its nineteenth annual report-that for 1904:. This report presents the re:-ults of an extensive investigation into the wag<'s and hours
of lahor in the leading manufacturing and meehanical industrie:,; of the
"United States during the pm·iod from 18110 to 1!103, inclu:;ive. This
investi1,,ration wa.~ dt>signed to eornr thoroughly the principal distinctive OC'cupations in the leading induHtries belonging to this large industrial group in all sectiom1 of the eountry, with a view to securing data
which would he representative of conditions and show the trend of
wages and hours of labor during the period covered. It is to he
l'('gretted that the force available for the prosecution of the work did
not admit of the extension of the inrei;tigation to some of the other
great industrial groups, such as trnnsportation, mining, and agriculture.
It is believed, however, that the data embodied in the report are
more l'<>mprehensh·e and representative, so far as the manufacturing
and llle<'hanical indu:-;tries are concerned, than any that have been
puhlii;hed heretofore. The numbe1· of industries co,·ered by the report
is 67, induding 519 distinctive occupations in 3,4:75 establishment."l.
The data whi<'h form the basis of this report were secured in all cases
by per11onal visitl'I of the special agents of the Bureau to the several
el'.!tabli:,;hments represented, and were taken directly from the pay rolls
and other records in existence and available for referem·e. The pres-
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ervation of records of thii,; character for any considerable period of
years is not usual, and great difficulty was experienced in some indui,;tries in finding establishments which had been in existence since 1890
and had pret1erved their pay rolls and other records of trant1actions
with their employees.
During the year the Bureau also completed its twelfth special
report, and it was transmitted to Congress. The report relates to coalmine lahor in the five leading coal and lignite producing countries of
Europe-namely, Austria. Belgium, France, German)·, and Great
Britain-and ii' an exhaustive compilation from official and other
authoritati\·e publication:,; of the statistical and descriptive matter covering the subject. All the information, so far as the material would
permit. has been presented in such form as to re11der possible a comparison between the various countries. The i,;uhject as presented in
the report covers output, value, and distribution of product,
employees, wages, accidents, systems of relief, mine workers' unions,
labor dispute:,;, and mine-labor legislation.
Another report completed and printed during the year relates to
labor disturbances in the State of Colorado. The report comprehend'i
an exhaustive history of labor disturbancE'A,; in that State during the
period" of twenty-five years-from 1880 to l!W4, inclushe. The
accounts of the strikes previous to 1903, as given in this report, are
based upon local histories, official reports of State officers, and record'!
contained in the State library of Colorado. To ascertain the facts
regarding the strikes of 1903 and 1904, an agent of the Bureau visited
the various localities inrnlved and obtained statements from the mine
managers and labor-union officials. He also interviewed offidals of
the State, of the .Mine Owners' Assodation at ,·arious places, and of
the Citizens· Alliance, and citizens generally. The report is believed
t.o present complete information in regard to the questions at is1-ue in
the various strikes.
The Bureau also completed during the year, pursuant to a resolution of the Committee on Labor of the Hou1-e of Representatives, an
investigation and a report upon Hou~e bill No. 4:06-!, entitled "A bill
limiting the hours of daily service of laborers and mechanics employed
upon work done for the United States, or for any Territory, or for
the District of Columbia, and for other purposes." The report deals
with the attitude of Government contractors toward the proposed
legislation: the results under the eight-hour workday at the Brooklyn
Navy-Yard compared with results under the ten-hour day at Xewport
News, Va., in battle-ship construction; actual results of production
under reduced hours of work in various manufacturing establishment'i; attitude of labor organizations; laws relating to hours of labor
in the C"nit.ed States, and recent changes in hours of labor in the
United States.
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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
During the past year the Bulletin of the Bure.au wai; issued regularly
every other month. For the ti11cal year the ii.suei; were Nos. 53, 54,
and 55 of volume fl, and Nos. 56, 57, and 58 of volume 10. The Bulletin has contained, in addition to one or more special articles in each
numher, digests of recent reports of State bureaus of lahor statistics,
digests of recent foreign statistical publications, decisions of eourts
affecting lahor, and laws of various States relating to labor. The
special articles included in the foregoing numbers of the bulletin are
as follows:
Bulletin 53 contained summaries of the eighteenth and nineteenth
annual reports, relati'ng, respectively, to cost of living and retail
prices of food, and wages and hours of labor, for the period 1890 to
1903, inclusive.
Bulletin 54 was dernted to a description of the exhibit of the Bureau
at the Louisiana Purchase Ji:xposition, with reproductions of the principal charts and photographs contained in that exhibit. ThE' description is presented in connection with a special series of papers. These
papers were specially prepared as descriptive and supplementary to
the exhibit of chart-. and photographs. The subje....ts chosen are representative of the regular work of the Bure.au, although several of them
involved a large amount of spe<'ial investigation and preparation.
The work of preparation of the extensive ~xhibit of the Bureau at
St. Louis, as well ll.'I the preparation 'of this number of the Bulletin,
was carried on in connection with the regular work of the Bureau.
and the greater part of it was done by the regular oflic·e force.
The titles of this series of special papers, representing also the suhjects of exhibit at the exposition, are as follows:
The Working of the United States Bureau of Labor.
Bureaus of Statistics of Labor in the United States.
Bureaus of Statistics of Labor in Foreign Countries.
Value and Influence of Labor Statistics.
Strike!' and Lockouts in the United States, 1881 to 1900.
Wages in the United States and in Europe, 1890 to 1903.
Cost of Living and Retail Prices in the United States, 1890 to 1903.
Wholesale Prices in the United States, 1890 to 1903.
Housing of the Working People in the United States by Employers.
Public Baths in the United States.
Trade and Technical Education in the United States.
Hand and Machine Labor in the United States.
Labor Legislation in the U nit~d States.
Labor Conditions in Hawaii.
Bulletin 55 conhlined " Building and loan associations in the United
Ht.ates'' and ·• Re,·ival of handicrafts in America." The first article
is a compr.ehensin~ discus..-.ion of building and loan associations hased
upon material contained in the Ninth Annual Report of the Commissioner of Lahor, which wa1:-1 supplemented by a special investigation,
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bringing the statistical information down to the end of the year 1903.
The second article is the result of a study of the recent revival of
domestic weaving and rug making and of the growth of the artM and
crafts movement.
Bulletin 56 contained the" Influence of trade unions on immig1·ants"
and "Labor conditions in Australia." The tirst article is a report
prepared lifter an investigation into the influence of trade unions on
immigrants, especially among those employed in the pucking bm-1iness
in Chicago. The second article in this Bulletin and the two hy the
same author in Bulletin 58 are t,he result of months of travel and a
thorough study of industrial conditions in the countries covered, with
the special ohject of presenting an authoritative statement in regard
to conditions there.
Bulletin 57 contained the "Course of wholesale prices, 1890 to
1904," and "Street railway employment in the L'nited States.'' The
article on wholesale prices brings down to the end of 1904 the results
of the study of the subject, publication of which was begun in the
Bulletin of March, 1902, and continued in those of March, 1903, and
March, 1904. The study covers 259 series of quotations, representing
all classes of staple commodities. The second article is the result of
an original study of the conditions surrounding street-railway employment which have grown up with the development of electric traction.
Bulletin 58 contained 44 Labor_conditions in the Philippines" and
"Labor conditions in ,lava."
In addition to the preparation and completion of the foregoing
reports and bulletins, which cover the publications of the last fiscal
year, the force of the Bureau has heen engaged in the collection and
preparation of data for future reports and bulletins. The annual
report for 1905 will relate to convict labor. It will cover all penal
and reformatory institutions in the United States in which productive
labor to the value of $1,000 a year is performed. The report will deal
specially with the important economic features of convict labor, such
as value of product, value of labor of convicts, amount of free labor
displaced by convict labor, various system!! employed, etc. The laws
of the ,·arious States relating to convict lahor will also he given.
During the year work has been carried forward in the collection of
dat.a. relative to strikes and lockouts in the United States, which will
form the subject of the twenty-first annual report-that for the y(>ar
1906. The report will t'over strikN1 and lockout,- during the period
from 1901 to 1905, indusin•, in continuation of the report; already
made covering the period 1881 to 1900.
The Burettu has also been engaged in the preparation of a report
upon the economic condition of the laboring classe,- of the Territory
of Hawaii. This report, which will shortly he ready for transmittal
to Congress, will be the third report of the Bureau relating to this
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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
subjed, the first having been made February 4, 1902, and the second
February 26. rnoa.
A number of articles, ui- noted below, for publication in the Bulletin
of the Bureau are now ready or in course of preparation, and a considerable amount of material to be used in future numbers of the
Bulletin ha:,; already been prepared.
The ,Jul~· number of the Bulletin (So. 59) contained articles on
"Wages and hours of labor, 1890 to 1904,'' and "Retail prices of
food, 18!10 to 1904," in continuation of the article published in the
number for ,July, 1904. It i:-1 the intention to continue th~-Se investi••
gations from yeur to yeur, making the results a feature of the July
Bulletin each year.
In later numbers of the Bulletin during the coming year there will
appear special articles upon the following subjects:
Government Industrial Arbitration in Various Countries.
Benefit Features of Trade rnions in Hreat Britain.
Cost of Industrial Life Insurance in the District of Columbia.
Labor Conditions in Porto Ric-o.
A DcK•umentary History of the Early Organization of Printers.
Condition!! of Entrance to the Principal Trades in the rnited State11.
Municipal Ownership in Great Britain.
Economic Conditions of the Rul!l'ian ,Tew!'.
Conciliation in the Stove Industry.
LIGHT-HOUSE BOARD.
The establishment, custody, and maintenance of aids to navigation
in the waters of Hawaii. the .:Midway Islands, Guam, the American
8amoan h!landi-, Porto Rico, and the t:'nit<>d States naval re.,,;ervation
at Guantanamo, Cuba, han been taken o,·er by the Light-House
Board, through the Depa11ment, under Executive order. Prior thereto
the Board had heen direeted to take the proper measures to place aids
to nadgation nbout the island of ~avassa. The number of light-house
districts wa:,, limited hy lnw before the Light-House Board was required
to care for the aids to navigation in the insular waters now under its
charge, and under the limitations of the law the Board find:'! it difficult
to do the additional work dernh-ed upon it, and asks that Congress
increase the number of light-hom;e distrids, in which 1·equest the
Departnwnt <"ordially C'oncurs. Attention is invited to the statements
in the annual r<>port of the Light-House Bo1ml regarding the lc>gislation needPd, and l'specially to the nel•ds of Hawaiian watns, not only
to protect Hnwaiinn interei-t.,,;, hut those of the many Ameri<"an vessels
ha,,ing bui,;iness there.
Tht> Departnwnfs attPntion bas recently heen ealled to the fnct that
vessel:,, are fr<>11uentl~· an<'hored in our harhor:,1 nnd other public nad-
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23
gable waters so as to obstmct the range lights established therein by
the Department in aid of navigation. At the present time there is no
Federal law prohibiting this; a number of the States have, however,
enacted statutes making it unlawful to obstmct or interfere with aids
to navigation established within their limits, but in some of these
statutes no provision has been made to prevent the obstructing of
range lights. Federal instead of State legislation on this subject is
urgently needed, and it is recommended that a general law he passed
by Congress making it unlawful and punishable by fine for any vessel
to anchor in any navigable waters of the United States in such a manner as to obstruct or interfere with the range lights or other aids to
navigation established therein.
The Department renews the statement made last year, that the
insufficiency of the <'Urrent appropriation for salaries of light-keepers
has prevented the operation of several light-houses built from specific appropriations, when read~· for use, and attention is invited to
the statement in the annual J"eport of the Light-House Board on
the subject.
The Board states that the Light-House Establishment is in danger
of deterioration because of the limil:Rd appropriations made for its
maintenance, and the Department respedfully urges the necessity
of Congress providiug sufficient funds to keep the service in the
highe11t state of efficiency, and asks special consideration of the
Board's reeommendations as set forth in its annual report.
The Light-House Board has omitted from its list of estimates fourteen of the estimates made for light-house struetures last year, and has
added some, the necessity for which has become apparent, and the
Department submits them with the statement that the UJ'gent necessity
for thefle structures was made eddent to the Board before it would
permit itself to adopt tmd present the estin111te11.
BlJRI--:AU OF THE CENSCS,
During the year the Bureau of the Ceni,;us haR made satisfactory
progress in the important work before it, and a number of interesting
reports h1we hef'n published or are on the eve of publication. Eight
volumes have heen published and twelve special reports in bulletin form.
The field work of the quinquennial census of manufactures, begun
early in the present calendar year, has been complet1>d in all sa,·e a few
isolated localities, and the publication of the results by States, hy
municipalities, and hy industries will now follow with celerity. These
results will show an indm,trial progress in many important branche:,i of
manufacturing which far ex<·1>ed:,1 public expectation.
From the preliminur,v reports thus fnr published of the Manufacturing Census of 1905, it i:,i e,·ident that the <"Ompleted tnbulation will
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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
show that satisfadory progress has been made during the five-year
period, both in quantity and value of goods manufactured and in practi<·ally all sedions of the country. The true condition of the industries of the United States during the last firn years is more accurately
and definitely determined by this census of manufactures than by any
other agency at the command of the Government. When the reimlts
are fully tabulated and published they will be accepted as the convincing evidence of the wisdom of Congress in legislating for a five-year
census of manufactures, and they will form a strong argument for the
further widening of the field of census inquiry during the intet·censal
periods.
.\DDITIONAL INQIJIRIES RECOHHENDIU>.
The annual report of the Director calls attention to the fact that the
Bureau of the Censui; has nearly completed the special reports authorized by the permanent census law, and that the time is opportune for
taking up certain other investigations of great interest and importance. some of which have been entirely neglected heretofore, probably
because of the lack of a permanent statistical office with resources
:.uffi<-ient for the work, while others have been undertaken at an earlier
period by the Census and ought now to be brought up to date. If
these investigations are authorized by Congress at this session they
can he carried on with advanbl.ge and will keep the Bureau profitably
employed during the interval of three years yet to elapse before the
time aniYes when preparations must, be made for the Thirteenth Census. The Director recommends that authority be given to take up
the following subject.<;, and in these rel'ommendutions I concur:
1. A five-year n-port on the electrical services, street railways, public-power stations, telephones and teley:raphs, etc., in lieu of the ten-year reportt! now authorized.
2. A report on savings banks, cooperative savings institutions, home-building
associations, an1l similar fiduciary o~nizations for the promotion of indivirlual
thrift.
3. A report on life, fin-, and marine insuranc.,-e.
4. A report on the fisheries indut<try, in c•ooperation with the Bureau of Fisheries.
5. A eompilation of the results of the several State c:ensu~es of population taken
in l!l0.5.
6. A report cornrinir the jmlidal f!tati!ltic8 of the several States, eovering the indictable offense,, recorded in the court dockets, and the disposal of these case8.
The Director nlso calls attention to the popular desire for a <'Ontinuation of the Eleventh Census report on mortgage indebtedness,
but be hesitat<>s to recommend it on ac<:'ount of the large expense for
field work. He refers also to the demand of the agricultural interests
for a th·e-year census of live stock, a report which is urgently recommended by the Secretary of Agriculture. This report also, if authorized, will involve a large increase in the regular appropriation for the
continuance of census work.
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TABtTLATISO APPLIANCES.
In accordance with the recommendation of my last annual report,
the last Congress authorized the Director of the Census to undertake
experimental work for the development of an independent system of
mechanical tabulation for handling the current work of the Bureau
and the returns of future censuses. The time was eHpecially opportune
for such an undertaking. The details of a decennial census have grown
to be so enormous in volume and so complicated in character that it is
no longer possible to Huccessfully and' expeditiously handle them by
hand methods. The original patent._,;; on the apparatus for handling
cen.-ms returns mechanically were about to expire, and the Government
was at liberty to make use of the fundamental idea of these patent..'! as
a basis for mechanisms which will render them more complete without
infringing the later patent:, of the inventor. Experiments in thi8
direction were promptly undertaken by the Director of the Census
under the general supervision of the Director of the Bureau of Standardt1. In the conduct of these experiment~ the splendid mechanical
f8.<.'ilities of the Bureau of Standards have been placed at the service of
the Bureau of the Uensus; and the progres8 already made justifies the
expectation of a successful outcome. I recommend the continuance
of this appropriation in the hope that before the time for the tabulation of the Thirteenth Census arrives the Government will be the
owner of the most effective mechanism yet devised for this work.
COAST ANT> OEODJo~TIC SURVEY.
The amount appropi-iated for the Coast and Geodetic 8urvey for the
fiscal year 1905, exclusive of the allotment for printing and binding,
was '863,569. W, of which $210,245 was for manning and equipping
the vesselH of the Survey, $43,544. 79 for repairs and maintenance of
vessels, and tl50,000 for office expenses. The remainder of the appropriation wa.'i about equally divided between expenses of parties in the
field and salaries of the field and office force~.
·
In addition to the above sums the appropriations of $50,000 for
marking the boundary between the United States and Canada west of
the Rocky Mountains and of ~5,0UO for locating and marking the
Alaska boundary are disbursed by the disbursing agent of the Coast
and Geodetic Survey, under the dfrection of the Superintendent as
Commissioner.
The Superintendent reports that hydrographic survey8 were made
in 13 States and Territories and topographic surveys in 4:; that triangulation was done in 17 and leveling in 8. The field work for the
revision of one volume of the United States Coast Pilot, covering the
coastfromUhesapea.kP; Bay entrance to Key West, Fla., was completed.
The primary triangulation along the ninety-eighth meridian was
13041-05-4
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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
extended to Alice, Tex., on the south, and is now completed from
that point to Wahpeton, N. Oak., on the north. A branch triangulation extends from the ,·icinity of ,vahpeton to Aitkin, Minn. The
triangulation along the Pacific coast north of San Francisco was completed to the Columbia River.
A transcontinenbtl line of levels was completed, giving a eormection between the Atlantie and Pacific oceans and the Gulf of Mexieo
b)· the leveling done nnder the dirt•etion of the Survey.
In Alaska the surrny of Kiska Harbor was completed and surveys
were made in Iphigenia Biiy, Sea Otter Sounu, Uesnrrection Bay, and
Prince William Sound. Hydrogrnphic examinations were made nt the
request of the War Department along the route iselected by the Chief
~ignal Officer, United States Army, for a cable. The longitll(fo of
Sitka was determined by the telegraphic method, and during the progress of the work signals were exchanged with a Canadian obsern~r at
Vancouver, British Columbia, which determined the longitude of that
place .. The work of determining other point:-1 hy the same method
was in progress at the close of the year. Surve~·s were also in progres:-1 in mrious localities.
The charting of the harbor:-i and waters of the Philippine Archipelago was continue<l in cooperation with the insular governnwnt, nnd
good progrel-ls was made. Twenty-six new chart-.. largely compiled
from existing i,murces, and two n>h1mes of Sailing Directions (revised
editions of Sections III and IV) were published.
The magnetic sm-Yey wa.,; eontinued and ohservations were made at
300 stations in 41 States and Territories, including Alaska, Hawaii,
the Philippine falands, and Porto Rieo. Valuable results were
obtained from ohservations made at sea during the voyage:-< of the
surveying vesseli-! to and from their fields of work in the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans.
Magnetic observatories, when• a continuous record of the variations
in the magnetic forces is obtained by photographie means, were maintained in Maryland, Kansas, Alaska, Hawaii, and Porto Ri<'o.
Continuous records of tidal fluctuations were obtained hv means of
self-registering gauges at ten stations, fnclnding one statim; in Hawaii
and two in the Philippine Islands.
The work of reestablishing and monumenting the international
boundary between the Cnited States and Canada west of the Roeky
Mountains was continued under the direction of the :,.iuperintendent
and the Director of the Geological :O-un·ey as Commissioners, with an
officer of the Survey detailed to the immediate charge of operations in
the field.
The demarcation of the boundary between Alaska and Cnnada and
the erection of boundary monuments were continued, and such prog-
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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
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ress was made as the extremely uilfavorable climatic conditions in that
region permitted.
Work at the latitude observatories at Gaithersburg, Md., and
Ukiah, Cal., maintained hy the International Geodetic Association
under the direction of the Superintendent, was continuous during the
year.
An examination of the international boundary hetween Vermont
and Canada was begun in cooperation with the Canadian authorities
at the request of the State Department, for the purpose of meeting
certain requirement'! of the Treasury Department.
In response to a request from the Isthmian Canal Commission, a
•mrvey was made of the Bay of Limon and approaches to Colon, in
the Canal Zone.
The Survey maintained an exhibit as a part of the departmental
exhibit at the Louisiana Purchl\Se Exposition at St. Louis, }lo., until
its close, and had a similar exhibit at the Lewis and Cla1·k Centennial
Exposition, Portland, Oreg., at the close of the year.
An office,· of the Survey continued on duty as a member of the
Missis<sippi River Commission, as required by law. Another officer
was granted a furlough without pay to take command of the expedition which is in preparation for the magnetic imrvey of the Pacific
Ocean under the auspice!-! of the Carnegie Institution.
Bl:REAU OJ-' STATISTICS.
The Bureau of Stathiti<'s, which is charged with the duty of recording our foreign commerce, reports a gratifying condition in om· trade
and trade relations during the yea1· just ended.
The foreign commerce of the United 8tates in the fiscal year 1905
exceeded, both in imports and exports, that of any preceding year.
The importq were $1,117,513,071 in value, exceeding hy ~91,i\➔3,834
those of 1903, the highest record of any preceding year; and the exports were $1,518,561,666, exceeding by $57,734:,3!15 those of 1904:,
and by $30,796,6'75 the highest record of any ea.rlier year. The growth
in imports occurs chiefly in matRrials for use in manufacturing, and
the growth in exports O<'c"urs ehiefly in manufaetures. The value of
manufacturers' materials imported increased from ~58,0!.lS, 7!19 in 190-l
to 11529,611,-157 in 1905, and formed in 1H05 4:7.39 per cent of the total
imports. The value of manufactures exported increased from :Mi>i,4:15,9:-ll in 190-1 to $54:3,H07,H75 in l\J05, and formed in the latter year
36.-H per cent of the total expo1ts of domestic products.
IMPORT RECORD OF THE YEAR.
The growth in imports, which for the second time in our history
exceeded one billion dollars in value, Ol'curs almost exclusively in manufacturerR' materials and food-stutfs of tropical produetion. The imports
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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
of articles in a crude condition which enter into the various proce...'lt;ets
of domestic· indust1·y amounted to $386,459,421, and of articles wholly
or partially manufactured for use a.'-1 materials in the manufaetures
and mechanic arts amounted to tl-!3,152,036, making .a total of manufacturers' materittls imported during the fh;cal year 1!105 of $529,Hll,457,
against $271 ,251,221 in 1895, $192,066,2H4 in 18H5, and $141,233,551
in 1875. The percentage which mttnufacturers' materials formed of
the total import.8 was, in 1905, 47.39; in 1895, 37.10; in 1885, 33.14,
and in l8i5, 26.50. Food-stuffs and live animals imported in 1905
amounted to $273,tl29,853, against $226,422,171 in 1895, $194,266,360
in 1885, and 31196.:Hl,459 in 1875; the perc(mtage which this class
formed of the total having been UAH in 1905, 30.97 in 1895, 33.52 in
1885, and 36.84 in 1875.
The imports of finished manufactures (in whii-11 term are included
the group, .. Articles manufactured ready for consumption,'' and all
of the group, ''Artit·les of voluntary use, luxuries, etc.," ex<·ept uncut
diamonds, and other precious stones, and unmanufaetured tobacco),
amounted to $2H5,562,942 in l!l05, against $218,180,088 in 1895,
$186,562,207 in 1885, and tl191,3il,446 in 1875; the percentage which
1mch manufacture1-1 formed of the total ha,·ing heen. in HW5, 25.55, as
agaim~t 29.83 in UW5, 32.HI in 1885, and 35.l/2 iu 18i5.
Thm; manufoctureri,i' materials in 1905 formf'd 47.:w per cent of the
total imports, Ill.I against 26.50 per eent in 1875; liini:,bed manufactures
formed, in 1!105. 25.5fi per cent of the total, ll.M against 35.92 in 18i5;
and foodstuffs and live animals. 24.4!1 per cent in Hl05, ns against
36.84: per <·ent in 1875. The principal articles impo1·te<l for use in
manufacturing are raw silk, india ruhher, fibers, tin. wool. tohaceo,
wood, hides and skim;, raw cotton, and ehemicah1. The imports of
silk increased from ii2,6i6,056 in 18H5 to litil,040,053 in 1!105; india
rubber, from $18.475,382 in Hl!l5 t-0 $51,H83,312 in 1!}05; wool, from
t\:25,572,763 in 18\15 to :i--111,ii,'.;,558 in 1!10;'>: fibers, from $13,iS2.081
in 18!15 to $3H,118,071 in HI0;'>; tin. from $H. 787,4i4 in 18!15 to
$i3,378,471 in 1!105; wood, from tU,6!10,416 in 1Htl5 to $2i,047,054
in 1!}05; hidPs nnd skins, from $i6, 12i,!142 in 18113 to $64:,'i64, Ht> in
1905; tohacco, from $14,745, 7::W in 18!1:'> to ii18,038,677 in 1905; raw
cot.ton, from $-!,iH,3i5 in 1811;; to $H.414,i50 in 1905: and <"hemicals,
drugs, and dyes as a whole. from ~3,5Hi,609 in 1H!l5 to $64,J!14,i38
in UI05, tlwse ten (·lasses supplying about 75 per cent of the total
imports of manufacturers' nmterials. Tb(•se articles, it will he
observed, are largely of tropicnl or subtropi<'al origin, and to this
extent of a das11 not produced in the lTnited States, though in many
cases :-uited to production in the tropical islands which have been
recently add(•d to our producing area.
The second dal-ls of articles in which the increase in importations
ha.<i heen considerable i:-1 that of food:-tulfi;, including live animals, of
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29
which thf> imports in 1905 were$273,629,853, an increase of $40,4-18,455
over the figures of the immediately preceding year. The c-hief artieles
in thi!l da.~s are sugar, coffee, tea, cacao, fruits, and nut.~, and therefore
chiefly of das.~es not pt·oduced in the United States, at l1>ast in i<ufficient. quantities to meet domestic requirement:;. Even these large figures of tropical food8tuffs imported do not in<·lude those brought from
Porto Rico and the Hawaiian Islands, which ag(lregated $48,25o.:W6,
bringing the total of article8 of food hrought into the country during
the yea1· above 320 million dollars.
Of the $285,562,94-2 of manufactured articles brought into the
country during the y('ar, manufactures of cotton, fibers, i,1ilk, iron and
steel, jewelry, and wool formed the most important items. Manufactures of cotton imported amounted to '48,919,»36; manufactures of
fiherH, $40,125,406; manufactures of silk, :[\32,H14,540; manufaC'tures
of iron and steel, $23,510,164; jewelry and precious stonet-1, cut,
i23,94 7,883; and manufactures of wool, 117,893,61>3.
<lROWINO DEMAND FOR TROPICAi, PRODl'CTII.
Tropical and subtropiral products form 11. (•onstantly i11crea1"1ing proportion of our growing imporh1. Of the manufacturers' materials
imported, india ruhher, fiber8, mw :.ilk, }i;gyptian cotton, and other
articles are of tropical and subtropieal production, as is also true of
the t-1ugar, coffee, tea, cacao, and fruits included unde1· the grouping
of foodstuffs, and the materials from which were produ<'ed the silks,
cotton goods, and manufact~1res of filwr:. under the classification of
manufactures. The total value of tropical and subtropical products
brought into the country during the y1>a1· 1H05 exceeded 500 million
dollar8, against 140 millions in 1870, and of this gmnd total of 500
millions in IH05, about l:& per (•ent wa."! supplied from the islands
recently added to our producing area, as against le8i- than 5 per cent
in 18115.
EXPORT RECOR!) OF THE YK\R,
The export.~ of the yea1· supplied evidPm·e of the activity of our
manufacturers quite a.<1 striking ai- that indi<-ated hy the import.-. already
discm,sed. While exports of agricultural product:-. and product:-. of the
fores~ and fisheries showed a slight dedine us compared with I 1104, the
increa.'le in export." of m1mufactures Wlls suffi<:ient to more than offset
these lo~ses and to hring the total exports to a point higher than ever
before reached, being $1,518.5Hl.lWti, against SHo7,538,H>5 in 18H5,
(\74:2,189, 755 in 1885, and $513,44-:2,711 in li'.lii>. The dN·rensP. in
exports of agricultural produ<'t<, wa:-. due to a r1>markahle dC'cline in
the exportation of wheat and wheat tlour, the result in part of reduced
production in 1904-, of large crops an<l low price:. ahroad. and of a
large demand from the home market.
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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
The result of these unusual conditions was that the exports of flour
fell from $73,756,-104 in 1903 and $68,H9-!,836 in 190-1 to ~),176,136 in
l!J05; and those of wheat, from '87,i95,l04 in 1903 and i'35,850,318 in
1H04 to $3,!l05,579 in 1905. 1n quantity the exports of wheat and flour
(in termi,; of wheat) amounted to but -!-!,112,1110 bushels in 1905, as
against 120,727,613 bushels in 1904 and 202,905,598 bushels in 1903.
This great reduction in exports of wheat and wheat flour from
$161,Ml,508 in 1903 and $10-!, 7-15, 15-! in lHO-! to iH,081, 715 in 1905
was partially offset by an increase in cotton exports, of which the total
v11,lue in 1905 amounted to ~381,398.!l39, against $372,049,264 in 1904
and :t\291,598,356 in 1902. Cotton export-; in HI05 were the largest in
the history of our export trade, while those of wheut and wheat flour
were less than in any year :-.in<'e 1872. ·
As a consequence of this large reduction in expo1ts of wheat and
wheat flour the total of agricultural exports for the yPar 1905 amounted
to but $820,8H3,-!05, against $853,ti43,07a in H!O-! and f,943,811,020 in
1901, the high-record year of agricultural exports. This loss in agricultural exports was more than compeMated by the increase in exports
of manufactures, of which the total in l!l05 was $5-!3,H07,975, as compared with ii-152,415,921 in the preceding year, $183,5tl5, 743 in 18H5,
iH47,1Hi,527 in 181-15, and $H2.67H.H14 in 1875. ~l,rnufacturns formed
in l!l05, !36.44 per cent of the total domestic exports; in l 8!l5, 23.14 per
cent; in 1885, 20.25 per cent, and in 187.>, ltLH per cent.
This increa.se of 91 million dollars in t>xports of manufactures is
greater than that of any preceding- yenr except l!lOO, when the increase
WllS 94 millions.
The increase OC('lll's chiefly in manufactures of
iron and steel, copper, cotton cloths. and manufactures of leather,
though a large proportion of the other 111-tieles and classes of articles
exported show moderate gains o,·er the preceding year. In iron and
steel the increase is 2!3 million dollars; in copper, 29 millions; in cotton
cloths, ~7 millions, and in leather, 4 millions. Of the 2!) million dollars in<"rease in <'Opper, ahout one-third oecurred in exports to China
and the rPmnindcr chiefly to Europe. Of the i i millions increase in
cotton doths, ~4 millions oecurrcd in exports to China, and of the 4
millions incrense in lP,ather. 3i millions was in export,; to ,Japan.
TRADE WITH <,R.\:-D IH\"IHIONS
o~·
THE WOHI.D.
The im·rensc in imports was dh;trihuted among all of the grand
didsions and mo,;t of the principal countries, while the inereasc in
export-. was l'hiefly to China, ,Japan, Canada, Argentina, Cuba, and the
1ww lfopublic of Panama. The i1wrensc in imports was, from Europe
-H million dollar:-:; from North America, 28 millions; from South
Americu, !30 millions: from Asia und Oceania, i4 millions, and from
Afriea, i million!>. The increasl' from Europe was distributed among
the principal countries, and was (·hiefly eomposed of numufal'tured
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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
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articles and raw wool, raw silk, hide,; and skins, and diamonds. In
exports a reduction of 37 million dollars occurred in the trade with
Europe, due to the falling off in exports of wheat and flour, nnd a
reduction of over 5 millions in the trade with Africa, where a general
reduction of imports has characterized the past two years.
To North Ameri<.'a the exports in<.'reased 26 millions, of which 11
millions was to Cuba, 9 millioni; to Canada, and ne1t.dy 4 millions to
Panama. To South America the export<; increased 6 million~, of
which practically all was to Argentina. To Asia the iuerease in
exports amounted to 68 millions, of which 41 millions was to China
and 27 millions to ,Japan. Of the 41 million dollars increase to China,
23½ millions was in cotton cloths, 10 millions in copper, and 3½ millions
in mineral oil. Of the ~, millions increase to Jnpan, 14 millions was
in raw cotton, 3½ millions in sole leather, 1 million in cotton cloths,
and 1 million in canned beef.
C'OMMERC'E WITH Cl,B.\ l,NOER RE<.' IPROCIT\".
The commerce with Cubu in 1905, the first full fiscal ~·ear under the
reciprocity treaty, shows a eonsiderahle increase over 1:l04, of which
one-half was under the reciprocity treaty, und a marked increase o,·er
1903, the last full year pl'ior to that treat~·, which went into effec~t
December 27, 1!103. The total exports to Cuba from the United
States in 1905 were $3~,380,601, against $27,377.465 in 1904 and
$21,761,638 in 1903, an i1tcrease of 7t>.3 per cent over 1H03, the last
full year prior to the operations of the reciprot·ity treaty. The import
values are greater than those of 1904 or 1H03, being $8tl,304,259 in
1905, $76,983,418 in 1904, and $62,94i,790 in 1H03. Thh.1 increase in
value, however, in Ul05 is apparentl.'° largely due to increased prices
of sugar, the chief article imported from Cuba, rather than to
increased quantity. The total rnlue of sugar imported from that
island in 1905 was $64,366,104, exceeding by nearly 8 million dollars
that of 1904 and h_y nearly 2:3 millions that of lt103; while the quantity
of sugar imported into the Cnited States from Cuba in Ul05 Wlls
2,057,ti84,169 pound&. or 762 million pound:; below that of 1904 and
338 mill\on pounds below that of 1903. The other articles which
show an increase in 1905 as compared with immediately preceding
years are leaf tobacco, with an increase of about 1 million dollars over
1904 and 1903, respectively, and cigars, also an increase of about 1
million dollars over 1904 and 1903, respectively. 1n exports to Cuba
from the Vnited States th~ increase occurs in nearly all of the principal articles, but is especially marked in manufactures of iron and
steel, flour, provisions, lumber, and rice.
A marked change has reeently occurred in the trade of the United
States in rice following the development of rice production in the
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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
United State8, which occurred simultaneously with our clo:<er relations with the rice-C'onsuming communities of Porto Rico, Cuba, and
the Hawaiian Islands. The value of rice of domestic production sent
out of the United States in 1905 aggregated $5,361,6-U, against t\667,387 in moo and hut $16,454 in 1895, while the imports of rice in 1905
amounted to but $2,096,190, against $3,445,512 in 1895. The value of
rice hrought into the United States always exceeded that of rice sent
out of thi~ country prior to 1905, hut in that year the value of rice
sent out of the country to its noncontiguous tenitorielil, to Cuba under
the reciprocity treaty, and to other foreign countries was more than
2t times in value that imported.
TRADE WITH THE NONCONTIGUOl'B TERRITORIES OF THE UNITED b"TATE!!.
Tt"tlde with the noncontiguous territories of the U nitccl States-under
which term are included Porto Rico, the Hawaiian lslandi-1, and tlie Philippine Islands, the Midway lsl~nds, Guam, Tutuila, and .Alask~-shows
a marked increase in 1905 over any preceding year. The total value of
merchandise shipped from the United States to these varioul'! noncontiguous territories was t\-13,519,226, against t38,09f3,528 in lOW; while
the rnlue of merchandise shipped from these territories to the U nite<l
States in 1905 aggregated $75,244,665, against '59,138,045 in 1904.
In addition to this there were shipped to the United Stutes i\9,059,023
of gold produced in Alaska and ,10, 733,835 of gold produced in
adjacent territory but sent into Alaska for shipment to the United
States.
The quantity of gold of domestic production received in the l:nited
States from Alaska in 1905 exceeded that of 1904 by nearly 43 per
cent, the total for 1905 being $9,059,023 and for 1904- $6,347,742.
The value of merchandise shipped from the respective noncontiguous
territories to the United States was: From Hawaii, i\36,112,055, of
which i\35,11:2,127 wa.~ sugar; from Porto Ril'o, t\15,633,145, of which
$11,925,575 was sugar and 312,146,846 was cigarN; from the Philippine
Islands, $12,657,904, of which $11,076,286 wa...; manila hemp and
fl,498,39!➔ sugar; and from Alaska., $10,801,44!i, of which $8,381,466
we.s canned salmon, ft,94, 7H4 furs and fur 1,1kim;, and '440,488 copper
ore. The $43,519,2~6 worth of merchandise shipped from the United
Ht.ates to its noncontiguous territories Wll.l; <'Ornposed of nearly all
classes of foodstuffs and manufactures, especially cotton goods and
manufactures of iron and steel.
GOLD AND SILVER MO\'EMEN'r.
The movement of gold and silver in the foreign t.rade of the United
States during the fiscal years 1905 and 1904 wa.q as follows: In 1905
imports of gold, $53,648,961; imports of silver, $27,484,865; total
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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LA.BOB.
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imports of gold and silver, $81,133,826. Export.8 of gold, f92,594,024;
exports of silver, $48,848,812; total exports of gold and silver, 1141,442,836. In 1904 imports of gold, *99,055,3118; imports of . silver,
S27, 768,814; total imports of gold and silver, $126,824,182. Exports
of gold, $81,459,!l86; export".! of silver, $49,47-2.702; total expo1ts of
gold and silver, $130,932,688.
STEAMBOAT-INSPECTIOS SERVICE.
It is the duty of the Steamboat-Inspection Service to inspect the
bulls, boilers, machinery, equipment, and appliance:;;, and to examine
the qualifications of officers, engineeri;, and pilots of certain C'lasses of
yessels for the genera.I purpose of promoting the safety of life in connection with traffic upon the public waters of the l'nited States. The
details of the work of the Service for the fiscal year ended June 30,
1905, are as follows:
EXPE:-181!1!.
The personnel of this Service at the close of the year consisted of
~13 officers and clerks and 1 messenger.
The expenses of the :-;ervice were: For l'lalaries. $325,rn0.16, an
increase over the previous fiscal year of tS.811; for contingent
expenses, ~0,569.69, an increase over the previous year of $11,922.04.
The increase of expenditures under the item of salaries i::,; due to the
appointment of additional assistant irn;p('ctorsand slight advances in the
salaries of n few assistant inspectors who have been long in the Service
and in the saltnies of clerks who have merited the increase hy infolli- •
gent and faithful service. The increase in the contingent expenses is
due, in a great measure, to the travel of the inspector1:1 engaged in the
reinspection and examination of steamers ordered by the Department.
Old and worn-out instrument.'! have been repaired, when possible, and
replaced by new when necessary. Thi:-1 abio has contributed slightl.v
to the increase in contingent expenses.
IXSPECTIOS OF \'ll!l!El..8.
•
The numhe1· of ,·essels irn,pected and ('ertifi<'ated was 8,705, with a total
tonnage of 5,910,8~4, a decrease from th<' previous year of 5!.l6 in the
number of vet1sels and of 73,899 in tonnage. Of this total number
and tonnage of vessels inspected and certificated, there were 328 foreign
passenger steamers, with a total of 1,680,3i6 gro:,i:,i tom,. a decrea:;e
from the previous year of 27 in nnmber and a decrease in tonnage of
241,504:. Therewereinspectedand ccrtifi('ated 7,621domesticstean1ers,
with a total of 3,608, 701 g1·oss ton-., a decrease from 1904 of 575 in
number and an incre~e of 63,175 gross tons: 24-9 moto1· ,•pssels, with
a total of 10,874 gross tons, an int'rease of 43 in number and of 1, 18:~
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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMllEBCE A.ND LABOR.
in tonnage, and 507 sail vessels and barges, with a total tonnage of
610,873, a decrease from the previous year of 17 in number and 596
in tonnage.
OFFICERS LICENSED,
There were licensed during the fiscal year 7,336 officers of all grades,
a decrease from the previous year of 603. There were 1,466 applicants examined for color-blindness, of which number there were
rejected 57.
INSPECTION OF BOILER PL.\TES A~D LIFE-PRESERVERS.
Under the authority of the act of Congress appro,·ed ,January 22,
1894, there were insp~cted at the various mills hy the United States
sssistant inspet·tors of_boilers 4,206 steel plates for the construction of
marine boilers, of which number .J.68 wt>re rejected. The total number
of plates inspected is .441 more than that of the previous year. In
addition to this there were inspected a large number of steel bars for
braces and stay bolts in marine boilers, and sewral hundred plates
were ali-o inspected at the milli- for stock and repairs. There were
received 78 requests from other hmnches of the Government service
for test'> of materials at milh-1, which tesl'I W<'re completed and reports
rendered to the proper officials. There were examined at the different factories during the year 4:J2,313 life-preservers of various kinds,
of which number 4,761 were rejected.
CA!!t: A LTIES.
The total numher of accidents of all kinds resulting in loss of life
on vessel!, subject to the jurisdietion of the Service during the year
was 44, a decrease of 2 from the lust year, and the total number of
lives lost was 251, a decrea.~e of 1.052 from the predous year. Of the
251 fatalities recorded, -H were from :micide and other causps which
no possible precaution could have prevented and 110 were from a<·cidental drowning.
During the year there were carried 842,:W0,3:iO passengers on
steamers required by law to make report of isuch number of passengers, and, estimating that there were earried at least 250,000,000 more
on steamers not required to make such report. it can he safely calculated that nearly 600,000,000 passengers were carried hy steamers
under the jurisdiction of thii- Sen·ice. In this number an average of
1 life was lost for every 2,390,438 passengers earried.
CHAXOES IX LAWS.
Consequent upon the disaster to the Ot?11n·,tl S/0('11111, and as theresult of a careful ~tudy of the conditions of the Ser\'ice carried on
b~· the Departnm1t since the last report. it became dear that both the
statutes und the rules and rt>gulations governing tlw eonstruct.ion,
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BEFORT OP THE SEOBETABY OP COMMERCE AND LABOR.
35
equipment, maintenance, and operation of steamboats required considerable revision and strengthening. A number of bills <·o,·ering the
suhject were therefore prepu.red and submitted to Congress, most of
which were duly emwted. By far the most important change was
that in the salary system for the pay of loc'.al inspectori,;. Under the
old system, 11s provided by statute, the inspectors were paid according
· to the number of vessels inspected and passed. A subHta.ntial premium was thmi actually placed on lax inspection, and the change to a
tixed 88.lary for ea.ch im,pector, regardless of the number of vessel11
inspected, was a most l'!alut.ary one.
These recent acts also made more definite the requirements for lifesaving equipment, eliminated from the statutes c·ertain details which
should r11.ther he treated in the rules and regulations, and al110 established an executive committee of the board of super\'ising inspectors,
composed of three members thereof, with power to make, subject to
the appro,·al of the Secretary, and in the intervals between the meetings of the full hoard, such alterations in the rules as might from time
to time appear nece&ary. This p1·0,,ision bas already justified itself
in relieving many of the hardship1-1 bearing upon steamboat owners by
reason of the faet that meetings of the full hoard were hardly practicable more frequently than once a year.
CHANGES IN RULES AND REGUI.ATIOSS.
A ::-1peeial meeting of the Board of Supervising Inspeetors was held
in Decembl'r, 19<H, and they submitted to tlw ~e<'retary for bis approval an entire preliminary redsion of the rules and regulations.
Public notice of th<' proposed ehanges was widely given, and a public
hearing waH held in the otliee of the Secretary on .January 16, 1»05, at
which nearly all the maritime interests of the <·ountry were represented. After tbil'! hearing nearly two months additional were de,·oted
to these rules, both by the Hoard and h~· variou::-1 officials of the Department, with tlw aid of outside expert" on teehnical subject.;;, and as a
result an entirely new body of rules and regulationli was passed by the
Board and approved hy the Secretary :March 11, 1!)05, and bas since
been in operation. Considering the wide seope of the,;e rules, and
their important commercial hearing upon steamboat interPst..-;, the fact
that hut two or three substantial ohjections ham been rai,..ed to them
sinee that time hy maritime interests, shows the care and eflieiency
with which the work was <lone. These objections werP <·onsidered in
July, 1905, by a meeting of the exeeuth·e 1·ommittPe, and it is believed
they have been met to the 1-1nth;faction of all partit>s.
SPECBL REINSPEC-flO!'{ OF STEA~IERS.
As a further measure of safety, and with a dew also to determining
the general condition of the Serdce, the reinspect ion of ,;teamers. with
the aid of officers detailed from the Navy Departnwnt, wns completed,
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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
and showed in detail the conditions in all the more important districts.
A further inspection, ordered in September, 1905, and made by the
Service itself, showed a great improvement in the condition of vessels
genernlly, and indicated that the work of the Service, with few exceptions, is careful and efficient. It is also pleasing to note that them is
a general cooperation with the Service on the part of the great majority
of steamboat owners in maintaining vessels and equipment at the
desired standard.
RECIPROCAL INTERNATIONAL INSPECTION.
1n pursuance of the prodsious of section HOO, Revised Statutes,
arrangement~ have been entlered into pro,·iding for the reciprocal
exemption from inspection in proper eases of vessels of the United
States and Great Britain, and also the United States and the Dominion
of Canada, thus doing away with a useless duplication of inspection,
and removing an element of considerable hardship hearing upon
important steamboat interests.
Bt:REAU OF 1"ISHERrns.
The primary objects of the Bureau are to maintain and increase the
supply of economic 8.{1uatic animals, to develop the methods of taking
and utilizing them, to determine the extent of the commercial fisheries,
nnd to studJ· the economic aspects of the industry. The phase of the
work which has always been considered most impo1tant is the artificial
propagation and distribution of food fishe,; and the investigation of
related biological problem8, and the report of the Commissioner of
Fisheries shows that the work of hatching and distributing food fishes
in Hl05 was carried on more exten~ively than ever before, owing to
the operation of additional stations, to increa8ed efficiency of methods,
and to unusually favorable seasonal conditions at ce1·tain stations.
Fl8H PROl'.\ClATION.
The aggregate output of fishes (including lobsters) was 1, i51:l,475,000,
of which about 1:18 per cent represented commercial species of great
importance. From the three marine hatcheries on the New England
coast upward of 500,000,000 cod, pollock, flounders, and lobste1·s were
liberated. The river fishes of the Atlantic slope wc1·e hatched at six
8tations, the output of which was over 205,000.000, chiefly shad, salmon,
yellow perch. white perch, and striped bass. The season for shad was
vcr.r poor, owing to peculiar weather conditions, and the take of eggs
was much below the average. On the Great Lakes four hatcheries
and four subhatchel'ies were operated for whitefish, lake trout, and
pike perch, of which 81l3,000,000 were distributed.
The cultivation of the fresh-water fishes of the interio.r streams and
lakes was conducted at 17 stations and 3 auxiliary stations, the out-
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REPORT OP THE SECRETARY OP COMMERCE AND LABOR.
37
put of which exceeded 23,000,000 rainhow trout, brook trout, blackspotted trout, and other trouts, landlocked 88.lmon, grayling, black
basses, crappie1,1, and other indigenous specie..~, a large percentage of
which were reared to the fingerling and yearling size. The 3 hatcheries and 9 1mbhatcheries on the Padtic coast, which are conducted
exclusively in the interests of the t1almon fishery'; have accomplished
very important work, more especially on the Sacramento River, all
previous records being broken in the distribution of over 137,000,000
salmon.
ALASKAN SALMON HATCHERY.
An act approved March 3, 1905, appropriated funds to establish one
or more hatcheries in Alaska, and steps were promptly taken to carry
the law into effect, so that·actual hatching might begin during the cal·endar year 1905. The site selected was in a tributary of Yes Bay, in
the imutheast part of the Territory, as recommended by the special
salmon commission. In <'rder to facilitate the work, the 8teamer
.All>atr088 was detailed to ass~t, and the com;truction of the first Alaskan
hatchery under Government control is now well under way. The
hatchery as planned will have a capacity for 25,000,000 salmon eggs.
FISH LIFE AND IRRIGATION OPERATIONS.
It is important that adequate step!! be taken to prevent the destruction of fish life through failure to provide gates which will prevent
fulh from passing from the streams and reservoirs into the irrigation
ditches of the West. In some States the Jos.~ of food and game fish
from this cause has already become serious. In the event of the failure
of the States interested to meet the eondition properly, a Federal law
may be advisable to ttpply to all waters for the utilization of whieh
the Government has given aid.
INV"EBTIGATIONS.
Biological inquiries and experiments pertaining to useful and commercially important water animals have been conducted in all parts of
the country. The oyster, the most valuable fishery product, the hardshell clam, the green turtle, and the diamond-back terrapin have
received much attention, with special reference to cultivation; the
experiments in the raising of bath sponges from cuttings have progressed satisfactorily; the habits, food, spawning, abundance, etc., of
various important food fishes have been studied, and the aquatic
resources of a number of definite areas have been systematieally investigated. At the biological laboratories at W oo<ls Hole, Mass., and
Beaufort, N. U., studies of the local marine faunas ha,·e been continued and results of immediate or prospective value have been secured.
In October the steamer Albatroxs wu.s dispatched on an important
t;Cientific expedition to the eastern Pacitic Ocean under the direction
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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
of ~fr. Alexander Agassiz. The cruise continued fo1· six months, and
extended from San Francisco to the Galapagos Archipelago, Easter
Island, and the Gambier Islands. In addition to the very extensive
and valuable collections of deep-sea, intermediate, and surface animals, valuable data relatirn to the physics and chemistry of the ocean
were secured.
Statistical cauva.ssel'l and investigations of the fisheries of the Great
Lakes, the Lake of the w·ood-;, and the )Iississippi River and tributaries were completed, and similar canrnsses of the fo1heries of the
Middle Atlantic and Pacific States were in progress at the close of the
year. The return of the important offshore vessel fisheries centering
at Boston and Gloucester, )fa.\!s., has heen published in special monthly
bulletins.
ISTERNATION.~L (.'O:SORF.1!8 OF FISHERIES,
At the Fourth International Congress of Fisheries, held in Vienna,
Austria, in ,June, l!l05, the Department was represented hy the Deputy
Commissioner of Fisheries. An official invitation for the congre:,is to
hold its next session in Washington was accepted, and the time of
meeting selected was September, 1908.
ALASKA~ SAUIO~ FISHERrns.
"
Statistic:- of the Alaska salmon pack for the season of 1905 show
that the business has been generally proi,;perous. Considering the
fact that the number of canneries in operation was 10 less than in
1904 the product in 1905 was comparatively, though not actually,
larger. On ll close estimnte (full reports not yet having been received)
the output wns 1,917,250 cnses, against 2,01:2,~2~ cases in 190-:l-a
decrease of 9,\678 cases. Had all the plnnts been operuted thiwyear,
the season's pack undoubtedly would have exceeded that of 190-:l by
not less than 150,000 cases. The puck of the world (including salted
salmon) will probably he about 4,292,250 cases, against 3,~86,259 in
190-:l-a gain of 1,005,991 cases.
It is ugreed by all experts that in order to nuiintain existing resources
artificial propagation of salmon on an extensive scale is imperative.
Since my last report a Government hatchery has been instulled and
hatching has already begun. Next year the output of this plant should
add materially to the production of salmon fry by privat.e parties,
which this year will aggregate ahout 110,000,000. Nevertheless, the
fry hatched will still be far short of the numbe1· 1·equired to adequately
reenforce nature. It is desirable that the Government should considerably augment its efforts in this direction by establishing additional
hatcheries.
Under the act of )farch 3, 1899, a tax of -! cent.,; per case is levied
and collected on canned salmon and a tax of 10 cents per barrel on
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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE A.ND LABOR.
39
salted salmon. The total revenue (not induding that of the current
year) has been $-129, 781.52, while the expense to the Go,·ernment durinJ? the same period for enforcement of the law for the protection of V
these fisheries has not exceeded $35,000. "~hatever the Go,·ernment
may do in the line of artificial propagation, it is desirable that persons
engaged in the business of salmon packing in Alaska he encouragedto build and maintain hatcheries. To accomplish this it is prohable
that a rebate from this tax, based upon a proper ratio of the annual
pack to the fry libnated by persons maintaining hatcheries, would
afford the ruost satisfactory method of dealing with the question.
Such private hatcheries should he under the supervision of this Department, which should have power to make all necessary mies for their
conduct.
The enforcement of the law for the protection of the Alaskan salmon
fisheries has been thorough, and the situation in this reJ.,rard probably
could not be improved upon except by the recommended changes in
the law.
ENCRO.~CHHENT OF JAPANffiE FISHERMEN.
During the early spring American interests engaged in the Alaskan
fisheries petit.ioned the Department to take steps to prevent the
encroachment of Japanese fishermen on the salmon fisheries of Alaslra.
In the absence of a law prohibiting aliens from fishing in Alaskan
waters, the Department could do no more than investigate the situation. Instructions to this effect were accordingly issued to the special
agents of this Department and, through the Treasury Department, to
the officers of the Revenue-Cutte1· Serviee.
Acting under these instructions Capt. W. H. Roberts, commanding
the revenue cutter Perry, proceeded to Attu Island, the farthermost
island of the Aleutian group, where, on June 27, 11)05, he discovered
four Japanese schooners conducting extensive fishing operations.
The vessels carried substantial crews, were equipped with all neces- .
ssry apparatus for catching, deaning, and salting fish, and when dis- v
covered had taken about 7,500 salmon. They had observed no customs
regulations, were clearly trespassers, and left Sarnnna Bay within
twenty-four hours after the arrival of the revenue cutter. The
reports received by the Department from its i,;pecial agents also show
that during the season three other Japanese schooners entered regularly at Juneau, Alaska. This latter expedition did not attempt to
conduct fishing operations, but bought from .American fishermen.
"While the extent of the operations of alien fishermen bus not thus
far assumed a formidable or dangerous aspect, the situation is nevertheless one which requires immediate attention. The catching, curing,
and canning of salmon is an American industry of great promise. It
is estimated that the value of property invested in this business is
$30,000,000, that the number of employees is 28,000, and that the
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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
value of the annual product is $20,000,000. If the ,Japanese are permitted to take salmon in Alaskan water8, they will not purchase from
American fishermen, and the sale of this c-ommodity to ,Japanese,
which in 1904 amounted to 3,461,194 pounds, valued at t96,265, will
decrease or stop altogether.
In view of the fact that there are estimated to he nearly 900,000
Japane."e families engaged in fit,hing; that Attu island, where the
,Tapanrse expeditions were discovered, is upward of 900 miles nearer
to Tokyo than it is to San Francisco; and that salted salmon is a
favored food among the ,Japanese, it is feared t,hat ,Japanese fishermen will swarm into Alaskan waters in large numbers unless some
preventive action is immediatly taken by this Go,,ernment.
To the end that the foreign demand for Alaskan fisheries products
may be supplied by American fishermen, 1 recommend the enactment
of a law which will absolutely prohibit aliens from fishing in Alaskan
water:-. The administration of this law should he ,·ested in the Secretary of Commerce and Labor, who should be empowered to make and
enforce :mch rules and regulations as may he neces.'11\ry to carry it into
effect.
ALASKAS FUlt-SJo:AL SERVICJo:.
The agents of this Department charged with the management of the
seal fisheries properly enforced, during the past year, the regulationiof the Department designed to exempt from slaughter enough young
male seals to provide an adequate supply of male adults for breeding
purposes. The extent of the diminution in seal life during the pt1.st
year, and the causes thereof, were given careful study. The welfare
of the native inhabitants on the islands received constant attention, as
did also matters in general in which the interest of the Govemment
was involved.
SKl)'IS TAKEN IN ]9()5.
The ~forth American Commercial Company, the lessee of the sealing
right on the Pribilof Islunds, shipped from the islands during the
fiscal yea1· ended ,June 30, 1905, H,3H8 fur-seal skins, of which 13,000
were taken on St. Paul and 1,368 on St. George. Contrasted with
1904, when 13,128 skins were taken, the catch of 1905 shows an increase
of 1,240 skins. This increase is attributable to the regulations enforced
by this Department in 1904, exempting from killing in that. )·ear a
large numbe1· of young males regarded as being too small to furnish
skins of a gh·en weight. These exempted seals, returning to the
islands in 1905, augmented the catch, as already noted.
SEAL.~ RESERVED FOR BREEDING .
In view of the decreai-,e in breeding seals, which hns heen constant
for years, there were selected in 1905 for breeding purposes 2,174
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REPORT 01''· THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
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choice young male seals. In addition, 7,IJ25 young male seals appear
ing in the killing d1fres Wf'l'e dismb:sed as being ineligible for killing
under the Department's regulntions.
PF.L.H,IC !<E.\LISG.
The <lccreai~e in ;a;eal life on the Prihilof L,lands is dire<"tly attributable to pelagic :;ealing, and a :,;trong effort should be made to secure
international r<'gulations which will stop it. The especial fatality
im'oh·ed in this practice consists in the killing of mother seals at sl'a.
Thost> killed in Bering Sea, in addition to being pregnant, barn also a
nursing pup on t-1hore, which, on
, the death of its mother, dies from
starrntion. In addition to this, 50 per cent of all seals killed at sea
sink and are not reco\'erable. For these reasons the skin of every
mother seal secured hy the pelagic :;ealcrs represent<; the dPstruction
of at least four lives from the herd.
Due largely to this wanton destruction of seal life the h<'r<l on the
Pribilof Islands has been reduced from approximately 2,000,000 animals in 18:,,(5 to about 200,000 in 1905. The Government's fin1tncial
interest in this matter lies in the fact that each senl skin taken on these
islands produces a revenue of $10.22½. The ravages of the pelagic
sealers ham reduced the number of skins taken from 100,000 in 1885
to H.368 during the present season.
While the reports for the present year are incomplete, and will
doubtle,,s be augmented by Inter returns, they ure nevertheless sufficient to give an approximate idea of the extent of the operations
of the pelagic 8e.aler::i. The1,e incomplete returns show that dming
the season of 1905 the British Columhian scaling fleet took 2,77H seals
from the Pribilof herd on the northwest coast and 8,634 in Bering
Sea. The C08.$t catch from the same herd by British Columbian
Indians amounted to 7!l2.
A vessel under Mexican registry, <'ailed the Acap,tlco, spent the
summer in taking seals from waters in close proximity to the Pribilof
Islands. It is reported that the master and owners of this craft are
citizen8 of the United States.
With the exception of one vessel, which took 3!:l9 seals on the northwest coast of Americn, the ,Japanese appear to have confined their
operations in 1U05 to the Russian Commander herd. A ,fopnnese fleet
consi!:lting of 30 vessels took 11,007 seals and 172 tien otter. The
Canadian fleet took 1,972 seals from the same herd.
CATCII OF FOXES.
The feeding of foxes on the Pl"ihilof Islands in an effort to domesticate them h8.8 (.'Ontinued during the pai-t year under the supervision of
the agents of the lessee. The taking of the foxes for their pelts is
permitted under proper restrictions, the catch lnst winte1· amounting
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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
to 258 hluc fox skins and 10 white fox skin-. on St. George lshmd, 1
white fox skin on St. Paul Island, and :-n hlue fox skins and 2 white
fox skius on Otter Island. In 18114 all the foxes on Otter Island,
some 15 in uumher, were killed, after which year no trapping took
pla(•e on the island until l!lo5. In thr interrnl lwtween thosP }·ears
enough fox('s readwd the island on the northern drift il'e to allow the
<:atch noted above.·
The <'lltch of fox('s on l-it. GMrge Isl:md in l!IOii shows a decren:,,;e
of ~rn hluc skin:- and 5 white skins from that of the pre\'ious year.
Efforts bare hPen mnke hy th1\ agPnts of this I>t>partment, by the
carl'ful st•h,etio11 of tlw lwst nnimal,; jor hrePd1irf:' and an insistcnee
npun IHI ndcquate i-upply of fox food to he furnislwd hy the lc1-,-ce, to
product' an enlnrged birth rntc and a lt•s-.l'ning of the d1·ath mte
among IH'eeders.
Ul'Rl-~Al' ot· SAYWATJOS.
The total docUlll('ntpd shipping of' the V nitNl ~tatPs on .June 30,
Hl05, consi,-tNI of ::!-!,fiSl n.-.,-eb of all dPscriptioni,;, aggr1·gating
6,45fj,54:1 gross tons. the larg1•:-t tonnage in our history. The total
inere11,-e du ring t.lw year, 16,l,008 gross tons, is h•ss than the 1mnual
increu:,ie for au.,· yenr since lH!ll!. and the tonnug(' huilt, i30,:;rn g-ross
tons, is or)ly ahout 75 per eent of the U\'crugc annual coni,;truction since
moo. The prosp<'et for the current year ii; encoumging. Ou .J ul.r 1
nearly 200,000 tons of steel vessels were under eontmct or ('Onstruction, while on the conesponding date last ~·par l<'ss than 100.000 tons
were building or had heen ordered. The first qmtrter's output is
double that for the first quartet· la.-.t yea1·. Only l,:l00.000 gross tons
of steel merchant shipping were on British ways on ,June 30 lai,;t.
The most l'-atisfactory phase of the year's returns is the increase in
tonnage for tlw foreign trade from 898,ioS gross tons on ,June 3il,
1904, to H54,513 groi,1s tons on the Mme date this yenr. On this
increase is hasNl the inerease of foreign trade carri"d in Ameriean
hottoms from 11.3 pPr cPnt in l!/04 to 12.1 per cent in l!I05, the
largest pt•rcentage since hill-!.
The attention of Congress is espeeially inrited to the small percentage of our exports and import.-. carried in Ameri<"nn bottoms, as also
to the proportionately small share of the passeng<'r traffic on the
Atlantic carried on in Ameri(•an ocean steamers. Collectors of customs at the principal sen ports named in the following :-itntenwnt r('port
that during the past fis<"ul year 240 ocenn stt•amers, mainly of the
highest power, grelltPst dimensions, and most mod('rn construetion,
we1·e engaged in thl' transportation of passengers to the United State::1
under the pttsst'nger net of lSHi. These nssels (•a1-ry steeruge passengers and are of the typPs whit-h maritime powPrs r('ly upon in cnse
of war 1ts auxiliuri('s to their nades. Of this numher only 30 (·at-ry
the American flag. That. number, it should be recalled, comprises
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RJ<'.PORT 01<' THE SECRETARY
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COMMERCE AND LABOR.
43
nearly all the vessels of the Cnited States arnilable as a second line of
defense, while all the foreign nations referred to have passenger
stt-..anu~bip lines running to other countries, and are further augmenting their maritime strength,•narnl as well as commerdal. Only 6 out
of 215 trans-Atlantic pa8i;enger steamers carry the colors of the United
States. On the Pacific coast, due to our expansion in the East, the
disproportion is not so great. Twenty-four out of 49 passenger
steamers to the Orient were American, and the majority of these are
better in mrn,t respect➔ than their foreign competitol'8. The foreign
proportion will, however, increase rapidly with the cessation of the
war between Japan and Russia.
The following table shows in detail the facts above outlined:
___ _ _
_ -=o~ a~d__:t~mshl~:·_ _ _
__ _ . :_
_ Fl~. _
1
:steamen<.I Voyage.~.
I
2I
1
New York, N. Y.:
American ..................................................... 1 American . . . .
Red Star .. . ......................................................... do .•..•... I
Cunard ........................................................ I Brltil!h ....... I
.
I
Anchor ... .. ............................................... ····i···· .do ........ 1
:1~!~.~~~:: :: ::::::::::::::: :::::::::::::::::: :: ::: ::::::::::: c: :!: ::::::: :I
~::; ~ ~:: ~·{1~;~: :::::::::::: : : : ::::::::::::: :::::::::};,:;;.'!:~· ::::::i
Lamport & Holt ............................................... 1.•... do ...... ·· I
I
Hum burg•American ................................. . ......... I ..... do .........
OtherGerman ....................................... . ......... ;..... do . ....... l
Compagnlc G~n~rale Trans-Atlnntlquc .... .. .... .. ........... , French.......
Cyprlen Fabre ...................................... . ....
do ........
4
46
12
10
94
67
~I
I
~I
o
:.!O
i
31
26
:
lo
1:
89
4
68
22
29
27
10
:Savlgnzlone Gcnerale ltallana ................... .. ........... Italian . ...... 1
r.a Veloce ......................................... . ........... l..... do . .......
Other Italian .................................................. 1..... do ........ [
Compullla Trasatldntlca ....................................... Rpanlsh •..... :
10
4 j
7,
6 I
4 I
6
Holland Amerlka .... . .... . .. .. ....... .. .. . .. ...... ....... . ... 1 l>utch .. . ..... I
6 I
45
Unlone ........................................................ 1 Austrian .... . [
6
I
17
······l·· ...
!
12
~~~:~~~~::: : ::: ::: :::: ::::::: :::: :::: :: :: :.;~;.~;!~: : : :
:i
~:
Total ... . ............. .. .................................... ,.... .. ..........
'
=
167 !
852
'
--I--
1
San Franclaco, Cal.:
1=
I
,
Pnclflc Mal!Steamship ...................... . ...... . .......... l Amert~an ....
I
,
16 1......... .
:
[:i~~~~~:~i~;~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::;:~~~;·:~: : : :: !: : : : : :
1
I
·::7~~'!rA~~.~.~::: :: : : : : : : : : :: : : :: : : : : :: : :: :: :: : : : : : : : : : :
I
:;·ii"~~!:::::: :::i : ;:::::: ::: :
.~~~~~~.: ::::,-+s;: : :: : :
T::~~I·~·~::::: :: : : ::: : : :::::::::: ::: : : :: : : : : :: : : : : : : : : : :: :: : :
Jlollton.Maa..:
1= = =
:
I
~ :::: ::: ::::
Total ... . ................... . ................ . ............... ,. ............... 1
15 . .. ...... .
:·1~!~. ~~~.:: ::: ::::: :: ::::::::::: :::: ::: ::::::::: ::::: ::::: :::
~.~.~~:oh.::::::: I
Cunard ......•....•........•..••.•••..•.•...••.••.••.•.........
.••.. do
1
I
,
. . ...... ,_ _·_2 i.:...:..:..:..:.:.:::
=
=
Baltimore, Md.: Norlh Oerman Lloyd .......... . ........ . ........ 1 Gcrmnn .. .. .. 1
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52
44
REPOR'r OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
I
>'tl'l\tnl'n<. Vofl\Ket!.
Port and •tl'lltnshlp line.
I
Phlhvlelphla, Pa.:
Allnn.... .. .. . ... .. ............................................ British ...... .
' __ -
5 : ..... . ... .
:::~ ::;::: ::~ ::: :: :::::::::::::::: :::::::::::: ::::: ::::::::: ::JI·~~;;:~·::::::- - -:-1: ::-::-:::::Total····· ·· ·· ·· ····· · ··········· ·· ······· · ···· · ········· · ·· ·: ········ · ········
I
13 ......... .
,=j=
Portland, )fc.:
llrillsh and North Am,•rll'a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . llrltish . . . . . . .
4
16
Other British . ........... . ....... . .... ..... .........••....... .
do ..•.... · J_ _ _
3 ,_ _ _6
'1
·J·....
Total ........... . ...... .... ... .. ..... . ....................... .... •.•..... .. . ..
I
1 ~1___22
,------
Port Townsend, Wa.•h .:
North Pacific Railroad conne<"llone ... . ... . .....•........ . ... . ' Amerlt'an .... ·
:Slppon Ynsen Kat.11a ............................•....... . .... , Japanese ..... J
I
4
11
2 ·
8
-------
1'otal .•..•...•.... .. ..•......... ...... .. ..... .. ·············l ··· ·· ···· ·· ····1
_ _6_1_ _ _
19
New Orleans, l..a. : Savlgazlone Gcnemle ltallana . .. .. .... .. ... . . lblllan ..... . . 1- - - 2 1
==
SUMMARY.
Flng.
Steamen<., Voyages.
!Stea:e':: ~~:nge~ :·
Amerlc-an ..... . :. . . . . . . . . . . . J
British .... . ......... .. ...
Uennan . . . . . . . . • • . • . . . . .. . . . .
•·n•nch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ltnllan . . ......... . . , . . .. • . . . .
Belgian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dnt,•h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. • . . . . . . .
····I
81
30
117
14
19
9
6
Danish ... .• ... .... ...... . ....
332 Austrian... .. . ... ..... .... ...
:l.iO , Spanltlh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
111
1
HO
f6
14
45
' Japanese.. .. .. ..... ..... .....
6 ,
6
6
8
37
17
12
8
I MIHCellan~-011" · · ·· ··· ···· · · ·· ·: _ _ _
s ___a
'
:
Total ... ..... ... .
2i0 ·
a Incomplete.
The total numhl'r of seamen shipped and discharged on American
vessels (including repeated shipment:-) h1~fore shipping commissioners
wn.s 218,031. Of the :,ieanwn shipped 37,0l:}1' were native Amnicam1,
22,511 naturnlizNl Ameri<·ans, and til,026 were foreignl'rs. The shipping commissioners' sc>rdce wus maintained at a <'Ost of ,5H.2H2.o7,
plm; an Pxpenditure well within the appropriation of $7,llOO for rent
and <>1p1ipnwnt of offic<>s. The precii-e umount can not he stated. as all
out.standing claim:- have not l)(•en settl<•d.
"'hen the revis<•d international rules for preventing <"ollisions at sea
wcr<' promulgat<'d h~· the PrPsidcnt on Del'.ember 31, 18!16, article ll,
relating to li~hts, Ptc .. on fishing- vess<'ls, was hl•ld for further consideration hy the mnritinw powers. Tlw matter ha.-: heen nnd<>r con8idemtion for som<' years, 11ml in Septemht1r the British GO\·ernment
submitted a draft of an artit·h~ cm·1\ring- thl• :-.uhject and complPting
the rcvisl'd intNtmtionnl rnle:-.. Th<~ Depurtllll'nt. is Pngugt'd in ascertaining- the sentiment of the muritime iutcr(•i-t-; of the country upon
the propo:,ied n<'W rule. If it prove fuvomhle, 11 hill <>mhodying the
rule will he tramm1itted to Congress, aud the work undertnken by the.
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BEPOBT 01!' THE SEOBETARY 01!' COMMERCE AND LABOR.
45
Washington International Marine Conference of 1~89 will havc been
completed.
The revised Canadian rules for preventing collisions of ,·essel,; on
the Great Lakes and connecting and tributary waters a:,i far east RM.
Montreal went into effect last April. These rules are substantially the
same as the American rules approved February 8, 1895, for the same
waters. The desirability of uniform American and Canadian rules for
the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence tot.he head of ocean navigation
is manifest. To further the interests of intemational uniformity in
maritime legal conditions, a confe1·ence, at which the United States
was represented, met in October at Brussels to consider especially the
division· of damages in cases of collision, and salvage. The report of
the conference has not yet been receivEld.
The many laws imposing fines, penalties, and forfeitures for violations of ·the navigation laws and laws relating to nssels, their owners~
crews, etc., could with advantage be revised. These laws, it should
be recalled, begin with the earliest and end with the lat:Rst acts of
Congress. Covering over one hundred years and pa.~sed under varying conditions, they carry penalties often quite disproportionate to the
gravity of offenses and inconsistent with one another. Thus, for
example, with modern means of cable communication and the thoroughness of modern quarantine inspection, tlie penalty of $5,000 forfailure to produce duplicate consular bills of health is concededly
excessive. Congress, to be sure. has already provided a r<'medy fo1·
injustice hy empowering the Secretary of Commerce and Lahor to
mitigate or remit these penalties, but a more equitable adjustment of
punishment for violations of the statutes is deemed desirable. The
report of the Commissioner of Navigation giveH details of fines. penalties. and forfeitures considered by the Department during the past
fiscal year.
The annual message of the President transmitted to Congrn:,, on
De<'ember 7, l!.)03, recommended the establishment of a Commi,.;,.;ion,
comptising the Secretary of the Navy, the Postma:-1tcr-(ieneral, and
the Secretary of Commerce and Labor, associated with a proper
representation from the Senat~ and the House of Representative,.;, to
investigate ttnd report upon the legislative needs of the American
merchant marine. Congress, howe,·er, deemed it wise to omit the
three executive officers from the Commission, and the bill rl'ported
by the Commission and subsequently hy the appropriute committeN;
of Congress was not referred to this Department. The Department
stands ready, however, to furnish all the information at its command.
The report of the Commissioner of Na,-igation neces,;nrily <·ontains,
as usual, information hearing upon some phases of the suhje<-t. Pursuant to statute, it also contains recommendations for changes in the
law~ relative to navigation, to which attention is indted.
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46
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION .
The number of aliens who applied for admission during the year1,026,-199-is in excess by 237,50i of the number reported for 1882,
the arrivals during which _vear were in excess of those during any year
prior to rnoa, and 213,629 in excess of the arrivals in 190-1. \Yith
respect to the sources from which these immigrants are de1fred, it is
interesting to note that, compared with the corre:;ponding figures for
the last year, the quota from Russia increased by 39, 7ii6; from Italy
28,183, and from the United Kingdom -19,5-1-1. Thi'> and much other
information of practical value upon the subject of alien immigration
is shown in the annual report of the Commissioner-General of Immigration, to whieh att~ntion i8 directed.
The important fruture i8 that more than a million aliens ha,·e been
added to our population in the ('OUr8e of tweh·e months, a fact that
suggcsh; the necessity of considning whether some adequate nwasure
should not be adopted so to limit the number of arrirnls us t.o lessen
the obviou:'l dangers from our alien population increa.;;ing more
rapidly than it cun he assimilated. Various suggestions have heen
made with this end in dew, hut there is none which promises so
effecth-ely to control the actual number of arrirnls as the suggestion
of the Connnissioner-Geneml that the numher brought on any vessel
should he limited so as to hear a fixed ratio to the tonnage of such
vess<'I. Such il plan would furthermore have the additional advantage that it would remorn the temptation t.o hring aliens of whose
admissibilit~· there could he any question, as "ell as 1n-oid the unsanitary conditions resulting from overcrowding in the :;teemge.
Of the total arrivals, it is shown that l 75,H2-1 had l'l'sided in the
United State:; before, thus ind i('ttting a net increase in our population
of about 850,000, a numher which is further reduced by the ll,-180
persons rejected dul'ing the year. These figures, howerer, are not
entirely relinhle, because the only information as to the former residence of aliens in this l'Ountry is that given by the aliens themselves.
The actu1\l annual increase from immigration is a matter of such
importance as to justify legislation requiring the transportation lines
to furnish complete manifc:,ts of aliens departing from the Cnited
States on their ves.-,cls.
Those denied ndmission, 11,480, represent only about 1 per (•ent of
the total. That they do not represPnt all, however, who should he
refused admission is dear from the fuct that many of those admitted
in prndous years have become public churge:a; or have been found to
he hern in dolation of law after admission. Of su('h, 8-15 were discovered during the year, and after a hearing as fo their right to be in
the l' nitcd Stah's were deported. :\lany are not <lisl'overecl, and many
who arc not within the excluding prodsions of the law are mwerthe-
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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
47
less a detl'iment to the United States. Among these may be reckoned
the large number of children, whose parent.-. ha,·e been left behind,
who seek admission, professedly to go to school.
These C'hildren are in many instances, it has been learned, brought
he1·e under tbe padrone system to be used as hootblacks and in other
capacities for the profit of those who deal in child labor. In view of
this condition, it is mged that there be added to the <·lasses of aliens
now exeluded from admission to the United States all children under
17 )'eari. of age unaccompanied by their parents, unless coming to join
parents already resident in this country who are able to support them.
I de..;;ire also to urge upon Congress, as recommench•d by the Commissioner-General, the neeessity of lol'ating at fon,ign ports of
embarkation, medical and immigrnnt inspeetors as 11 means of prPventing the departure for the Vnited States of those who are ex('lnded hy
law. Such an arrangement promises a more effecth·e enfor<"emeut of
the law, since it estahlishcs officers of thi:-; Uo,·ernmcnt 1warer t.o the
[,;Ources of information, by whieh means <lisea:se<l or mentally unsound
aliens, and those who have been convil'ted of some moral offense, will
be prC\·ented from embarking for this country upon the chanee of
eluding the vigilnnce of inspection officers at our ports.
With respeet to the present provision of law in rej_,rard to the aliens
upon whose account the head tax is eollectihle, it is important that the
law which existed from 1882 to mo~ be restored hy repealing that pro,·ision in the last immigration act which exempted the transportation
lines from the payment of head tax on aliens in trarn,it. The effort to
adminh;ter this feature of the law and at the same time pre\·ent its
evasion upon the pretense t.lmt aliens renlly intend to pass through the
United States has been productive of mueh embarmssment, and is
obviously of no henefit to the alien so exempted. Such transits during
the year under consideration reached a total of 33,256, or 5,-112 more
than the preceding year.
There should also he an amendment placing aliens who have resided
in fot·eign contiguous territory for more than one year upon the snme
footing as the citizens of such territory in regard to the payment of
bead tax, :-;uch residence being within the reason which it is undenitood
occasioned the exemption of citizens, namely to avoid a restriction of
intercourse with neighboring nations.
In addition to the foregoing changes in regard to the payment of
~he head tax, it is recommended that diplomatic officers of foreign
countries coming to the United States aeross our land boundarie:-;
should not be subject to the collection of the head tax.
CHl:-(ESE EXCLt:SIOS.
Of the exempt das:;es of Chinese applying for admi:-;sion for the
fir:;t time, 800 out of 1,08-! were admitted an<l :l8-! deported during the
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48
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE A~:D LABOR.
year; while of til8 applying for r<'a<lmission al'! domiciled nw1·chants,
54S were allow<'d to land and iO wt>re df'portt>d. During the ,;ame
period all but 5i of ti80 returning lal,ort>rs were allowed to enter.
There were also allowed to ent<•r the C nited Stnt<'s during the year
634 Chirwse personl'I who were found to I)(• dtiz<'l1l'I of this <'Ountry,
having heen horn here. Thus the number of Chinese rwr,.;ons who
entered the UnitRd Stutes for. the first time dudng the past yeur was
800. The total number of Chinese admitted to the Cnih•d States
during the past year was 2,605.
The agitation of the subject of Chinese exclusion during the past
year suggest.s the necessity of a critical consideration of our laws.
We can not expect to establish close commercial relations with a country against whose people alone we barn an exclusion law, unless that
law is so framed as to do no more than is necessary for the protection
of the United States. ltis assumed that the exclusion of those Chinese
persons whose coming both China and the United States a\'Owedly
desire to prevent is a settled policy, hut such policy should be so
enforced as to endanger neither the commerdal intercourse of the two
countries nor the reputation of this GO\•ernment for acting justly and
in good faith.
·
China offers a fertile field for American products and American
manufactures, but if the price to he paid for trade with China is the
unrestricted immigration of Chinese of all classes, then, in the interest
of American labor and Ameri<'an <·itizenship, we had better forego
entirely that trade. I heliern that there are amendments which can
and properly should be made in the present laws-amendments which
will in no wise weaken them, hut will r(\move the injustice and hardship, app1trent or aetual, incident to their administration. One of the
chief sources of such injustice has O<'en the rejection, after arrival at
our ports, of those Chin<'sP. p!>rsons possessed of certification of their
right to enter, both from their own and om· Government.
The denials were n<'ct>ssa1·ily made because thei-;e persons. aceording
to their own statenwnts, had imposed upon the two Governnwnts and
secured C<'rtiticates hy misreprt>sentation. None the less it was a hardship, aftPr so much expenditnrf' and such n long journey, to he rE>turned.
To obvinte this difficulty I have to urge. ai-; hus h<'en recommended hy
the Commis.-.ioncr-( rl'neral also, that suitnhle prodi-;ion he mnd<' for the
ii-;suance of certificates to persons of tht> exempt clnsscs in China hy
agents of the Department of Commerce and Lnbor, and that the action
of these ag1•11t1:1 he hased ,;iolely upon the permission of the Chim's~
(iovcrnmcnt fo end1 nl<'mher of an exempt clni-:s d<'siring to go to the
Cnitcd ::-;tates. lmdng- the agents to asecrtain whether the per:-011 thus
pt>rmittNI is entitled to eome to this country. E,·cry Chitwse P<'rson
furnished with a C'ertitieatc in the manner descl'ih(•d ahove should he
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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LA.BOB.
49
admitted at once upon his arrivalat a port of the United States simply
upon being identified as the person to whom imch certificate was issued.
In those foreign countries, other than China, in which Chinese of
the exempt classes reside the permission should be granted hy any
Chinese consular officer, or, in the absence of such representative, by
any consular officer of the United States, unless China has designated
some person for that purpose in said country, and the certificate should
be is..~ued by United States consular or diplomatic officers. This recommendation is made because of the failure of China to designate,
since the termination of the treaty of 1894, an officer in Guatemala to
grant such pennission. As a result of this a Chinese merchant
located in that country, doing an annual business in cotton and silk
goods of nearly $300,000 gold, was unable to carry out his design of
visiting the United States in person to make those purchases which
heretofore he has made through commission houses. The obvious
result of this condition is detrimental to the commercial interests of
the United States.
There is another feature of the existing law, working unnecessary
hardship and involving a large expenditure of money, that should be
repealed. The Chinese laborer lawfully possessed of the certificate of
residence should he allowed to visit his own country and return to the
United States without other condition than his identification at the
time of his retum. He is now required to pron that he has unliquidated debts due him in this country to the amount of $1,000, or property of like amount, or a wife, parent, or child rei,ident here, in order
to reenter aft~r a temporary ahsenee.
This absence is al:;o limited to one year, unle:,:s in case of sickness
or other unavoidabJe <'ause, and even in that event to two years. The
result of this legislation is to prevent Chinese laborers from visiting
their own homes-an unquestioned hardship and one, apparently, that
has no justification, since it keeps such Chinese persons in the United
States. There is, besides, the further consideration that the cost of
making investigations of such claims is a very considerable item in
the total expense of enforcing the Chinese exclusion laws.
There is still another recommendation of the Commissioner-General
which is urged for the consideration of Congress as a means to rendering the exclusion policy less open to the charge of unnecessary
severity. I belie\·e that all Chinese in the l'nited States at some
recent, fixed date should be g111n ted certificates of residence, so devised
as to avoid the risk of counterfeiting, and that all Chinese persons
found engaged after the period of sm·h r<'gistration in any other occupation than su(•h at-1 may be lawfully pursued, if without such certifieate, shall be deemed to be unlawfully in the United Stntes, and shall
he arrested and deported from this country upon Department warrant,
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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
as is now done in the case of aliens found in the V nited States ·in violation of the immigration laws.
This measure would also largely reduce the cost of administering
the law, as is shown by the fact that 1,402 Chinese persons were
under arrest during the year, all of whom were charges for a greater
or less length of time upon the appropriation for the maintenance of
Federal prisoners, and who also occupied the time of the court'> and
the officers of justice, and 647 of whom were deported at an expense,
simply for the cost of transportation, of about $60,000.
It is irnpractil'able to estimate, with any approximate exactness, the
other costs, such a.s offi(.'er8' salaries, expenses of attendance on trials,
cost of arrest, and many other items which are incurred in the expulsion, under the present system, of each Chine;;e person found to be
unlawfully in the Cnited States. There is involved also, under the
existing s_yi;tem, the imprisonment, for varying lengths of time, of
Chinese persons charged with unlawful residence in the United States,
since the law forbids their relea1'le on hail pending the execution of an
order of deportation. This imprisonment, although purely for the
purpose of preventing escape, is in etTeet a punishment, and one which
has been the occasion of much resentment.
If the foregoing suggestions are adopted by Congress, I believe that
the occasion for complaint of the hardships invoked in enforcing the
Chinese exclusion laws will he removed. I tun convinced, likewise,
that the law will be evei1 more effective of its d<>!'hLrl'd purpose, thus
furnishing the hest assurance of the reestllhlislunent of those relntions
with China which are essential to that freedom of commer('ial intercourse so much to he desired, both for business consideration:. and
upon grounds of international comity and good will.
The cost of administering the immigration law during the past
year has been $1,50H,t101.13, and there is now on hand a balance of
$1,841,044.53.
The cost of enforcing the Chinese exclusion law has been $533,223.11,
leaving a halance of $1io,7i6.89 on hand from the appl'opriation of
tooo,ooo.
Inasmuch as the Chinese exclusion law is an immigration law, regulating the admillsion of Chinese aliens into the United States, and, furthermore, since said Chinese alien~ are subjects for the head tax, it is •
submitted for the consideration of Congress whether it would not be
wise to pay the cost of administe1·ing hoth lttw1:1 from the immigrant
fund, which showed the large, unexpended balance above stated at the
close of the fiscal year.
Bt:IU-:AU 01' STANDARDS.
The work of the Ilul"eau of :--tandards has greatly increased during
the year, and the variety of the requests which have been receh·ed
for the testing and standa1·dizing of apparatus and the making of tests
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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
51
for which the Bureau is prepared indicates an extending appreciation
and use of the facilities afforded by the Bureau for this important
work. During the year 16,6-H standards and measuring instruments
were tested, an increase of 115 per cent over the number of tests made
during the previous fiscal year.
In .January a conference on the subject of weight.,; and measures,
attended by the sealers of weights and measures of the variow, States,
was held at the &reau. Important results in the matter. of securing
uniform legish1.tion on the subject of weights and measures are
expected to come from this meeting, and it was arranged to hold a
similar <·onference next year.
Two bulletins were h;sued during the year, containing papers on
subjects connected with investigations, researches, and testing of the
Bureau, and a compilation of ., Laws Concerning the V1-' eights and
Measures of the l:nited 8tates" wat-1 issued for the use of the Bureau
and for State and city officials having in eharge matters pertaining to
weights and mea..".lures.
The physical laboratory has been completed according to the original plans, enabling the Bureau to transfer its entire work permanently
to its new quarters. The construction of the low tempemture laboratory within which will be placed the facilities for testing low temperature apparatus is well under way. The appropriations for the
improvement of the gl'Ounds have been only sufficient to con:itruct
temporarily the most necessiiry roads and to do a small amount of
grading.
The instrument shop has been equipped in a modern and efficient
manner and has been of great 8ervi<'e to the work of the Bureau.
.Many prohlems and tests undertaken require special apparatus which
can not be bought in the open market, and such apparatus can be constructed better and more cheaply under the personal super\'i,;ion of
the expert.-, who have planned it and who will superintend its use.
WEIOllTS AND ~E.UlVRES.
The precision balances of the Bureau have been mounted. The new
25-kilogram balanee is about fifty times as sensitive as the old halance
formerly u1,ed by the office of weights and measure,;. Secondary
standards of mass are being established and more rigid specifications
in regard to weights 1mbmitted for test ham.been prepared, which it
is expected will result in an improvement in the quality of weights
submittR.d. Ai1 accurate comparator for intercom paring line and end
standards has been constructed in the instrument shop of the Bureau
according to designs prepared by the Bureau. The length compllrators in the tunnel are being installed. These will be used for te:,iting
engineers' tapes and precision tapes used in geodetic work.
Methods have been perfected for accurate and rapid tci-ting of ,·olumetric apparatus, and considerable testing has been done for the
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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
public and Government service. Preparations for the work of testing
time-measuring apparatus have been carried forward dui:ing the year.
The standard Rietler clock has been temporarily mounted and tested
by noon signals received from the Washington ::'\avy-Yard by wireless
telegraphy.
BEAT AXD THERMOMETRY,
The work in the section on thermometry and pyrometry carried on
during the year included the t{lsting of thermometers of all kinds,
various forms of pyromet~rs for the measurement of high temperatures, and the detem1ination of the calorific values of fu<:ls. During
the year over 13,000 thermometers of various kind!e were tested,
including laboratory standards, d~ep-sea and clinical thermometers,
industrial thermometers of various types, and the standards used by
manufacturers. A number of thermomr.tric, radiation, and expansion
pyrometers were tested for the metallurgical and cemmic industries.
Ll<IHT AXD OPTICAL IX~TRDJE:-;TS.
The completion of the new laboratory mad~ it possible for se,·eral
important optical problems to be t~lken up and some testing has been
done in eonnection with polariseopic apparatus and standards. The
spectro:wopic work has hcen contined chiPfly to determining the laws
and conditions governing pure spectm with a view to t.heir applieation
in i;;pectros<'opic methoch,, and the determination of :,;tandard warn
lengths and their use in optical methods of measurements.
The work in polarimetry has inclu<lcd the examination of methods
an<l apparatus used in the polariscopic analysis of sugar. During the
year predsion. polarizing apparatw:i has been designed and huilt in the
Bureau's instrnmcnt shop. An necumte quartz compensation polariscope bas been ass('tnbled and a numher of quartz control plates have
been sl'cured for use as primary standards. A large amount of sugar
testing has heen done for the Treasury Department, the principal ports
sending samples of imported sugars daily to the Bureau, and the results
of the tests are forwarded to the Secretary of the Treasury to check
the accuracy of each day's work at these ports. The Bureau is eoopemting with the Treasury Department in establishing improved
methods of polarisC'opic analysii; of sugar.
T&'!TIN<i OF ll.\TERIAl,8 AXD ESUIXEERIXO 1:-;STRl':IIESTS.
There ha.-; heen an increasing demand for tests of materiah, and miscellaneous engineering inst.rumentli, and it is important that the fad).
ities for this work be increa.-.ed. The t~sts made during the past year
include different, type:. of water meters, ,-peed indicators, a paper
tester, wire C'abl(', mm·ilnges, and cements.
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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR.
53
ELECTRIC.\L WORK.
The electrical work of the Bureau is divided into five principal
groups or sections. The first has to do with resistance and electromotive force, the second with magnE>tism, the third with inductance
and capacity, the fourth with a wide range of electrical measuring
instrument-;, and the fifth with photometry. The establishment of
the electrical work in the new quarters has enabled the Bureau to
begin several investigations relating to fundamental electrical units
and standards. This is especially important in view of the coming
International Electrical Congress at which the Bureau will he expected
to contribute the results of its work.
The work of the first section of the electrical division includes the
construction and verification of staridards of resistance and of electromotive force and testing of all kinds of preeision apparatus for measuring these quantities. The second section is derntcd to magnetic
measurements, the testing of magnetic materiali,. and instruments: and
to researches on the absolute measurement of electric current. The
third section is concerned with the measurement of inductance and
capacity, the testing of instruments and stim<lards, the investigation
of methods of measurement, and the determination of some of the
fundamental electric·al units.
The fourth section t~sts a rnriety of electrieal measuring instruments
used both in scientific laboratories and in commercial work for the
measurement of current, voltage, and power for both direct and alternating current<;. The fifth section, photometry, includes t}1e tPsting
of standard lamps for other laboratories and the testing of lamps supplied by manufacturers to various Departments of the Go,·ermnent.
Much time during the past year has been devoted to the investigation
and development of new photometric apparatus aml to an experimental
study of important practical questions in photometr_};.
CHEMICAL WORK.
The chemical laboratories in the new building were not equipped
for use until March, 1905. In addition to the planning and installation of the permnnent equipment of the laboratories, work has been
undertaken upon standards of pu1·ity for chemical reagents, upon
standard methods of technical analysis, and in the preparation of
standard samples of iron and steel for the use of chemists in industrial
laboratories. At the request of this Department an<l of other Departments of the Government, a number of :-;uhstances have been cxumined
physically and chemi<'ally with a view to determining i-timdanh- and
standard specifications to be employed in the purcba,.;e of Government
supplies.
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REPORT OF TliE SECRETARY OF COl\lMERCE AND LABOR.
SPECIAL AGEXTS ·TO INVESTIGATE TRADE CONDITIOXS ABROAD.
The act of :February 3, 1»05, making appropriations for the legis)atin, executive, and judicial expen:-es of the Government appropriated
$30,000 for the investigation hy special agents of trade conditions
abroad, with the object of promoting the foreign commerce of the
United States. In accordance with that act four ag-ent.~ were appointed
and assigned, one to South America, one to C1inada and Mexico, one to
Japan, and one to China. These agents have forw1trded reports to the
Department, which have been published in the Daily and Monthly Consular and Trade Reports. These reports, together with eonclusions and
recommendations, will be presented to Cor,gress in due time.
Bt;ILDINO FOR Tim DEPAUTJ\ll<~NT.
\Yhile I do not at thiR time press the question of erecting a suitable
building for the Department, it seemR to me imperative that Congress
should at once authorize the leasing, for a term of years, of a huilding large enough to aecommodnte the val'ious bureaus and offices
of the Department now ocmpying rented buildings. ~rhe locations of
· the:c-e buildings and the amounts appropriated for rentals for the fiscal
year Hl05-fi are ~hown by the following table:
- - - --
- . -- -
~ -
Occupied b)"-
Locution.
- - - - --
Annual
rental.
Willard Building, 613-.'>15 t'ourte,•nth str.•ct NW . . · D<>partment (mnin building} . . . ....... :!1 I. :<:I0. 00
Em<>r)" Building. northwest ,·onier First and B I Bureau or the CNtsllR . . . .. . .. . .. .. . ... . 21 , 000.00
streets :SW.
~'04 ancl 206 f·onrtN•nth street NW .... . ... .. ..... . Hur<>nu of the Census (ston1ge pnrpo,<PS)
1.0!!0. 00
:Satiunnl f"nre DPJ>OSit Rnilding. ,•orner :Sew York Burenu of J..nbor..... ....... . .. . . .. . ....
6, ili0. 00
avenne 11ml t'ift.•enth strt.-el NW.
Do . . .. . . . ... ......... . ..... . ..... . .... . . . . .... 1 B11r.•1m or Labor (rooms for stnmge)...
7/iO.OO
Bull<l,•r:<· Exchange Building, 719-721 Thirtl'cnth Llght-11011!!(> Boud, !<tenmboat•lnspec7,(.00. 00
strt•et :SW. (in µ11rlJ . .
tion Service, 1111d Bureau of JS11vlg11- ,
lion.
,
Adams Builcling, 133.'\-133-"> F street XW. (in part) .. Bureau of Statistirs • . . •• .. .. . •• . •• . • .••
4,039. 80
1137-1139 St•v"nteenth street XW .... . •. . ... •.... . Department (stllhlt'S) .. ..... .. ... . . ....
I, 200. 00
I
Totnl.. ... .. .... ...... .. ........ . ... . ........ . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M; 249. 80
It will be seen from the foregoing statement that the buildings now
oc<'upicd by the Department are about 1½ miles apart cast and we;;t,
and ahout one-third of a mile apart north and south. The delay,
inconnrnience, and expense in<·ident to the transaction of daily business
by so scattered an org-anization are sclf-eddent.
The rent of a building large enough to accommodate these
bureaus and offiecs would, in my judgment, he at least Sl00,000
a yeiir. But the assembling of the bureaus and offices of the
Depurtment under one roof would result in a sa\'ing in the cost of
administration on a ,·ery conserrnth·c C'stimate of at least 866,000 a
year, thus more than compensating for the increased rental. This
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REPORT OF THE SECRJ!:T.ARY OF' COMMERCE AND LABOR.
55
saving would result from a reduction in the clerical force, made possible
by consolidation of the libraries and the disbursing and appointment
work of outlying bureaus and offices, from a reduction in the subclerical force, including watchmen, engineers, charwomen, laborers,
elevator conductors, mechanics, and the like, and thl'Ough economy
of time and service and a saving in fuel, electric lights and power,
printing, horses, wagons, and telephones.
V. H.
METCALF,
Searetary.
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