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SPECIAL
COLLECTIONS

HF
73
.U6
U553
1924

TWELFTH ANNUAL REPORT

OF T H E

SECRETARY OF COMMERCE
1924

P R IC E 20 C EN TS

Sold only by the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office
Washington, D. C.

W A SH IN G T O N
G O V E R N M E N T P R IN T IN G O F F IC E
1924

ORGANIZATION OF THE DEPARTMENT
[Novem ber 1, 1924]

Secretary o f Commerce__________________________
Assistant Secretary of Commerce__________________

H erbert H oover .
.T. W alter D r a k e .
S o lic ito r_________________________________________________ S t e p h e n B. D a v is .
Assistant to the Secretary----------------------------------- William R. Snyder.
Chief Clerk and Superintendent___________________ Edward W. Libkey.
D is b u rs in g C le rk ________________________________________ C h a r l e s E . H olster .
Chief, Appointment Division______________________ C lifford H a s t in g s .
Chief, Division of Publications____________________ T h o m a s F. M c K e o n .
Chief, Division of S u p p lie s______________________________ R a l p h B. B ro nso n .
Director of the Census----------------------------------------- W il l ia m M. S teu a r t .
Director, Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce__ J u l iu s K l e in .
Director, Bureau of Standards____________________ G eorge K. B u r g ess .
Commissioner of Fisheries____!_____1______________ H enry O 'M a lley .
Commissioner of Lighthouses_____________________ G eorge R. P u t n a m .
Director, Coast and Geodetic Survey_______________ E. L ester J o n e s .
Commissioner of Navigation---------------------------------- D avid B. C a r so n .

Supervising Inspector General, Steamboat Inspection
S e rv ic e _________________________________________________ G eorge U h l e r .

CONTENTS
F 'a ite

Introductory statement____________________ ;____________________

Part I.—ECONOMIC PROGRESS
Industry_____________________________________________________
Agriculture___________________________________________________
Transportation_______________________________________________
Banking and finance___________________________________________
Dawes plan___________________________________________________
Foreign trade________________________________________________

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8

Part II —ELIMINATION OF NATIONAL WASTE
Unemployment and tlie business cycle_____________________________
Wastes due to seasonal construction_____________________________
Bituminous coal industry_______________________________________
Interconnection of electric power andlighting systems_______________
Revision of Federal and State purchasing specifications_____________
Improvement in technical processes------- -------------------------------------Simplified practice_____________________________________________
Better practice in distribution___________________________________
Reducing housing costs_________________________________________
Better homes_________________________________________________
Street and highway safety--------------------------------------------------------Trade associations_____________________________________________
Other activities_______________________________________________
Economies in the Lighthouse Service_________________________
Conservation of coastal fisheries_____________________________
Foreign raw material problems_______________________________
Radio____________________________________________________
St. Lawrence waterway_____________________________________
Development of Colorado River______________________________
The Rio Grande___________________________________________
Conferences with commerce and industry______________________
Administration____________________________________________

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Part III.—LEGISLATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS
Reorganization of the Department of Commerce_____________________
Adequate building for department________________________________
Federal taxes on Americans resident abroad_______________________
Fees charged for passports_____________________________________
Revision of the navigation laws__________________________________
Admeasurement of vessels______________________________________
Load-line law________________________________________________
Home port of vessels___________________________________________
Liability of ocean cargo carriers_________________________________
Trade zones__________________________________________________
Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce________________________
Bureau of the Census______ i___________________________________
Steamboat Inspection Service____________________________________
Lighthouse Service_____________________________________________
Aviation_____________________________________________________
Radio_______________________________________________________

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CONTENTS

P a r t IV .—SPEC IA L AND MORE D ETA ILED REPORTS OF T H E D IF FE R E N T BUREAUS
AND DIV ISIO N S OF T H E DEPARTM ENT AND SPEC IA L RECOMMENDATIONS OF
T H E IR DIRECTORS
Page

Page
A dm inistrative D iv isio n s of t h e
Of f ic e of t h e S ecretary -------S um m ary________________________
Need for a Governm ent-ow ned
b uilding-----------------------------------D isbursing office__________________
A p p ro p riatio n s and expenditures
A ppo in tm en t d iv ision____________
Division of p u b licatio n s_________
In crease in p rin tin g costs_____
Sales of d e p a rtm e n t’s publica
tio n s________________________
D ivision of su p p lies_____________
P u rc h ases_____________________ F ed eral R eal E s ta te B o ard _____
C o n tra c ts and a d ju s tm e n ts___
Traffic office_____________________
D ep artm en t lib ra ry ______________ 1
W ork of th e so licito r’s office_____
In c re a se of w o rk ------------------------M iscellaneous s ta tis tic s __________
T able 1.— T o ta l ap p ro p riatio n s,
1924________________________
T able
2.— Item ized
disburse
m ents, 1924__________________
T able 3.— T reasu ry w a rra n ts,
1924________________________
T able 4.— E x p en ditures, 1924_
T able 5.— M iscellaneous receipts,
1924________________________
T able G.— U nexpended balances,
1924___
T able 7.— S um m ary of unex
pended balances, 1 916-1924T able 8.— P ersonnel, 1924-------T able 9.— C lassification of per
sonnel, J u ly 1, 1924________
T able 10.— Changes in person
nel, 1924____________________
T able 11.— L eave of absence,
1924________________________
T able 12.— P rin tin g an d bind
in g---------------------------------------Table 13.— Sales of publica
tio n s------------------------------------T able
14.— D ep artm en t sh ip
m ents, 1924________________
B ureau of t h e C e n s u s ____________
In tro d u c tio n _____________________
I n s titu tio n a l p o p u latio n ________
V ital s ta tis tic s ___________________
B irth s an d d e a th s_____________
M arriage and divorce__________
E stim ates of p o p u latio n __________
E lectrical in d u strie s_____________
B iennial census of m a n u fa c tu re sCensus fo r 1921______________
Census fo r 1923______________
A nnual s ta tis tic s of m an u factu re s

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B ureau of t h e C en s u s — Continued.
C u rren t in d u stria l and business
s ta tis tic s ____________________ S urvey of c u rre n t business-----Sem iannual,
q u a rte rly ,
and
m onthly census in q u iries-----W ealth, public debt, and ta x a
tion ___________________________
F in an cial s ta tis tic s of S ta te and
city governm ents---------------------S ta tistic a l a tla s --------------------------Special in fo rm atio n for o ther
F ederal offices or for organiza
tio n s and in d iv id u als--------------Census of ag ricu ltu re, 1925-------M echanical la b o ra to ry ---------------Increase in w ork______________
Im provem ents and econom ies____
C en tralizatio n of field w ork___
E n listm e n t of aid from indus
tr ia l an d
com m ercial o r
g a n iz a tio n s--------------------------C ooperation of m a n u fa c tu re rs_
C ooperation of S ta te re g istra rs
of v ital s ta tis tic s ___________
C ooperation of S ta te , county,
and city officials_____________
E ncouragem ent of S ta te officials
to collect m arriag e an d d i
vorce d a t a ________________
A voidance of d u p licatio n ______
R eorganization o f tab u latio n
for in d u stria l censuses______
C en tralizatio n
of m echanical
tab u latio n __________________
P rom ptness of pu b licatio n -------R eduction of p rin tin g costs____
Effect of reclassificatio n ________
R ecom m endations fo r ch an g es in
census law s--------------------------In d u s tria l an d business s ta tis
tic s—--------------C o tto n ____________________
Stocks o f leaf tobacco---------—
B ureau of F oreign and D om estic
Com m erce _____________________
R egional d iv isio n s-----------------------G eneral c h a ra c te ristic s of w ork
A chievem ents of re p re sen tativ es
in w estern E urope an d S outh
A fric a ___________«----------------W estern E uropean division a t
W ashington__________________
W ork of rep re se n ta tiv e s in e a s t
ern E urope an d L e v a n t-------E a ste rn E uropean an d L ev an
tin e division a t W ashington
F ield rep re se n ta tiv e s in th e F a r
E a s t________________________

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CONTENTS
Paga

B ureau of F oreign and D om estic
B u reau o f S ta n d a rd s — C ontinued.
Commerce — Continued.
Sim plified p ra c tic e ______________
Regional d ivisions— Continued.
B uilding a n d housing ____________
F a r E a ste rn division a t W ash
W eights an d m easures___________
in g to n ______________________
93
E le c tric ity _______________________
A ctiv ities o f field re p re se n ta
H eat an d pow er________________
tiv es in L a tin A m erica---------94
O p tic s ___________________________
L a tin
A m erican division a t
C h em istry _______________________
W ash in g to n ----------97
M echanics and sound____________
C om m odity d iv isio n s-------------------OS
S tru c tu ra l, engineering, and m is
F u n ctio n s an d services common
cellaneous m a te ria ls___________
M e ta llu rg y ---------------------------------to a ll com m odity d ivisions---98
.A gricultural im plem ents divi
C e ra m ic s________________________
T he office_______________________
sio n _________________________
98
O peration an d c o n stru c tio n ---------A utom otive d iv isio n___________
90
C hem ical d iv isio n _____________
100
G eneral recom m endations------------P e r s o n n e l_____________________
Coal d iv isio n --------------------------101
E lectrical equipm ent division_
102
A dditional l a n d -----------------------F oodstuffs d iv ision____________
103
P ow er p la n t----------------------------H ide an d le a th e r d iv ision______
104
C are o f buildings______________
In d u s tria l m ach in ery d iv isio n —
105
T ra n s fe r of m ain ten an ce of th e
Iro n an d steel d iv ision-------------100
b u reau ’s b u ildings----------------L um ber d iv isio n _______________
107
Needed su p p o rt for te s t w ork—
P a p e r d iv isio n ---------------------------108 B u reau o f F i s h e r i e s ----------------------P etro leu m d iv isio n-----------------109
A laska fis h e rie s--------------------------R ubber d iv isio n -------------------------110
A laska fur-seal service----------------Shoe an d le a th e r m an u factu re s
Com m ercial fisheries and fishery
division«.____________________
111
in d u s tr ie s -------------------------------S p ecialties d iv isio n______________
112
P ro p a g atio n an d d istrib u tio n of
T ex tile d iv isio n_______________
114
f is h e s __________________________
C onservation of fishery resources«
T ra n s p o rta tio n d iv ision_______
115
L ig h t h o u s e S e r v ic e _______________
In v e stig a tio n s of raw m a te ria ls
an d a g ric u ltu ra l p ro d u c ts-----------117
M ore im p o rta n t ac tiv itie s of th e
T echnical divisio n s------------------------119
L ighthouse Service d u rin g th e
Division of foreign ta riffs-----------119
y e a r ___________________________
D ivision of com m ercial
la w s_____ 120A ids to n a v ig atio n _________
F in an ce an d in v estm en t division
123
E ngineering c o n stru c tio n ------------D ivision of rese a rc h __________
124
Im provem ents in a p p a ra tu s and
D ivision of s ta tis tic s -------------124
equipm ent__________
Com m ercial in telligence division
120
L ighthouse d ep o ts-----------------------D om estic com m erce d ivision ___
126
V essels of th e L ighthouse Service«
A d m in istrativ e d iv isio n s__________
127
R eplacem ent of vessels------------E d ito ria l d iv isio n _______________
127
L ighthouse te n d e rs-------------------Division of correspondence and
L ig h t vessels----------------------------d istrib u tio n -----------------------------128
S aving of life an d p ro p e rty ---------F oreign service division_________
129
A d m in istra tio n ___________________
D ivision o f d is tr ic t offices_____
130
P e r s o n n e l-----------------------Close an d co rd ial cooperation w ith
Cost-keeping system an d re s u lts _
o th e r d e p a rtm e n ts----------------------131
L egislation needed---------------------R ecom m endations_______________
132
P ro v isio n s for re tire m e n t for
disab ility an d o th er changes
B ureau of S tandards _____________
133
in L igh thouse Service re
C ooperative a c tiv itie s____________
133
tire m e n t law -----------------------N atio n al Screw T h read Com m is
E xtension of m edical relief for
sio n --------------------------------------183
lig h t k e e p e r s -----------------------F ed eral S pecifications B o ard ___
134
O th er m easures fo r relief of
Handbook of specifications________
134
p e rs o n n e l___________________
A m erican E n g in eerin g S tan d ard s
P ro te ctio n of aid s to naviga,C om m ittee____________________ _
135
t i o n -------------------------------------P an A m erican s ta n d a rd iz a tio n ___
135
Subsistence a llo w a n c e ________
In te rn a tio n a l co o p eration_______
135
C o a st and G e o d e t ic S u r v ey ________
A voidance of d u p lic a tio n ________
135
H ydrographic
an d
topographic
V isitin g com m ittee______________
135
s u r v e y s -------------------------------S afety su rv ey a t b u re a u --------------136
A tla n tic and G ulf c o a s ts_____
Advanced ed u catio n al w ork________
ISO
Pacific c o ast___________________

V
Page

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146
148
119
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166

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CONTENTS
Pag®

Pag«
B ureau o p N av ig a tio n — C ontinued.

C o a st a n d G e o d e t ic S urv ey — Con.

A dditional v essels_______________
New a p p a ra tu s In use___________
Geodetic w ork accom plished-------Office needs and w ork accom
p lish ed ________________________
Geodetic su rveys needed________
M agnetic w ork___________________
M agnetic su rv ey of A laska_____
S eism o lo g y______________________
T id al o b se rv atio n s_______________
San F ran cisco H arb o r c u rre n t
and tid a l su rv ey ____________
D elaw are Bay an d R iver cur
re n t and tid al su rv ey ______
C ooperation w ith o th er agencies
in tid al and c u rre n t w ork___
C h a rts an d p u b licatio n s------------U p-to-date c h a r ts _____________
W ire-drag c h a rts ______________
In sid e-ro u te c h a rts ____________
B u re a u

N a v ig a t io n ___________

Load lin e_______________________
R adio co m m unication_______ ..___

177
177
178

A dm easurem ent of vessels______
E nforcem ent of th e n av ig atio n

191

la w s _____________________________

192

180
181
182
183
184
184

M itigation an d rem ission of p en
a ltie s -----------S hipping com m issioners__________
P re v en tin g overcrow ding of p a s
senger ste am ers_______________
P assen g er a c t of 1882----------------N avigation receip ts-------------------N avigation a p p ro p ria tio n s-----------

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188
189
190
190

Stea m b o a t

I n s p e c t io n

193
193
194
194
194
195

S e r v ic e -----

190

T rav elin g inspectors in W ashing
to n ____________________________
S ta b ility te s ts ----------------------------E x am in a tio n s fo r lic e n se s-___—
P e rs o n n e l_______________________
R e tirem en t___________
L e g is la tio n ______________________
O rg an izatio n -------------------------------S ta tis tic s ________________________

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I n t e r A m e r ic a n H ig h C o m m is s io n

200

TWELFTH ANNUAL REPORT
OF TH E

S E C R E T A R Y OF C O M M E R C E
D epartment
O ffice

C ommerce ,
S ecretary,

of t h e

Washington, November 1 192it ■
To the P resident :
I have the honor to submit herewith, for transmission to Con
gress, the Twelfth Annual Report of the Secretary of Commerce,
in four parts, as follow s:
I. Economic Progress.
II. Elimination of National Waste.
III. Legislative Recommendations.
IY. Condensed Bureau Reports.
l

Part I.—ECONOMIC PROGRESS
The outstanding features of the fiscal year were: First, the ad
vance in agricultural prices, which had hitherto lagged behind
industry since the slump of 1920; second, the beginnings of sound
policies in German reparations leading to a hopeful measure of
economic recovery in Europe; and third, the complete recovery
of our own industry and commerce (aside from agriculture), great
stability of prices, high production, full employment, expanding
foreign trade and prosperity throughout the business world. There
were some moderate decreases in activity of some lines during the
latter part of the fiscal year, but since its close there has again
been general recovery in those lines.
IN D U ST R Y

The general condition of manufactures, industry, and commerce as
distinguished from agriculture is indicated by the following table:
T a b l e I. — M a jo r E c o n o m ic I n d e x e s
BASED UPON CALEN D A R YEAR 1919 AS 100
Years ended June 30—
1922
Volume of business (quantities, not value):
Manufacturing production................................................................................... .
Mineral production..............._.......................................... .......................................
Forest products, production............... ..............................................- .....................
Freight, railroad, ton-miles .
.................................................-.................
Electric-power production........................................................................................
Building contracts let, square feet........................ ................................................
Unfilled orders, United States Steel Corporation...............................................
Factory employment (1923=100)............................................................................
Value of sales:
Department stores . . . _________________________ ________ ________
Five and ten cent stores..........................- ................. ......................................... .
Mail-order houses
_ .
. . ........... ................... ........ ........................ .......
Wholesale trade............... ..........................................................................................

88
90
101
89
112
92
77
87

1923

116
118
111
109
130
107
113
96

1924

116
131
117
110
148
109
77
95

109
129
71
72

120
152
90
80
______

128
173
100
82

142
126
139
176
196
115
159
126
178
118

156
139
142
193
220
138
188
129
181
122

150
141
143
195
175
141
182
129
178
116

146
171

143
169

146
171

BASED UPO N CALENDAR YEAR 1913 AS 100
Wholesale prices:
General average............ ¿ ............................................................................................
Farm products............................................................................................................
Food..............................................................................................................................
Cloth and olothing
__
......................................- ............................
Fuel and lighting........................................................................................................
Metal and metal products........................................................................................
Building materials______ ____________ - .......... - ........ - .......................................
Chemicals and drugs............................................................................. - .................
House-mrnishing goods.............................................................................................
Miscellaneous.................................. - ................................... - ...................................
Retail prices:
Food................................................................. -..........................................................
General cost of living1...............................................................................................
1 Quarterly average.

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

The slight slackening in production at the end of the year is indi
cated by the fact that the index for manufacturing output for June
was 15 points below the fiscal year average, that for railway ton
mileage 13 points below, for building contracts 6 points, and for
employment in factories 7 points below. However, the sales of de
partment stores, chain stores, and mail-order houses, the seasonal
fluctuations of which make comparison from one month to another
misleading, were larger in June than in the corresponding month of
1923. The subsequent recovery is shown by the September indexes,,
which for manufacturing production stood 13 points higher than in
June, for mineral production 9 points, and for forest production 1
point higher. All these facts indicate that there had been but a very
minor temporary recession in the spring. Of the most importance,
however, the agricultural recovery by September had proceeded to
a point where the wholesale price index of farm products was 143 on
the 1913 base as compared to 149 for the price of all commodities,
thus marking the reestablishment of the farmers’ buying power at
much more nearly the pre-war ratio.
AGRICULTURE

The outstanding event of the year was the improvement in agricul
tural prices. Unlike manufacturing and mineral industries, a change
in the volume of agricultural production often does not reflect a par
allel change in the well-being of the producers. Farm products in
general have little elasticity of demand in the home market. The
farmer can not adapt his output rapidly to changes in the foreign
demand. The aggregate area planted to crops in this country has
varied only slightly from year to year since the war and most of the
individual crops show little change in acreage, although the low
prices of wheat have resulted in a very considerable reduction in
the planting of that cereal. The farmer, from the very nature of
things, can not suddenly and greatly increase or reduce his aggre
gate plantings or the proportion of his land devoted to different
crops. Industries and commerce more readily adapt themselves to
change in demand. The variations in output of crops from year to
year are usually due much more to weather conditions than to the will
of the farmer. Therefore, farm prosperity can not be judged upon
the criterion of production alone but requires consideration of prices
as wellThe situation of agricultural prices may be well indicated by com
paring September prices with the general level of commodity prices.
Based upon 1913 as 100 the wholesale price index of all commodities
was 149. The corresponding price index of No. 1 northern wheat
was 148; of cotton (New York), 191; corn, 186; and hogs, 118.

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

From the low point since the beginning of 1921 these figures repre
sent recoveries: For wheat, of 37 points; cotton, 99: corn, 111; and
hogs, 37. Many readjustments are needed yet, but agriculture has
turned an important corner and this change marks a vital step in the
whole afterwar economic readjustment.
The increasing stability in agriculture is further marked by the
fact that wholesale prices of food products show a continuing de
crease in spread as compared to farm prices. This spread in the
two indexes which amounted in certain months of 1921 to as much
as 27 points has now (September, 1924) decreased to 5 points, in
dicating the steady elimination of speculation and closer trading
margins through increasing economic stability and closer compe
tition. The rise in agricultural prices, while in large part due to
general world economic readjustment and to settlement of European
economic conflicts, has been favored to some degree by local and
special causes such as the decrease in corn crop and the fact that
the abnormal world wheat crop of 1923 swung over to a slightly
subnormal crop in 1924.
TRANSPORTATION

This fiscal year marks the first occasion since long before the war
when our railway facilities have been completely equal to the de
mand of the country. There were no car shortages of any conse
quence. There was a speeding up of delivery of all goods. This com
plete reconstruction, expansion, and growing efficiency in transporta
tion facilities marks a fine accomplishment on the part of our railway
management. Its economic effect is most far-reaching. Every car
shortage is a strangulation in the movement of commodities which
reduces price levels to the producer and increases them to the con
sumer. It disarranges the synchronizing of our industrial fabric
and widens the margin all along the line between producer and
consumer. There is still requirement for extension of terminals
and readjustment of rates. There are large consolidations needed
for the ultimate best service and sound finance.
The making of our transportation facilities adequate to our needs
is one of the greatest contributions toward our economic stability.
The following table shows the essential items of progress in trans
portation as compared with the two previous fiscal years: •

REPOET OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE
T able II.— R ailroad Operations
Per cent

Year ended June 30—

Freight, ton mileage (millions).........................................
Average weekly car loadings.............................................
Average daily car surplus..................................................
Average daily car shortage................................................
Bad-order cars:
Average for year...........................................................
Number at end of year...............................................
Bad-ordcr locomotives:
Average for year....................-.....................................
Number at end of year........................................... - - Numb<y of employees.........................................................
Total operating revenues (1,000 dollars)...........................
Net operating income (1,000 dollars).................................

1923 to
1924

1922

1923

1924

351,530
789,000
272,756
2,410

431,035
907,000 :
36,399
74,689

436,737
942,000
187,554
4,793

+1.3
+3.8
+415. 2
-93.6

339,369
324,583

241,218
190.411

170,546
194,869

-29.3
4-2.3

16,089
10,838
11,450
11,034
1, 770, 000 ; 1,850, 000
6,104,274 6,120,646
873,777 j
924,674

-32.6
-3 .6
4-4.5
+ .3
4-5.8

15,764
14,412
1,643, 000
5, 508,169
818,343

Calendar year
1921
Number of locomotives:
Installed........................................................ A .............
Retired.......... ................................................................
In service end of year............................. - ....................
Number of freight cars:
Installed.........................................................................
In service end of year........................................................................

1922

1923

1,330
1,130
64,949

1,379
1,682
64, 512

4, 037
3,746
64,896

63,406
69,245
2,344,787

77,221
126,472
2,322,286

197,875
i 200.000
2,376,373

1 Approximate.
N o t e .— C ertain o f th e above item s re la te only to C lass I roads w hich, however. Include
ab o u t 98 p er cen t of th e to tal.

BANKING AND FINANCE

The following table indicates the movement in loans and dis
counts, investments, and deposits of all member banks of the Federal
reserve system :
T able III. —F ederal R eserve M ember B ank Operations
fin millions of dollars]
Investments
Date

Total loans Loaus and
and invest discounts
ments

United
States
securities

Other
securities

Time
deposits

Demand
deposits

1923
June 30.......................................
Sept. 14......................................
Dec. 31.......................................

26,675
26,498
26,738

18,880
18,857
19, 052

3,870
3, 723
3,641

3,925
3,918
4,045

8,378
8,466
8,651

14,693
14,566
15,164

1924
Mar.f31......................................
June 30.......................................

26,833
27, 262

19,176
19,264

3,570
3,608

4,087
4,390

8,890
9,204

14, 719
15,309

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

The figures indicate a high degree of stability. The shift in in
vestments is easily accounted for by the complete recovery in Gov
ernment securities and their lower average yield as compared with
other securities. The expansion in time and demand deposits at
the end of the year parallels the slight slackening in production
and especially the reduction of stocks of goods. The sharp reduc
tion from $775,000,000 to $350,000,000 during the year in rediscounts
at the Federal reserve banks is partly due to this accumulation o f
capital and partly to the continued import of gold. Fates on prime
commercial paper declined from 5 y2 per cent in October. 1923. to 3%
per cent in June, 192^. The yield on short-term Treasury obliga
tions declined from 414 to about 2% per cent, and Federal reserve dis
count rates in New York declined from 4y2 to 3y2. These change»
during the year all reflected the abundance of loanable capital.
The total volume of money in circulation on July 1, 1924, was
practically the same as one year before, but its component elements
had changed markedly. Federal reserve notes and Federal re
serve bank notes declined from $2,254,000,000 to $1,853,000,000, but the
circulation of gold and gold certificates increased from $791,000,000
to $1,198,000,000. The increase in gold and gold certificates in cir
culation was almost equal to the net imports of gold from abroad, and
was about $6,000,000 greater than the volume of Federal reserve
notes and Federal reserve bank notes retired from circulation. This
process makes for stability and minimizes dangers from inflation due
to superabundant gold holdings.
One of the encouraging features of the exchange situation was
the greater stability during the first half of 1924 in the values of the
currencies of countries that have undertaken currency reforms. This
was true not only of the rentenmark, the currency unit adopted in
Germany after the collapse of the Reichsmark in the closing months
of 1923, and of the chervonetz of Russia, but also of the currencies of
Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland. Finland, Esthonia, Latvia, and
Lithuania.
The foreign capital issues (exclusive of refunding loans) brought
out in the United States during the fiscal year aggregated about
$450,000,000, a moderate increase over the preceding year. The new
issues included $150,000,000 for the Government of Japan for pur
chase of supplies in the United States, $25,000,000 for the Dutch
East Indies, $40,000,000 for the Netherlands, $50,000,000 for Switzer
land, and $20,000,000 for Norway. In addition to these issues large
amounts of short-term -dollar credits were placed at the disposal of
several European countries for the purpose of exchange stabiliza
tion.

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

DAWES PLAN

A most important event in the field of world finance was the
formulation of the plan of the first committee of experts, com
monly called the Dawes plan, which was finally ratified b}7 the Lon
don conference on August 17, 1924. The plan provides that German
financial and currency stabilization is to be brought about by an in
ternationally controlled gold-reserve bank of issue. During the
period necessary for economic rehabilitation, an international loan
o f about 800,000,000 gold marks is to be floated, proceeds of which
are to be placed in this bank and to be used for rehabilitation pur
poses for the continuance of essential deliveries in kind, and certain
prereparation costs. Reparations are to be paid during the interim
period on an increasing scale, reaching a total annual figure of two
and a half billions of gold marks in the fifth year, and may be in
creased thereafter by a prosperity index outlined by the committee.
These sums are to be raised from a Budget surplus, from interest
on railroad bonds (the German Government railroads being turned
over to a private company imder international control), from the
railroad transportation tax now in effect, and from interest and sink
ing-fund payments on industrial debentures. The latter are to be
placed on German industry in order to equalize approximately the
bonded indebtedness on these industries before the war, which is
assumed to have been wiped out by postwar currency depreciation.
The funds thus obtained on reparation account are to be deposited
in the new7 bank o f issue, and the responsibility for transferring
these sums into foreign exchange for the benefit of the Allies rests
with an international transfer committee, the chairman of which,
called the agent for reparation payments, must effect these transfers
without undermining German financial stability. Controls are es
tablished to insure the payment of the sums specified into the bank
of issue. The plan offers within itself machinery for correction or
alteration of details as difficulties arise in its execution.
European stabilization, which this plan may be expected to achieve,
will bring about a revival in world trade and increased consumption
o f commodities, in which the United States is bound to have its share.
This trade revival and increased consumption power should outweigh
any increased competitive power which might be expected from the
execution of the plan. It is not too much to say that this settlement
o f the vexed reparation problem, coming at the time it did, prevented
another European collapse, with its inevitable repercussion on world
trade and on the business of the United States. The Dawes plan is
the first effort to solve the reparations question purely on a commer
cial and economic basis. The American members on the committee
were assisted by a competent staff of technical experts, among them
some of the officials of the Department of Commerce.

BEPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

FOREIGN TRADE

In the fiscal year under review exports increased 9 per cent in value
as compared with the preceding fiscal year, while imports decreased
6 per cent. The net result of these changes in opposite directions
was an increase in the excess of exports over imports from $176.000,000 in 1922-23 to $757,000,000 in 1923-24. While in absolute
amount this is a larger export balance than in any year prior to the
war, the percentage by which exports exceed imports is somewhat
smaller than in most pre-war years. The movement is shown in the
following table:
T able

IV.— F o r e ig n

T r a de

the

U n it e d S t a t e s

[In millions of dollars]
Per cent change,
1924 from—

Years ended June 30—
1910-1914
••
Actual values:
Exports, merchandise...........................
Imports, merchandise................... ........
Excess of exports (+ ) or of imports

1922

1923

1924

1910-1914

1923

2,160
1,689

3, 771
2,608

3,957
3,781

4,311
3. 554

+99.1
+110.4

+9.0
- 6 .0

+477
+38

+ 1,163
-449

+ 176
-244

+757
-388

+58.7

+330.7

+616

+714

-6 8

+369

3,729
2,452
+1,277

4,139
3,386
+753

3,955
4,015
-6 0

4,271
3,586
+685

( - ) -

Merchandise....................................
Merchandise, gold and silver comValues at 1923 (calendar year) prices, eliminating effect of price changes (approx
imate) :
Exports, merchandise................... ........
Imports, merchandise........................ .
Excess of exports. i ...................... - ........

+14.5
+46.2

8 .0
10 .7

+
-

The picture of our foreign-trade balance sheet is, however, not at
all complete without the inclusion of “ invisible exchange,” but as
these figures are compiled upon the calendar year they can not well
be included here.
The outstanding feature of our foreign trade in commodities is its
strong, real growth since 1913. Our total imports and exports in
that fiscal year amounted to $4,279,000,000 against $7,865,000,000 in
1923-24. I f we correct this difference by the depreciated buying
power of the dollar we still find an increase of 18.2 per cent.
This compares with decreases of 12 per cent for the United King
dom, 14 per cent for France, and 51.4 per cent for Germany (in each
case based on the calendar year 1923 in comparison with 1913, and
with corrections for currency depreciation).
The gain in our total trade over the fiscal year 1913 is largely ac
counted for by the marked increases in our trade with Asia, Oceania.

REPORT OP THE SECRETARY OP COMMERCE

and South America. The value of trade with Asia increased 244 per
cent and that with Oceania and South America 192 and 95 per
cent, respectively. Although the actual value of trade with Europe
is greater than prior to the war the gain is less than the increase
in prices and the actual quantity of goods is smaller. This decline
in the relative importance of Europe as a factor in our trade as other
areas gain is in part a continuation of a gradual shift in this direc
tion evident before the war and in part the result of the war’s
serious impairment of European commercial strength.
I believe it can be Said with confidence that the unique situation
of our foreign trade is to a considerable degree due to the support
given by Congress and the administration to the activities of this
department. The reorganization of this service for practical trade
promotive purposes is well indicated by the growth of applications
by business houses and farm cooperatives for assistance by the de
partment. In 1921 these inquiries averaged less than 700 daily,
whereas they now exceed 7,500 daily and are heavily overtaxing the
facilities of the organization. A recent query to export houses re
questing estimates of their foreign transactions in which they were
materially assisted by this department, either in sales promotion or
in the prevention of losses, brought responses indicating a total
exceeding $500,000,000.

Part II.— E L IM IN A T IO N

O F N A T IO N A L W A S T E

Outside of the very large functions of the department in the pro
motion of foreign trade, in aid to navigation, in provision of sys
tematic economic information, and in cooperation with commerce
and industry to advance productivity, a definite constructive na
tional program has been developed for the elimination of waste in
our economic system- The need is plain. The American standard
o f living is the product of high wages to producers and low prices
to consumers. The road to national progress lies in increasing real
wages through proportionately lower prices. The one and only way
is to improve methods and processes and to eliminate waste. Just
as 20 years ago we undertook nation-wide conservation of natui’al
resources, so now we must undertake nation-wide elimination of
waste. Regulation and laws are of but minor effect on these funda
mental things. But by well-directed economic forces, by coopera
tion in the community we can not only maintain American standards
of living—we can raise them.
We have the highest ingenuity and efficiency in the operation of
our industry and commerce of any nation in the world. Yet our
economic machine is far from perfect. Wastes are legion. There
are wastes which arise from wide-spread unemployment during de
pressions, and from speculation and overproduction in booms;
wastes attributable to labor turnover and the stress of labor conflicts;
wastes due to intermittent and seasonal production, as in the coal
and construction industries; vast wastes from strictures in commerce
due to inadequate transportation, such as the lack of sufficient termi
nals; wastes caused by excessive variations in products; wastes in
materials arising from lack of efficient processes; wastes by fire; and
wastes in human life.
Against these and other wastes the department, acting always in
cooperation with the industries themselves, has for the past three
years developed an increasingly definite program. As these mani
fold activities of the department are based upon cooperation with in
dustry and commerce, none of them leads to paternalistic ends.
Many of the bureaus of the department have contributed to these
activities, and the character of the work can be gleaned from the
following short summary.
UNEMPLOYMENT AND THE BUSINESS CYCLE

The greatest waste is periodic slackening of production and re
sultant unemployment. A t the beginning of this administration
there were 4,500,000 unemployed. To meet this situation, and acting
10

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

under the direction of President Harding, I called in September,
1921, the First National Conference on Unemployment. This con
ference had as its primary purpose the promotion of temporary
relief measures, but also had in view a broader consideration of the
whole problem of business slumps. The relief measures adopted by
the conference proved so successful that we overcame unemploy
ment in much less time than in any other depression in our history.
While formulating emergency measures, however, the responsible
business men, labor leaders, and economists of the conference agreed
fully with the proposal that exhaustive investigations should be
made of the whole problem, with a view to the abiding minimization
of this waste.
In pursuance of this objective I appointed a committee on business
cycles and unemployment, which brought in its report in April.
1923. The committee found that slumps in business are due funda
mentally to the economic collapse from the wastes, extravagance,
speculation, inflation, overexpansion, and relaxation of effort by
labor developed during booms. Remedies were proposed in three
directions: First, the better control of credit by the Federal re
serve system and the individual bankers, so as to prevent rank
speculation and overexpansion; second, the provision of more
adequate information as to the tendencies in production, stocks, con
sumption of commodities, employment, etc., so as to enable business
generally to judge better of the approach of dangerous periods; and
third, the deferment of as much as possible of public construction
work during periods of full private demand in the industry to those
periods when the construction industries were not so much in de
mand.
There is no doubt that the appearance of the report, sponsored by
such eminent business men, labor leaders, economists, and engineers,
did much to curb the beginnings of a dangerous boom in the spring
of 1923. Moreover, the report has enlisted remarkable public atten
tion both in the United States and abroad. It has stimulated eco
nomic thought and has developed some very tangible results in ap
plication of the principles laid down for mitigating the high losses
to the community through the waste of booms and their inevitable
collapse into gigantic unemployment.
One of the important recommendations of the committee, as stated
above, was the necessity for improved statistical services by the De
partment of Commerce. It was considered that no other agency
could adequately provide such a service. In consonance with this
recommendation the monthly Survey of Current Business was
inaugurated in 1921 with the aim of bringing all of this type of in
formation together and publishing it promptly. The publication
15308—24------ 2

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

has been steadily improved, until it now comprises 1,400 separate
items collected from 55 Government departments, 116 voluntary
agencies, and 35 technical and trade sources. Its paid subscription
list has increased more than 50 per cent in the past year.
WASTES DUE TO SEASONAL CONSTRUCTION

A second committee was named by me from the unemployment
conference on seasonal operation in the construction industries,
which carried on extensive research into this problem and made its
report last July, just after the close of the fiscal year now under
review. The report showed conclusively that custom, not climate,
is mainly responsible for the seasonal ups and downs in building, and
that these evils are largely unnecessary and can be eliminated. For
most types of construction it is now possible to build the year round
in all parts of the United States. The elimination of these wastes
would strengthen the entire business structure, for construction is
the balance wheel of American industry. The value of yearly con
struction in the United States is more than $5,000,000,000. I f build
ing falls off, there is always a slackening in many other lines of in
dustry, resulting in unemployment, decreased purchasing power of
employees, and further depression.
Neither of the reports of these two committees included any rec
ommendation as to extension of governmental activities further
than that there should be strengthening of the economic and physical
research now being carried on by the department. It was felt that
a stimulation of thought and organization in the local communities
was more consonant with our national conception of individual and
community initiative. Important action has now been taken in
many communities in changing leasing dates and other devices to
induce more regularity to construction.
BITUMINOUS COAL INDUSTRY

Investigation made early in this administration, published in
various departmental documents, revealed the high instability of
the bituminous coal industry and the fact that it was functioning at
great national loss. Committees of important men representing
various phases of the problem were appointed and systematic co
operation has been set up in remedy. Due to the war and to periods
of profiteering, far too many mines had been developed and placed
in operation. Practically the whole of these mines had continued
to operate on a basis of partial weekly employment. There were ap
proximately 30 per cent too many mines engaged in the business and
holding to themselves 30 per cent more labor than would be neces
sary to produce the nation’s coal if they were continuously employed

REPOET OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

One result of this intermittent employment is that a large propor
tion of the workers, although employed at a very high minimum
daily wage, did not receive a sufficient annual employment to main
tain a reasonable standard of living. Thus there grew out of this
vicious cycle constant incitement to labor difficulties.
Investigation showed clearly that the primary remedies needed
were (a) sufficient transportation facilities, because car shortages
resulted in increase of prices, profiteering, and stimulus to the main
tenance of high-cost mines; (b) the reduction of the seasonal char
acter of the industry by the summer storage of coal by the larger
commercial and industrial users; and (c) a period of industrial
peace so that by avoiding strikes the subsequent profiteering would
disappear and thus the fly-by-night and high-cost mines lose their
support; in other words, the restoration of real competitive condi
tions. Through cooperation of trade associations of the principal
industrial consumers, through chambers of commerce and public
utilities a large amount of régulai’ summer storage has been induced.
Through the fine cooperation of the railways greater equipment and
terminal facilities have been provided and car shortages have been
largely eliminated. Through cooperation by the department with
the unionized operators and with the leaders of the United Mine
Workers a long term agreement has been entered upon, which in
sures industrial peace in the industry. These desired remedies have
now in a gi’eat measure been attained. Here is a case where the
saving of economic waste can be measured in the hundreds of mil
lions of dollars.
It is true that during the past few months the industry lias been
somewhat demoralized by the large stocks of coal accumulated in
anticipation of a possible strike last spring, and by the lessened de
mand during the summer. The broad result of gained stability,
however, has been that the public has received its coal during the
last fiscal year at the lowest price of any year since before the war.
During the year under review prices averaged $2.23 per ton for
run-of-mine coal at the mine. In 1920, chiefly because of car
shortages, the price averaged $5.64. That was a year of wild
speculation and profiteering, with no constructive effort by the
Government to improve the position of the consumer. In the year
1922, before cooperation could effect a remedy, a strike of five
months intervened, followed by a great car shortage. Neverthe
less, owing to the restraint imposed on profiteering and to the co
operation of various industries in distribution, the average price
for that year was $3.67.
The industry is now on the road to stabilization. I'he benefits lie
not only in the provision of coal to the consumer at lower prices
than have been attained at any time since the beginning of the

KEPOBT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

war. The gradual elimination of the high-cost and fly-by-night
mines is bringing about a greater degree of concentration of labor
upon a smaller number of mines, the increase of days of employ
ment per annum, and thus a larger annual return to the workers.
The inherent risks in the industry will be decreased because the
efficient and stable operator will no longer be subjected to the type
of competition that comes from those mines that exist only to take
advantage of profiteering periods. No better example of coopera
tion to secure the elimination of national waste can be presented.
The past year, as compared to the year 1920, shows a saving to the
consumer of about $1,000,000,000, which must bo reflected in decreas
ing costs of production in every avenue of industry and commerce.
INTERCONNECTION OF ELECTRIC POWER AND LIGHTING SYSTEMS

In October, 1923, with the approval of the President, I called a
conference of the representatives of the State utility commissions of
the 11 States from Maine to Maryland to consider what cooperative
steps the Federal and State authorities could properly take to pro
mote interconnection of power systems in those States. A t this con
ference I outlined the problem in the following term s:
This conference is not conceived as more Government in business. The pub
lic authorities are already deeply in the power business through many forms
of regulation and a very large measure of control of power sources. The
thought here is that coordination between public authorities and industries may
secure further consummation of a great advance in the development of a great
service to the public.
Tlie reason and need for tills discussion are simply that engineering science
has brought us to the tlireshhold of a new era in the development of electric
power. This era promises great reductions in power cost and wide expansion
of its use. Fundamentally, this new stage in progress is due to the per
fection of high voltage, longer transmission, and more perfect mechanical
development in generation of power. We can now undertake the cheaper
sources of power from water sources further afield, such as the St. Lawrence,
and cheaper generation from coal through larger and more favorably placed
coal generation plants. We can secure great economies in distribution through
the interconnection of load between systems, for thus we secure a reduction
of the amount of reserve equipment, a better average load factor through
pooling the effect of day and seasonal variations, together with wider diversi
fication of use by increased industrial consumption. We can assure more se
curity in the power supply from the effect of coal strikes and from transporta
tion interruptions.
All this means the liquidity of power over whole groups of States. At once
power distribution spreads across State lines and into diverse legal jurisdic
tions. We are, therefore, confronted not only with problems of the coordination
in the industries of their engineering, financial, and ownership problems, but
also with new legal problems in State rights and Fialeral relations to power
distribution.

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

This superdevelopment of great areas of cheaper power has been dramatized
by those less familiar with the problem as the construction of great power
highways traversing several States into which we should pour great streams of
high voltages from great giant water power or central steam stations to be
distributed to the public utilities and other large users along the lines of these
great power streams. This, indeed, serves perhaps to picture what is meant
by superpower development. As a matter of practical fact, however, the nat
ural development of this situation lies, first, in the interconnection of power
supplies between the existing great utility systems, and second, in common
action for the erection of large units of production at advantageous points
for the mutual supply of two or more of the present systems, and in the de
velopment of such great water powers ns the S t Lawrence. * * * ”
The savings in these 11 States resulting from a coordinated and fully developed
electrical power system, would, by the time it could he erected, amount to a
conservation of about 50,000,000 tons of coal per annum; an annual saving
could be made of over $500,000,000 per annum at an additional capital outlay
of about $1,250,000,000. In this area we are to-day producing something
like 9.000,000 horsepower by direct steam and individual plant generation, a
substantial part of which could be transferred to central generation with great
economy.
With the crowding of our population in large areas we are faced with most
difficult questions in the development of terminal facilities, the handling of
traffic on our railways. There lias been some electrification of transporta
tion. The engineers who have made systematic superpower surveys are con
vinced that over 40 per cent of the mileage of the railways in this territory
could be electrified at substantial economies in operation and with enlarged
service if we should secure tills greater and more economical power development.
The indirect results both human and material are even more important than
these figures I have given would imply. They take no account of vast losses to
industry and commerce by the actual Interruption and threatened interruption
of fuel supplies to our several hundred thousand independent power units; no
account of the relief to shippers from our already overburdened transportation
and terminal facilities; no account of the increased production of our factories
from cheaper power; no account of the larger extension of power into farm and
home; no account of the reduction of physical labor and increase of comfort.
To secure the rapid adoption of these demonstratedly possible results is of
profound public importance. Every time we cheapen power and centralize its
production we create new uses and we add security to production; we also in
crease the production; we eliminate waste; we decrease the burden of physical
effort upon men. In sum, we increase the standards of living and comfort of all
our people.

This conference recommended the formation of the Northeastern
Superpower Committee under my chairmanship. The members of
tire committee have been designated by the governors of the various
States representing their utilities commissions, together with repre
sentatives of the War Department, the Federal Power Commission,
the United States Geological Survey, and the Department of Com
merce. An engineering subcommittee, comprised of engineers of the
various State utilities commissions and Federal engineers, brought
in its report on April 14, 1924. This report deals comprehensively

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

with the problems above outlined and with the major technical steps
necessary to bring about the technical development required. A l
ready a number of these steps have been undertaken by the various
power systems throughout this area.
Studies as to the legal problems involved in interconnection over
State lines, having in mind the involved and varying forms of regu
lation in different States, are being made by a legal subcommittee
with a view to determining some basis of uniformity in such regula
tion.
It would be desirable to cover other areas of the country in the
same fashion.
REVISION OF FEDERAL AND STATE PURCHASING SPECIFICATIONS

Being aware from war experience that the faultiness of specifi
cations used in Federal purchases resulted in great waste of public
funds, I undertook early in the administration that the Department
of Commerce should review these specifications. A division in the
Bureau of Standards was created to develop standard specifications,
to test materials for the proper determination of the basis of such
specifications, and to secure the cooperation of manufacturers skilled
in production. Subsequently the cooperation of the Bureau of the
Budget was enlisted in the establishment of an interdepartmental
committee, now known as the Federal Specifications Board, for the
better development of this work under the leadership of the De
partment of Commerce. The multitude of specifications is being
taken in hand, and the chemical and physical requirements of each
article in question are being exhaustively examined in the labora
tories of the Bureau of Standards. Beyond this, however, after we
have arrived at a definite scientific background, the manufacturers in
each branch are being brought into consultation to make sure that
the industrial and commercial setting of a given specification is
right from the point of view of the practical producer. In this man
ner a complete revision of Government specifications is under way,
210 such standard specifications having been prepared up to the
present time.
The evident savings in goods purchased for Federal use under the
revised specifications were so great, both in price and quality, that
in the spring of 1923, at the request of some of the State governors.
I called a conference of all State purchasing agents in Washington.
A t this conference it was requested that the activities of the division
of specifications should be extended to cooperate with the State
authorities in the unification and preparation of specifications for
the commodities purchased by local governments and public in

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

stitutions. This undertaking is in active progress. In the develop
ment of cooperation with the various industries in this work, the
request was made that the department should cooperate with the
larger private purchasing concerns of the country in the prepara
tion of standard purchasing specifications for themselves also. In
many cases they are already adopting the specifications made for
Federal purposes.
A s an aid in this direction as well as in Government specifications,
the division of specifications began in 1923 the preparation of a dic
tionary or handbook of standard specifications. In this book will
be published references to all of the more important specifications
in general use for the purchasing of supplies, including the stand
ard Government specifications. In many cases committees are being
called in representing the various phases of industry and commerce
to determine better specifications for general use, methods of test
to be 'applied under them, etc. The work has, by request, even been
extended to the provision of better standard forms of construction
contracts.
As an indication of the widespread effect that the establishment
of a standard specification may have on the whole process of pro
duction, I may recite the following instance and many others could
be quoted.
We had to consider the specifications for a wearing part in auto
mobiles. The products of different manufacturers were secured and
were placed under exhaustive chemical, physical, and actual operat
ing study. It was found that under equal conditions this wearing
part had from manufacturer A, for instance, a life of one year, from
manufacturer B a life of two years, and from manufacturer C a life
of three years, and so on, with all sorts of variations in between. In
this case, we communicated the result of the investigation to the
manufacturers not as to names but purely as to qualities disclosed and
the physical characteristics which were developed as necessary. The
result of the conference and study which grew out of this matter
was that in the next offering of these parts none of them failed on
the long-life test, and the improvements had been put into general
production. A computation made by manufacturers shows that the
benefit to the public automobile user through the longer life amounts
to a saving of at least $15,000,000 a year, and it is entirely a saving
of waste.
The work of this division under the Bureau of Standards will un
questionably save many millions of dollars to the taxpayer through
better methods of buying and definite standards of quality through
out the Nation.

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

IMPROVEMENT IN TECHNICAL PROCESSES

As a result of the equipment built up during the war the Govern
ment possessed in the Bureau of Standards the greatest physics and
research laboratory in the world. While the pre-war activities of
the bureau were largely limited to the determination of physical
standards and constants, it appeared to me that we should not lose
in our industrial system the great values that could be obtained from
the use of these laboratories in research into the elimination of waste
in industrial processes where such research did not conflict with that
normally carried on by the industries themselves. More particularly
does this apply to industries comprised of great numbers of small
manufacturers none of whom can afford to establish the laboratory
and research staff necessary for consideration of broad problems.
There has therefore been developed a large amount of research
work of this character in cooperation with committees of the different
industries.
The reports of the Bureau of Standards set out numbers of suc
cessful efforts of this character, resulting in the savings of enormous
sums of money in the cost of production. Instances of such contri
butions to public interest may be enumerated in the successful
development for methods of reducing the loss in the baking of
Japan ware, in the installation of an optical-glass industry in the
United States, in the progress made in the development of synthetic
tanning material, in the development of use for cotton linters and
other cotton wastes, and in the development of a method for reclama
tion of gasoline for the dry-cleaning industry. Many other activi
ties of the Bureau of Standards result in savings of waste, such as
the development of a standard test for determining the suitability
of elevator interlocks which should reduce fatal elevator accidents;
the substantial agreement reached on international temperature
scales which will improve international industrial exchanges; the
invention of instruments and methods for the determination of
radiofrequency standards and measurements, etc.
SIMPLIFIED PRACTICE

A large field in the elimination of waste lies in the direction of sim
plified nomenclature, grades, and variations in dimensions of indus
trial products. The Division of Simplified Practice established early
in 1921, serves as a centralizing agency in bringing together pro
ducers, distributors, and consumers, when so requested by any of these
groups, for the purpose of assisting these interests in their mutual
efforts to eliminate waste in production and distribution. Here the
particular waste attacked was that caused by unnecessary diversifi

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

cation of practice or character resulting in the accumulation of ex
cessive and consequently expensive, stocks of seldom-used varieties.
Soon after the division was established the national brick manufac
turers brought to its attention the need for simplifying the number
of sizes of paving bricks. It developed that no less than 66 sizes
were actually being manufactured and sold. This department
promptly called a conference of all interested parties, with the re
sult that varieties of paving brick were reduced by mutual consent
from 66 to 11. Since then there has been a further reduction to 5
varieties.
This is but a sample of the accomplishments of this division. Dur
ing the year under review varieties of files and rasps were simplified
from 1,351 to 498; range boilers from 130 to 13; woven-wire fencing
from 552 to 69; fencing package sizes from 2,072 to 138; sizes of bed
blankets from 78 to 12; hollow building tile from 36 to 19; roofing
slate sizes from 60 to 30; blackboard slate sizes from 141 to 14; forged
tools from 665 to 351, and so on. Working along somewhat similar
lines, the National Screw Thread Commission tackled the problem of
making bolts and nuts of any make fit together and eliminating un
necessary variations.
Two national conferences of lumber manufacturers, dealers, con
sumers, and architects have been held and successfully established
standard nomenclature, grades, and sizes for softwood lumber call
ing for a 60 per cent elimination of the present variety in yard lum
ber. Similar effort is under way in hardwood. The application of
simplified practice to automotive parts, gas water heaters, steam
boiler parts and fittings, hacksaw blades, pocket knives, shotgun shells,
drills, and nearly a hundred other commodities, is being developed
by those engaged in their manufacture, sale, and use, with the co
operation of the department.
The department has received the widest approval from the leaders
in the industries affected that the simplified practice work is steadily
decreasing the volume of retail stocks, production costs, and selling
expenses, at the same time strengthening employment by allowing
manufacture of standard articles for stock. Estimated annual sav
ings by the industries as a result of this method of national waste
elimination range from half a million dollars in one commodity
field to a quarter of a billion dollars in another. These savings
eventually find their way back to the consumer either in lower prices
or better quality or both. A ll such efforts definitely advance compe
tition.
BETTER PRACTICE IN DISTRIBUTION

In an effort to realize balanced relationships between foreign and
domestic markets and to extend to home industry services of the
same general character now provided for the export trade, the de

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

partment, operating under its first appropriation for this purpose,
organized a division of domestic commerce in the Bureau of Foreign
and Domestic Commerce. This division has commenced studies in
plant location, the relative importance of regional sales territories,
packing, warehousing, and cancellations. It has further made
studies of the factors involved in marketing household appliances,
paints and varnishes, sanitary ware, and other products.
A special activity of the department in the direction of elimina
tion of distribution waste has been the exhaustive investigai ion made
by the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce into the processes
of marketing perishable produce.
The wastes of the present-day system may be summarized as
follows:
1. The waste of an unnecessary number of purchase and sale trans
actions; that is, an unnecessary number of links in the distribution
chain and an unnecessary number of different chains from the same
center of production to the same center of consumption.
2. The waste in transportation of inferior and unsaleable products.
3. The waste in decay arising from delayed movements and re
peated handling.
4. The waste from inadequate facilities for expeditious handling,
both in transportation and at terminals, and the waste in unnecessary
transportation through blind consignment and crosshauls in search
of consumers.
5. The waste from uncontrolled distribution, by which local gluts
and famines are created, with consequent destructive fluctuation in
price levels and stimulation to speculation.
6. The waste from the destruction of agricultural capital itself
through inadequate return by crowding the market in periods of
slight overproduction.
7. The waste in cost of speculation and hazards in distribution
produced by all of the above because either the producer or the con
sumer must pay through larger margins to cover such risks.
It has been the department’s view that the best remedy for these
evils lies in the extension of cooperative marketing and in the better
organization of the distributors at the terminal markets. The de
partment has already proposed a definite plan which I believe will
mobilize economic forces to reduce these wastes with a minimum of
governmental intervention.
REDUCING HOUSING COSTS

The high cost of housing construction brought to the front the
necessity for the elimination of waste in that field as a contribution
to lowering costs within the purchasing power of the community,
and so maintaining activity. Aside from the work of the depart

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

ment upon the simplification of building materials, the Division of
Building and Housing was established to attack such problems as
the development of uniform municipal building codes, the investiga
tion of losses and wastes in financing home building, and the study
o f city and town zoning.
With the cooperation of a committee comprising representatives
o f the leading architects, municipal engineers, fire underwriters, and
others, a standard municipal building code for small house construc
tion has been prepared. Under similar auspices a recommended
State and municipal plumbing code has also been completed. In
the preparation of these codes exhaustive tests of materials were
made at the Bureau of Standards, and the codes had the benefit of
criticisms solicited from hundreds of sanitary engineers, architects,
and public officials. Both codes have already been used by many
municipalities, and the technical experts assume that the savings in
construction costs will, in many localities, amount to as much as 10
to 20 per cent.
In the same fashion a standard State zoning enabling act was
drafted under the auspices of this division, and has already been
adopted by 13 States. The zoning of cities is a primary question in
the elimination of waste. The constant, unnecessary rebuilding of
dillerent sections o f towns and cities in their changes from residen
tial to business or commercial purposes is to a very large degree an
avoidable waste.
Cooperation is continuing with the industries and public officials
in work on further sections of building codes, study of zoning, city
planning problems, research on the use of building materials, and
elimination of dimensional varieties.
BETTER HOMES

In addition to the large contribution to the problems of housing
and construction through various sections of the department we
have cooperated with voluntary agencies of the country on the
broader problems of home ownership and home betterment. During
the year the officials of the department joined with private endeavor
to form “ Better Homes in America ” as an organization for educa
tion and public service, with headquarters in Washington. Its ac
tivities are under my direction as president, and its council em
braces also some of our bureau chiefs. A small executive staff is
supported by contributions from the public, and several hundred
local committees serve voluntarily. The local committees exhibit
demonstration houses, carry on educational work, and act in coopera
tion with schools and local organizations.
The results are to stimulate thrift for home ownership, en
courage wise expenditure for household purposes, and promote local

REPORT OE THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

solutions of housing difficulties. The new organization has been
able to assist the small house service bureaus in supplying first-class
house plans and in being of practical help to present and prospective
home builders. Through this agency the fund of information ob
tained by Government departments as the result of years of expe
rience and extensive research is carried without waste motion to the
families in thousands of communities. More than 250,000 copies of
the pamphlet prepared by the department on How to Own your
Home have been sold. Numerous private organizations whose inter
ests are related to housing assist in the enterprise.
STREET AND HIGHWAY SAFETY

The most challenging of all wastes is the waste of human life.
There is no more conspicuous example of that wastage in our mod
ern American life than in the mounting curve of traffic accidents.
During the past year the department has taken the lead in an investi
gation of the tremendous human and physical losses due to acci
dents of this kind.
With a view to bringing about a better public understanding of the
gravity of the situation, and if possible finding a remedy for it, I
asked police officials, highway and motor vehicle commissioners,
chambers of commerce, automobile associations and manufacturers,
safety-first associations, engineering associations, insurance carriers,
and labor organizations to join in the formation of a number of
conunittees to investigate the whole subject. These committees are
composed of representative men from all parts of the country.
As soon as they have completed their work, it is proposed to call a
national conference upon the subject. The gravity of the situation
is well illustrated by the fact that even as I write the Committee
on Statistics has brought in a report indicating that the deaths in
1923 were not less than 22,600, the number of people injured not less
than 678,000, and the total economic loss not less than $600,000,000.
TRADE ASSOCIATIONS

One of the most important agencies through which the elimina
tion of waste may be promoted is the trade association. It is true
that a small minority of these associations have been in the past used
as cloaks for restraint of trade by such activities as open-price as
sociations and other attempts to control distribution or prices. It
is equally true that the vast majority of trade associations have no
such purpose and do no such things. The dividing line, however,
between what activities are in the public interest and what are not
in the public interest is not to-day clearly defined either by the law or
by court decision. In consequence of recent decisions of the courts
many associations are fearful of proceeding with work of vital

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

public importance, and we are losing the value of much admirable
activity. A t the same time we are keeping alive the possibility of
■wrongful acts. It is imperative that some definition should be made
by which an assurance of legality in proper conduct can be had, and
by which illegality or improper conduct may be more vigorously at
tacked.
In the elimination of waste, trade associations have been among the
most constructive agencies of the country, and will be far more so if
the solution can be found to the above question. Their waste elimina
tion activities extend in many directions, of which the following are
but a part:
Collection and distribution of statistics as to actual production,
capacity production, stocks on hand, shipments, orders on hand, can
cellations, number of employees, and such other data as will enable
the industry and its consumers intelligently to judge future demands
and supply.
Elimination of waste and reductions in cost of production and dis
tribution by standardizing sizes and types, eliminating excess varie
ties, and establishing grades and qualities, thus reducing the amount
of stocks thrust upon the retailer and at the same time enabling
factories to operate more regularly to stocks of standard I’equirements.
Elimination of misdirected credit and aid in the collection of
accounts.
Provision for the settlement of trade disputes by arbitration.
Stamping out of unfair practices and misrepresentation in business
or as to goods.
Promotion of the welfare of employees, by the improvement of
working conditions, sanitation, safety appliances, accident preven
tion, housing conditions, and matters of like character.
Economy in insurance by handling that of all members, including
fire, industrial, indemnity, or group insurance.
Economies in transportation through common agencies for settle
ment of rate matters, classification, car supply, auditing transpoi'tation bills, and the study of competitive transportation agencies.
Elimination of waste in processes by the establishment of labora
tories for technical and scientific research.
Instances of the injury incurred because of lack of such activities
could be recited in great numbers. Gigantic loss to the public and
to the rubber and fertilizer trades in 1921 was in large measure due
to the absence of statistical knowledge of stocks of raw material
which had been imported into the country at that time. The in
stability of the bituminous coal industry, and the constant disintegra
tion of its employers' associations through fear of the restraint-of-

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

trade acts, contributed directly to their refusal to enter into negotia
tion with the unionized miners in 1922, and bears some share of re
sponsibility for the long strike which then ensued.
Any collective activity can be used as a smoke screen to cover con
spiracy against the public interest, but that is no reason for con
demning all collective activities. Just because automobiles are
sometimes used by bootleggers for the illegal transportation of
liquor we do not prohibit their manufacture or their legitimate use.
Probably the most compelling reason for maintaining proper trade
associations lies in the fact that through them small business is
given facilities more or less equivalent to those which big business
can accumulate for itself.
Properly directed, this kind of activity is one of the strongest
forces for the maintenance of competitive action. Xo one would
advocate any amendment to the law that would sooner or later create
monopoly, price fixing, domination or unfair practices, or any of the
category of collective action detrimental to public interest. There
is a vast difference between the whole social conception of capital
combinations against public interest and cooperative organization
profoundly in public interest. The former extinguishes individ
ualism, legitimizes and fosters monopoly, dams up our economic
channels, all of which penalize the consumer and make for less effi
ciency in production. The latter encourages individualism, fosters
competition and initiative, resulting in efficient service and reason
able prices to the consumer.
Legislative definition of these matters has been given to the
farmer and to labor, and 1 am convinced that the time has come
when definition should be extended to those engaged in industry,
trade, and commerce, particularly in the interest of maintaining the
small business unit. The department has made definite proposals
in this direction which it believes in no way open the door for illegal
activities, and yet make ample provision for the maintenance of
those activities which it is in the public interest to encourage.
OTHER ACTIVITIES

While elimination of waste has been the special theme of this
report, I desire at this point to review briefly some of the special
activities of the department in other directions.
ECONOMIES IN THE LIGHTHOUSE SERVICE

The department has been practicing what it preaches. The Bureau
of Lighthouses, for instance, awake to the possibilities of waste
elimination, has effected large economies by the installation of auto
matic apparatus. During the year under review 75 attended lights
were changed to automatic, and 72 new automatic lights were estab-

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

lished. Nearly half of the coast and lake lights are now automatically
operated, at greatly reduced costs. For example, 15 navigational
lights in New York Bay were changed to automatic during the year,
effecting an annual maintenance saving of $11,000.
CONSERVATION OF COASTAL FISHERIES

The conservation of our fisheries is a matter of the utmost national
importance. Many of them are threatened with extinction. Our
great runs of salmon on the Atlantic coast long ago disappeared as a
food supply, and the salmon of the Pacific coast were doomed until
we recently called a halt on their destruction. The sturgeon
fisheries of the Great Lakes have declined 98 per cent in 40 years
and the sturgeon has been almost displaced on the Atlantic coast.
Since 1835 the annual catch of shad in the Potomac has dropped
from 22,000,000 to 600,000. In 10 years the crab fisheries of the
Chesapeake and Delaware have been cut in half. Our lobster catch
is less than one-third of what it was 30 years ago.
In an address before the Sixth Annual Convention of the United
States Fisheries Association at Atlantic City on September 5, 1924.
I summarized the situation as follow s:
THE WORK ACCOMPLISHED

First. Congress enacted last winter Federal legislation controlling oil
pollution of coastal waters by oil-burning and oil-carrying ships. This
measure was vital to the existence of our fisheries and the protection of
our shellfish. It is only a beginning at solution of the pollution problem.
Second. We secured by negotiation with Canada the Pacific coast halibut
treaty and the enactment of legislation under which the two nations are now
able to halt the depletion and destruction of that great fishery and to start its
recuperation.
Third. Congress, after three years of controversy, enacted the Alaska
salmon fisheries conservation bill, and we have to-day vigorously stopped
destruction and started the rejuvenation of these fisheries.
Fourth. Congress enacted the upper Mississippi fish and game refuge bill
through which the streams of the upper Mississippi will be preserved for
the breeding of fish and game.
Fifth. We have had some success in bringing about cooperation between
different States for the protection of fisheries.
These steps have not been accomplished without bitter opposition, part of
it venal, part of it innocent, but they have been supported by every true
fisherman.
THE NEXT STEPS IN CONSERVATION

Tlte steps now before us are still more important. They are:
1.
To cultivate a sense of national responsibility toward the fisheries and
their maintenance: to make conservation of those priceless resources a part
of the national instinct; to let the whole country understand that we can
no more overfish and expect to have seafood than we can outcut the growth
of our forests and expect to have timber.

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

2. To make a vigorous attempt to restore the sturgeon, salmon, shad,
lobster, crab, oyster, and clam and other littoral fisheries on the Atlantic
coast.
3. To secure the prevention of pollution from sources other than ships both
in coastal and inland waters.
4. To undertake the reinforcement of stocks of game fish throughout the
United States.
F O R E IG N

RAW

M A T E R IA L

P R O B LEM S

During recent years there has been increasing emphasis on the
dependence of the United States upon raw materials not found
within our own borders and subject to fluctuations in supply or
price because of conditions over which the consumer in the United
States has no control. This is especially the case in the operation
of foreign monopolies. I f our industries are to maintain an inde
pendent and progressive condition, they must be assured of a steady
supply of raw materials at a reasonable price. The Sixty-seventh
Congress recognized this situation and made an appropriation to en
able this department to investigate the subject.
The work was begun in the spring of 1923 by the organization of
units covering crude rubber, nitrogen, sisal, and tanning materials,
as these seemed to offer the most pressing commercial problems.
These investigations are either finished or well on the road to com
pletion. Four parties were sent out to determine whether rubber
could be successfully produced in competition with plantations of
the Far East where the exports are under foreign monopoly control.
These parties covered (1) India, Ceylon, British Malaya, and the
Dutch East Indies; (2) the Central American States, Panama, the
Atrato region of Colombia, and certain parts of the coastal region
of Ecuador; (3) The xYmazon Basin; and (4) the southern P hilip
pines, British North Borneo, and Sarawak. Their reports are now
in course of publication or preparation. It is planned to cover two
other areas during the coming fiscal year: (1) Southern Mexico and
Haiti, and (2) West Africa. The final result will give a clear in
dication as to whether rubber can be successfully produced nearer
home and under American control.
The situation in regard to fertilizers essential to preservation of
the soils of the United States has been gone into rather fully by the
department. A thorough investigation of Chilean nitrate, the
world’s air nitrogen industry, and the nitrogen situation in various
countries of Europe has been made and the results published or pre
pared. We are now engaged in an investigation of the potash situa
tion and its effect upon American consumers. Similarly, we are re
viewing the effect of the opening up of the phosphate deposits of
North Africa.

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

The tannin" industry of this country has had to face a number
of very difficult problems, including that of the procurement of
tanning materials from abroad. Detailed studies have been made
by the department on wattle, chrome ore and chrome salts, quebra
cho, and tanning extracts. Samples of new tanning materials have
been obtained from Mexico and Central America. Partly as a re
sult of this emphasis upon the necessity for commercial inde
pendence in tanning materials, Congress has made an appropriation
for a survey of the stands of chestnut timber and a study of chest
nut blight. It is felt that a number of valuable results will follow
from this beginning.
There are many other raw materials produced under foreign
monopoly control which should be made the subject of scrutiny by
this department. The appropriation of $100,000 allowed for prose
cution of this work during the present fiscal year is scarcely suffi
cient to conclude work already begun on the commodities mentioned.
However, there has been a start made on quinine, tin, mercury, cof
fee, minor fibers, and other commodities.
As a part of this general problem, I have made a recommendation
that our consumers be allowed by legislative action to set up com
mon purchasing agencies for imported raw materials where there
is a positive combination in control of their sale. The dangers of
such common purchasing agencies attempting to make improper
prices against our buying public could be met by a provision to
assure that all consumers who wished to participate could be allowed
to act through such agencies, and by other necessary restrictions.
I expect that this problem of maintenance of supplies of raw ma
terials will become of ever-increasing importance to this country,
and for that reason the department will give attention to all phases
of the question.
RADIO

The department exercises its supervision over radio through the
Bureau of Navigation. The past year has seen continued conges
tion in radio transmission. This has been true both in the marine
and the broadcasting services, each having congestion within itself
and each interfering with the other. It has become more and more
difficult to furnish channels for existing services and for the new
ones which desire to enter the field.
In order to deal with the situation understandingly and to obtain
the continued cooperation of all concerned, I called a National
Badio Conference to meet in Washington October 6, 1924, and in
vited the listening public as well as all other classes interested in
radio to participate in it. The principal accomplishments of the
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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

conference, which took place after the fiscal year now under review
were the allocation of additional channels for marine use, the limi
tation of marine radiotelegraphing so far as it has affected the
broadcasting band, and the reallocation of channels for broadcast
ing stations. I am confident that these changes will result in a great
improvement in the whole radio situation.
ST. LAWRENCE WATERWAY

Negotiations were initiated with Canada in 1922, at my request,
looking toward joint reconsideration of the project to extend canali
zation and development of electrical power from Lake Erie to
Montreal. Pursuant to these negotiations national commissions
were created in both Canada and the United States, and a joint
engineering board was appointed to review the estimates of cost
and the broad engineering problems involved in the project. Under
your appointment the American Commission comprises myself as
chairman, together with Charles L. Allen, William C. Breed, Charles
P. Craig, James F. Davidson-, Stephen B. Davis, James P. Goodrich,
James It. Howard, and James P. Noonan. This commission, in addi
tion to cooperating with the engineering staff, is engaged through
the Department of Commerce in a critical economic study of the
effects and benefits of this great project.
DEVELOPMENT OF COLORADO RIVER

The Colorado River Commission, comprising representatives of
the seven States in the drainage of that stream together with my
self as chairman, a year ago completed a compact between the
States providing for the division of their various water rights.
This compact is the first and necessary step in the development of
this great natural resource, as the legal complications between the
States have hitherto prevented systematic development. The com
pact has been ratified by six out of the seven States and now awaits
the action of the State of Arizona. The Department of Commerce
has continued its studies of the broad commercial problems involved
in the development, particularly of the lower river, and in coopera
tion with other bureaus of the Government will be able to propose
a plan for legislative authorization for such development to the
forthcoming Congress.
THE RIO GRANDE

Interstate disputes as to water rights have held up the develop
ment of irrigation and power upon this great stream, although not
to the same extent as in the case of the Colorado River. A commis
sion is in course of appointment by the legislatures of the three States

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

of Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado, and the services of this depart
ment have been enlisted through my appointment as chairman of this
commission, at the request of the governors and the President.
CONFERENCES WITH COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

In connection with the services outlined in this report, and many
others, a total of 155 conferences were held during the fiscal year by
the Secretary and members of the department with committees of
various branches of commerce and industry. Practically all were
held at the request of these bodies. Of these conferences 8 were on
matters of transportation and fuel distribution; 49 on questions of
foreign trade and domestic commerce; 47 on specifications, stand
ardization, and simplification; 12 on housing and construction: 10
on statistical questions; 13 on merchant marine and fisheries; and
16 on various general and special problems.
A D M IN IS T R A T IO N

The close of the fiscal year was signalized by the introduction of
the new personnel system, based on the classification act of 1923. So
far as the salary scale is concerned, the net result of the change was
an average per capita increase of $113. The total number of em
ployees on the department's pay roll stood at 11,660 on June 30,
1924, as compared with 12,303 in 1923 and 12,683 in 1922. This
actual reduction in personnel is the more notable because it was ac
complished in the face of greatly expanded departmental activities.
Nor have these larger services to the business community been ren
dered at any greatly increased net cost. Appropriations for tho
fiscal year ending June 30, 1924, amounted to $21,523,580.20 as com
pared with $21,585,044.75 for 1923 and $20,107,444.05 for 1922,

Part III.— L E G IS L A T IV E R E C O M M E N D A T IO N S
The law requires that the Secretary of Commerce shall include
in his annual report “ such recommendations as he shall deem neces
sary for the effective performance of the duties and purposes of
the department.” In accordance with this requirement I submit
the following recommendations, the adoption of which would greatly
aid the department in its efforts to promote the country’s com
mercial well-being :
REORGANIZATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

The investigations of the Joint Congressional Committee on Re
organization resulted in the inclusion in that committee’s plan of
many of the suggestions presented by me looking to a reorganiza
tion of the Department of Commerce which should enable it to
function more effectively and economically. The department was
created “ to foster, promote, and develop the domestic and foreign
commerce, mining, manufacture, shipping, and fishing industries,
and the transportation facilities.” Excluding all of the semi judicial
functions in the Government respecting these matters, and excluding
the Shipping Board, there are still a large number of functions of
the kind set forth in the organic act which are administered out
side the department. They lie in seven different departments and
independent agencies of such widely divergent major purposes as
the War and Navy. There is inevitable overlap, duplication, and
lack of concentration of purpose. In the interest of economy, effi
ciency of administration, and better service to the public, all of the
functions of the Government of the character enumerated in the
organic act should be at once concentrated in three different groups—
(a) industry, (b) trade, and (c) navigation. Each should be under
an Assistant Secretary.
ADEQUATE BUILDING FOR DEPARTMENT

In order to provide space for the increased activities of the de
partment it was necessary during the month of July to move the
Bureau of Lighthouses out of the Commerce Building into separate
quarters. The work of the department is now carried on in six
different buildings widely separated and some of them unsanitary
and dangerous to public records. This scattering of the services can
only tend to impair the efficiency of the department and retard its
work, but so long as the department is housed in rented quarters,
inadequate to its needs, still further overflow from the main building
30

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

■will be necessary. As has been emphasized for several years, the
remedy lies in a Government-owned building of ample proportions
to house under one roof the entire department, except the Bureau
of Standards, which on account of the nature of its work is ideally
situated away from the city proper.
The department is now entering upon the first year of a final fiveyear lease to the Commerce Building at an annual rental of $65,500,
and the lessors have declined to grant a renewal beyond this limit at
the present rate. In order that the department may not be without
a home, steps should be taken immediately for the erection of a
building of sufficient size to house its various bureaus and divisions,
with due allowance for future growth. The present period of oc
cupancy is too short to defer the project any longer, and good ad
ministration makes it imperative that immediate consideration be
given the need of the department for a Government-owned building.
FEDERAL TAXES ON AMERICANS RESIDENT ABROAD

The 1Mi ted States is the only important nation which imposes
domestic taxation upon the earned income of its citizens who are
resident abroad, engaged in the expansion of commerce. While pro
vision is made for deduction of foreign taxes, this has effect only in
high taxation countries, and affords no adequate relief precisely
in those areas where we need expansion in personnel most, as in
Latin America and the Far East. A ll other high-tax countries have
given complete relief in this particular, and thus our nationals are
placed at great disadvantage in the countries mentioned above.
We shall have neither a staple export business in manufactured
goods, nor a successful merchant marine, so long as the distribution
of American goods rests in the hands of other nations. The mar
keting of American goods abroad is a matter of ability and zeal in
representation, as well as of competitive prices. The effect of in
creased taxation from the war, which is applied by our country
alone to earned incomes of our citizens abroad, tends to drive our
citizens out of the front line of commerce in many countries. Legis
lation should be enacted to relieve our nationals from this burden.
This suggestion is not intended to be applicable to returns on foreign
investments of residents or of nonresidents, or to relieve expatriates,
but solely to place those engaged in advancing American trade
abroad upon terms of equality with others.
FEES CHARGED FOR PASSPORTS

The regulations in effect at the present time, with regard to the
fees charged for passports and vises, are irksome and provocative
of resentment abroad, which is reflected in retaliatory measures

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

that handicap American merchants and traveling salesmen in for
eign countries. The fees should be radically reduced and formali
ties thoroughly revised and simplified.
REVISION OF THE NAVIGATION LAWS

As noted in mv annual report a year ago, the navigation laws are
badhT in need of revision. Under acts of Congress providing for
recommendations in this respect, a large amount of work has been
done, and it had been hoped that a complete plan of revision, bring
ing into harmony and clarity the various provisions, would be ready
for submission at the last session. The completion of this work has.
however, been delayed. It is of the greatest importance to the ship
ping public, to the officials whose duty it is to enforce navigation
laws, and to those actually engaged in the industry that the codifica
tion of these laws be no longer delayed.
ADMEASUREMENT OF VESSELS

The transfer from the Treasury Department to the Department
of Commerce of the staff of officers engaged in measuring tonnage
of vessels has been approved by both departments, and is essential to
the uniform application of our admeasurement laws and regulations,
so as to prevent discrimination against American vessels and to bring
our admeasurement system up to the standard of other maritime na
tions. This work should be performed by men selected because
of their technical knowledge of ship architecture and admeasurement,
and with the training to solve the mathematical problems often in
volved. House bill 8915, introduced at the first session of the Sixtyeighth Congress, authorizes the foregoing transfer and its speedy
enactment is urged.
LOAD-LINE LAW

It is imperative to the welfare of our merchant marine that legisla
tion substantially similar to the laws of the European maritime
powers on this subject be enacted, inasmuch as our cargo-carrying
steamers are now allowed to clear from the ports of these foreign
powers solely as an act of courtesj’, and not as a matter of right.
Senate bill 1319, introduced at the first session of the Sixty-eighth
Congress, with the amendments suggested by this department, will
provide adequate legislation on this subject. It is hoped that earlv
action will be taken respecting this measure.
HOME PORT OF VESSELS

The Maritime Law Association and other maritime interests are
deeply interested in determining the port where mortgages, bills of
sale, hypothecations, and conveyances of vessels belonging to corpora-

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

tions are to be recorded. The present law on the subject is antiquated
and confusing. It is essential to securing title to vessels, and validity
of mortgages, that legislation on this subject he secured without
unnecessary delay. A bill is now in course of preparation to ac
complish this purpose.
LIABILITY OF OCEAN CARGO CARRIERS

The liability of ocean cargo carriers for loss of or damages to
goods carried by them is at present inadequately defined. Bills of
lading, the basic contracts of transportation, lack uniformity. Much
needless and time-wasting litigation has resulted. Rules have been
proposed to remedy the situation. When finally approved as equit
able to the legitimate interests of carriers, underwriters, shippers
of goods, and bankers, the four factors concerned in foreign ship
ments, these rules should be adopted as amendments to the Harter
Act.
TRADE ZONES

Foreign trade zones in the ports of the United States have long
been urged by trade and official bodies as a measure of benefit to
American commerce, as they eliminate waste of time, labor, and
money in the importation of raw materials which are to be re
exported after manufacture in conjunction with domestic materials
and of goods to be repacked or reshipped for distribution in foreign
countries. Such zone areas would prove an excellent substitute for
the inadequate system of bonded warehouses and drawbacks and
afford much more economical handling. Their most important pur
pose would be in contribution to our merchant marine in increasing
the volume of carriage in American bottoms. Senate bill 2570,
introduced at the first session of the Sixty-eighth Congress, covers
this subject, and it is hoped that it will be enacted into law in the
near future.
BUREAU OF FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE

The following items of legislation are recommended for the Bu
reau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce:
1.
Reclassification of the foreign service, providing that all repre
sentatives abroad above the grade of clerk be classed as commercial
secretaries, be divided into classes according to salary, and be
accredited by the Department of State in the same manner as are
the commercial attaches at present. Senate bill 3384, introduced
at the first session of the Sixty-eighth Congress, is designed to ac
complish the foregoing purposes.

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

2.
Legislation to simplify the handling of funds by the disbursing
agents of the bureaus and as a result to simplify the whole process
of accounting.
BUREAU OF THE CENSUS

1. It is recommended that the compilation and printing of the
Official Register be discontinued. The Joint Committee on Printing
ruled that the information compiled for 1923 should not be printed.
The register calls for an outlay of about $50,000 per issue and serves
no sufficient purpose to justify this expense.
2. With a view to avoiding duplication, it is recommended that
the collection of statistics concerning the quantities of leaf tobacco
held by certain classes of manufacturers and dealers be transferred
from the Bureau of the Census to the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
I f this transfer be not made, it is recommended that the present law
under which the Bureau of the Census collects leaf-tobacco statistics
be so amended that the affidavits to the reports be accepted when
made before postmasters.
3. That the act of August 7, 1916, concerning cotton consumed in
the fiianufacture of guncotton and other explosives, be repealed, since
this information, originally desirable on account of war conditions,
is no longer important. The Navy Department requested the dis
continuance of the publication of these data during the war.
4. That a travel allowance of $5 per diem, actual expenses, or $4
in lieu of subsistence, be allowed agents traveling on Government
business.
STEAMBOAT INSPECTION SERVICE

The following items of legislation are recommended for the
Steamboat Inspection Service:
1. Amendment of sections 4433 and 4418 of the Revised Statutes
in regard to the working and hydrostatic pressure of boilers, so as
to enable the service to modernize the rules and regulations covering
these matters. Senate bill 1666, introduced at the first session of
the Sixty-eighth Congress, provides for the desired amendment.
2. That section 4426 of the Revised Statutes be amended so as to
give the service the authority to require motor boats of over 15 gross
tons to chrry the same life-saving equipment as that required on
steamers subject to inspection. Senate bill 3425 provides for this
amendment.
3. That section 4404 of the Revised Statutes be so amended as to
include the supervising inspectors in the classified civil service, and
that the number of supervising inspectors be decreased from 11 to
10. Senate bill 1718 provides for this desired amendment.

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

35-

LIGHTHOUSE SERVICE

The following items of legislation are recommended for the Light
house Service:
1. Extension of the retirement law to cover (a) cases of disability
in the field personnel of the Lighthouse Service and ( i ) retirement,,
in the discretion of the Secretary of Commerce, after 30 veal's o f
service.
2. Provision of medical relief for light keepers at remote stations
inaccessible to Public Health Service hospitals, and extension o f
Public Health Service treatment to employees on lighthouse vessels.
3. Authorization of the payment of claims of lighthouse em
ployees for losses of personal property7 incident to their work.
4. Extension to lighthouse employees of privileges now accorded
to similar services respecting the purchase of commissary supplies
and transportation.
5. Provision for the protection of aids to navigation damaged by
passing vessels. House bill 6866, introduced at the first session o f
the Sixty-eighth Congress, covers the foregoing recommendations
and its speedy enactment is urged.
AVIATION

In recent years the commercial use of air travel lias increased to
a considerable extent, though there is reason to fear that in this re
spect the United States is not keeping paee with some foreign coun
tries. This method of transportation means much to our economic
and social progress, and every encouragement, legislative and other
wise, should be given to its development. At the Same time, there
should be created a proper system for its regulation, having in view,
primarily, the safety of life both of passengers and operators, and
the orderly conduct of air navigation.
RADIO

Legislation was proposed at the last session of Congress to
strengthen the authority of the Government over the channels of
radiocommunication and to reinforce and extend the powers of the
department. Development of the art is proceeding with such rapid
ity both on the scientific and industrial sides that each year sees a
profound shift in its activities. Any legislation should be most care
fully framed so as to allow complete flexibility in development and
full application of all scientific and industrial advancement.
Yours faithfully,
H erbert H oover,

Secretary of Commerce.

P a r t I V .-S P E C IA L AND MORE DETAILED REPO R TS
OF THE D IFFE R E N T BU REA U S AND D IV ISIO N S
OF THE D EPA R TM EN T AND SPECIAL RECOM
M EN D A TIO N S OF TH EIR D IRECTO RS
ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS OF THE OFFICE OF THE
SECRETARY
D

e p a r t m

e n t

O f f ic e

o f

o f
t h e

C o m m e r c e ,
C h ie f

C l e r k ,

W ashington, J u ly 1, 192J.
H o n . H

e r b e r t

o o v e r

Secretary of Commerce.
D e a r M i l S e c r e t a r y : In response to your request I furnish the
following condensed report of the work of the various divisions of
the Secretary’s office during the past year:
These divisions, in addition to the immediate offices of the Sec
retary and Assistant Secretary, consist of the office of the solicitor,
the chief clerk and superintendent, the disbursing office, the divi
sion of appointments, the division of publications, the director of
purchases and sales, the division of supplies, the stock and ship
ping section, the traffic manager, the department library, the tele
graph office, telephone exchange, the motor equipment, and the
department garage.
SUMMARY

The new personnel system, based on the classification act of 1923,
went into effect July 1, 1924, and required considerable readjust
ment, which was effected with a minimum of delay. The net result
on the department's salary scale was an average increase of $113.
The total number of employees on the department’s pay roll stood
at 11.660 on June 30, 1924. as compared with 12,303 in 1923 and
12,683 in 1922.
Appropriations for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1924, amounted
to $21,523,580.20 as compared with $21,585,044.75 for 1923 and
$20,107,444.05 for 1922. The detail is given in the following table:
A p p r o p r ia tio n s f o r th e D e p o r tm e n t o f C o m m e r c e , 1 9 2 1 -1 9 2 4

Bureau

1921

$314, 550.00
Bureauof the Census...................... . 5,000,002.00
Coast and Geodetic Survey.................. 2,089,334.30
Bureau of Fisheries.......... ..... ........... 1,231,238.20
Bureau of ForeignandDomesticCommerce. 916,570.37
8,380,7.55.01
321,324. 11
Bureau of Standards.......................... 1.351,670.72
Steamboat Inspection Service................ 1,001.007.87
•increaseof compensation.... ................ 2,522.820.32
365,000.00
Total..................................... 23,4M.272.90

1922

1923

1924

$319,612.44
1,000,001.95
2, 129,960.34
1,246,721.51
1.228,604.82
8,928,525.32
395,625.80
1,49-1, 192.31
990,834.45
2,048,365. 11
325,000.00
20, 107,444.05

$344.259.62
1.737.680.00
2.214.656.23
1,402,180.82
2,374,657.91
8,378,056.38
370, 728.05
1,548,476.27
906,200.47
1.844.399.00
463,750.00
21,585,044.75
_______

$364,700. 12
1,732,340.00
2,186,313.65
1.230,137.81
2.076,167. 50
8,500,005.00
382,651. 22
1, 731.538. 25
900,770.65
1,958,956.00
460,000.00
21,523,580.20
3T

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

NEED FOR A GOVERNMENT-OWNED BUILDING

In order to provide space for the increased activities of the depart
ment it was necessary during the month of July to move the Bureau
of Lighthouses out of the Commerce Building into separate quarters.
This scattering of the services can only tend to impair the efficiency“
of the department and retard its work, but so long as the depart
ment is housed in rented quarters, inadequate to its needs, still fur
ther overflow from the main building will be necessary. As hasbeen emphasized for several years, the remedy lies in a Governmentowned building of ample proportions to house under one roof the
entire department except the Bureau of Standards, which, on account
of the nature of its work, is ideally situated away from the city
proper.
The department is now entering upon the first year of a final fiveyear lease to the Commerce Building at an annual rental of $05,500,.
and the lessors have declined to grant a renewal beyond this limit
at the present rate. In order that the department may not be with
out a home, steps should immediately be taken for the erection of a
building of sufficient size to house its various bureaus and divisions,,
with due allowance for future growth. The present period of occu
pancy is too short to longer defer the project, and good administra
tion makes it imperative that immediate consideration be given theneed of the department for a Government-owned building.
Since its occupancy of the Commerce Building, the Government
has expended $709,280.11 in rent, including the water-cooling sys
tem, which costs $1,400 per annum, and at the expiration of thepresent lease the amount will total $1,043,780.11. I f at the expira
tion of the present lease, June 30,1929, it becomes necessary to occupy
rented quarters, there is no hope of obtaining a suitable building at
the present rental, which is one of the cheapest in the city. In theinterest of economy, efficiency, and proper administration the wis
dom of a permanent home for the department is so obvious as toneed no argument.
DISBURSING OFFICE
APPROPRIATIONS ANI) EXPENDITURES

The itemized statement of the disbursements from the contingent
fund of the department and the appropriation for “ General ex
penses, Bureau of Standards,” for the fiscal year ended June 30.
1924, required to be submitted to Congress by section 193 of the lievised Statutes of the United States; the itemized statement of ex
penditures under all appropriations for propagation of food fishes
during the fiscal year ended June 30. 1924. required by the act
of Congress approved March 3, 1887 (24 Stat. 523); the statement
showing travel on official business by officers and employees (other
than special agents, inspectors, and employees who, in the dischargeof their regular duties, are required to travel constantly) from Wash
ington to points outside of the District of Columbia during the fiscal
year ended June 30,1924, as required by the act of Congress approved
May 22,1908 (35 Stat. 244); the statement showing typewriters, add
ing machines, etc., exchanged by this department during the fiscal

DIVISIONS OF THE SECRETARY’s OFFICE

jear ended June 30,1924, as required by section 5 of the act of March
4,1915 (38 Stat. 1161); and the statement in connection with the pay
ment of increased compensation to employees of this department
■during the first four months of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1925,
as required by section 7 of the act of March 1, 1919 (40 Stht. 1268).
will be transmitted to Congress in the usual form.
Table 1, page 45, shows the total amount of all appropriations for
the various bureaus and services of the Department of Commerce for
the fiscal year ended June 30, 1924.
Disbursement by the authorized disbursing officers of the depart
ment during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1924, arranged according
to items of appropriation, are shown in Table 2. page 45.
Warrants drawn on the Treasurer of the United States to satisfy
accounts settled by the General Accounting Office, State and Other
Departments Division, during the fiscal year ended June 30. 1924.
classified according to items of appropriation are shown in Table 3,
page 51.
A statement of the expenditures during the fiscal year ended June
30, 1924, on account of all appropriations under the control of the
department, giving the total amount expended by each bureau, is
shown in Table 4, page 55.
Miscellaneous receipts are shown in Table 5, page 55.
Unexpended balances of appropriations turned into the surplus
fund June 30,1924. are shown in Table 6, page 56.
A statement showing unused amounts of appropriations turned
back into the Treasury during the last nine years is shown in Table
7, page 58.
APPOINTMENT DIVISION

The close of the fiscal year 1921 signalized the termination of a
system of personnel organization under which, in preceding reports,
positions had been classified as statutory, nonstatutory, etc., and on
July 1, 1924, a modified and improved system under the classification
act of 1923, as provided in the appropriation act for the fiscal year
1925, was instituted. In accordance with the system of monthly
reports furnished by the administrative officers of the several units
o f the department, Table 8, page 58, shows the personnel as of
record J une 30, 1924, by bureau, class of service, ancl by sex.
The proceedings of the department in the matter of classifica
tion referred to in the last preceding report were followed up and
perfected in anticipation of the provision by Congress for the neces
sary appropriation, and in spite of considerable delay resulting from
proper action on appeals and the necessity of awaiting legal inter
pretations the organization was completed shortly after the com
mencement of the present fiscal year. The personnel was aligned
by service (professional: snbprofessional; clerical, administrative,
and fiscal: and custodial), by grades in service, and salary adjust
ment made under the provisions of the classification and appropria
tion acts. The net result as of July 1, 1924, by bureau and service
is indicated in Table 9, page 58.
One of the aims of classification is to provide for the readjust
ment of compensation which had been so urgently desired and agi
tated for many years. A partial remedy, which by reason of its

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

ultrasimplicity might be considered more or less inadequate, wasprovided in the additional compensation (bonus) legislation. In
connection with the readjustment of salaries under reclassification
the bonus was considered as part of the regular salary, and the net
result of the readjustment showed an average increase of approxi
mately $113 per capita. While such a readjustment is a welcome
change from prior conditions, there are still inadequacies when we
compare the salaries of the Government service with those offered by
business organizations for comparable duties and qualifications and
when we consider that the long-anticipated reduction in the cost o f
living does not materialize. A more flexible system of administra
tion which would permit of equitable readjustments should be made
possible. While to a limited degree classification meets this need,
the restrictions of the appropriation act, which in practice probably
have proved a greater handicap than was considered, prevent the
utilization of the classification act to the extent intended and de
manded by good business policy.
Although the turnover in the personnel by reason of the conditions
indicated is not as great as in preceding years, it is still excessive to
a degree which in business circles would not be permitted to exist.
Table 10, page o9, indicates the changes involved in the administra
tion of the personnel of the department during the fiscal year 1924.

The classification act provides that increases in compensation shall
be allowed upon the attainment and maintenance of appropriate effi
ciency ratings, and devolves on the Personnel Classification Board
the responsibility of establishing a system for this purpose. It is to
be regretted that the pressure of business involved in the originat
classification prevented the board from functioning contemporane
ously on efficiency ratings and reclassification. It is understood,
however, that before the present fiscal year has far advanced it will
be prepared to lay before the departments as the result of its study
of the question rules under which efficiency ratings will be established
before the end of the present calendar year. Classification and effi
ciency are so closely allied that an efficiency rating system is essen
tial, and will result in the removal of considerable dissatisfaction
which normally exists among the personnel of the service.
It is regrettable that the last session of Congress failed to enact
a law liberalizing the provisions of the civil-service retirement
system. The operation of this system has developed manifest
weaknesses which legislation, having apparently the approval of
Congress, was intended to modify. Retirement annuities should
approximate some measure of provision for the maintenance o f
superannuated employees. Annuities ranging from a maximum of
$720 to a mere pittance are a very inadequate reward for long and
faithful service. To compel an employee irrespective of the length
of his service to struggle along until he reaches a definite retirement
age is discriminatory to the man who has devoted the prime of life to
the service. I f 30 years of faithful service does not entitle an em
ployee to retirement on annuity, one is tempted to ask, “ Why give
it at a ll? ” The fact that the cost of retirement is much less than
was anticipated, and that the surplus in the fund (provided entirely
by contributions of employees) will gain by salary increases under
reclassification, should tend to remove any objections to liberalizing

DIVISIONS OF THE SECRETARY'S OFFICE

the retirement system, which it is hoped will soon be taken up and
favorably acted upon by Congress. During the fiscal year 1924. 49
employees of the department have been retired on annuities as fol
lows: Under the civil service retirement law of May 22, 1920, 12,
with average annuity of $491.38: under the lighthouse retirement
law of June 20, 1918, 35, with average annuity of $714.92.
Table 11, page 60, shows the extent to which the leave privilege
allowed by law was utilized by employees. This indicates that the
total annual and sick leave utilized was 34.69 days. This is in
excess of the preceding year, due to a slight increase in the amount o f
sick leave utilized, which is 0.05 greater than the preceding year.
The average annual leave compares favorably with that of the
preceding year. In this connection, in view of the administrative
difficulties regarding the utilization of sick leave, I am of the opinion
that an amendment of sick-leave regulations, reducing the period
of annual leave with pay on account of sickness and making the
same accumulative for an extended period of, say, five years, would
provide a more equitable arrangement for the service and for the
employees generally. Under such a policy, with a 12-day annual
limit, it might be possible in a serious case of sickness to permit an
employee who had not taken advantage of prior sick leave to use hisaccumulation in case of necessity. As this, however, is not now per
missible under the restrictions of the act approved March 15, 1898,.
legislation would be necessary to accomplish such a plan.
DIVISION OF PUBLICATIONS
IN C R E A S E

P R IN T IN G

COSTS

An increase in the cost of printing and binding at the Government
Printing Office became effective July 1, 1924, due to a revised scale
of charges made necessary by an increase in wages for certain em
ployments in that office. It is not possible at this time to determine
the extent of the increase, as further wage5adjustments are being
considered. About 75 per cent of the department’s appropriation is
expended for publications, and labor ecTnstitmtes the principal item
of cost for this class of work. Consequemfy the ratio of increase in
printing costs will be greater for the work of the Department of
Commerce than for a department using a larger percentage of its
total printing appropriations for work in connection with which
labor costs do not predominate, such as blank books, forms, etc.
As the increased rates apply to operations subsequent to June 30,
1924, on work ordered during the fiscal year 1924, it will be necessary
in order to avoid a deficit in the appropriation for that year to cancel
a certain amount of work or uncompleted jobs, having t he operations
accomplished at the time of cancellation charged against the 1924
appropriation, and issue requisitions as of 1925 for the completion
of the work. This will result in a further obligation against the
1925 appropriation.
Table 12, page 61, shows expenditures during 1924 and allotments
of the appropriation for 1925, by bureaus, offices, and services.

REPORT OP THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

SALES OF DEPARTMENT’S PUBLICATIONS

During the year further restrictions were made in the free distri
bution of the department’s publications, thereby causing the princi
pal part of the distribution to be made on a sales basis by the Super
intendent of Documents. Table 13, page 61, shows the distribution
•of the department’s publications on a sales basis for the years 1921,
1922, and 1923. Figures for 1924 have not vet been compiled by the
Superintendent of Documents. Coast pilots, inside-route pilots, tide
tables, current tables, and charts are sold by the Coast and Geodetic
Survey; other publications of the department are sold by the Super
intendent of Documents at a price based upon the cost of reprinting
from electrotype plates.
DIVISION OF SUPPLIES

The following is a brief report of the work undertaken and accom
plished by the division of supplies along the line of simplification,
coordination, and standardization of methods of procedure and
forms relative to purchases, sales, contracts, and property accounta
bility during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1924.
PURCHASES

This office has, as during the fiscal year 1923, maintained during
the current fiscal year the centralized information pertaining to the
department’s surplus property, and has acted on all proposals for
supplies and materials emanating in its field services, in addition to
handling these proposals in obtaining clearance through the General
Supply Committee and their return to the issuing office.
In cooperation with the Chief Coordinator’s Office of the Bureau
of the Budget this office has saved, by obtaining material desired by
the different bureaus o |f the. department, from surplus stocks of the
other Government departments not desiring same, over $20,000.
The expenditures om ilie* 10,302 purchase orders issued and the
freight, travel, and mSjtellaneous accounts handled by this office
amounted to $527.596.9o^^
Below is tabulation showing the increase and decrease in the requi
sitions, orders, etc., between the fiscal years 1923 and 1924, which is
an indication of the variation of all branches of the division’s work
between the two years:

Proposals for services, supplies, and equipment...........................
Invitations to bid on services, supplies, and equipm ent............
Letters emanating from this office.................................. ..............

1923

1924

4,94 r>
1,479
6,127
10,361
8.145
8, 733

6,063
1.904
7,379
10,302
8,203
10. 673

Increase

Decrease

P er cent

22.6
28.7
20.4

O..1»

90 9

The above work has necessitated 214 days 3 hours and 30 minutes
of overtime labor by the employees of the division during the fiscal
year 1924, as against 341 da3Ts’ overtime during the fiscal year 1923,

DIVISIONS OF THE SECRETARY’S OFFICE

the decrease being due principally to the increased efficiency of the
office’s regular employees and the addition to its force of two capable
employees experienced in this line of ¡work.
A material advance has been made in the efficiency of the stock,
classification of expenditures, allotments, and financial records, due
to the installation of a bookkeeping machine. Prior to the installa
tion of this machine, these records were kept in the usual method of
hand posting, which precluded a daily balance being obtained, and
much difficulty was frequently experienced at the end of the month
when an attempt at balancing all of those records was made. The
present method enables this office to maintain a daily balance, which
is not only more satisfactory, but which eliminates tedious and
extensive checking at the end of the 30-dav period, in order to
reconcile discrepancies which invariably occur in records containing
so many entries.
FEDERAL REAL ESTATE BOARD

The report of last year submitted by this office showed an in
crease during 1924 in rentals paid by this department for its field
services of $8,865 over the rentals paid during the fiscal year 1923.
During the fiscal year 1925 there will be a saving of $241, due to re
duction of space and rentals over the fiscal year 1924.
CONTRACTS AND ADJUSTMENTS

The department’s board of contracts and adjustments is now con
sidering the tentative form of construction contract as drafted by the
interdepartmental board of contracts and adjustments and has sub
mitted its suggested changes to the supply contract as drafted by
the last-mentioned board
TRAFFIC OFFICE

The traffic division, established under the office of the Secretary
November 10, 1921, lias again demonstrated its worth during the past
year and the savings on freight and express shipments have more
than justified its existence. A detailed statement covering shipments
during the fiscal year 1924 is shown in Table 14, page 62.
t
DEPARTMENT LIBRARY

The department library of over 110,000 volumes contains a
careful selection of books and pamphlets on commerce and economic
conditions of every country in the world, and while it is primarily
for the use of research workers of the department, its use by other
branches of the Government and business men is steadily increasing.
The total accession of books and pamphlets for the year ended
June 30, 1924, has been 5,770, including the volumes made by
binding serials an’d periodicals; 3,128 books were catalogued, and
2,642 were added to serial cards; 12,490 cards of new accessories
were added to the catalogue trays; 6,508 books were prepared for
the shelf (stamped, labeled, pocketed, and book cards m ade);
4,662 books and periodicals were collated and prepared for the
15308—24------ 4

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

bindery and 567 books -were sent to the bindery; 1,692 books were
discarded, thus making room for new material. Lists of bibli
ographies made numbered 290. Letters and post cards emanating
from the library numbered 5,828.
The circulation of books in the Commerce Building, exclusive of
use in the library, amounted to 15,346; 1,765 books were borrowed
from the Library of Congress and other libraries; 1,745 trade,
technical, and scientific periodicals, 100 daily papers, and 65 foreign
official gazettes were currently received, recorded, and routed to
2,183 individuals or divisions.
Reference work is a strong feature of the departmental library.
The inquiries cover a wide range of subjects, but use of the cata
logue of about 700,000 cards and an efficient staff make the material
readily available.
During the year a room on another floor was added and the
older books transferred there, thus relieving the situation to some
extent. Congestion still remains, however, one of the greatest
problems.
WORK OF THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE

During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1924, 131 contracts, totaling
$1,108,364.04, together with 9 contracts of indeterminate amounts;
59 leases, amounting to $88,316.87; 28 revocable licenses, amounting
to $17,171; 5 insurance policies, amounting to $282,000; 34 deeds, in
volving the sum of $163,474.35; 62 contract bonds, amounting to
$228,295.60; and 88 official bonds, amounting to $476,000, were ex
amined (approved, disapproved, drafted, redrafted, or modified).
The number of legal opinions rendered, formal and informal
(memorandum), totaled 188 (a great many verbal opinions of which
no record is kept were also rendered during the y e a r ); legislative
matters handled which concern the Department of Commerce
(drafting and redrafting of bills, reports relative thereto, etc.)
numbered 79. Power-of-attorney cards, authorizing agents to exe
cute official and contract bonds for surety companies, totaled 3,245.
In addition, 10,567 miscellaneous matters, embracing everything
submitted for the advice or suggestion of the solicitor, or for the
formulation of departmental action, not included in the foregoing
items, were handled by this office.
INCREASE OF WORK

Increased work throughout the department during the past year
caused added demands upon the various divisions of the office of
the Secretary. The personnel responded loyally, however, with
the result that by mucn overtime work and to* a large degree under
intensive strain the work has been kept practically current. The
employees have at all times been responsive to the demands upon
them and cheerfully performed the tasks assigned. Several of the
divisions are undermanned and are only able to carry on by help
afforded through the medium of details from some of the bureaus.
It is earnestly hoped that relief will be afforded in the near future
by additions to the present personnel.

DIVISIONS OF THE SECRETARY S OFFICE

MISCELLANEOUS STATISTICS
T able

3L-— T o t a l

a p p r o p r ia tio n s , 1924

....

Bureau

Commerce
and Labor
act

Transferred
State, Jus
tice, Com Deficiency from other
act
depart
merce and
Labor act
ments

Office of the Secretary.. - $358,750.00
Bureau of Foreign and
Domestic Commerce.. 2.076.110.00
Bureau of the Census__ 1, 732,340. 00
Steamboat Inspection
900, 740.00
Bureau of N avigation...
381, 590. 00
Bureau of Standards---- 1, 642,360.00
Coast and Geodetic Sur2,186,275. 00
Bureau of Lighthouses.. 8.416.290.00
Bureau of Fisheries........ 1,112,590.00 $110,000.00
460,000. 00
Printing and binding__

Special act

$5,950.12
$57.50 $152,723.17

134,775.00

38. 65
83, 715. 00
7,547. 81

5,345. 79
2, 531. 60

$364, 700.12
2,228,890. 67
1,732,340.00

30.65
89,178. 25

Total

1,061. 22

900,770. 65
382,651. 22
1,866,313.25
2,191,659.44
8, 502,536. 60
1,230,137. 81
461, 500. 00

1, 500. 00

Total..................... 19,267,045. 00
increase of compensat ion

110,000.00

180,567.86

296,875. 56

7,011. 34
1,958,956.00

19,861,499. 76
1,958,956.00

Grand total........... 19,267,045. 00

110,000.00

180, 667. 86

296,875.56

1,965,967. 34

21,820,455. 76

Bureau

Net amount
available for
Transferred Trans
Total
expenditures
to other de ferred to transferred
by this
partments retirement
department
$3,661.00 $56.161.00
20,304.88
22,864. 88
23.484. 50 28,48-1. 50
17,531.00
17, 531.00
6.364. 50
6,304. 50
34,905. 00 117,765. 00
10,093. 50 52,918. 00
9,830. 11 67,378. 11
9,8oaoo
29, 580.00

$309, 539. 12
2,206,025. 79
1, 703,855. 50
883, 239. 65
376,280. 72
1,748, 548. 25
2,138,741.44
8,435,158. 49
1,200,557. 81
461,500.00

Total...................................................................... 262,012. 50
20,208. 00

136. 034. 49 398,046. 99
•20,208. 00

19,463,452.77
1, 938,748. 00

Grand total............................................................ 282,220. 50

136, 034.49

418,254. 99

21,402,200. 77

Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce...............
Bureau of the Census......................................................

$51,500.00
2, 500. 00
5,000. 00

Bureau of Standards.......................................................
Coast and Geodetic Survey...........................................
Bureau of Lighthouses....................................................
Bureau of Fisheries.........................................................

82,860. 00
42,824. 50
57, 548. 00
19,78a 00

.............

T a b l e 2.— I t e m i z e d d i s b u r s e m e n t s , 1 9 2 )

BY DISBURSING CLERK, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Office of the Secretary :
Contingent expenses, Department of Commerce, 1922______
Contingent expenses, Department of Commerce, 1923______
Contingent expenses, Department of Commerce, 1924______
Kent, Department of Commerce, 1923___________________
Rent. Department of Commerce, 1924 ________________
Salaries, office of the Secretary, 1923___________________
Salaries, office of the Secretary, 1924______ ____________

$248. 90
39, 324. 84
158,324.93
0,083. 34
56, 758.32
7. 331. 15
150,138. 70

Total____________________________________________

424, 210. 24

Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce:
Commercial attachés, 1923___________________ !_______ _
Commercial attachés, 1924_____j.___________________ .__
Compiling foreign trade statistics,
1923_________
Compiling foreign trade statistics, 1923-24_______________
Compiling foreign trade statistics, 1924_________________
Directory of forpign buyers, 1924_!__________________

5,107. 27
12, 494. 22
9, 635. 09
154, 506. 41
101, 719. 53
8, 511. 91

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce—Continued.
District and cooperative office service, 1924______________ $118, 570. 62
2, 588. 97
Enforcement of China trade act, 1928--------------------------Enforcement of China trade act, 1924----------------------------IS, 563. 92
Export industries, 1923---------------------------------------------19, 434. 33
450, 730. 09
Export industries, 1924_________________________ , -----Investigating sources of crude rubber. 1923-24___________
188,066.73
Investigation of foreign trade restrictions, 1924___________
19, 819. 92
Promoting commerce, Department of Commerce, 1922--------. 66
Promoting commerce, Department of Commerce,
1923_
18, 404.31
Promoting commerce, Department of Commerce,
1924_
45, 720.88
Promoting commerce, Far East, 1923___________________
7, 310.56
Promoting commerce, Far East, 1924___________________
70, 326.90
Promoting commerce, South and Central America, 1923_____
5,146. 32
Promoting commerce, South and Central America, 1924_____
59, 263. 08
Raw-material investigations, 1924_____________________
26, 593. IS
Salaries, Foreign and Domestic Commerce, 1923__________ ' 9, 258.93
Salaries, Foreign and Domestic Commerce, 1924--------------209, $20. 27
Transportation of families and effects of officers and em
ployees, 1924______________________________________
158. 26
T otal____________________________________________ 1,561,752.36
Bureau of Standards :
Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (transfer to Bureau of
Standards, act of Jan. 5, 1923), 1924-------------------------Air Service, Army (War transfer to Bureau of Standards,
act of May 21, 1920), 1924________________________
Air Service, Army (War transfer to Bureau of Standards.
act of Jan. 5, 1923), 1924___________________________
Automatic rifles (War transfer), 1923-24----------------------Automotive power plants, 1924------------------------------------Aviation, Navy (Navy transfer, act of May 21, 1920), 1923—
Aviation, Navy (Navy transfer to Bureau of Standards, act
of May 21, 1920), 1924________________________ _____
Aviation, Navy (Navy transfer to Bureau of Standards,
act of Jan. 5, 1923), 1924___________________________
Color standardization, 1923___________________________
Color standardization, 1924___________________________
Construction and repairs, Bureau of Construction and Re
pairs (Navy transfer). 1923-------- ----------------------------Engineering, Bureau of Engineering (Navy transfer to
Bureau of Standards, act of May 21, 1920), 1923----------Engineering, Bureau of Engineering (Navy transfer to Com
merce, act of Jan. 5, 1923), 1924---------------------—--------Equipment, 1922 ______________________ ______________
Equipment, 1923_____ i_________— :---------------------------Equipment, 1924 ____________________________________
Experiments, Bureau of Ordnance (Navy transfer), 1923---Experiments, ordnance (Navy transfer to Bureau of Stand
ards, act of Jan. 5, 1923), 1924----------------------------------Field artillery, armament (War transfer to Bureau of Stand
ards, act of May 21, 1920 ), 1924______________________
Gauge standardization, 1923___________________________
Gauge standardization, 1924___________________________
General expenses, 1922----------------------------------------------General expenses, 1923_______________________________
General expenses, 1924_______________________________
High-temperature investigations, 1923---------------------------High-temperature investigations, 1924----------------------------Improvement and care of grounds, 1923-------------------------Improvement and care of grounds, 1924------- -----------------Incidental expenses of the Army (War transfer to Com
merce), 1923______________________________________
Industrial research, 1922------------------ -------------------------Industrial research, 1923_______________________ «--------Industrial research, 1924______________________________

25,781.26
5, 4S3.14
10,524.36
3,791.84
7, 409. 91
2,103.54
30,402.49
3,520.97
1.251. 24
8, 435. 99
1.104.87
492.00
517.84
482. 61
36, 716.16
49, 476. 81
1,037.63
4, 723.10
893. 75
1, 492. 49
32, 789. 46
305.14
12, 481.14
25,176. 33
467. 49
8, 283. 74
2,121. 58
8,715. 34
10,725.73
90,432. 99
33, 641. 37
131, 788.91

DIVISIONS OF THE SECRETARY’S OFFICE

Bureau of Standards—Continued.
Investigation of clay products, 1923____________________
Investigation of clay products, 1924_____________________
Investigation of iire-resisting properties, 1923_____________
Investigation of fire-resisting properties, 1924_____________
Investigation of mine scales and ears. 1923_______________
Investigation of mine scales and cars, 1924______________
Investigation of optical glass, 1922______________________
Investigation of optical glass, 1923_____________________
Investigation of optical glass, 1924.______________________
Investigation of public-utility standards, 1922____________
Investigation of public-utility standards, 1923_____________
Investigation of public-utility standards, 1924_____________
Investigation of radioactive substances, 1923_____________
Investigation of radioactive substances, 1924_____________
Investigation of textiles, etc., 1923______________________
Investigation of textiles, etc., 1924--------------------------------Metallurgical research, 1923___________________________
Metallurgical research, 1924_________________________
Ordnance and ordnance stores, Bureau of Ordnance (Navy
transfer), 1923---------------------*______________________
Ordnance and ordnance stores, Bureau of Ordnance (Navy
transfer to Commerce, act of May 21, 1920), 1924_______
Ordnance and ordnance stores, Bureau of Ordnance (Navy
transfer to Bureau of Standards, act of Jan. 5, 1923), 1924Ordnance stores, ammunition (War transfer to Bureau of
Standards, act of Jan. 5, 1923), 1924__________________
Party expenses, Coast and Geodetic Survey (transfer to
Bureau of Standards, act of May 21, 1920), 1923________
Party expenses, Coast and Geodetic Survey (transfer to
Bureau of Standards, act of May 21, 1920), 1924________
Party expenses, Coast and Geodetic Survey (trnnsfer to
Bureau of Standards, act of Jan. 5, 1923), 1924__________
Radio research, 1923_________________________________
Radio research, 1924_________________________________
Replacement of altitude chambers, 1924_________________
Rope investigation, 1924_______________________________
Salaries, 1923_____________________,_________________
Salaries, 1924_______________________________________
Signal Service of the Army (War transfer to Bureau of
Standards, act of Jan. 5, 1923), 1924__________________
Sound investigation, 1923______________________________
Sound investigation, 1924___________________ !__________
Standardization of equipment, 1922_______ _____________
Standardization of equipment, 1923_____________________
Standardization of equipment, 1924_____________________
Standardizing mechanical appliances, 1923______________
Standardizing mechanical appliances, 1924______________
Standard materials, 1923______________________________
Standard materials, 1924________________________ _____
Subsistence of the Army (War transfer to Commerce), 1923Sugar standardization, 1923___________________________
Sugar standardization, 1984___________________________
Tanks (War transfer to Bureau of Standards, act of May
21, 1920), 1923-24__________ - _____________ _________
Testing machines, 1923_______________ ,_______________
Testing machines, 1924_______________________________
Testing miscellaneous materials, 1923___________________
Testing miscellaneous materials, 1924----------------------------Testing railroad scales, 1923----------------------- ----------------Testing railroad scales, 1924___________________________
Testing structural materials, 1922---------- ---------,-------------Testing structural materials, 1923---------------------------------Testing structural materials, 1924______________________
Total

47
$1, 318. 02
25, 734. 37
2,491. 04
23,147. 23
1.95G. 72
8, 393. 75
780. 55
1.899.13
23, 088. 31
88.00

7, 077.14
79, 323. 55
1.703.80
7, 972. 50
1, 821. 41
20,134. 09
0, 025. 78
35, 440. 51
507. SO
7, 814. 47
1, 398. 86
3, 594. 81
9, 231. 03
59.15
1, 210. 00

2, 429.60
30,042.12
10, 854. 88
13. 900. 39
18, 221.07
301,378.93
438.63
233. 25
4,895. 44
40. 47
8, 349. 89
86, 031. 20
889. 99
25, 840. 35
1,624. 15
7, 929. 36
4, 890. 08
5, 122. 48
35, 816. 42
1. 548. 10
2, 324. 24
31. 131.55
2, 582. 77
30, 833. 97
719.47
31, 513. 01
491.84
12,415. 52
170, 510. 77

__________________ - - - - - ________________ — 1 , 749, 469. 04

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

Steamboat Inspection Service:
Clerk hire, 1923______________________________________
Clerk hire. 1924_____________________________________
Contingent expenses, 1922_____________________________
Contingent expenses, 1923____________________________
Contingent expenses, 1924____________________________
Salaries, office of Supervising Inspector General, 1923______
Salaries, office of Supervising Inspector General. 1924_____
Salaries, Steamboat Inspection Service. 1923______________
Salaries, Steamboat Inspection Service, 1924_____________

$9,127.66
101,045.00
27. 73
16. 543. 27
86, 772. 52
900. 58
20, 984. 63
48, 593.31
535, 710. 01

T otal------------------------------------------------------------------

819, 704. 71

Bureau of Navigation :
Admeasurement of vessels, 1923_______________________
Admeasurement of vessels, 1924------------------------------------Clerk hire, shipping service, 1923---------------------------------Clerk hire, shipping service, 1924______________________
Contingent expenses, shipping service, 1923---------------------• Contingent expenses, shipping service, 1924---------------------Enforcement of navigation laws, 1923_____________________
Enforcement of navigation laws, 1924___________________
Enforcement of wireless communication laws,1923___________
Enforcement of wireless communication laws, 1924________
Preventing overcrowding of passenger vessels, 1923_______
Preventing overcrowding of passenger vessels,1924_________
Salaries, Bureau of Navigation, 1923------------------------- Salaries, Bureau of Navigation, 1924----------------------------Salaries, shipping service, 1923---------------------------------Salaries, shipping service, 1924_______________________
Total____________________________________________

98.26
2, 757.36
5, 619. 88
62,081. 25
1, 802. 80
7,907. 75
4,236.83
57, 518. 84
7,549.38
120,300. 34
865. 07
9,017.08
1, 696. 81
39,379. 59
2, 297. 24
26, 601. 75
349,730.23

Bureau of Fisheries:
Fish hatchery, Duluth, Minn-----------------------------1---------Fish hatchery, Duluth, Minn., 1923_____________________
Fish hatchery, Gloucester, Mass., 1923--------------------------Fish hatchery, Wyoming--------------------------------------------Fish-rescue station, Mississippi River, 1923______________
Fish-rescue station, Mississippi River, 1923-24____________
Investigating damages to fisheries--------------------------------Marine biological station, Florida--------------------------------Miscellaneous expenses, 1922__________________________
Miscellaneous expenses, 1923--------------------------------------Miscellaneous expenses, 1923-24----------------------------------Miscellaneous expenses, 1924 --------------------------------------Pay, officers and crew of vessels, Alaska fisheries service,
1923 _____________________________________________
Pav, officers and crew of vessels, Alaska fisheries service,
1924 ___________________________________________
Protecting seal and salmon fisheries, Alaska, 1922_________
Protecting seal and salmon fisheries, Alaska, 1923________
Protecting seal and salmon fisheries, Alaska, 1923-24_____
Protecting seal and salmon fisheries, Alaska, 1924_______
Salaries, Bureau of Fisheries, 1923_____________________
Salaries, Bureau of Fisheries, 1924_____________________

10,116. 84
8.82
4,013. 75
10,873.95
15, 096. 75
29,196. 47
391, 609. 51

Total____________________________________________

934,235. 35

Bureau of the Census:
Collecting statistics, 1923------------------------------------------Collecting statistics, 1924_____________________________
Expenses of the Fourteenth Census, 1920-1922____________
Salaries, Bureau of the Census, 1923___________________
Salaries, Bureau of the Census, 1924____________________

102.833.56
765,647. 91
123, 241.57
32,120. 39
736, 393. 79

2,099. 55
3, 403. 50
140. 00
18. 00
5. 33
925. 46
109. 67
166. 27
4, 439.98
47, 601. 48
321. 27
413,422.42
666. 33

DIVISIONS OF THE SECRETARY'S OFFICE

Bureau of the Census—Continued.
Tabulating machines, 1923-----------------------------------------Tabulating machines, 1924------------------------------------------

49
$5. 718. 55
32,151. 69

Total____________________________________________ 1,798,107.46
Bureau of Lighthouses:
Aids to navigation, Delaware Bay entrance------------------Tender for third lighthouse district_____________________
Vessels for Lighthouse Service------------------------------------General expenses,
Lighthouse
Service, 1922_
General expenses,
Lighthouse
Service, 1923-General expenses,
Lighthouse
Service, 1924_
Salaries, Bureau of Lighthouses, 1923-------------Salaries, Bureau of Lighthouses, 1924— ______________
Salaries, Lighthouse Service, 1923______________________
Salaries, Lighthouse Service, 1924--------------------------------Salaries, lighthouse vessels, 1923______________________

9,229.47
79. 374. 94
276,1S6. 34
1, 071. 24
5, 905. 37
28, 615. 08
2, 761. 63
60,131.13
297. 42
7, 744. 47
677. 70

Total_____________________________- _____________ ..

471,994. 79

Miscellaneous :
Increase of compensation, 1923________________________
Increase of compensation, 1924------------------------------------Printing and binding, Department of Commerce, 1923_____
Printing and binding, Department of Commerce, 1924_____

39, 061. 63
736 460. 58
106,179. 34
312,268.74

Total ___________________________________________ 1,193,970. 29
Grand total_____________________*_______ ________ 9, 303,174. 47
BY DISJPUHSINO OFFICERS, LIGHTHOUSE SERVICE

Aids to navigation, Alaska_______________________________
Aids to navigation, Calumet Harbor, 111_________________ ,___
Aids to navigation, Chesapeake Bay, Md. and Va_____________
Aids to navigation, Oonneaut Harbor, Ohio__________________
Aids to navigation, Coquiile River, Oreg____________________
Aids to navigation, Delaware Bay entrance_________________
Aids to navigation, Florida coasts_________________________
Aids to navigation, Indiana Harbor, Ind____________________
Aids to navigation, Lighthouse Service_____________________
Aids to navigation, Mississippi River, La___________ _________
Aids to navigation, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii___________________
Aids to navigation, Raritan Bay and connected water, N. Y.
and N. J ____________________________________________
Aids to navigation, St. Johns River, Fla____________________
Aids to navigation, St. Marys River, Mich___________________
Detroit Lighthouse Depot, Mich___________________________
San Juan Lighthouse Depot, P. R______ .__________________
Detroit River Lights, Mich______ ___ ,__________________ _
Diamond Shoal Light Vessel. N. C______________________ ■
_
Chicago Harbor Light Station, 111_________________________
Galveston Jetty Light Station, Tex________________________
Point Borinquen Light Station, P. R______________________
Point Vincente Light Station,Calif_________________________
Sabine Pass Jetty Light Station, Tex_______________________
Sand Island Light Station. Ala_________________________ _
Spectacle Reef Light Station, Mich________________________
Light-keepers’ dwellings_________________________________
Repairing and rebuilding aids to navigation, Atlantic coast____
Repairing and rebuilding aids to navigation, Gulf of Mexico___
Repairing and rebuilding aids to navigation, seventh and eighth
lighthouse districts____________________________________
Repairing and rebuilding aids to navigation, seventh lighthouse
district, 1922-23______________________________________

$52,623.31
30, 706.18
5,160.57
2, 419. 67
1,152.44
28, 206.10
32. 637. S7
3, 764. 99
96. 677. 65
515. 00
504. 03
10, 683. 49
4, 087.95
46. 75
5,939. 57
10,506.93
6, 568. 34
1,850.00
2. 489. 82
172.00
13. 436. 43
150.98
21, 211.67
26, 538. 90
3, 028. 29
5, 501. 95
22,051.56
10. 00
13,217. 51
16,653.58

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

Riprap protection for third lighthouse district_______________
$7,352.99
Tender for third lighthouse district_____________________ _
7,043.34
20,708.47
Vessels for Lighthouse Service_____________________________
General expenses, Lighthouse Service, 1922__________________
22, 447. 75
General expenses, Lighthouse Service, 1923__________________
518,1S7. 70
General expenses, Lighthouse Service, 1924_________________ 3,403,292.56
Retired pay, Lighthouse Service, 1923______________________
2,930. 51
Retired pay, Lighthouse Service. 1924___________:__________
93, 776. 76
Salaries, keepers of lighthouses, 1922______________________
15. 00
Salaries, keepers of lighthouses, 1923___________________ 1___
37.903.32
Salaries, keepers of lighthouses, 1024_______________________ 1,218,421.47
Salaries, Lighthouse Service, 1923_________________________
3, 553.19
Salaries, Lighthouse Service, 1924_______________________
379, 318. 90
Salaries, lighthouse vessels, 1922_______________________ __
S7. 83
Salaries, lighthouse vessels. 1923__________________________
49. 642. 88
Salaries, lighthouse vessels, 1924__________________________ 1, 049. 347. 09
Increase of compensation, Department of Commerce, 1922_____
11. 33
Increase of compensation, Department of Commerce, 1923_1____
28, 250. 29
Increase of compensation, Department of Commerce, 1924______ 866. 058. 00
Total____________________________________________ 8, 780. 362. 91
BY SPECIAL DISBURSING AGENT, COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY

Alterations to mine sweepers, Coast and Geodetic Survey, 1923_
General expenses, Coast and Geodetic Survey, 1922___________
General expenses, Coast and Geodetic Survey, 1923___________
General expenses, Coast and Geodetic Survey, 1924___________
Geological Survey (Interior transfer to Commerce), 1923______
Maintenance, Bureau of Yards and Docks (Navy transfer to
Commerce), 1924______________________________________
Pay and allowances, commissioned officers. Coast and Geodetic
Survey, 1923__________________________________________
Pay and allowances, commissioned oflicers. Coast and Geodetic
Survey, 1924__________________________________________
Party expenses. Coast and Geodetic Survey, 1922____
_____
Party expenses, Coast and Geodetic Survey, 1923_____________
Party expenses, Coast and Geodetic Survey, 1924______________
Party expenses, Coast and Geodetic Survey (Interior civil trans
fer), 1923_____________________________________________
Pay. etc., officers and men. vessels, Coast and Geodetic Survey,
1922 _______________________________________________
Pay. etc., officers and men. vessels, Coast and Geodetic Survey.
1923 ________________________________________________
Pav. etc., officers and men. vessels, Coast and Geodetic Survey.
1924 _________________________________________________
Repairs of vessels,
CoastSurvey,
1923--------Repairs of vessels,
CoastSurvey,
1924____________
Salaries, Coast and Geodetic Survey, 1923____________________
Salaries. Coast and Geodetic Survey, 1924___________________
Increase of compensation, Department of Commerce. 1923______
Increase of compensation, Department of Commerce, 1924----------

$2, 611. 57
25. 47
33, 609.13
70, 053. 98
685.68
181.37
42. 071. 45
307,085.42
3. 788.16
138, 255. 75
472.166. 70
1.211.27
43. 50
84. 071. 62
406, 539. 23
16. 329. 64
52, 648. 22
121. 89
275.945.08
15,914. 42
145. 625. 42

Total____________________________________________ 2,128.984.97
BY SPECIAL DISBURSING AGENTS, BUREAU OF STANDARDS

Equipment, 1923_______ :________________________________
Standardization of equipment, 1923______________ __________

$155.00
155.00

Total_________ ___________________________________

310. 00

BY COMMERCIAL AGENTS OF THE DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATING TRADE CONDITIONS
ABROAD

Commercial attachés. Department of Commerce, 1924--------------Contingent expenses, Department of Commerce, 1924____,--------

$163. 806. 25
200. 23

DIVISIONS OF THE SECRETARY’S OFFICE

Export industries. Department of Commerce, 1924________ ____
Enforcement of China trade act, 1924-------------------- ___----- ----

$2, 740. 04
4, 038. 95

In v e s tig a t in g so urc e s o f c ru d e ru b b e r, 1923-24________________________

8 9.10 4 . 03

Promoting commerce, Department of Commerce, 1924__________
Promoting commerce, Far East, 1924--------------------------._--------Promoting commerce, South and Central America, 1924-----------'Transportation of fnmilies and effects of officers and employees,
1924________________________________________________
Increase of compensation. Department of Commerce, 1924______

263. 201. 73
92. 410. 88
109, 981. 48

Total_____________________________________________

740, 923. S8

0,801.94
8, 638. 33

BY SPECIAL DISBURSING AGENTS, BUREAU OF FISHERIES

Miscellaneous expenses. Bureau of Fisheries, 1924_____________
Pay, officers and crew of vessels, Alaska fisheries service. 1924___
Protecting seal and salmon fisheries of Alaska. 1924----------------Increase of compensation, Department of Commerce, 1924______

$12. 747. 66
18. 306.17
31,971. 22
3, 203. 33

Total___________________________________________ 66, 288. 38
T a b l e 3 .— T r e a s u r y

w a r r a n ts , 1924

Office of the Secretary:
Contingent expenses, Department of Commerce, 1922_______
Contingent expenses, Department of Commerce, 1923_______
Contingent expenses, Department of Commerce, 1924_______

$453. 56
1,176. 57
3, 712. 36

T otal---------------------------------------------------------------------

5,342. 49

Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce :
Commercial attachés, 1923--------------------------------------------- 1 , 086. 75
Commercial attachés, 1924_____________________________ 3,383. 76Compiling foreign-trade statistics, 1923___________________
9. 67
Compiling foreign-trade statistics, 1923-24________________
146.17
Compiling foreign-trade statistics, 1924___________________
409. 80
Directory of foreign buyers, 1924________________________
45. 22
District and cooperative office service, 1924_______________
2,141.18
Enforcement of China trade act, 1923____________________
21. 91
Enforcement of China trade act. 1924____________________
690. 63
3.394.19
Export industries, 1923________________________________
Export industries, 1924________________________________
9, 705.15
Investigating sources of crude rubber, 1923-24______________ 17,951.09’
Promoting commerce, Department of Commerce, 1022_______
6. 08
Promoting commerce, Department of Commerce, 1923_______
3, 597. 57
7,186. 63
Promoting commerce, Department of Commerce, 1924_______
Promoting commerce, Far East, 1923_____________________ 1,431.78
Promoting commerce, Far East, 1924_____________________ 5, 423.10
Promoting commerce, South and Central
America, 1923___
304. 09
America, 1924___
3,001.99
Promoting commerce, South and Central
Raw-material investigations, 1924_________ ______________
1, 537. 22
Transportation of families and effects of officers and em
ployees, 1924_______________________________________
6,437.39
Certified claims—Promoting commerce, Far East, 1919______
57. 50
Total--------------------------------------------------------------------Bureau of Standards :
Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (transfer to Bureau of
Standards, act of .Tan. 5, 1923), 1924___________________
Air Service. Army (War transfer to Bureau of Standards, act
of May 21. 1920), 1924___________ ____________________
Air Service, Army (War transfer to Bureau of Standards, act
of Jan. 5, 1923), 1924________________________________
Aviation, Navy (Navy transfer, act of May 21. 1920), 1923___
Aviation, Navy (Navy transfer to Bureau of Standards, act of
May 21, 1920). 1924_________________________________

67,969. 47
451.71
32.55
196.88
60.78
581.45-

BEPOBT OF THE SECBETABY OF COMMEBCE

Bureau of Standards—Continued.
Aviation, Navy (Navy transfer to Bureau of Standards, act of
Jan. 5, 1923), 1924__________________________________ $1,242. 63
30.53
Color standardization, 1923_____________________________
268. 70
Color standardization, 1924_____________________________
Equipment, 1923_______________________________________ 3, 460.25
1, 067. 50
Equipment, 1924______________________________________
15. 00
Experiments, Bureau of Ordnance (Navy transfer), 1923_____
Experiments, Ordnance (Navy transfer to Bureau of Stand
15. 22
ards, act of Jan. 5, 1923), 1924________________________
142. 36
Gauge standardization, 1923__ ______________ ______
269. 75
Gauge standardization. 1924_______ ___ _________________
22 . 68
General expenses, 1922________________________________
2. 432. 21
General expenses, 1923 ________________ ______________
G, 305. 23
General expenses, 1924_________________________________
59. 49
High-temperature investigations, 1923_____________________
82. 62
High-temperature investigai ons, 1924____________________
Incidental expenses of the Army ( War transfer to Com
293. 21
merce), 1923_______________________________________
1. 482. 08
Industrial research, 1922_______________________________
2,271.96
Industrial research. 1923_______________________________
Industrial research. 1924___________________:____________ 3, 485. 41
218. 53
Investigation of clay products, 1923_____________________
Investigation of clay products, 1024____
______________
120. 46
Investigation of fire-res sting properties, 1923— ___________
206. 74
171. 81
Investigation of fire-resisting properties, 1924______________
365. 48
Investigation of mine scales and cars. 1923_______ ___ ___
58. 17
Investigation of mine scales and cars, 1924________________
9S. 85
Investigation of optical glass, 1923______________________
Investigation of optical glass, 1924_______________________
16. 54
1, 734. 39
Investigation of public-ut lity standards, 1923_____ _____
Investigat oli of public-utility standards. 1924________ ___ 2, 323. 97
69. 72
Investigation of radioactive substances, 1923______________
44. 25
Investigation of radioactive substances, 1924_______________
Investigation of textiles, etc.. 1923 ____ ________________
312. 56
Investigation of textiles, etc., 1924_______________________
524. 09
339. 02
Metallurg eal research, 1923_______ _____________________
Metallurgical research. 1924____________________________
375. 69
Ordnance and ordnance stores. Bureau of Ordnance (Navy
250. 70
transfer to Commerce, act of May 21, 1920), 1924_________
Ordnance stores, ammunition (War transfer to Bureau of
21. 91
Standards, act of Jan. 5, 1923), 1924------------------------------Party expenses, Coast and Geodetic Survey (transfer to Bu
reau of Standards, act of May 21, 1920), 1923____________
330. 28
Party expenses, Coast and Geodetic Survey (transfer to Bu
155. 68
reau of Standards, act of Jan. a, 1923), 1924--------------------42.00
Radio research, 1923________________________________ _
181.11
Radio research, 1924___________________________________
16. 28
Replacement of altitude chambers, 1924___________________
49. 7S
Rope investigation, 1924—--------------------------------------------Signal Service, Army (War transfer to Bureau of Standards,
act of Jan. 5, 1923). 1924---------------------- --------------------8.14
1,142. 29
Sound investigat oli. 1923---------------------------------------------2,123. 5S
Standardization of equipment, 1923---------------------------------5, 22S. 97
Standardization of equipment, 1924---------------------------------Standardizing mechanical appliances, 1923------------------------7. 88
191. 47
Standardizing mechanical appliances, 1924-------------------------26. 29
Standard materials, 1924----------------------------------------------Subsistence of the Army (War transfer to Commerce), 1923__
113. 31
Sugar standardization, 1923------------------------------------------60.79
Sugar standardization, 1924------------------------------------------123. 33
199. 77
Testing machines, 1923-------------------------------------------------239. 76
Testing machines, 1924----------- ------------------------------------349. as
Testing miscellaneous mater :als, 1923-------------------------------

DIVISIONS OF THE SECRETARY’S OFFICE

Bureau of Standards—Continued.
Testing miscellaneous materials, 1024----------------------------------$93.54
Testing railroad scales, 1923----------------------------------------------742.97
Testing railroad scales, 1924-----------------------------------------3, 63S. 49
Testing structural materials, 1923-------------------:---------------2,899.76
Testing structural materials, 1924-----------------------------------6, 06S. 10
Certified claims—■
Aviation, Navy (Navy transfer to Commerce, act of May 21,
1920), 192l"
Gauge standardization, 1919------------------------------------2. 30
Industrial research, 1921-------------------------------------------6,881.70
Military research, 1918-19-------------------------------------------115.00
Total__________________________________________
B u r e a u of N a v ig a t io n :
A d m e a s u re m e n t of v e s s e ls .
A d m e a s u re m e n t of vessels,

64,374. 54

1923--------------------------------------1924--------------------------------------Contingent expenses, shipping service, 1923------------------------Contingent expenses, shipping service, 1924------------------------Enforcement of navigation laws, 1923_____________________
Enforcement of navigation laws, 1924------------------------------Enforcement o. wireless communication laws, 1922__________
Enforcement of wireless communication laws, 1923__________
Enforcement of wireless communication laws, 1924__________
Preventing overcrowding of passenger vessels, 1923--------------Preventing overcrowding of passenger vessels, 1924__________
Refunding moneys erroneously received and covered into the
Treasury___________________________________________
Refunding penalties or charges erroneously exacted_________

132. 83
302. IS
4. 27
21. 79
206. 50
595. 69
15. 98
2, 461. 71
5,166. 23
202. 65
744. 22

Total______________________________________________

10,900. 34

733. 56
318. 73

Steamboat Inspection Service:
Contingent expenses, 1922______________________________
34. 64
Contingent expenses, 1923_______________________________ 11,615.45
Contingent expenses, 1924______________________________ 25.306.12
Certified claims—
Contingent expenses, 1918___________________________
28.90
Contingent expenses, 1919___________________________
2.92
Contingent expenses, 1920___________________________
1. 25
T otal__________________________________________

36, 989. 28

Bureau of Fisheries:
Fish hatchery, Duluth, Minn— __________________________
24.77
Fish hatchery, Duluth, Minn., 1928— _____________________ 1,985. 00
Fish-rescue station, Mississippi River, 1923________________
290.32
Fish-rescue station, Mississippi River, 1923-24_____________
264.15
Investigating damages to fisheries_______ ________________
125.60
Marine biological station, Florida_____________ ___________
130. 08
Miscellaneous expenses, 1922_________________ '___________
748. 74
Miscellaneous expenses, 1923_____________________________ 21,811.57
Miscellaneous expenses, 1924_____________________________ 53, 089. 84
i 292. 21
Protecting seal and salmon fisheries of Alaska, 1922_________
Protecting seal and salmon fisheries of Alaska, 1923_________
2,914. 97
Protecting seal and salmon fisheries of Alaska, 1924__ ______
6, 316. 63
Certified claims—
Miscellaneous expenses, 1918________________________
'
5. 60
Miscellaneous expenses, 1920________________________
5. 96
Miscellaneous expenses, 1921________________________
33. 45
T o ta l------------------------------------------------------------------------

88,038.89

REPOET OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

Bureau of the Census:
Collecting statistics, 1923.......................
$9,688.87
Collecting statistics, 1924------------------------------------------------ 6,811.28Expenses of the Fourteenth Census, 1920-1922--------------------106. 40
Tabulating machines, 1923---------------------------------------------19.48
Tabulating machines, 1924______________________________
7. 84
T otal_____________________________________________

16, 633. 87

Coast and Geodetic Survey:
General expenses, 1924___________________________________
10.72
Party expenses, 1923___________________________________
878,83
Party expenses, 1924___________________________________
6, 897.12
Repairs of vessels, Coast Survey, 1924------------------------------18.58
Certified claims—
General expenses, 1921_________________________________
3.78
Party expenses, 1918___________________________
T otal__________________________________________
Bureau of Lighthouses:
Aids to navigation, Alaska--------------------------------------------Aids to navigation, Chesapeake Bay, Md. and Ya____________
Aids to navigation, Delaware Bay entrance-------- !--------------Aids to navigation, Florida coast------------------------------------Aids to navigation, Conneaut Harbor_____________________
Aids to navigation, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii------------------------Tender for third lighthouse district---------------------------------Aids to navigation, St. Johns River, Fla----------------------------Aids to navigation, St. Marys River, Mich------------------------Aids to navigation, Lighthouse Service----------------------------Detroit River Lights__________________________________
San Juan Lighthouse Depot, P. R________________________
Light-keeper's dwellings________________________________
Point Borinquen Light Station, 1’. R--------------------------------Sabine Pass Jetty Light Station, Tex_____________________
Sand Island Light Station, Ala__________________________
Spectacle Reef Light Station, Mich---------------------------------Light vessels for general service-------------------------------------Repairing and rebuilding aids to navigation, Atlantic coast___
Repairing and rebuilding aids to navigation, Gulf of Mexico
Repairing and rebuilding aids to navigation, seventh and eighth
lighthouse districts__________________________________
Repairing and rebuilding aids to navigation, seventh lighthouse
district, 1922-23 _____________________________________
Vessels for Lighthouse Service____________________
General expenses, Lighthouse Service, 1922________________
General expenses, Lighthouse Service, 1923___________ ____
General expenses, Lighthouse Service, 1924________________
Salaries, keepers of lighthouses, 1924_____________________
Salaries, lighthouse, vessels, 1923_______________ __________
Salaries, lighthouse vessels, 1924_________________________
Certified claims—
General expenses, 1914_____________________________
General expenses, 1915_____________________________
General expenses, 1916____________________________ _
General expenses, 1917_____________________________
General expenses, 1918__________ __________________
General expenses. 1919_____________________________
General expenses, 1920__________________ ,___________
General expenses, 1921______________________________
Salaries, lighthouse vessels, 1918_____________________

7. 827. 68
663.11
11.13
32, 429. 79
478. 81
60. 93
259. 5S
241.94
287.31
3. 06
64. 40
259. 34
9. 06
7, 500. 00
46.14
162.16
5.04
30. 84
2, S03. 00
75. 80
59. 79
553.66
62.40
75,471.66
5,561. 74
31, 457. 26
52,641.69
80. 00
9. 97
.95
30.00
28. 66
22. 63
20. 78
66. 46
24. 50
1,802.69
1,667.40
2.25

T otal------------------------------------------------- ___------------------ 214,955.93

DIVISIONS

OFTHE SECRKTABY’s

OFFICE

Miscellaneous :
Increase of compensation, Department of Commerce, 11)24____
Claims for damages, act: of Dec. 28, 1922, Department of Com
merce, Standards____________________________________
Claims for damages, act June 5, 1920, Coast and Geodetic
Survey_____________________________________________
Claims for damages bycollision with lighthouse vessels_____
Certified claims: Increase of compensation, Department of Com
merce, 1918_____________________________ ___________
T otal__________________________________________

$20.00
294.25
20. 00
1.522.00
.22
1,856.47

T a b l e 4.— E x p e n d i t u r e s , 1 9 2 4

Bureau

By special
By dis
General
bursing clerk disbursing By
Account
agents of de ing
of the de
Office
partment
partment

$473,794. 44
2,089.804. 34
26.047. 70
Coast and Geodetic Survey...................................
Bureau of Fisheries...... ..................... ...... ............. 1,040,453. 70
Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce- - .. 1,876,176. 24
501,123. 23
435,986. 65
Bureau of Standards...........................................
1,941,681.CS
912,106. 49
Steamboat Inspection Service...............................

$2,128,984.97
66,288.38
740,923.86
8, 780,362. 91

Total.............................................................. 9,303,174. 47

11, 722,870.12

310.00

Total

$5,342.49
16. 633.87
7,847. 68
88, 038.89
67, 969. 47
216,498. 15
10,906. 34
64,668. 79
36, 989.2S

$479,136. 93
2,106,438. 21
2,162,880.35
1,200, 780.97
2,685.069. 57
9, 503,984. 29
446,892. 99
2,006,660. 47
949,095. 77

514,894. 96

21,540,939. 55

T a 'b l k 5 .— M is c e l l a n e o u s r e c e i p t s , 1 9 2 4

■Coast and Geodetic Survey: Sale of charts, publications, old prop
erty, e tc _________ -__ ______ - _________ _______________
Bureau of the Census:
Sale of publications, etc______________________________
Reimbursement for loss of Government property________
Bureau of Fisheries:
Sale of 18,118 Alaska fur-seal skins_____________________
Sale of 55 Japanese fur-seal skins__________ __________
Sale of 12 northwest coast fur-seal skins_________________
Sale of 2 specimens of fur seals. _______________________
Meals furnished employees at isolated stations____________
Sale of old property________ ________________________
Reimbursement for loss and damage to Government property.
Bureau of Standards:
Sale of old property, etc.
.... ... ______________ __
Reimbursement for loss of Government property___________
Steamboat Inspection Service: Sale of old property, etc_______
Bureau of Lighthouses:
Sale of old property, etc---------------------------------------------Reimbursement for loss and damage to Government property.
Sale of empty oil cans___________ ___________________
Reimbursements by private concerns for work done________
Rentals____________________________________________
Default in contracts__________________________________
Sale of empty cement bags_________ ___________________
, Refund on account of unexpended mess funds_____________
Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce:
Photostatic work done______________________ _________
Registration fees, etc., China trade act__________________
Sale of old property, etc______________________________
Exchange on foreign money____________________________

$50, 609. 07
‘194. 00
1. 40
109,971.18
941. 08
43. 8,'i
2. 00
2, 513. 60
2,859.16
408.18
210.65
4. 00
70.17
153. 414. 05
11, 598. 31
1. 317. 65
6, 892. 52
3, 967. 42
997. 06
22. 20
59. 53
5.10
700. 00
164. 29
1. 85

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

Office of the Secretary :
Sale of waste paper__________________________________
$323. 74
Part payment on account of liquidation of Swedish iron-ore
5,950.12
contracts _____________________________________ :__
Miscellaneous refunds_______________________________
111. 96
Bureau of Navigation :
Tonnage duties______________ _______________________ 1, 713, 432. 68
Navigation fe e s _____________________________________ 212, 825. 4646.157. 78
Navigation fines_____________________________________
2 . 00
Sale of old property__________________________________
12. 00Reimbursement for loss of Government property__________
T o tal_____________________ ______________________ 2, 325, 984.10
T a b l e 6 .— U n e x p e n d e d

b a l a n c e s , 192J/

Snlaries, office of the Secretary of Commerce, 1022____________
Increase of compensation, Department of Commerce, 1920_____
Increase of compensation, Department of Commerce, 1921______
Increase of compensation, Department of Commerce, 1922_____
Rent, Department of Commerce, 1922______________________
Contingent expenses. Department of Commerce, 1922__________
Expenses of the Fourteenth Census, 1920-1922----------------------Snlaries. Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, 1922_____
Export industries, Department of Commerce, 1922-----------------Commercial attachés, Department of Commerce. 1917_________
Commercial attachés, Department of Commerce, 1918_________
Commercial attachés. Department of Commerce, 1919_________
Commercial attachés, Department of Commerce, 1920_________
Commercial attachés, Department of Commerce, 1921_________
Commercial attachés. Department of Commerce, 1922_i _______
Promoting commerce, Department of Commerce, 1918_________
Promoting commerce. Department of Commerce, 1919_________
Promoting commerce, Department of Commerce. 1920_________
Promoting commerce, Department of Commerce, 1921_________
Promoting commerce, Department of Commerce. 1922_________
Promoting commerce, South and Central Amercia, 1918________
Promoting commerce. South and Central America, 1919________
Promoting commerce, South and Central America. 1920________
Promoting commerce, South and Central America, 1921________
Promoting commerce, South and Central America. 1922-----------Promoting commerce in the Far East, 1919__________________
Promoting commerce in the Far East, 1920__________________
Promoting commerce in the Far East. 1921__________________
Promoting commerce in the Far East, 1922__________________
Snlaries, office of Supervising Inspector General, Steamboat In
spection Service, 1922--------------------------------------------------Salaries. Steamboat Inspection Service, 1922____,-----------------Clerk hire. Steamboat Inspection Service, 1922______________
Contingent expenses, Steamboat Inspection Service, 1921---------Contingent expenses. Steamboat Inspection Service, 1921-22____
Contingent expenses, Steamboat Inspection Service, 1922______
Salaries, Bureau of Navigation, 1922______________________
Salaries, shipping service, 1922____________________________
Clerk hire, shipping service, 1922__________________________
Contingent expenses, shipping service. 1922__________________
Admeasurement of vessels, 1922___________________________
Preventing overcrowding of passenger vessels, 1920_________
Preventing overcrowding of passenger vessels. 1922___________
Enforcement of navigation laws, 1921___________________ ___
Enforcement of navigation laws, 1922______________________
Enforcement of wireless communication laws, 1922____________
Salaries, Bureau of Standards, 1920_____________ _________
Salaries, Bureau of Standards, 1922_______________________
Equipment, Bureau of Standards, 1922______________________
General expenses. Bureau of Standards. 1920___________ _____
General expenses, Bureau of Standards, 1921________________

$3, 717. 35
.67
79.87
473. 22
450.00
120. 67
275, 059. 66
7. 429. 4*1
525. 36
35. 289.00
86. 70
1. 29*. 92
267. 62
2. 887. 30
1,093. 41
810.2884. 78
699.05
6, 669. 65
28. 20
120. 87
151. 76
538. 51
1.019.31
.2 0

129. 89
248. 40
504. 95
346.12
89, 749. 41
3. 438. 74
1.61
5, 000.00
3, 352. 52
2,131. 89
8, 577. 60
3, 735. 75
818. 53
9. 52
.90

179. 85
10.80
288. 42
222. 57"
6 . 00

11,173. 30
17, 735. 07
8. 52
4. 88

DIV ISIO N S OF T H E SECRETA RY ’s O FFIC E

General expenses, Bureau of Standards, 1922------------------------Improvement and care of grounds, Bureau of Standards, 1922----Color standardization, Bureau of Standards, 1922_____________
Equipping laboratory, Bureau of Standards, 1919-20--------------Gauge standardization, Bureau of Standards. 1917-18-------------Gauge standardization, Bureau of Standards, 1922____________
Investigation of clay products, Bureau of Standards, 1922_____
Investigation of fire-resisting properties, Bureau of Standards,
1922________________________________________________
High-temperature investigations. Bureau of Standards, 1922____
Industrial research, Bureau of Standards, 1921_______________
Industrial research, Bureau of Standards, 1922______________
Investigation of mine scales and cars, Bureau of Standards, 1922_
Investigation of optical glass, Bureau of Standards, 1921______
Investigation of optical glass, Bureau of Standards, 1922______
Investigation of public-utility standards, Bureau of Standards,
1921-22______________________________________________
Investigation of public-utility standards. Bureau of Standards,
1922_____:.____________________________________________
Investigation of textiles, etc., Bureau of Standards, 1922______
Metallurgical research, Bureau of Standards, 1922____________
Sound investigation, Bureau of Standards, 1922______________
Standardization of equipment, Bureau of Standards, 1922______
Radio research, Bureau of Standards, 1922__________________
Standardizing mechanical appliances, Bureau of Standards, 1920_
Standardizing mechanical appliances, Bureau of Standards, 1922_
Sugar standardization, Bureau of Standards, 1922_____________
Testing machines, Bureau of Standards. 1922________________
Testing miscellaneous materials, Bureau of Standards. 1922_____
Testing railroad scales, etc., Bureau of Standards, 1922________
Testing structural materials, Bureau of Standards, 1919______
Testing structural materials, Bureau of Standards, 1922_______
Salaries, Coast and Geodetic Survey. 1922___________________
Party expenses, Coast and Geodetic Survey, 1922_____________
Pay and allowances, commissioned officers, Coast and Geodetic
Survey, 1922---------------------------------General expenses, Coast and Geodetic Survey, 1922__'_________
Pay, etc., of officers and men, vessels. Coast Survey, 1922______
Repairs of vessels, Coast Survey, 1922______________________
Salaries, Bureau of Lighthouses, 1922______________________
Retired pay, Lighthouse Service, 1922______________________
General expenses, Lighthouse Service, 1921__________________
General expenses, Lighthouse Service, 1922__________________
Salaries, keepers of lighthouses, 1922______________________
Salaries, lighthouse vessels, 1922___________________________
Salaries, lighthouse service, 1922___________________________
Great Salt Pond Light Station, R. I___ ____ ________________
Fifth lighthouse district gas buoys_________________________
Diamond Shoal Light Vessel, N. C_________________________
Aids to navigation, Mississippi River, La-----------------------------Southwest Pass Light Vessel. Mississippi River, La____________
Galveston Jetty Light Station, Tex_________________________
Aids to navigation, Fairport Harbor, Ohio___________________
Chicago Harbor Light Station, 111__________________________
Aids to navigation, St. Marys River, Mich___________________
San Juan Lighthouse Depot, P. R__________________________
Salaries, Bureau of Fisheries, 1922_________________________
Advisory committee on fisheries, 1922_______________________
Miscellaneous expenses, Bureau of Fisheries, 1921_____________
Miscellaneous expenses, Bureau of Fisheries, 1922_____________
Pay, officers and crew of vessels, Alaska fisheries service, 1922__
Protecting seal and salmon fisheries of Alaska, 1921___________
Protecting seal and salmon fisheries of Alaska, 1922-,_________

$10, 2S7. 39
309. 76
851.52
51.65
1.05
2, 043. 65
1, 568.12
1, 917. 50'
548. 25
57.90
29, 566. 84
1, 616. 70
80. 54
1,371.06
204. 93:
706. 56
1, 040. 30
2, 512. 09
170. 69
11, 427. 49
1, 792. 81
1. 54
1, 262. 93
1, 895. 24
1, 870. 84
1, 590.18
2,912. 86
502. 74
20, 295. 94
5, 043.21
58,108. 06
102,434.05
{>43. 50
95, 309. 52
7, 692. 95
685. 49
92.17
1,551.39
30, 444. 65
5, 796. 30
108,614.90
2, 790. 95
514. 13
368. 42
14, 481. 99
3.14
518. 39
104. 60
24. 75
51. 8012. 51
19. 74
29, 695. 89
2, 500. 00
41.59
48,499. 36
1.147.15
26. 81
4, 544. 29

Total____________________________________________________ 1,071,9 1 8 .2 4

REPORT OP THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

.58

Aviation, Navy (Navy transfer under fortifications act, May 21, *
1920), 1921__________________ ________________________
Experiments, Bureau of Ordnance (Navy transfer under fortifica
tions act, May 21, 1920), 1921____________________________
Air Service, Army (War transfer under fortifications act, May 21.
1920,1921___________________________________________
Gauge standardization, Bureau of Standards (War transfer under
act May 21, 1920), 1922________________________________
Manufacture of arms (War transfer under fortifications act, May
21, 1920), 1921-22_____________________________________
-Ordnance stores ammunition (War transfer under fortifications
act, May 21, 1920), 1921-22______________________________
National security and defense, completing laboratory, 1919_____
National security and defense, industrial laboratory__________
National security and defense, commodity experts,1919________

$219. 01
101. 39
11.17
257.06
75.23
50. 75
40.15
99. 30
63. 25

Total

9 1 7 .3 4

Grand total______________________________________ 1,072, 835. 58
T a b l e 7.— S u m m a r y o f u n e x p e n d e d b a la n c e s , 1 919-1921)

June
June
June
June
June
June

30, 1916_______ $227,941.92
30, 1917________
177,995. 27
30. 1918_______
149,009.51
30, 1919_______
476.045.10
30, 1920_______ 1,149,363.28
30, 1921_______ 4,042,434.38
T a b l e 8.—

Juue 30, 1922.
$546, 440. 71
June 30, 1923________
730, 397. 27
June 30, 1924________ 1,072, 835. 58
Total__________ 8,572,463.02

Personnel, 1921/

Bureau

Bureau
Bureau
Bureau
Bureau

of the Census............. .................... ......
of Foreign and Domestic Commerce..
of Standards..........................................
of Fisheries.................................... ........

Coast and Geodetic Survey...............................
Steamboat Inspection Service.......................
Total..........................................................

Total perma
nent and
temporary

Temporary

Permanent

In Dis
In Dis
trict of Infield trict of Infield
Co
Co
lumbia
lumbia
121
711
596
754
63
38
314
•10
15

742
586
30
324
5,415
518
174
347

92
25
8
2

2,652

8,136

147

19
1

total
Male

Female

77
1,271
650
709
525
5,422
850
176
313

44
497
557
92
42
312
32
39
32

121
1,768
1,207
801
567
5,734
882
215
365

725

9,993

1,667

11,660

223
9
178
281
31

T a b l e 9.— C l a s s i f i c a t i o n o f p e r s o n n e l , .J u ly 1 , 1921)

Bureau

Clerical,
Profes Subpro adminis
sional and fessi
on
al
trative, Custodial
scientific
and fiscal
........
9

Bureau
Bureau
Bureau
Bureau

of the Census..................................................
of Foreign and Domestic Commerce..............
of Standards.......... ............................................
of Fisheries.........................................................

Coast and Geodetic Survey................... .......................
Bureau of Navigation....................................................

5
25
316
16
10
71
4

3
2
7
236
10
2
01

«
667
543
140
39
23
42
42
13

Total

26
46
29
63
8
3
17
2
1

124
720
«04
755
73
38
191
48
14
2, 567

T o ta l...................................................................

449

321

1,602

195

Percentage of total District of Columbia force............

17.49

12.50

62.40

7.60

DIVISIONS OF THE SECRETARY S OFFICE
T a b l e 10.— C h a n g e s i n p e r s o n n e l , 1 9 2 4

Appointments 1
Permanent

Bureau

Competi
tive

Excepted

Unclassi
fied

Temporary

Total

Dis
Dis
Dis
Dis
Dis
trict
trict
trict
trict
trict
of Field of Field of Field of Field of Field
Co
Co
Co
Co
Co
lum
lum
lum
lum
lum
bia
bia
bia
bia
bia

Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Com-

Total................................................

1
68

42
55
159
125
8
4
8
1
9

37
3
57
298
39
21
17

77
4

411

472

883

35
18
3
5
6
67

111

2
573

l
8
2

38
71
4

3
1

53
9

19
8

180

715

264

118

750

45
696

861

19
4
30
115
1
12
5

275
208
14
4
30
10
9

91
7
112
416
98
48
22

936 1,291

1,655

1.651

2.946

From
temporary
positions

Total

Separations
From permanent positions

Bureau

Competi
tive

Excepted

Unclassi
fied

Dis
Dis
Dis
Dis
Dis
trict
ti ict
trict
trict
trict
of Field of Field of Field of Field of Field
Co
Co
Co
Co
Co
lum
lum
lum
lum
lum
bia
bia
bia
bia
bia

Bureau of Foroign and Domestic ComBureau of Standards.................................

38
63

122

82
174
9
2
9
1
4

21
7
43
323
16
18
14

382

442

824

136
8
2
1
4
151

1'7

12
1

135
278

116

1
473

49
63
2

11
9

7
7

141

602

39
658

718

21
5
39
99
7
17
3

157
249
12
2
16
8
4

178
12
95
424
35
48
17

793 1,145

1,527

1.395

2.672

1 Includes appointments of the following character: Presidential; by selection from civil-service certificate;
under Executive order; to excepted positions; by reason of transfer within the department or from other
•‘departments or independent establishments; and by reinstatement.
3 Includes separations by reason of resignation, discontinuance, retirement, removal, death, transfer
within the department, and transfer from the department to other departments or independent establish
m ents.

15308—24---- 5

BEPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE
T able

10.— C h a n g e n

i n p e r s o n n e l , 1 9 2 4 —Continued

Other changes

Promotions Reductions

_ .

Bureau

All changes

Miscella
neous
changes 3

Dis
Dis
Dis
Dis
trict
trict
trict
trict
of Co Field of Co Field of Co Field of Co Field Grand
total
lum
lum
lum
lum
bia
bia
bia
bia
2
106
4
24
462
28
9
11

13
2
1
2

53
2
3
83
2

Steamboat Inspection Service.........................

23
81
337
393
2
3
15
2
3

Total........................................................

859

644

143

Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce.
Bureau of Standards..................................... .
Bureau of Fisheries...........................................
Coast and Geodetic Survey.............................

4
50
IW
28
3
2
6
196

104
10
1
20
4
18
2

113
1,485 1,579
878 532
880
35
32 235
11 1,405
70
167
26 123
16
52

159 3,511 4,128

113
3,064.
1,410915
267
1,416237
HO
GS
7,639

3 Includes reappointments by reason of change of station, name, designation, «tensions of temporary
appointments, and temporary promotions and reductions.

T able 11.— L e a v e o f a b s e n c e , 1 9 2 4
Total
Bureau

Num
ber

Annual leave

Sick leave

Total leave

Days

Average

Days

Average

Days

Average

Aver
age for
1922
Days

Office of the Secretary......................
Bureau of the Census..................... .
Bureau of Foreign and Domestic
Commerce.....................................
Bureau of Standards........................
Bureau of Fisheries..........................
Bureau of Lighthouses................... .
Coast and Geodetic Survey........... .
Bureau of Navigation......................
Steamboat Inspection Service........

94
686

2,482
20,187

26.40
29. 43

653
6,297

6.95
7. 72

3,135
25, 484

33.35
37.15

34.72:
35.91

334
6S6
56
26
185
28
11

8,874
18. 885
1,522
770
5, 2545
784
316

26. 57
27.53
27. 18
29. 62
28.41
28.00
28.73

2,328
3,814
372
198
1,146
136
40

a 97
5.56
6.64
7. 62
6.20
4.86
3.64

11,202
22,699
1, S94
96S
6,402
920
356

33.54
33.09
33. 82
37. 24
34. 61
32.86
32.36

33. 62
31. 87
32. 45
33. 91
34.85
32.91
33. 18

Totals and averages...............

2,106

59,076

28.05

13,984

6.64

73,060

34.69

33.93

DIVISIONS OF THE SECRETARY S OFFICE
T a ble

12.— P r i n t i n g

a n d b in d in g

Expenditures, Allotments,
1924

Bureau, office, or service

$17. 441.23
720.61
891.95
1,298.02
112,572.70
38, 359. 91
13,586. 50
177,940.97
15,830.62
6, 754. 59
22,135. 32
8,719.42
38, 844.19
970. 68
14,383. 34
8,409. 43

$19, 000. 00
900. 00
600.
1.500.
110, 000.

37, 0C0.
16,000.
175, 000.
15.000.
6.500.
20. 000.
8, 000.

38.000.
1, 000.

14.000.
8.500.
4, 000.

ggggggggggggggg

Office of the Secretary (Secretary, Assistant Secretary, solicitor, chief clerk,
and division of publications)............................................................................
Appointment, division....................................................................................
Disbursing office.............................................................................................
Division of supplies........................................................................................
Bureau of the Census............................................................................................
Coast and Geodetic Survey..................................................................................
Bureau of Fisheries...............................................................................................
Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce......................................................
Bureau of Lighthouses..........................................................................................
Lighthouse Service........................................................................................
Bureau of Navigation.............................................................. ............................
Shipping and Radio Services.........................................................................
Bureau of Standards..............................................................................................
Office of the Supervising Inspector General, Steamboat Inspection ServiceSteamboat Inspection Service.......................................................................
Customs Service............. ......................................................................................
Reserve................................................................................................... .......
T otal. . .

>478,859. 48

475, 000. 00

Appropriation.

* 481,500. 00

475,000.00

1 Estimated (June 30,1924); exact figures can not be stated until all work ordered in 1924 is completed and
billed.
»Includes $1,500 transferred from the appropriation, “ Printing and binding, Treasury Department,
1924,” authorized by Public Act 379, consolidating the work of collecting, compiling, and publishing statis*
tics of foreign commerce of the United States in the Department of Commerce, and $20,000 from the first
deficiency act, fiscal year 1924, approved Apr. 2, 1924.
T able

13.— S a l e s

o f p u b lic a tio n s

Copies

Receipts

Sales
1921
By Superintendent of Docu
ments:
Annual subscriptions...........
Through miscellaneous sales.
Total...................................
By Coast and Geodetic Survey:
Coast pilots, inside route pilots,
tide tables, current tables, and
charts..................................
Grand total........................

1922

2,371,228 1739,808
»300,376 227,639
2,671,604

* 967, 447

I
1923

1921

1922

858,054
284,152

$17,934.40
43,649.97

$34,452.17
40,684.13

$37,950.00
40,602. 33

1,142,206

61,584.37

75,136.30

78,552.33

40,075. 30 j

48,973. 01

36,100.33
97,684. 70

1923

115,211.60 | 127,525.34

1 Beginning in September, 1921, Commerce Reports were published weekly instead of daily. This
accounts for the decrease in the number of copies for 1922 as eompa»ed with the preceding year.
* Includes 120,000 copies of a series of small pamphlets known as Fisheries Economic Circulars, heretofore
distributed free of charge.

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE
T a b l e 1 4 .— D e p a r t m e n t s h i p m e n t ft,

1924

N U M B E R OF SH IPM EN TS
Less
carloads Carloads

Bureau

Coast andJGeodetic Survey.........................................................

Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce.............................
Total....................................................................................

673
1,247
5,153
813
10
17
26
63
1,321

8
11
206
81

9,323

Total

Total
tonnage in
pounds

681
1.258
5,358
894
10
17
26
63
1,325

952. 202
823, 956
15,457,954
4. 272.564
1,604
3, 213
5, 490
18, 520
356, 940

310

9, 632

21.899,443

D E TA ILS OF S H IPM E N T S
Weight in pounds

Bureau
Freight

Number and method of movement

Not on bill of lading
On
bill of
Parcel
lading,
Express post freight
Ex
Parcel Total
and ex Freight press
post
press

Coast and GeodeticlSurvey........
910,775
816,468
Bureau of Lighthouses................ 15,362, 120
Bureau of Fisheries..................... 4,189,325
Steamboat Inspection Service...
1,585
2,695
Bureau of Navigation.................
4, 241
Bureau of Foreign and Domestic
16,478
Bureau of Standards...................
311,305

2,042
42, 619

3,016

63
748

526

577

T otal............. ..................... 21,614,992

229,102

55,349

5,902

3,580

3,731

47,402
6,181
46,052
83,039
518
1,249

1,025
1,307
49,782
200
19

631
1,181
2,400
832
8
13
26

3
30
12

12
39
4

50
74
2,917
11

50
77
2,959
62
2
4

N ote.—In addition there were handled, principally by the Bureau of Standards, H,197 shipments,
the charges on which were not paid by the department, total tonnage, 722,000 pounds; sleeping, parlor car,
and Steamship reservations, 1,504; routi ng orders obtained from Federal Traffic Board, 170; sets of proposals
considered, 270; freight and express bills audited, 3,390; letters written, 3,744; tracers, freight, 03; claims ,
freight and express, 8; refunds, passenger, 127; passenger fares quoted, 1,878; itineraries furnished. 302 •
and freight and express rates quoted, 1,252.

Very truly yours,
E. W . L i b b e y ,
Chief Clerk and Superintendent.

BUREAU OF TH E CENSUS

D e p a r t m e n t

o f

B u r e a u

C o m m e r c e ,
o f

t h e

C e n s u s ,

Washington, July 1, 192!).
Hon.

e r b e r t

o o v e r

Secretary of Commerce.
D e a r M r. S e c r e t a r y : In response to your request I furnish the
following condensed report upon the work of this bureau during the
past year:
INTRODUCTION

The United States census has grown from a decennial enumeration
of the population, simple in character and scope, first made in 171)0,
to a large and complex group of statistical inquiries made at in
tervals varying in length from 1 month to 10 years and covering
a wide range of subjects of importance and interest in the social,
industrial, and fiscal fields.
The major inquiries may be listed as follows:
S o c i a l : Population—number, distribution, composition, and char
acteristics; occupations; the blind and the deaf; institutional pop
ulation—dependent, defective, and delinquent classes; births; deaths;
marriage and divorce; religious bodies.
I ndustrial : Manufactures; agriculture; mines, quarries, and oil
and gas wells; electrical industries—light and power stations, elec
tric railways, telephones, and telegraphs; fisheries; transportation
by water.
F i s c a l : Wealth, public indebtedness, and taxation; financial sta
tistics of States and cities.
In addition, numerous inquiries are made at annual, semiannual,
quarterly, monthly, or other intervals, among which may be men
tioned the following: Survey of Current Business; production, con
sumption. and stocks of cotton; number and activity of cotton
spindles; cottonseed and cottonseed products; farm equipment;
forest products; stocks of leaf tobacco; animal and vegetable fats
and oils; wool consumption and stocks; activity of wool machinery.
Work on most of these inquiries and on various others of lesser
importance, not specifically mentioned above, was in progress at
some, time during the year. Since the establishment of the Census
Bureau as a permanent institution 22 years ago, its field of activity
has been greatly enlarged, and in particular the publication, at
frequent intervals, of up-to-date statistics having current rather
than historical value has assumed greater and greater importance
as a feature of the census work.
63

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

INSTITUTIONAL POPULATION

In my last report I referred to the increase in the number of
persons committed to institutions for the mentally diseased, feeble
minded, epileptics, and juvenile delinquents; to almshouses, prisons,
reformatories, jails, and workhouses; to institutions and societies for
the care and protection of children; and to various other organiza
tions of this character. The law establishing the Census Bureau as
a permanent institution provides that in every tenth year an enumer
ation of the number and characteristics of the inmates of these
institutions shall be made. The field work on the recent census,
which covered the year 1922 for certain institutions and the early
part of 1926 for others, was finished in 1923, and the preliminary
reports were published during the fall of that year and the spring
of 1924.
The schedules used and methods followed were determined upon
after extended conferences with organizations and individuals en
gaged in this field of social research. The statistics already pub
lished and the more detailed analyses to follow in the final reports
will ail'ord more definite information concerning our institutional
population than can be obtained from the reports of any preceding
census, and it is hoped that they will direct attention to those ele
ments of the population that are cared for at public expense and
will point the way to important reforms that will not only reduce
crime but also bring about more judicious management and a greater
efficiency and economy in the care of the dependent classes.
Six reports are being prepared, namely, The Mentally Diseased in
Institutions, Prisoners in Penal Institutions, Juvenile Delinquents in
Institutions, Paupers in Almshouses, Inmates of Child-Caring In
stitutions, and Hospitals and Dispensaries.
The American Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology has
recently prepared a report recommending that arrangements be made
to collect and publish annually information concerning adult male
criminals in reformatories, penitentiaries, and State prisons. The
importance of publishing at regular intervals statistics concerning
the inmates of penal institutions is self-evident. It would be a com
paratively simple matter for the Federal and State penitentiaries
and prisons to make regular annual reports, similar in form so as to
be readily comparable, to the Bureau of the Census or some other
Federal office. Such reports would be of great value in the study of
the tremendously important problem of crime. I accordingly indorse
the recommendation of the American Institute of Criminal Law and
Criminology and express the hope that at no distant date arrange
ments may be made to carry it into effect.
It is very desirable and ought to be possible to obtain similar
annual reports from hospitals for the insane, almshouses, and other
institutions caring for defective, dependent, or delinquent classes, so
that we might have a continuous and up-to-date record of the move
ment of population in these institutions, instead of obtaining statis
tical information only once in 10 years.

BUREAU OF THE CENSUS

VITAL STATISTICS
B IR T H S AND DEA TH S

t )ne of the most important of the many statistical inquiries con
ducted by the Government is the Census Bureau’s annual collection
of data in regard to births and deaths. For deaths these data have
been collected since 1900, when the “ registration area ” was composed
of 10 States, the District of Columbia, and nearly 200 registration
cities in nonregistration States. Birth statistics have been collected
and compiled by the bureau annually since 1915, when 10 States
and the District of Columbia composed the birth-registration area.
The two registration areas have been extended from time to time
until the former now embraces 38 States, the District of Columbia,
rlie Territory of Hawaii, and 19 cities in nonregistration States, and
the latter comprises 31 States and the District of Columbia. The
proportion which the population of the death-registration area
forms of the total population of the United States has increased
from 41 per cent in 1900 to 88 in 1924, and the corresponding pro
portion for the birth-registration area has increased from 31 per cent
m 1915 to 75 in 1924.
The value of the published birth and death rates depends almost
wholly, of course, on the accuracy and completeness of the basic data.
It is highly important, therefore, that the States already in the
registration areas he tested from time to time in order to determine
whether they are maintaining their registration at. a fairly close
approximation to completeness, or at least within 90 per cent. Dur
ing the past fiscal year such retests, with satisfactory results in each
case, were made in Ohio. Wisconsin, Kansas, South Carolina, and
Utah.

Attention may be directed to a new venture which bids fair to
result in greatly improving birth registration, namely, the prepara
tion of the mother’s certificate, which is now being printed in attrac
tive form by the bureau and is soon to be distributed in many of the
States. This certificate notifies the mother of a newborn child that
the birth record is preserved in the State registration office, gives
the important items of record, and asks for corrections of errors.
It is believed that mothers who have not received certificates will be
likely to make inquiries of their physicians, and that these inquiries
will in many cases lead to the registration of unrecorded births. This
plan has been adopted in some States and cities where it has already
proven highly successful, and there is reason to believe that its ex
tension by the Bureau of the Census will have beneficial results in the
promotion of registration.
M A RRIAGE A N I) DIVORCE

The first Federal inquiry in regard to marriage and divorce covered
the period from damnify 1, 1867, to December 31, 1886; the second,
the period from January 1, 1887, to December 3 i, 1906; the third,
the calendar year 1916; and beginning with 1922 the canvass has been
made annually. The importance of this inquiry is indicated by the

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

increase in the divorce rate from 231 per 100,000 married population
in 1906 to 281 in 1916, 330 in 1922, and 363 in 1923.
The data for 1923 in regard to marriages in 26 States and in regard
to divorces in 11 States were obtained from State records. In the
remaining States it was necessary to transcribe the information
from county records, the work being done in most cases by county
officials. At the close of the fiscal year most of the returns had been
received and preliminary reports had been published for three
States—Maine, Maryland, and New Hampshire.
ESTIMATES OF POPULATION

The practice of estimating the population for intercensal years was
inaugurated in 1903, or practically as soon as the bureau was made a
permanent office charged with the continuous collection of statistics.
The necessity for estimates was apparent. The number of in
habitants, it has been truthfully said, is the dominant factor govern
ing every statistical investigation into the conditions of national
health, wealth, and well-being; and the statistical facts that may be
compiled regarding social and economic conditions have little value
unless they can be related to the number of persons concerned.
The question of how such estimates should be made was given
careful consideration by a committee of statisticians, who reached
the conclusion that the so-called arithmetical method gave results
which on the whole were more nearly accurate than those arrived
at by any other process. This method assumes that the annual
numerical increase in the population of a given State or city is
equal to the average annual increase during the interval between the
last two censuses. Tests that were made indicated that in the
majority of cases this assumption of a constant amount, of increase
gave results sufficiently accurate for statistical purposes and came
nearer the truth than the alternative assumption of a constant rate
of increase. But while this method of estimating, which was
adopted in 1903 and has been followed ever since, seemed to be the
best practicable one, its results have not always been satisfactory.
In particular it fails when there are radical changes or abnormal
conditions in population growth.
It is doubtful whether any method of estimating can be devised
that will give good results in all cases. The question, however, is
a very important one in relation to the %vork of this bureau; and
sometime ago it was brought to the attention of the General Advi
sory Committee, which referred it to a subcommittee consisting of
Walter F. Willcox, of Cornell University, and Robert E. Chaddock,
of Columbia University. These gentlemen have now associated with
them Willford I. King, of the National Bureau of Economic Re
search, New York, and Robert M. Woodbury, formerly of the Chil
dren’s Bureau but now of the Institute of Economic Research, Wash
ington. This committee is making a thorough study of the problem,
and I am hopeful that a material improvement in our method of
estimating population may be effected through its efforts.
ELECTRICAL INDUSTRIES

The census of electrical industries, covering central electric light
and power stations, electric railways, telephones, and telegraphs,

BUREAU OF THE CENSUS

has been taken quinquennially since 1902. The canvass for 1922 was
commenced promptly with the beginning of the calendar year 1923—
that is to say, immediately after the close of the year to which the'
data relate—and was practically finished by July 1, 1923. During
the fiscal year 1924 the data were examined, analyzed, and tabulated,
and the reports were prepared for publication. Three of the reports
were sent to the printer before July 1, 1924, and the fourth—Central
Electric Light and Power Stations—shortly after that date.
A significant fact brought out by the electrical-industries re
ports is that although substantial increases are shown for the tele>hone and telegraph industries and a very large increase for electric
ight and power plants, electric-railway traffic has been affected to
so great an extent by the competition of the automobile and the
motor bus that for the period from 1917 to 1922 the rate of increase
in number of passengers carried was smaller than that in the urban
population of the United States. Moreover, the mileage of track
operated showed an actual decrease.

{

BIENNIAL CENSUS OF MANUFACTURES
CENSUS FOR 1921

Since 1850 a census of manufactures has been taken every tenth
year as a part of the regular decennial census of the United States.
The law, establishing the Census Bureau as a permanent organi
zation, enacted in 1902, provided for an additional series of manu
factures censuses, to be taken midway between the decennial censuses,
in the year 1905 and every tenth year thereafter. The census of
manufactures thereby became quinquennial. The act of March 3,
1919, relating to the Fourteenth Decennial Census of the United
States, provided for the collection of statistics of the products of
manufacturing industries for 1921 and every second year thereafter,
thus establishing a biennial census.
The first biennial census of manufactures covered the year 1921,
and the bureau made a record for promptness in publishing its re
sults. For the first time in the history of census taking, summary
statistics for most of the manufacturing industries were made avail
able to the public in less than a year from the completion of the
canvass. A preliminary report covering all industries, classified
according to 14 major groups, was given out July 23, 1923.
Following the publication of these preliminary summaries, the
bureau issued 56 complete and detailed printed reports, in the form
of separate bulletins, covering, in all, 140 of the more important
manufacturing industries. A ll these separate reports, together with
additional statistical matter, have been assembled into a single octavo
volume of 1,637 pages, the copy for which was sent to the printer
October 23, 1923, only a little more than a year after the completion
of the field work.
CENSUS FOR 1923
P reparatory W ork .—With the experience gained at the first
biennial census, and with more time at our disposal in preparing
for the second, it was possible to make a number of improvements

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

in methods and practice. The first step was to redraft the schedules
for certain industries. With this end in view, conferences were held
•with manufacturers’ organizations and individuals interested in va
rious industries. It was found that these organizations and indi
viduals desired especially to procure more detailed statistics concern
ing kinds, quantities, and values of products, and it required 71 dif
ferent forms of schedules, a larger number than had been employed
except for 1919. to provide for the collection of the data necessary
for the compilation of such statistics.
An industrial census can not be taken successfully unless the
bureau has the hearty cooperation of the manufacturers. The value
o f the statistics is quite generally acknowledged, but there are a few
manufacturers who, while admitting the usefulness of the statistics,
refuse to supply data in regard to their own operations. Their
attitude is sim ilar.to that of a large producer who stated that he
wanted to see the figures for the total production of all other estab
lishments in his line but would not furnish any for his own opera
tions. This attitude if carried to its logical conclusion would result
in the destruction of the whole scheme of collecting industrial
statistics.
As a result of the bureau’s efforts, the manufacturers who have
been called upon to supply the data at this census have, as a rule,
cooperated more readily and willingly than at any preceding census.
In fact, the promptness with which most of the manufacturers have
sent in their reports is one of the outstanding features of this census
in contrast with preceding ones. Much of this cooperation may be
traced to the bureau’s campaign to bring about a better understand
ing of the uses and value of industrial statistics.
F ie l d
W o r k . —At the censuses for 1919 and 1921, 63 and 58 per
cent, respectively, of the returns were collected in person by special
agents and the remainder by correspondence. The canvass by special
agents is expensive, however; and, since the bureau’s funds available
for carrying on the field work for 1923 were considerably less than
the expenditures for previous years, it was necessary to devise new
plans for doing the work, and especially to arrange for the collection
of a much larger proportion of the returns by mail.
With this end in view, correspondence was begun in October, 1923.
with a large number of trade organizations, chambers of commerce,
and trade publications for the purpose of obtaining their coopera
tion in perfecting the bureau’s lists of establishments and in making
the canvass. As a result of these efforts on the part of the bureau
and of the trade organizations, reports from approximately 115,000
manufacturers, or about half the total, had been received by March
1, after the lapse of only two months from the beginning of the can
vass. Arrangements were then made with 196 chambers of com
merce throughout the United States to render assistance in obtaining
the reports from the dilatory manufacturers.
The assistance rendered by the trade associations and chambers
of commerce has enabled the bureau to make a substantial saving in
the cost of the field work as compared with that on previous similar
censuses. The beneficial results of the cooperation, however, do not
appear wholly in the saving in cost, as it has made possible the com
pletion of the canvass at a much earlier date than ever before, and

BUREAU OF THE CENSUS

therefore has brought about a saving of several months in the com
pilation of the statistics.
ANNUAL STATISTICS OF MANUFACTURES

In the case of four of the industries covered by the biennial cen
sus of manufactures, there has been a demand for detailed statistics
•of production at more frequent intervals, and accordingly the bu
reau is compiling and publishing annual reports for these industries,
namely, Forest Products, Farm Equipment, Clay and Other Re
fractory Products, and Lighting Equipment. These annual re
ports present detailed statistics as to quantities and values of prod
ucts, comparable with those given in the biennial census report, but
do not include “ general statistics ” as to number of wage earners
and other employees, salaries and wages, cost of materials, etc.
CURRENT INDUSTRIAL AND BUSINESS STATISTICS

The Census Bureau's current work has been materially increased
during recent years and has now assumed extensive proportions.
(The term “ current w ork” is here used to signify the collection,
compilation, and publication of statistics at monthly, or in a few
cases quarterly or semiannual, intervals.) This work may be
broadly classed under twro heads, namely, Survey of Current Busi
ness and semiannual, quarterly, and monthly census inquiries. The
former refers to a monthly publication presenting summary statis
tics and index figures for a large number of important industries.
The latter covers a group of inquiries made by the Bureau of the
Census, in most cases at monthly intervals, the results of which
are published separately.
SURVEY OF C U R R E N T B U S IN E SS

T he Survey of Current Business is a monthly publication, of quarto
size, containing more than 1,000 industrial and business indexes in
the form of tables showing monthly production, shipments, stocks,
receipts, imports, exports, new orders, unfilled orders, etc., for im
portant classes of products of manufacture, mining, and agri
culture. For February, May, August, and November considerably
more detailed and comprehensive editions are issued than for the
other months of the year. The remaining eight monthly issues con
tain the principal comparisons and relative numbers for the current
and preceding months. The figures by months as given in the four
enlarged issues cover the current and two or three preceding
years, and monthly averages are shown for a larger number of
years, extending in many cases as far back as 1913. Both abso
lute figures and relative numbers ai-e presented. The four detailed
editions contain approximately 225 pages each, and the remaining
eight, about 65 pages.
The data are supplied in some cases directly by the individual
•establishments to the bureau, and in other cases by trade associations
and similar organizations, technical periodicals, and reports of the
Federal Government, of State and city governments, and foreign

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

governments. Each issue of the Survey is published about threeweeks after the close of the latest month to which it relates, and in
addition advance statements are distributed to subscribers nearly
every week.
The paid subscription list of the Survey increased from 5,435names in June, 1923, to 8,492 in June, 1924. The increase of over
3,000 subscribers during the fiscal year was considerably more than
twice as large as the increase during the previous year. The total
printed edition of the June, 1924, number amounted to 12,323,.
comprising, in addition to the 8,492 paid copies, 331 depository
copies and the free edition of 3,500 to cover the free list, office cop
ies, samples, and distribution to foreign officials of the Depart
ment of State and the Department of Commerce.
S E M IA N N U A L , Q U A R TERLY , AND M O N T H L Y C E N S U S IN Q U IR IE S

Statistics relating to the commodities and classes of commodities
listed below are compiled and published at monthly or less frequent
intervals during the year, according to legal requirements and the
demands of the industries.
Boots and shoes-—production (monthly).
Clothing, men’s and boys’—garments cut (monthly).
Clothing, work—garments cut, shipped, returned, and in stock (monthly).
Coal, commercial stocks—prepared and published jointly with Geological'
Survey (irregular intervals).
Collapsible tubes—production, orders, shipments, and press operation,
(monthly).
Cotton—consumption, stocks, active spindles, imports, and exports
(monthly).
Cotton—production, as shown by reports of ginners (12 specified dates
during ginning season and at its close).
Cotton-spindle hours, active (monthly).
Cottonseed—received, crushed, and on hand, and cottonseed products
manufactured, shipped out, and on hand (monthly).
Eats and oils, vegetable, fish, and animal—production, consumption, and
stocks (quarterly).
Glue and gelatin—production, sales, and stocks (quarterly).
Hides, skins, and leather—stocks of hides and skins, and stocks and pro
duction of leather (monthly).
Hosiery—production, orders, and stocks (monthly).
Knit underwear—production, orders, and stocks (monthly).
Leather, glove—stocks and production (monthly).
Leather gloves and mittens out (monthly).
Leather, sole and belting, harness, and skivers—stocks and production(monthly).
Malleable castings—production, orders, and shipments (monthly).
Mechanical stokers—sales and installation (monthly).
Paint and varnish—production and sales (semiannual).
Pyroxylin-coated textiles—shipments and orders (monthly).
Steel barrels—production, shipments, unfilled orders, and stocks(monthly).
Sulphuric acid and acid phosphate used in the manufacture of ferti
lizers—production. stocks, and consumption (semiannual).
Tobacco, leaf—stocks held by manufacturers and dealers (quarterly).
Wheat ground and wheat-milling products—production and capaeity( monthly).
Wool consumed by manufacturers (monthly).
Wool manufactures—activity of machinery in (monthly).
Wool stocks held by manufacturers and dealers—prepared and: pulilishec?
jointly with Department of Agriculture (quarterly).

BUREAU OF THE CENSUS

R e f u s a l o f C e r t a i n M a n u f a c t u r e r s t o C o o p e r a t e . — In the com
pilation of the reports for some of these industries, serious difficulties
arise from the refusal of a few establishments to supply the data
needed by the bureau. The refusal of one manufacturer was due,
according to his statement, to his displeasure with the attitude of
Congress toward certain proposed legislation. Another declared
that the census figures had been used by wholesale houses as a club
against manufacturers. A clothing manufacturer claimed that the
census reports were useless so far as his industry was concerned and
could only work to the advantage of producers of piece goods, who
were not required to make reports on their output. A few manufac
turers in other industries asserted that they found the census reports
of no value and claimed that it took an unreasonable amount of time
and involved more or less inconvenience to supply the data.
As a matter of fact, these claims are not justified. To the great
majority of the important establishments in the various industries
which the bureau canvasses at monthly or other frequent intervals,
the census ligures are of real and unquestioned value. The president
of one very large manufacturing establishment stated that t ho
bureau's monthly reports were an important subject of discussion itt
•directors'1 meetings. In general, those manufacturers who produce
the bulk of the output in the industries covered by the special in
quiries are able to make good use of the census reports.
The claim that current statistical information in regard to a
¡riven industry is detrimental thereto because valuable to those who
supply the materials for that industry is hardly tenable, except
possibly under rare and unusual conditions; for it should be obvious
that any information pertaining to a particular industry which is
useful to related Industries or interests is also, under normal con
ditions, of equal or greater value to the industry itself.
There should be no difficulty whatever in supplying the data
required. A ll that is called for in some cases is the quantity of
products; in others, reports are requested on the amount sold during
the month, unfilled orders, and stocks on hand. Information of this
nature should be readily and easily available from the records of a
manufacturing establishment equipped with almost any sort of book
keeping system worthy of the name. It is inexpensive to the manu
facturer and inexpensive to the Government, and if supplied by all
or the great majority of the representative and important estab
lishments possesses value far outweighing the cost of collection and
compilation.
This value exists in greater or less degree for every establishment
in each of the industries covered by the special inquiries. For many
industries the census reports provide the only source of statistical
information and supply the only basis on which to make calcula
tions regarding overproduction or underproduction.

But if one or more important manufacturers in any particular in
dustry refuse to supply the census date, it becomes impossible to
compile complete reports, and thus injustice is done to the large
number of manufacturers in the industry in question who have
faithfully and willingly cooperated with the bureau and therefore
are entitled to the benefit of full and complete statistics.
^ I desire to make it clear that it was on the initiative, not of the
Census Bureau hut of industrial organizations, that the various

BEPOBT OF THE SECRETABY OF COMMERCE

special inquiries were undertaken. The bureau lias not sought thisextra work, but is performing it as a service to the industries rep
resented by these organizations. Thus the refusal of certain manu
facturers to cooperate is detrimental to the industries in which they
are engaged.
WEALTH. PUBLIC DEBT, AND TAXATION

Every 10 years the Bureau of the Census, as required by lawr
compiles data regarding national wealth, public debt, and taxation.
The recent canvass, covering the calendar year 1922, was completed
by June 30? 1923.
The statistics were first made public in preliminary reports or
press releases, each major subject being covered in this way by a
series of State summaries. Four preliminary summary reports in
printed form, each giving statistics by States, were also issued.
In this manner the most important of the statistical material de
rived from the canvass was made public at much earlier dates, IS
months earlier in some cases, than ever before. The preliminary st ate
ments in many cases furnished all the information required, and it
has been practicable, therefore, to print smaller editions of the final
reports than were needed at prior censuses.
The final reports are five in number, as follows: Public Debt, A s
sessed Valuation and Tax Levies, Taxes Collected, Digest of State
Laws Relating to Taxation and Revenue, and Estimated National
Wealth.
The last of the copy for these reports was sent to the printer early
in the present calendar year, and the first report printed—Digest o f
State Laws Relating to Taxation and Revenue, 1922, a bound volume
of 5+4 octavo pages -was received May 13, 1924. These reports are
being made available to the public more than a year earlier than the
corresponding ones issued at any preceding census.
E s t i m a t e d N a t i o n a l W e a l t h . —An estimate was made of the true
value of all tangible property in the United States, real and per
sonal, public and private. The leading items covered by this estimate
were: Real property and improvements subject to taxation: real
property and improvements exempt from taxation;1 livestock; farm
implements and machinery; manufacturing machinery, tools, and
implements; motor vehicles; gold and silver coin and bullion; rail
roads and their equipment: street railways: Pullman and other carsnot owned by railroads; shipping and canals: privately owned water
works:1 privately owned central electric light and power p lants;1
stocks of goods on hand: clothing, personal adornments, furniture,
horse-drawn vehicles, and kindred propertv. The total for 1922 was
$320,804,000,000, as against $186.300.000.000 - for 1912. This repre
sents an increase of 72.2 per cent, a rate slightly below’ that for the
period 1904-1912. 73.9 per cent.
The methods employed in preparing these estimates were adopted
after consultation with the General Advisory Committee. The bu
reau was fortunate in securing the services of Dr. Willford I. K ing,
1 P u b l i c l y o w n e d w a t e r w o r k s a n d l i g h t a n d p o w e r p l a n t s a r e in c lu d e d in r e a l p r o p e r t v
e x e m p t fro m t a x a t i o n .
* D i f f e r s f r o m e s t i m a t e a s o r i g i n a l l y p u b l i s h e d f o r 1 P 1 2 b e c a u s e o f r e v i s i o n o f e s t im a t e l o r t a x e d re a l p r o p e r r y in O k la h o m a .

BUREAU OF THE CENSUS

of the National Bureau of Economic Research, New York, N. Y., as
a consulting expert on the entire census of wealth, public debt, and
taxation.
FINANCIAL STATISTICS OF STATE AND CITY GOVERNMENTS

Financial statistics of cities having 30,000 inhabitants or more
were first collected and compiled by the Bureau of Labor under an
act o f Congress approved July 1, 1898. In 1903 the work was trans
ferred to the Bureau of the Census, and from that time the inquiry
has been made annually, except for 1914 and 1920, when it was
omitted because of the pressure of work on the Thirteenth and Four
teenth Decennial Censuses, respectively. The collection of financial
statistics of States was first undertaken for 1915 by order of the
Secretary of Commerce, and since that year such statistics have been
collected annually, except for 1920.
The city and State reports, which have been compiled by the
Bureau of the Census for 21 and 9 years, respectively, constitute a
valuable statistical history of the income, expenditures, methods o f
taxation, and practically all important financial data of the States
and cities, showing the changes that are taking place in the amounts
of their transactions, total and per capita.
The National Association of Comptrollers and Accounting Offi
cers, which met in Providence in June, 1924, passed a resolution
providing for the appointment of a permanent committee to work
in close harmony with the Director or other officials of the Census
Bureau in connection with the revision of the city-statisties schedules
and reports and in devising methods by which the city officials can
cooperate more closely with the bureau in compiling the data an
nually, the object being to publish the statistics more promptly, to
correct any errors that may exist, and to arrange for the cities to
bear a portion of the expense entailed by this work. The city offi
cials show a keen interest in and appreciation of the statistics com
piled by the bureau and have indicated a willingness to cooperate
more effectively in the future.
The National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers, and
Treasurers, at its meeting at Salt Lake City in July, 1924, adopted
a resolution to the effect that inasmuch as the Bureau of the Census
is the only agency publishing comparable State financial statistics,
it was the desire of the association to remain in close contact with
the bureau and to cooperate and assist in every manner possible in
the compilation of such statistics.
STATISTICAL ATLAS

The preparation of the Statistical Atlas for 1920, which, as ex
plained in my last report, was necessarily delayed until after the
completion of the Fourteenth Decennial Census work, was com
menced before the beginning of the fiscal year 1924 and was com
pleted within that year. This publication, which has been issued in
connection with each decennial census beginning with that for 1870,
contains all the charts, maps, and diagrams employed in illustrating
the statistics for the several branches of the census work, together
with various others prepared especially for the Statistical Atlas.

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

SPECIAL INFORMATION FOR OTHER FEDERAL OFFICES OR FOR
ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS

A minor but nevertheless rather important feature of the bureau's
work consists in the transcribing or compiling from the census
records of special information not shown in published reports.
Where the amount of work involved is at all considerable, the bureau
is reimbursed for the cost of the service. In some cases only a single
item or a few items of information are desired; in others, special
tabulations must be made.
The first class of information includes that needed by genealo
gists; by persons desirous of proving their ages in order to secure
pensions or retirement annuités; by children whose births have not
been registered and who are seeking certificates of age in order to
obtain employment; by persons endeavoring to establish heirship
or citizenship; and by litigants. Information of this character is
merely transcribed from the census schedules, no tabulations being
necessary. During the year, 1,700 visitors to the bureau were per
mitted to examine the population schedules of the censuses of 1800
to 1870, inclusive; but where information is desired from the re
turns of censuses taken subsequently to 1870, only sworn census em
ployees are allowed to inspect the schedules.
The second class of special information is compiled directly from
the original returns or from intermediate tabulations or “ work
sheets” prepared in the course of the compilation of the census re
ports proper. Requests for information of this kind come from
Government bureaus, commissions, chambers of commerce, and other
organizations, from corporations, and not infrequently from private
individuals. What they desire is usually a more detailed tabulation
than is published in the census reports regarding some particularsection or locality or some special class or industry.
CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE, 1925

The census of agriculture has heretofore been taken only at inter
vals of 10 years, in connection with the decennial censuses of popu
lation. In 1925, however, there will be taken, under authority con
tained in the Fourteenth Census act, approved March 3, 1919, the
first of a series of mid-decennial censuses of agriculture, less compre
hensive in the matter of detail than the decennial inquiries. Thus
the decennial and mid-decennial censuses together will constitute
a quinquennial series. An appropriation of $3,500,000 to defray
the cost of the coming census has been made and will be available
during the two-year period from July 1, 1924, to June 30, 1926.
Considerable preliminary work was done, however, before the begin
ning of this period.
The first matter to be taken up was the formulation of the sched
ule. For this purpose a joint committee, consisting of five members
from the Census Bureau and five from the Department of Agricul
ture, was appointed in March, 1923. This committee received and
considered suggestions from agricultural interests in general, as well
as those made by the Department of Agriculture, and agreed upon
a tentative form of schedule which was considered and revised by
the General Advisory Committee at its June, 1924, meeting. The
law provides that the census shall show the “ acreage of farm land,

BUREAU OP THE CENSUS

the acreage of the principal crops, and the number and value of
domestic animals on the farms and ranges of the country,” and
that it shall be taken as of the 1st day of January, 1925, and shall
relate to the preceding calendar year. The census thus authorized
is considerably simpler in respect of detail than was the census of
agriculture taken in 1920, as a part of the last decennial census; and
it was, therefore, possible to reduce the number of inquiries from a
little more than 400, as carried on the schedule used in 1920, to 178.
The cooperative arrangements made with the Department of Agri
culture covered the field work as well as the formulation of the
schedule. Under these arrangements the State statisticians of the
Department of Agriculture will act as supervisors in 36 of the 208
districts and will also act in an advisory capacity to the supervisors
in the other districts in their respective States; the farms in forest
reserves will be canvassed by forest rangers; the farms on irrigation
projects will be reported by the field force of the Department of
Agriculture in cooperation witli the field force of the Reclamation
Service, Department of the Interior; and representatives of the
Bureau of the Census will utilize, so far as possible, the offices of the
county field agents of the Department of Agriculture.
By these methods the bureau will be able to effect substantial
economies, and it is expected that a. more satisfactory and more
nearly accurate enumeration can be made than has ever been possible
under the conditions existing at prior censuses.
An interesting and highly important feature of this census will be
a simple enumeration of the farm population. The schedule calls for
the number of persons living on each farm, classified according to
color, whether over or under 10 years of age, and, in the case of those
over 10 years of age, according to sex.
MECHANICAL LABORATORY

'Phe experimental work in the development of automatic card-tabu
lating machines designed to add numbers instead of merely tallying
units was completed prior to the close of the fiscal year 1924. Opera
tions in the mechanical laboratory during that year were confined
largely to the construction of automatic tabulators of this type
(“ adding printers”), a total of six having been completed and put
into commission. One of these machines was equipped with “ sp lit”
registers for use in tabulating the bureau’s time and cost data, thereby
making possible a saving of one-half the time formerly required for
this operation. Two additional machines of the adding-printer type
are in process of construction. Special tools, including punch-press
dies and fixtures, were made in the mechanical laboratory for use in
the production in duplicate of certain parts entering into the con
struction of these machines.
In addition, 25 punches, 9 verification machines, and 3 sorting
machines have been reconstructed or modified in order to adapt them
for use with the new type of tabulating machines or otherwise to
meet the changing requirements of the census work.
INCREASE IN WORK

The Census Bureau is under continual pressure to increase the
scope and complexity of its inquiries. Trade organizations desire
15308—24------ 6

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

more frequent compilations of data regarding the industries in which
they are interested. Chambers of commerce and boards of trade
call for statistics showing the amount and character of manufactur
ing done in small cities. Beginning with 1921 the census of manu
factures, formerly a quinquennial inquiry, has been taken bien
nially. The Department of Agriculture and students of agricultural
phenomena in general ask for detailed and comprehensive statistics
in regard to farms, farm property, and farm operations. Organiza
tions and individuals interested in social problems request further
statistical information pertaining to such matters as immigration,
child labor, crime, insanity, and pauperism. There is a demand for
a population census at quinquennial instead of decennial intervals,
in order to provide a proper basis for the calculation of birth and
death rates and other per capita rates.
The bureau’s current work is thus very considerably in excess of
what is was 10 years ago. There has been only a small increase in its
permanent force, an increase far from commensurate with the in
crease in work, and the appropriations made for payment of salaries
and other expenses, including the cost of field work, are no longer
adequate. It is probable that the time is near at hand when it will
become impossible to meet the increased demands upon the bureau by
further improvements in methods and processes. It may even be
come necessary to reduce somewhat the amount of work now carried
on, unless larger appropriations are made to defray its cost. I do
not mean by this that I contemplate recommending the discontinu
ance of any important inquiry, but it may become necessary to sim
plify the collection and compilation of the data, with the result that
the statistics will be presented in less detail and will not provide all
the information which the bureau is called upon to supply. For
example, at the biennial census of manufactures the canvass could
be restricted to those establishments with an annual output valued
at, say, $20,000, instead of $5,000, the present limit; or the annual
mortality statistics, which are now presented in great detail, could
be reduced in scope. Such expedients as these would impair some
what the value of the statistics, but the bureau’s work is growing
from year to year with the growth of the country and its industries,
and there is a limit to the amount of work that can be done at a
given cost.
I fully realize and appreciate the need of economy along all lines
of Government work and am ready and willing to do my share in
this direction; but it is my desire also to maintain the census work
at the highest possible standard of value and usefulness, and this
can not be done under present conditions.
In particular, the bureau can not properly and completely dis
charge its functions as the central statistical agency of the Federal
Government if it is to be handicapped indefinitely by a salary scale
under which its statistical experts—its professional and scientific
officials and employees—are paid smaller salaries than are given
elsewhere for work requiring corresponding degrees of ability.
IMPROVEMENTS AND ECONOMIES

During the fiscal year 1924 a number of improvements and econo
mies in the census work were put into effect and others already in

BUREAU OF THE CENSUS

effect were further developed. Of these, the following are worthy of
particular mention:
C E N T R A L IZ A TIO N OF F IE L D W ORK

The centralization of the field work under a single supervising
head, inaugurated last year, has been perfected and has resulted in
economies in conducting the various inquiries. Under the present
plan there is no duplication of work, sucn as frequently occurred in
former years when two field employees engaged on different inquiries
were sent to the same locality.
E N L IS T M E N T OF AID FROM IN D U S T R IA L A ND CO M M ERC IA L ORGANIZATIONS

It has been the policy of the bureau for many years to secure the
greatest possible measure of cooperation from such organizations as
manufacturers’ associations, chambers of commerce, and boards of
trade. This cooperation has been productive of highly satisfactory
results and was an important factor in reducing the cost of the can
vass for the biennial census of manufactures.
COOPERATION OF M A N U FA C T U R E R S

The persistent efforts of the bureau to secure the cooperation of
manufacturers in reporting data on production, stocks, and sales
have met with a considerable degree of success and have resulted in
a material saving in cost and in the advancement of the dates of
publication of these important data.
COOPERATION OF STATE REGISTRARS OF V ITAL STA TISTICS

Closer cooperative arrangements have been entered into with State
registrars in connection with the collection and compilation of data
in regard to births and deaths.
COOPERATION OF STATE, C O U N T Y , AND C IT Y O FFIC IA L S

The cooperation of the officials of the States, counties, cities, and
other tax-levying governmental units has resulted in increased
economy in the collection of data for the census of wealth, public debt,
and taxation, and has been a factor in expediting the publication of
the statistics.
E N CO U R A G EM EN T OF STATE O FFIC IA L S TO COLLECT MARRIAGE A M ) DIVORCE
DATA

The bureau has encouraged State officials to collect data in regard to
marriages and divorces. The number of States which now furnish
these data has been increased, and more satisfactory arrangements
have been made with county clerks to make their reports on a pieceprice basis, thus reducing the cost of the field work for this annual
inquiry.
. AVOIDANCE OF D U PL IC A TIO N

The bureau has kept in close touch with other Federal offices
engaged in statistical work in the endeavor to avoid duplication, to

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

perfect methods, and to assist in the compilation of data needed in
connection with the work of any branch of the Government.
REORGA NIZATION OF T A B U L A TIO N FOR IN D U S T R IA L C E N SU SES

The tabulation of the statistics for the industrial censuses, and
particularly the biennial census of manufactures, has been reorgan
ized and simplified, and as a result the publication of the statistics
has been greatly expedited.
C E N T R A L IZ A TIO N OF M E C H A N IC A L T A B U L A TIO N

The work of mechanical tabulation, which prior to July 1. 1923,
was scattered through several divisions of the bureau’s organization,
was on that date concentrated in one division under a single super
vising officer. The force engaged on this work during the fiscal year
ranged from 55 to 64. The work done was equivalent to the mechani
cal handling of nearly 73,000,000 cards. The extent of the saving
in time and cost is indicated by the fact that the tabulation work
was done with no increase of force, although it included new work
equivalent to the handling of more than 12,500,000 cards (for the
institutional population), or about one-sixth of the total for the
year; in other words, a force averaging about the same as that em
ployed during the preceding year took care of about 20 per cent
more work.
P R O M PTN E SS OF PU B L IC A T IO N

Since 1 have been director, it has been my constant aim to publish
the census statistics with a minimum of delay. It is now the in
variable practice to give out preliminary reports, usually in the
form of press summaries, as soon as the tabulation of the returns
has reached such a stage as to make possible the preparation of exact
or approximately correct summaries of the basic or fundamental
data.
In this way the bureau makes public the more important and
fundamental statistics in regard to its various inquiries at dates
ranging from six months to a year or more in advance of the publica
tion of the final reports. It is obvious, therefore, that, despite the
considerable time which necessarily elapses between the date to which
a given inquiry relates and the publication of the complete and
final reports, the public is not kept waiting unreasonably long for
the more important results of the inquiry.
RED U CTIO N OF P R IN T IN G COSTS

Not (lie least of the census economies has been the saving in print
ing costs. This saving has been brought about in three ways: (1)
By reducing somewhat the number and size of the statistical tables
and the amount of text in the reports; (2) by changing the form of
the printed reports from quarto to octavo; (3) by reducing the size
of the editions available for free distribution.
The change from the quarto to the octavo form has made possible
greater compactness. Although the amount of space is only one-half
as great on an octavo page as on one of quarto size, it has neverthe

BUREAU OP THE CENSUS

less been possible to print the bureau’s reports in bulletins or bound
volumes containing considerably fewer than twice as many pages as
were needed when the quarto form was in use. By the use of thinner
paper, the thickness of the volumes has been kept within reasonable
limits. Prior to the beginning of the fiscal year 1924 all the im
portant printed reports and bulletins issued by the bureau were in
quarto form. At present the octavo form is in use for all except the
annual birth-statistics and mortality-statistics reports, which it will
be more difficult to adapt to the smaller-sized page. Although the
editions available for free distribution have been reduced in size,
copies of nearly all the census publications may be obtained at
moderate prices by purchase from the Superintendent of Documents.
EFFECT OF RECLASSIFICATION

The majority of the census positions do not carry definite and
unchanging duties, and the value of the employees depends largely
on their versatility and ability to take up one class of work after
another, and for this reason the reclassification of the force was
attended by special and peculiar difficulties.
The census work needs for its proper performance men and
women skilled in statistical science and possessing as high a type of
ability as those in other branches of the Government service. In
former reports attention has been called again and again to the great
handicap, due to its low salary scale, under which the bureau labors
in performing the technical and difficult duties assigned to it by law.
This handicap still exists, and until it is removed the bureau can not
function at maximum efficiency.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGES IN CENSUS LAWS
INDUSTRIAL AND BUSINESS STATISTICS

The monthly collection and publication of current industrial and
business statistics, authorized under section 8 of the act establishing
the department, was considerably extended during the year. The
work has now assumed such proportions as to render desirable the
enactment of specific legislation authorizing it. Such legislation
would aid in the collection of the data, particularly from the compara
tively small number of manufacturers and others who are unwilling
or reluctant to supply the information requested by the bureau. I
therefore recommend the enactment of a law authorizing and direct
ing the Director of the Census to collect, compile, and publish sta
tistics of current production, consumption, stocks, shipments, orders,
receipts, and sales, for commodities used and produced in manufac
turing.
COTTON

There is an insistent demand for information as to the several
grades of cotton held in the United States. As stated in my report
for 1922, it is impossible under present conditions to secure reliable
information of this character, since much of the cotton is not accu
rately graded until it reaches the more important cotton market»

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

or concentration points, the grading in the less important markets
not being uniform. Since practically all the cotton produced in the
United States enters into either interstate or foreign commerce, it
is within the power of Congress to enact legislation requiring such
cotton to be graded and stapled under governmental regulations at
central grading stations. The Government could provide the neces
sary personnel and facilities, but the cost of the grading, which
probably would not amount to more than 30 or 40 cents a bale, should
be paid by the owner of the cotton.

With uniform grading thus provided for throughout the cotton
growing region, it would be possible to obtain from the grading
stations the numbers of bales of the several classes graded, and from
consumers and exporters the numbers of bales of the several grades
consumed or exported.
I accordingly renew the recommendation made in my last two
reports, that legislation be enacted providing for the grading and
stapling of cotton under the supervision of the Federal Government.
I also renew the recommendation, made in my last three reports,
that that portion of the act of August 7, 1916, providing for the col
lection and publication of statistics of raw7 and prepared cotton and
linters, cotton wraste, and hull fiber consumed in the manufacture of
guncotton and explosives, and of absorbent and medicated cotton, be
repealed. This legislation was enacted because of the amount of cot
ton consumed in the manufacture of explosives, etc., during the
World War. The necessity for statistics of this character has nowpassed.
STOCKS OF LEAF TOBACCO

In my report for 1923 I recommended that the collection of data
concerning the quantities of the several types of leaf tobacco held
by certain classes of manufacturers and dealers, required bjr the
act of Congress approved April 30, 1912, be transferred to the
Bureau of Internal Revenue. That bureau now- collects monthly
reports of the transactions in leaf tobacco from all registrants, and
by changing its forms somewhat could obtain all the information
concerning stocks of leaf tobacco now- collected by the Bureau of the
Census, thus avoiding duplication and the necessity for the same
establishments to make reports to tw7o Federal bureaus.
Furthermore, the law limits the work of the Bureau of the Census
to the collection of data from those dealers in leaf tobacco having an
average of 50,000 pounds of tobacco in stock at the close of the four
quarters of the preceding calendar year. It is impossible to comply
literally with the requirements of this law. and if the work is to be
continued by the bureau it is recommended that the law be amended
so as to require reports from all registered tobacco dealers, irrespec
tive of the amounts of tobacco which they carry in stock.
It is also recommended that, if the bureau is to continue to carry
on this work, the law7 be amended so as to permit the reports to be
sworn to before postmasters and assistant postmasters. Such an
amendment w-ould save considerable time and expense to the persons
required to make the affidavits.
Very truly yours,
W. M. S teuart ,

Director of the Census.

BUREAU OF FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE

D e p a r t m e n t
B u r e a u

o f

F o r e ig n

a n d

o f

C o m m e r c e .

D o m e s t ic

C o m m e r c e .

Washington, July 1,192'f.
Hon.

e r b e r t

o o v e r

Secretary of Commerce.
D e a r M r. S e c r e t a r y : In response to your request, I furnish the
following condensed report upon the work of the bureau during the
fiscal year ended June 30, 1924:
In no previous year lias the bureau rendered such extensive service,
and never before have the concrete evidences of its work been so sub
stantial and so gratifying. In the past two years this work has more
than doubled in quantity, and during the year just ended the number
of instances in which it has aided American business men have
totaled nearly 1.250,000, with an average of more than 5,000 inquiries
a day at the close of the fiscal year. On the basis of an investigation
involving 3,675 inquiries addressed by business firms to the bureau
it was found that the resulting business amounted to about $427 per
inquiry. This would mean over $500,000,000 in foreign trade secured
for the United States as the result of answers to inquiries handled
by the bureau during the year. In certain respects the bureau’s
services to the American business community have increased as much
as tenfold since 1922.
The vital value of the bureau to all Americans concerned with
world trade was signally illustrated during this past year by its
informational and promotive efforts following the great earthquake
disaster in Japan. Though our office in Tokyo was destroyed and its
established routine shattered, the work was immediately resumed
and vigorously pushed forward. Accurate estimates were given of
the extent of the damage to the economic structure of Japan. Ameri
cans relying on raw materials from Japan were advised of the posi
tion and prospects. Markets for reconstruction materials were inves
tigated. The purchase of great quantities of supplies here was fur
thered. In every phase of the situation the bureau was alert, active,
and helpful.
Yet this was only the most outstanding example of a service which,
throughout the world, has been constantly growing in effectiveness.
Profiting by their accumulated experience and utilizing ever more
skilfully all the available means of trade promotion, our offices
abroad and our divisions at Washington have made their efforts
show a steadily rising proportion of practical results. Those efforts
have been determined not by mere theories but by the specific re
quirements of American business, directly and precisely expressed
During the past year the most significant feature of our work is
to be found in this element of intimate contact and cooperation with
Si

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

American manufacturers, exporters, financiers, and domestic mer
chants. Now, more than ever before, the bureau is functioning as an
integral part of American economic life—an organization responsive
to the guidance of its clients, while at the same time initiating a
variety of services designed to strengthen and augment the currents
of our trade.
Several new offices of the bureau have been opened in this country
and abroad. A domestic commerce division has been set up in the
Washington office, aiming to furnish in the domestic field a service
comparable to that which has been provided so successfully with
respect to export markets. These and numerous other departures
and modifications in the work of the bureau are mentioned in suc
ceeding paragraphs.
R E G IO N A L D IV IS IO N S
G EN ER A L CH A RA CTER ISTIC S OF W ORK

As in previous years, all the regional divisions have maintained
regular sections in Commerce Reports; have prepared for that maga
zine monthly reviews of conditions in their respective territories, on
the basis of cabled reports from the bureau’s foreign representatives:
have supervised, in general, the work of those representatives; have
¡prepared and distributed confidential circulars: have disseminated
data through commercial bodies, trade journals, and newspapers;
have conducted a great volume of correspondence and aided many
visitors; and have examined and utilized a mass of material appear
ing in foreign publications. Assistance has been given to commodity
divisions with respect to numerous broad commercial problems.
Each of the foreign offices prepares regular and special reports for
the bureau; supplies information and advice in response to specific
inquiries by letter; satisfies the requirements of those who call in
person for data or for guidance; conducts such investigations as
seem timely and appropriate under existing economic conditions;
adjusts commercial disputes between foreign and American firms;
arbitrates difficulties where such service is requested; enables Ameri
can investigators to gain access to foreign establishments: provides
sources of information for American publicists; warns of any
illegitimate phases of foreign competition: watches any possibly
discriminatory proposals; maintains close relations with the foreign
government; cooperates with the American Embassy or Legation;
and, in general, constantly facilitates such contacts and connections
as will result in increased sales for American goods.
A C H IE V E M E N T S OF R E PR E SEN T A TIV E S I N
AFRICA

W E STE R N

EU RO PE A ND SO U T H

The bureau’s office at Rome gave invaluable help to American in
terests in connection with a contract involving nearly $3,000,000
for harbor works in Italy, a mining development on which it is pro-

FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE

loosed to spend $6,000,000 to $7,000,000. and a concession for mineral
exploration in Italy entailing the expenditure of $5,000,000. An
American company was aided in obtaining a large Government con
tract for coal. There was an increase in the number of American
visitors and of inquiries from American firms. The office helped
American manufacturers to establish suitable connections for repre
sentation in Italy. Expert advice was furnished concerning com
petitive conditions, selling methods, etc. Commercial disputes were
adjusted. The office intervened successfully in controversies over
customs classification.
Among the many special investigations made by the Rome office
were an exhaustive study of the electrical-equipment market and a
detailed survey of the machinery trade. Other special reports,
which comprise a very large number of subjects, include “ Italian
tax reforms,” “ Motor-vehicle preferences,” “ Marine motors and
motor boats in Italy,” “ The hat industry in Italy,” “ The present
tariff situation in Italy,” “Italy as a market for jewelry,” “ The
Italian market for automotive accessories,” “ Italy's coai and oil
requirements,” “ The tartning industry in Italy,” “ Italy’s balance of
international payments,” and “ Selling American specialties in
Italy.” There has been close cooperation with the American Em
bassy and the various consular officers. The commercial attache has
taken a prominent part in the activities of the American Chamber of
Commerce for Italy at Milan and of the Associazione Italo-Ameri
cana at Rome.
Much expense has been saved American exporters through the
action of the Madrid office in obtaining the release of goods held up
by Spanish customs officials on technical grounds. In several cases
the office has obtained customs classifications more favorable to
Americans. Sixty American automobiles, reaching Spain not prop
erly documented, were entered at the preferential customs rate
through the commercial attache’s effective action, and automobile
tires were also admitted at the low-duty rate, though not correctly
marked. The prompt and energetic intercession of the commercial
attache in the interests of an American firm, which was not properly
protected in the advances it was making to a foreign firm, resulted
in a saving of $250,000 to the American concern. Efficient help was
given in connection with the prorogation of the Spanish-American
treaty. A financially embarrassed Spanish company was investi
gated in order to obtain the most favorable settlement possible for
its American creditors. An American food-products concern was
assisted in an extensive investigation. Very close relations have been
maintained with the American Ambassador to Spain, who at times
called for almost the entire time of the commercial attaché’s office.
The facilities of the office have been at the disposal of the repre
sentative of the United States Department of Agriculture, who is
studying the Almería grape situation in connection with the ravages
of the Mediterranean fruit fly.
The Hague office cooperated constantly with the American Le
gation in matters connected with the petroleum question, tariff and
treaty problems, banking and credit conditions, current Dutch-Russian negotiations, and investment questions. Agencies were placed
for automobiles, accessories, marine motors, textile fabrics, canned
goods, radio equipment, and cigarettes. The office prepared exhaust-

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

ive studies on the Dutch quinine monopoly, methods of handling
coffee in Amsterdam, the effect of the Ruhr occupation on DutchGerman trade, the Dutch motor-cycle market, elements in florin ex
change, direct taxation, comparative wage rates, and the application
of electricity in Dutch agriculture. Other important reports covered
budget questions. State revenues, the public debt, trade with Russia,
markets for specialties, sporting goods, tobacco, electric-light fix
tures, furniture, canned and chilled meat, and jewelry, together with
such local industries as chocolate, cocoa, strawboard, and textiles.
The office participated for the first time in the Spring Commercial
Fair at Utrecht. It collected various contested accounts for Ameri
can firms.
The sphere of operation of the Brussels office was extended to
cover German foodstuff imports through Rotterdam and Antwerp.
The projected revision of the Belgian tariff entailed extra work.
The office intervened successfully in cases of overvaluation or
troublesome classifications under the existing tariff, one outstanding
effort being in behalf of a large American automobile assembling
plant at Antwerp, with results that saved fhe company a sum ap
proaching 500,000 francs. Through the intervention of the Brussels
office the procedure at the customs frontier was simplified for such
imports of raw skins as were used by an American fur dealer with a
factory in Belgium. Semiannual reports on the Belgian cotton and
glass industries were prepared, together with studies of production
costs in the shoe industry, coal supply and consumption, zinc and
aluminum production, lithopone and glycerin, radio developments,
tobacco production and consumption, the National Bank of Belgium,
the Belgian national debt, the Belgian wool industry, and markets
for specialties, industrial machinery, automobile accessories, electriclight fixtures, hardware, furniture, proprietary medicines, and toilet
preparations. Numerous agencies were placed for American auto
motive products and other specialties, such as fountain pens, radio
apparatus, phonographs, canned goods, storage batteries, and toilet
articles. An American exporter of frozen fish was placed in contact
not only with a sales agency but with a refrigerating plant ready to
construct an expensive extension expressly to handle this new
commodity.
The intervention of the Vienna office with the Austrian customs
authorities in obtaining quicker release of meat shipments meant a
saving of large sums to one American concern. Much has been done
toward facilitating the import of American automobiles into Aus
tria. Advantageous office quarters were obtained for a large Ameri
can steamship line. Conferences were arranged between representa
tives of a large American tobacco-growing combination and the
directors of the Austrian tobacco monopoly to lay plans for future
sales. Many advantageous connections have been effected between
American firms and Austrian agents. The more important reports
submitted included those on “ The Austrian iron and steel industry
and trade” ; “ The Austrian textile industry” ; “Austrian commer
cial policies and treaties ” ; “ The tobacco industry in Austria ” ;
“ The Vienna spring fa ir ” ; “Austrian cotton survey, August, 1923,
to March, 1924” ; “ Sporting goods in Austria, Hungary, and Yugo
slavia.” Among the 3,000 letters written to American business in
terests during the year were communications relating to representa-

FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE

tives for American goods, buying and selling conditions in the
Austrian market, questions concerning taxation, tariffs, and licenses,
the standing of firms and individuals, and trade lists.
The Paris office has brought about numerous connections between
American and French firms. A misunderstanding between the
French ' customs authorities and a well-known American sugar
refining company was adjusted. For American concerns interested
in the steel industry interviews were secured with French experts
relative to cast-iron standards, cast-iron pipe specifications, and pig
iron. Much work was done in connection with the obtaining of
licenses to export merchandise to the United States from the occu
pied territories of Germany. Representations on behalf of pitchpine producers in America relative to the high French railway rates
on this commodity resulted in a new classification involving a note
worthy reduction in rates. Customs-tariff matters have taken much
time; an example of specific results is the favorable rate secured for
a particular type of soap.
There was extensive cooperation with the American Embassy, the
consulate general at Paris, and the consulates at Marseille and A l
giers; an arrangement was effected to prevent duplication of work.
The 154 special reports from the Paris office included reports on the
progress of reconstruction in France, silk production, the steel in
dustry, the textile industry, Government and private finance, and
commodities such as furniture, paper, agricultural machinery, in
dustrial machinery, insecticides, zinc, boots and shoes, as well as
several reports on Switzerland and Algeria.
The commercial attaché at Paris made a trip to Marseille in con
nection with oilseeds and one to Algiers for a general investigation.
The assistant commercial attaché went to Switzerland for a general
study of conditions. The Paris office aided United States exporters
at the Lyon Fair, and a visit to Lyon was made by an assistant trade

commissioner.
Probably as a result of the transfer of the bureau’s London office
from the embassy to Bush House there was a great increase in the
number of visitors seeking service. Various members of the staff
visited industrial centers or England, Ireland, Wales, and Scotlandand some of the men made visits to the Continent and to the United
States. At least 40 agency arrangements for American firms have
been effected by the London office, some of these leading to large
orders. By facilitating approval of gasoline pumps by the British
Board of Trade the London office made it possible for an American
maker to deliver on several big orders. One of the trade commis
sioners handled arrangements connected with the purchase of 500,000 yards of khaki for the United States Marine Corps, in which
purchase it is calculated the Government saved more than $180,000.
The office succeeded in having a cargo of American cattle exempted
from an embargo (resulting from foot-and-mouth disease in Great
Britain), thereby saving from $40,000 to $50,000 for the vessel’s
operators and the shippers. The office made it possible for an
American advertising agency in London to obtain a very good con
tract with an important British manufacturer of chemicals. A d
vice and help has been given to British firms seeking American
capital. The character and conduct of existing agency arrangements
in Britain have been investigated in the interest of American firms.

REPORT OF THK SI'.CTiF.TAi;V OF COMMERCE

During the year 385 special reports were forwarded from London.,
covering nearly all phases of economics, trade, and industry. Only
a few typical titles can he mentioned: “ W ill British business re
cover L’’ “ Results of the Imperial Economic Conference,” “Housing
in the United Kingdom,” “ What American textiles can be sold in
Great Britain,” “ Trading with and trading within Great Britain.”
“ Safeguarding and spreading business in Great Britain,”
“ Review of British finance in 1923,” “ Economic aspects of Irish
Free State,” “ The business of freight forwarding in Great Britain,”
“ Direction of British steel trade in 1923,” “ McKenna duties and the
British motor trade,” “ 1923 results in Ireland’s agriculture,” “ Ger
man competition and the British boot and shoe industry.”
Representatives of the United States Departments of Labor. A gri
culture, and Treasury and of the Tariff Commission and the Ship
ping Board were frequent visitors at the London office. The com
mercial attaché was absent from the office for a considerable time,
and while on the Continent he was of assistance to the committee o f
experts working in connection with the Dawes plan.
The Prague office secured the entry of a number of American auto
mobiles that were being held by the customs authorities. It aided
an American banking firm that had invested $6,000,000 in Czechoslo
vak lumber developments. The representative of an American auto
mobile firm was assisted in establishing a market in Czechoslovakia.
An American sanitary-supply house purchased in Prague a process
that came to its attention through the bureau’s office. There has
been an unusually large number of inquiries from American firms
concerning possible markets in Czechoslovakia, Most of these have
involved a good deal of investigation, and in their replies the mem
bers of the Prague staff have tried, wherever possible, to connect
American sellers with Czechoslovak buyers.
About 300 inquiries from American firms were answered by the
bureau’s office at Johannesburg, South Africa, many of these cover
ing market analyses. Trade lists were furnished, and commercial
information concerning specific local firms was given. The most
important work was the investigation of prospective agents for
American firms, the adjustment of claims, and the removal of cus
toms discrimination. Assistance was given to American business
men and Government officials visiting South Africa. Opportunities
for the sale of American goods were reported. Among the topics
covered in the special reports were gold, diamond, and coal mining.
South African foreign trade, highways. Union Land Bank, lumber
trade, textile trade, pineapple growing, petroleum trade prospects,
production of deciduous fruits, and markets for textbooks and school
supplies, wire netting, sporting goods, felt hats, roller skates, tin
ware. jute webbing, elastic webbing, and hair felt.

With stable currency and prices in Germany, the detailed material
of commodity reports from the Berlin office has taken on a new sig
nificance. The office has given much aid to American exporters
seeking to develop sales in Germany. Among the American firms
that were aided in marketing their products may be mentioned a
large fruit-growing concern, two of the largest automobile concerns,
and a prominent textile firm. More than 1,200 American visitors
registered at the Berlin office during the past year, and the service
to them has formed an important phase of the work. When the

FOREIGN ANI) DOMESTIC COMMERCE

Dawes committee visited Berlin, data were furnished by the bureau's
-office there, contacts were made, and detailed conferences were held.
Numerous American concerns availed themselves of the services of
the Berlin office in connection with shipments going through the
formalities of the customs either to or from the occupied territories.
At Copenhagen very encouraging results have been obtained in
■extending the direct trade-promotion work. Besides establishing
new connections for American firms, the acting commercial attaché
has been very active in assisting American branch houses and repre
sentatives. 'Particular attention has been paid to the automotive
market. Among others, proper agencies were placed for a large
American railway-equipment concern, a large raw-cotton house, and
several lumber shippers. Substantial aid has been given to Ameri
cans investigating the Danish cooperative movement and Danish
agriculture. The American members of the Interparliamentary
Conference held in Copenhagen last year were also given consider
able assistance. The banking crises in Scandinavian countries
needed to be followed very closely, and the reports that the Copen
hagen office submitted were very favorably received. The service
in bringing about a repeal of the Danish rubber-marking regulation
has been of signal importance to American manufacturers. Con
siderable time and work have been expended in endeavoring to effect
adjustments of commercial disputes; the settlement of one such dis
pute resulted in the payment of $1,300 to the American claimants.
Several trips have been made in Norway and Sweden for the purpose
of making specific investigations and keeping in closer touch with
developments in those countries.
W E S T E R N EU R O PEA N D IV ISIO N AT W A SH IN G T O N

Through its advisory committee, consisting of two bankers, three
manufacturers, and an economist, the division has been able to main
tain close contact with the more important problems confronting
American manufacturers interested in the European field. The
chief of the division has maintained close contact with chambers of
commerce throughout the United States and with the more important
industrial and banking organizations.
The division has continued its efforts to keep American business
•currently informed of the condition of western European govern
ment finance. Trade information bulletins such as Budgets of
Western European Countries, French Government Finance. Italian
Government Finance, Belgian Finance and Industry, and Spain, as
well as leading articles like “ The internal value of the French
franc,” “ The passing of the German mark,” and “ Depreciated ex
change in western Europe,” indicate the type of work done. Bulle
tins and articles have been published periodically on the questions
of labor, wages, and costs of production in Europe as compared with
those in this country. In continuation of the plan to give the
American business public accurate and detailed information con
cerning certain regions that hitherto have been considered as neg
lected markets trade information bulletins, such as Belgian Congo.
Madagascar, British Possessions in East Africa, and French Posses
sions in Tropical Africa, have been issued. In addition to publish
ing information concerning American trade with the countries of

REPORT OP THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

western Europe in trade information bulletins, such as FrancoAmerican Trade and American Trade with Germany, and in Com
merce Reports articles, this division has furnished regularly statis
tics on trade, production, and finance for publication in the Survey
of Current Business. It has also given private circulation to re
ports through confidential and special circulars sent to a selected
list of business houses. The importance of the western European«
field is shown by the fact that during the year 336,000 inquiries con
cerning western European conditions were answered by the bureau
and its district and cooperative offices.
The division has furnished to the Secretary of Commerce exhaus
tive studies concerning developments in western Europe, and theother departments of the Government have been supplied with in
formation falling within their scope. The division prepared a study
of the Economic Problems of Western Europe, which was published
by the American Bankers Association and distributed to all members..
W ORK OF RE PR E SEN T A TIV E S I N EA ST E R N E U R O PE AND LEV A N T

The cablegrams and other reports from the. office at Warsaw,.
Poland, have enabled exporters to keep abreast of the constantly
changing export and import tariffs of Poland, of the complicated,
rapid changes in the banking and currency situation which culmi
nated in the formation of a new bank of issue and the adoption of
the new “ z lo ty ” currency, and of the consequent marked “ ups aud
downs” in the general business situation. The office has steadily
striven to obtain for American cotton and tobacco export firms orders
placed by the large Polish textile mills and the tobacco monopoly.
It has aided Warsaw agents for these and other American com
modities, such as automobiles and typewriters. The office adjusted
the claim, amounting to almost $500,000, of a large American cotton
exporter against a Polish textile mill. It was also instrumental insecuring an adjustment of the differences between an American cor
poration and the Polish Government over the terms of settlement
for a large radio installation. More recently it has assisted in theplacing of an order by the Polish Government with several largeAmerican mining and smelting concerns for the furnishing of the
new subsidiary coinage for the country. Among the 64 special re
ports submitted by the Warsaw office were “ Polish conditions in
1923” ; “ Polish iron and steel industry” : “ Polish Government
finances, 1923 ” : “ Polish leather trade ” : “ Polish tobacco industry ” ;
“ Condition of Polish Silesian coal industry” ; “ Polish petroleum,
and refining industry” : “ Polish woolen textile industry” : and
“ Polish Silesian industrial activity, 1923.”
The Riga office, whose jurisdiction embraces Latvia, Finland,.
Esthonia. and, Lithuania, has aided numerous American concerns in
securing orders, selecting foreign agents, organizing subsidiaries,
and establishing closer contact with local merchants and govern
mental agencies. A large number of manufacturers were invited tosubmit catalogues and samples to be displayed by the trade commis
sioner personally at the Fourth Riga Fair. The trade commissioner
has been active in the adjustment of claims and the protection of
American interests, especially as to trade-marks. He was instru
mental in arranging for the extension of time limits on bids for Gov-

FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE

eminent contracts, so as to give American firms an opportunity to
compete. Through the efforts of the trade commissioner much more
satisfactory statistical data have been obtained from the govern
mental agencies. The office during the year has made 79 special
reports, among which may be mentioned a very exhaustive study of
the match industry in Finland, “ Russian lumber industry and ex
ports,” “ Esthonian industries,” “ Lumber market of Latvia,” “A ir
craft development in the Baltic States,” “American typewriters in
the Baltic States.” “ Market for office machinery,” “ Motion-picture
situation,” and other important subjects. The office has begun the
preparation of a general economic survey of the Baltic States.
In cooperation with the American Legation the acting commercial
attache at Bucharest has aided American creditors with respect to
the collection of claims in Rumania—a serious problem in view o f
the moratorium.declared on behalf of private debtors as regards cer
tain of their obligations to foreigners. He has been of much assist
ance to the legation in its efforts to protect American interests whose
investments are jeopardized through the passing of the new mining
law by the Rumanian Parliament. At the instance of the trade com
missioner an American concern has recently been established in Ru
mania for the purpose of handling a variety of lines of American
goods. Numerous extended special reports have been made, cov
ering, among other subjects, “ Rumania’s foreign trade,” “ The mar
ket for industrial machinery,” “ The outlook for foreign business and
investment,” and reports on the Banat of Timisoara (Temesvar), on
Transylvania, and on Bessarabia, representing the results of trips of
investigation to those regions. He has prepared regularly each
month standardized reports as to the three basic industries of Ru
mania—agriculture, petroleum, and lumber—giving data as to pro
duction, prices, exports, and market conditions.
The trade commissioner in charge of the Constantinople office
spent a considerable part of the year in the United States, where he
conferred extensively with business men and made addresses in va
rious cities. Drastic changes in political conditions in Turkey
necessitated numerous reports of a general character. In addition to
these the office made nearly 100 special reports, among which may be
mentioned “ Crop and livestock statistics in the territory of New
Turkey,” “ Turkish market outlet for leading commodities,” “ Con
stantinople rug and carpet market,” “ Turkish production of gum
tragacanth,” “ Adding and calculating machines in Constantinople,”
“ Turkish cotton-goods market,” etc. A leading American construc
tion firm, through the good offices of the bureau staff at Constanti
nople, was aided in negotiations for an important engineering pro
ject. A considerable amount of time was spent in helping to adjust
trade disputes and to settle old accounts.
The Athens office was very diligent in keeping American busi
ness men in close touch with the shifting situation in Greece. The
office has made periodical reports on the two principal export indus
tries of Greece—currants and tobacco. Its services in investigating
the sanitary conditions in the currant-packing establishments have
been repeatedly commended. Among the 100 special reports pre
pared by the Athens office during the jrear may be mentioned “ 1924
outlook for automotive trade,” “ 1924 outlook for lumber trade.”
“ Motor-vehicle preferences,” “ The Greek canning industry,” “ Mar

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

ket for certain specialties in Greece,” and “ Toilet preparations
in Greece.” Important services were rendered by this office in con
nection with the protection of American interests against losses
arising from the disturbed economic conditions and the extraordi
nary exchange regulations and similar measures adopted by the
Greek Government.
Before leaving for his post, the trade commissioner appointed to
Alexandria, Egypt, made an extended trip through the United
States, chiefly to interview cotton manufacturers. He then spent
several months in England acquainting himself with textile condi
tions there. The Alexandria office has investigated the Egyptian
cotton situation and also the general market for American goods.
Among the special reports from Alexandria may be mentioned “ E x
tending automobile sales in Egypt ” and “ American cotton piece
goods little known in Egypt.”
EA STERN E U R O PEA N A ND L E V A N T IN E D IV ISIO N AT W A SH IN G T O N

Besides revising reports from the field, the eastern European divi
sion compiled numerous articles for publication in Commerce Reports
or as special circulars or bulletins. Among the articles of this char
acter published in Commerce Reports were “ Economic conditions in
eastern Europe in 1923 ” (covering each of the more important coun
tries) : “ Foreign trade of Sudan for 1923,” “ The new Polish bank of
issue,” “ Lithuanian cooperatives, 1923,” and “ Lithuanian foreign
trade, 1923.” Among the material compiled by the division and pub
lished as special circulars and bulletins there may be mentioned “ The
status of Rumanian negotiations with foreign creditors,” “ Activities
o f the Central Union of Esthonian Consumers’ Societies in 1922,”
and “ Economic and financial notes on Palestine.” The Levantine
section prepared the handbook of Tunis which appeared during the
year. In cooperation with the finance and investment division, the
division has rendered service to a number of American banks and
business concerns interested in investment in eastern Europe.
The Russian section has analyzed and abstracted Soviet Govern
ment publications, newspapers, and reports, which now form the
most authoritative source of information on Russia. Among the
Russian section’s major articles in Commerce Reports may be men
tioned “ State trusts in Russia,” “ Production in nationalized indus
tries,” “ Developments in currency and finance,” “ Agricultural
cooperatives,” and “ Agriculture in 1923.” Special attention has
been given to reports of Russia’s foreign trade. A special circular
on the Chukotsk Peninsula of Siberia was printed. There has
been a demand for a large number of copies of a trade informa
tion bulletin on Foreign Capital Investments in Russian In
dustries and Commerce. A trade information bulletin was
issued on Finance and Industry in Soviet Russia, giving a de
tailed account of developments in 1922 and 1923. Lawyers, insur
ance companies, and other firms have been given valuable informa
tion with respect to decrees of the Soviet Government. Opportuni
ties for the. sale of electrical sheet steel, cotton, specialized machin
ery, and other commodities were brought to the attention of Ameri
can business. Direct assistance was rendered to a prominent ore
and metal trading concern looking to contracting for the supply

FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE

of Caucasian manganese ore and to another seeking to insure a
supply of Russian bristles.
The chief of the division addressed an important gathering of
American manufacturers and exporters in New York, and also de
livered addresses before audiences of business men in Boston and
Cleveland. As chairman of the committee for the supervision of the
new Commerce Yearbook, he devoted considerable time to the prep
aration of the first and second issues. He, was also engaged in re
vising the Statistical Abstract of the United States.
F IE L D RE PR E SEN T A TIV E S I N T H E FAR EAST

The commercial attaché to China went to Japan three weeks after
the great earthquake of September 1, 1923, relieving the attaché in
Japan (who returned to the United States early in October) : he
reorganised and reestablished the bureau’s services in Japan and
also organized the American Merchants Association in Tokyo. He
returned to Peking early in November.
The assistant commercial attaché at Peking has specialized in
financial problems and has done valuable work in connection with
the claims of American firms against the Chinese Government, The
Peking office worked in close cooperation with the American Lega
tion throughout the year, especially with relation to the financial
problems just mentioned and the many questions arising from the
new China trade-mark law and regulations.
The Shanghai office received more than 1,000 callers during the
year and prepared more than 4,000 trade letters and reports of all
lands. About 200 special reports were completed, including investi
gations of “ Shanghai wheat handling,” “Automotive accessories and
equipment,” “ Market for sole leather,” “ Motion-picture activities,”
“ Rice production and distribution,” “ Eggs and egg products,”
“ Markets for foodstuffs,” “ Markets for gramaphoncs,” and “ Arti
ficial indigo.”
Close contact with American firms in China was maintained, and
the Shanghai office gave specific help to numerous companies, l>eing
responsible in some instances for obtaining substantial orders. A.
mimeographed monthly trade and economic report (of 30 to 40*
pages) on conditions in China was sent to the American business men
in China, In December, 1923, the Shanghai office inaugurated a
weekly circular, which was distributed to American business houses
in Shanghai, advising them of trade opportunities in the United
States and China and of material available in the Shanghai office.
Forty-five American industrial motion-picture reels were kept in cir
culation among the theaters, colleges, Y. M. C. A.’s missionary
schools, chambers of commerce, and guilds. The showings of these
films were usually accompanied by lectures in Chinese.
The earthquake and fire of September 1 completely destroyed the
bureau’s office at Tokyo, Japan. There was opened at Kobe a tempo
rary office, which was closed shortly after the middle of November.
The most important work of the Japan organization has been in
connection with reconstruction business. American interests were
advised of conditions even before communications had been fully re
stored. Much valuable service has been rendered by timely reports
15308—24------ 7

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

on the economic aspects of Japan after the earthquake. Other im
portant reports included “ Market for marine engines and motor
boats,” “ Japanese dye industry,” “ Demand for shuttle blocks,” “Au
tomotive situation,” “ Review of cotton-fabric trade,” “ Market for
sporting goods,” and “ Japan’s lumber imports.” An important fea
ture of the 1923 work of the Tokyo office has been the preparation
each month of a mimeographed review ( 15 to 20 pages in length) of
conditions in Japan; this is distributed to members of the American
Merchants’ Association as well as to merchants and trade organiza
tions in the United States.
During the first half of the fiscal year the territory covered by the
bureau’s Manila office included, in addition to the Philippine Islands,
the Dutch East Indies, British Malaya, French Indo-China, and
Siam. With the establishment of a trade commissioner’s office at Ba
tavia, Java, in the latter part of December, 1923, however, the Dutch
East Indies and British Malaya were placed under the jurisdiction of
that office. Considerable headway was made by the Manila’ office in
the preparation of a series of major reports dealing with each phase
of the Philippine Islands’ economic, agricultural, and industrial de
velopment. Conspicuous among the subjects treated were the Philip
pine sugar, lumber, and embroidery industries; tobacco culture and
trade; kapok production; abaca (Manila hemp) cultivation and pro
duction ; and copra, coconut oil, and copra-cake production. Periodic
reports and forecasts were made on the leading commodities in which
American exporters are interested. A quarterly report on the auto
motive market was inaugurated. There was helpful cooperation with
the office of the Governor General and the leading departments of the
Philippine Govenment; matters dealt with included the new legisla
tive requirements for shipments of copra and coconut oil from the
Philippines, the application of the increased sales tax, and discussions
concerning the deterioration of wood in American automobiles j
There was a mutually helpful association between the American
chamber of commerce in Manila and the trade commissioner, who ad
dressed that body monthly.
The trade commissioner aided the Hawaiian manager of a
Pacific coast packing corporation in investigating the land laws
of the islands with a view to leasing land for the cultivation of
pineapples; gave advice regarding the placing of agencies in the
islands; helped an American book company to regain business with
the Philippine Department of Education; arranged confidential
contacts for American representatives studying sales policies: and
helped to introduce American kiln driers on coconut plantations.
The trade commissioner was instrumental in reviving the Automo
bile Importers’ Association of Manila. He spent his vacation period
touring the Provinces south of Manila and studying the economic
phases of the life of the people, using the information thus gained
as the basis of subsequent reports.
The office at Batavia. Java, was opened in December, 1923. The
establishment of contacts and sources of information did not pre
clude the preparation of several impox-tant major reports, which
included an economic survey of the territory for 1923, two studies
of the taxation system of the Netherlands East Indies, a detailed
analysis of the islands’ budgets over recent years, and a report on

FOREIGN AS I) DOMESTIC COMMERCE

the German application for a charter of Dutch New Guinea. The
trade commissioner made a trip to Soerabaya, reaching the con
clusion that the time is ripe for enlarging our markets in this terri
tory through direct participation by American firms.
The activities of the bureau’s office in India during the year con
sisted largely in laying a foundation for future activities. It has
now been decided that, beginning with the fiscal year 1924-25, an
office will be opened at Bombay, leaving at Calcutta a branch office
under the direction of the main office at Bombay. A 10-week trip
by an assistant trade commissioner during the early part of the
fiscal year enabled the office to establish much-needed contacts and
to assist in the establishment of American agencies as well as to gain
first-hand information concerning the region around Simla, Delhi,
and Allahabad. A trade commissioner made an extensive trip
through India, Burma, and Ceylon, gathering trade information
which he transmitted to the bureau in the form of special reports,
cablegrams, etc.; several American agencies were arranged for, and
the groundwork was laid for the establishment of many more.
The Calcutta office gave much aid to American branch houses in
India, especially in connection with the Indian Stores Department,
and also through general advice on advertising policies, credit in
formation, sales methods, and market possibilities. Special in
vestigations were carried out and others were started. Mr. Spofford
was able to gather considerable material for a handbook of India,
which he is working into shape as rapidly as possible.
Many satisfactory agency arrangements were effected by the
bureau's Melbourne office. Confidential reports upon established
agencies were made at the request of the American principals.
Numerous investigations were carried out. Letters of introduction
were supplied to Australian business men about to visit the United
States, and appointments with Australian officials were arranged
for American commercial travelers. The number of callers at the
office has shown a gratifying increase. American automobile and
tire exporters were aided on many occasions in the adjustment of
tariff and other matters, besides being supplied Avith reports on
various phases of the sale of their products in Australia.
FAR EA STERN D IV ISIO N AT AVA8HINGTON

Such outstanding factors as the Japanese earthquake and the dis
turbed conditions in the interior of China made the informational
service of the bureau’s Far Eastern division especially important
during the past year. The division has encouraged American ex
porters to take greater advantage of the opportunities in tropical
Asia, from rvhich rve now obtain such a large share of our raw
materials. The division’s confidential circulars on economic condi
tions have been improved and enlarged. These statements, based on
detailed reports from the bureau’s field representatives, are mailed
to business e x e c u te s , bankers, credit men, and others actively inter
ested in oriental markets. The most important trade information
bulletin issued by the division vvas Japan After the Earthquake,
Avhich Avas placed in the hands of American business men just 30
days after the catastrophe.

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

The division has advocated the establishment in India and Malaya
of joint selling organizations representing allied and noncompetitive
lines of manufactured products, which organizations might profit
ably maintain buying departments for the raw materials needed in
American industry. As a result of this campaign a group of New
England manufacturers have taken steps to form such an organi
zation.
The monthly cable service by which the division obtains up-todate information from the foreign field has been extended to Batavia,
Java, and Calcutta, India. American merchants in the Orient
have received with enthusiasm the division’s monthly cablegrams
on conditions in the United States, and this service has been ex
tended to the Dutch East Indies and India, in addition to China,
Japan, and the Philippines. An innovation has been devised by
which the bureau’s district offices on the west coast of the United
States contribute to this cablegram certain sections covering westcoast conditions, which are of particular importance to the Orient.
Special nmltigraphed circulars based on returns of trade of Far
Eastern countries have formed a new feature of the division’s work:
“ China trade, 1923,” was issued four months in advance of the pub
lication of the Chinese Maritime Customs returns. Monthly statisti
cal analyses of United States trade with the Far East are also pre
pared and released for publication.
The Far Eastern Advisory Committtee, which cooperates with the
division, now has seven members, an increase of two. Some of the
questions handled by this committee during the year were those con
cerning China’s debts and the proposed Peking conference for the
increase of the customs revenue, European competition in the ori
ental Tropics, and similar problems. Weekly confidential sum
maries of political conditions have been distributed to the members
of the committee.
Close cooperative relations have been established with the Philippine-American Chamber of Commerce and the China Society, both
of which receive special services for their membership.
A C T IV IT IE S OF F IE I.D RE PR E SEN T A TIV E S I N

L A T IN AM ERICA

During the year about 1,500 American traveling men, bankers,
and representatives called at the Buenos Aires office for information
and aid. The office arbitrated many disputes, resulting in satisfac
tory settlements, and also assisted in the settlement of many impor
tant claims. Many connections between American firms and local
agents were made. Traveling representatives of American concerns
were assisted in many ways, even to the actual consummation of
business. The office helped to obtain Government contracts for
American firms, and aid was given in negotiations for national and
municipal loans. Close attention was given to all tariff changes
and classifications, Government loans and contracts, public works,
and laws affecting American interests. The bureau was kept con
stantly informed concerning the pension law and the law fixing a
minimum price for cattle and their effect on the economic situation
in Argentina.
The Rio de Janeiro office was active in connection with various
congresses held in Rio, and it also followed closely the activities of

FOREIGX AXD DOMESTIC COMMERCE

different missions to Brazil from European countries. The office
selected and invited the three Brazilian delegates to the Pan Ameri
can Road Conference in the United States. The revision of the
Brazilian tariff was closely followed. Customhouse difficulties of
American firms were satisfactorily settled. The question of duties
on certain agricultural implements was arranged. Assistance was
given to an American firm in the matter of entering millinery
samples into Brazil. The classification of automatic scales was
arranged for an American firm. The office followed the enactment
of the new Brazilian income tax law and the signed accounts law as
to their effects on American trade. Assistance was rendered to
several American automobile companies with respect to the estab
lishment of agencies in Brazil, and valuable aid was given a repre
sentative of American manufacturers of street-sweeping machinery.
Help was given to an American syndicate purposing to develop in
dustries in northeastern Brazil. The office was also of great assist
ance to an American firm desirous of importing pottery into Brazil.
The Rio de Janeiro office aided in the sale of $200,000 worth of
sugar machinery, assisted an American representative in the sale of
large quantities of American fruits, was instrumental in sales of
American flour, and assisted in the sale of coal to the Brazilian
Railways. Through the office contacts were formed resulting in
orders for American foodstuffs, automobiles, automobile accessories,
hardware and tools, machinery, and other products worth many
thousands of dollars. The Rio office arbitrated a number of claims
involving nonpayments and insurance, attended to many customs
claims, and successfully protested against certain customs regula
tions that operated to the disadvantage of American companies.
The office at Sao Paulo, Brazil, followed the coffee situation care
fully as regards both the crop and the valorization activities of the
Government. It cooperated closely with the members of the Na
tional Coffee Roasters7 Association during their visit in Brazil
regarding the standardization of coffee grades and arbitratigli of
disputes. The trade commissioner made a trip as far south as Porto
Alegre, State of Rio Grande do Sul, and prepared an extensive re
port on conditions in that region. He gave valuable aid to a repre
sentative of American road-building machinery by arranging with
the State government for demonstrations of the machinery, and
aided American automobile companies in the selection of agents.
As chairman of the committee on agricultural extension of the
American Chamber of Commerce of Sao Paulo he rendered im
portant aid in the promotion of sales of America^ agricultural
machinery. The trade commissioner helped American automobile
and agricultural-machinery importers in connection with custom
house difficulties. He assisted various American companies in pat
ent and trade-mark procedure. He also helped American manufac
turers of silk machinery to introduce their product in Sao Paulo.
A conservative estimate is that American merchandise to an
amount exceeding $100,000 was sold during the past year as a direct
result of activities of the bureau’s office at Santiago, Chile. The
commercial attaché presented to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
through the American ambassador, a memorandum pointing out the
discriminatory nature of several clauses in the Chilean income-tax
bill as reported by the senate committee, and as a result, these clauses

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

were redrafted and the discriminatory phrasing was eliminated.
The office prepared various notes for business reviews, and in the
leading British-American publication of the country considerable
space was given to matter submitted by the bureau’s office. The
office aided Chileans seeking small purchases in the United States:
articles bought included, among other things, a motion-picture ma
chine, bathroom fixtures, a house-heating apparatus, etc. Several
commercial disputes were satisfactorily adjusted. Representatives
of other departments of the United States Government were aided.
There was a substantial increase in the amount of work handled as
compared with the previous year. The commercial attaché made an
extended trip through southern Chile.
There was a greatly increased number of visitors at the Lima
office, which was removed to a new and modern office building. M a
terial assistance was rendered in settling a large number of disagree
ments between Peruvian and American firms. Arbitration was
effected in a number of cases. Agencies for American goods were
obtained through the efforts of the office. The bureau’s monthly
cable reviews, not only from Lima but from all of the countries of
Latin America, are regularly republished in Peru. The report on
the cotton industry of Peru was reprinted by the local press, both in
the original and in translation, and has been widely and favorably
commented upon.
The office at Bogota was opened September 1. Colombian affairs
have been of deep interest to many American firms, especially with
respect to railroad expansion. Valuable service was rendered to
representatives of American firms endeavoring to obtain Govern
ment contracts. A contract involving more than $100,000 was se
cured by an American company when, without the timely interven
tion of the American commercial attaché, it would have gone to a
European competitor. The office cooperated in the bureau’s rubber
survey, making a very thorough report on possible rubber lands in
the Maracaibo Basin in Venezuela. Among the subjects covered by
the 64 special reports from the Bogota office were the plans of the
Government for railroad construction and public works and the
character and activities of the Colombian coffee industry.
A noteworthy service inaugurated by the Habana office during the
ear was the monthly economic report, beginning in April, 1924.
jabor conditions formed the subject of a detailed report by the
commercial attaché. The passage of the Tarafa Railroad consoli
dation act and the decree prohibiting the wearing of yellow khaki
were given attention; in the latter case a considerable saving to
Americans was effected through the prevention of shipments and
manufacturing. Numerous reports and special studies were pre
pared for other offices of the United States Government in Habana,
and particularly for the ambassador with respect to the floating
debt, liquidation of the banks, liquidation of the budget, and the
immigration question. Delegates for the Pan American Roads Con
ference were obtained. Efforts have been made to extend the Ameri
can automotive trade. The proposed Cuban tariff reform has been
the subject of many inquiries. Two trade information bulletins on
economic conditions in Cuba were written. Many commereiai dis
putes were satisfactorily settled. Outstanding accounts were ad

FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE

justed. Information was given which resulted in profitable connec
tions for American firms.
Although the resumption of diplomatic relations with Mexico did
not result in a big expansion of business, the renewed interest in
the country greatly increased the routine work of the Mexico City
office, which has been instrumental in many ways in developing
American enterprise and settling trade disputes that might have
resulted in loss of trade for the United States. Aid was given by the
Mexico City office during the period of port strikes at Vera Cruz,
and especially in connection with the losses sustained during the
revolutionary disturbances.
Valuable credit information was
gathered and given to American exporters.
L A T IN A M ER IC A N D IV ISIO N AT W A SH IN G T O N

As an example of the problems that engaged the attention of the
Latin American division during the year—because of their effect on
trade, investment, or the economic situation—the following may be
mentioned: Resumption.of diplomatic relations with Mexico; revolu
tion and strike in Mexico; application of agrarian laws in Mexico:
revolution in Honduras; earthquake in Costa Rica; reorganization
of finance of Salvador; political disturbances and strikes in Cuba;
Ecuadorean exchange; political disturbances in Rio Grande do Sul.
Brazil; political disturbances in Paraguay: Bolivia’s new tax legis
lation; Argentina’s new pension law; Cuban legislation affecting
railroads and ports; Mexican sisal situation; Chilean nitrate situa
tion; Bolivian tin production; Brazilian coffee situation; European
competition in Cuba; Chile’s new income-tax law.
The division participated in the Pan American Roads Conference
and in the work of the Department of Commerce in standardization
of specifications and in the crude rubber survey. Cooperation was
given the American High Commissioner to Haiti in his efforts to
bring about a better economic situation in that country. The chief
of the division has visited business centers in this country, address
ing commercial bodies and conferring with business executives. In
September, 1923, there was held in Washington a conference of
commercial attaches at Latin American posts, the heads of four
offices being present. A representative was maintained in Porto Rico
for several months collecting material for a handbook on that island.
During the year 360 articles prepared by the division were pub
lished in Commerce Reports. Among the division’s trade informa
tion bulletins were The States of Brazil; Economic Development in
Argentina Since 1921; British Honduras; A Brief Review of Its
Resources, Trade, and Industry; Cuban Economic Development;
Honduras; Colombia; Commerce and Industries, 1922 and 1923;
United States Trade with Latin America in 1923. Of the 23 mimeo
graphed circulars issued by the division the following titles may be
mentioned as representative: “ Suspension of payments of Mexican
Government drafts,” “ Pernambuco needs American sales agents,”
“ Principal crops of Ecuador,” “ The outlook in Brazil,” “ Effects of
Honduran revolution on the north coast,” “ Mexican exports to the
United States in 1923,”-“ Birth and death rates in Latin America,”
“ Competition in Argentine import trade.”

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

Late in the fiscal year the division inaugurated a weekly mimeo
graphed circular entitled “ Latin America at a glance.“ comprising
items which, gathered from all sources and grouped geographically,
afford a brief and significant survey of conditions. The circulation
has risen to more than 8,000 copies. This service is supplemented by
a weekly news letter to district-office managers, giving confidential
information omitted from the circular and inclosing copies of special
reports or of charts, tables, maps, etc.
COMMODITY DIVISIONS
F U N C T IO N S AND SERVICES COM M O N TO ALL COM M ODITY D IV ISIO N S

As was the case last year, each of the bureau’s 17 commodity divi
sions has supplied material for a special section in Commerce Re
ports, the weekly magazine of the department; distributed numerous
special circulars; prepared articles for trade journals; sent out data
on trade opportunities; increased the number of names on the bu
reau’s Exporters’ Index; prepared questionnaires to be answered
by Government representatives abroad; and cooperated with com
mittees of trade associations or other representatives of American
industry. The commodity, like the regional, divisions have aided in
the preparation of material for the Commerce Yearbook.
A G R ICULTURAL IM P L E M E N T S D IV ISIO N

The principal contact of the agricultural implements division
has been with the National Association of Farm Equipment Manu
facturers. A very beneficial conference at Washington on bolt and
nut standardization, in which the members of the association took
a leading part, was largely the result of the division’s efforts. The
number of inquiries handled directly by the division increased from
2,1)67 in 1922-23 to 2,720 in 1923-24. The demands for export and
production statistics are increasing. In many specific instances the
services of the division brought concrete and highly satisfactory
results. For example, through the efforts of the bureau several
American tractor manufacturers have made very satisfactory agency
connections in Australia, sales totaling $15,000 resulting in one case
within a short time. During the year 128 trade opportunities were
handled by the division, covering a wide variety of implements and
coming from many different countries. Many articles were pre
pared for Commerce Reports. Typical titles are “ Condition of
British implement industry,” “ Use of carriages and wagons in
Yucatan,” “ Interest in sanitary dairy equipment in South Africa,”
“ French tractor trials favor American makes,” “Agricultural im
plements in use in Finland,” “ Condition of Czechoslovak implement
industry,” and “ Use of hand tools in Japan.” A trade information
bulletin, entitled “ German Agricultural Implement Industry and
Trade,” by Assistant Trade Commissioner Ernest M. Zwickel, was
published during the year, and a study of the market for agricultural
implements in Ireland, by Assistant Trade Commissioner William
M. Park, was published in the form of a special circular. The re
ports resulting from the questionnaire on foreign markets for

FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE

windmills were distributed in the form of special circulars. Ques
tionnaires were sent out during the year on foreign markets for
tractors and tractor implements, incubators and brooders, lawn
mowers, and farm engines; many of the replies are now being re
ceived. The monograph on Agricultural Implements and Farm
Equipment in South Africa, by Trade Commissioner Perry J.
Stevenson, which was a revision of Special Agents Series No. 146,
published in 1917, was very favorably received by the trade. It is
planned during the coming year to revise the monographs on the
same subject covering Argentina and Australia.
AUTOMOTIVE DIVISION

The automotive division has greatly expanded its contacts and
participated largely in sales activities. The division at Washington
answered, by letter or personal contact. 9,027 inquiries during the
fiscal year 1924, against 7,597 during the previous year. A com
plete file of catalogues of American manufacturers was begun by
the division. Application blanks for “ Manufacturers' export repre
sentatives or export managers” and "Positions with automotive
manufacturers and exporters ” were prepared, and many were filled
out by applicants and filed in the division. The chief single enter
prise of the division during the year was the inaugurating (in co
operation with six leading trade associations) of an Automotive
Foreign Trade Manual, consisting of a loose-leaf binder and geo
graphical index, for which new sheets of information from all
automotive markets of the world are issued on a weekly mailing
schedule. At the end of the fiscal year 551 pages had been issued,
covering basic information on most countries and containing cur
rent merchandising data of great value. The manual now has about
400 subscribers.
The entire automotive section of the Exporters’ Index was revised,
insuring that firms will receive exactly the services most useful to
them. A “ Glossary of automotive products” was prepared, to be
issued in booklet form. It will contain alphabetical and numerical
lists of all automotive products exported, together with facsimile
copies of properly executed shippers’ export declarations.
To provide Government representatives with a comprehensive list
of subjects in which the division is interested, an “ Instruction out
lin e” was prepared. Arrangements were made to secure monthly
cablegrams from leading foreign countries, giving current data on
imports, production, and market conditions. A series of question
naires were sent to the foreign field, and the resulting reports were
widely disseminated. Among these were “ Storage batteries, elec
trical vehicles, and electrical servicing facilities; ” “ Selling seasons; ”
“ Markets for accessories;” “ Service-station equipment and unit as
semblies;” “ Exhibitions and contests;” “ Motor cycles;” “Air
craft; ” and “ Quarterly sales survey.” Arrangements were made to
secure separate figures for foreign assemblies of American cars. Keports on retail gasoline prices in foreign countries were obtained.
Among the 214 special circulars sent out the following titles may be
mentioned as typical: “American motor busses wanted in Nether
lands;” “ Danish interest in American airplanes;” “ Japan: Earth

100

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

quake results in demand for low-priced cars and trucks;" “ World
registration of automotive vehicles, 1923;” “ Spanish company de
sires to purchase 107 busses.”
Contributions to Commerce Reports averaged more than two full
pages weekly. A “ Line digest,” giving advance information on
Commerce Reports articles, was sent out every week to 1,700 auto
motive firms. A press statement was issued every week. Many
special articles were prepared for newspapers and trade journals.
Two special studies, entitled “ Survey of fire-fighting equipment in
foreign countries ” and “ Foreign makets for taxicabs and taxime
ters,” were prepared in manuscript and loaned to many firms. A
monograph on Automotive Markets in Argentina, Brazil, and Uru
guay, by C. J. P. Lucas, was prepared for publication. Hundreds
of exhibits including catalogues, programs of automotive events in
all countries, specifications and blue prints of automotive apparatus,
and special reports were sent to inquirers.
Various important conferences and meetings were held by or in
cooperation with the automotive ai vision, and very substantial re
sults were obtained. The chief of the division addressed numerous
trade bodies. Throughout the year the division has directed the
training of students, sent by the Egyptian Government to this coun
try, in American automotive plants. Numerous foreign visitors
have been furnished with information regarding the American auto
motive industry. Many representatives of American manufacturers
have visited the division to obtain facts and advice in planning for
eign sales trips. Notable dollars-and-cents results have been achieved
through the division’s services.
C H E M IC A L D IV ISIO N

The volume of work of the chemical division has steadily in
creased; outgoing letters totaled C,118, telephone calls numbered
more than 2,000, and 266 visitors were received. The organization
of informational material and the building up of reference files have
gone on continuously. The division’s contacts have been chiefly
through trade associations, of which there are about 35 directly
within the field of the chemical industry and as many more inter
ested in allied industries. The division was represented by speakers
at a number of important association meetings. Effective dissemi
nation of data has been accomplished through Commerce Reports.
A special mimeographed weekly known as the Chemical Trade Bul
letin was inaugurated in October; items are segregated into five
separate sections, for each of which there is a separate mailing list.
The special monthly service on dje imports, begun by the division
in January, 1923, in conjunction with the chemical section of the
Tariff Commission, has been continued, extended, and improved.
During the course of the year a similar periodic service at threemonth intervals was begun, covering biological chemicals and stains.
Trade information bulletins issued by the division have included
Chemical Trade of Japan (prepared after the earthquake) ; The
Swiss Dyestuffs Industry ; Market for Prepared Medicines in Brazil ;
Foreign Markets for Paints and Paint Materials; Markets for Amer
ican Pharmaceutical, Medicinal, and Biological Preparations; the
German Coal-Tar Chemical Industry; The German Alkali and Sul-

FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE

101

jphuric Acid Industries; British Dyestuffs Industry; and Italian
Dyestuffs Industry. In addition the division has two monographs
in the miscellaneous series bearing the titles “ China Wood Oil ” and
•• German Dyestuffs Industry.”
Of the 35 special circulars sent out only a few subjects can be
mentioned: “ World résumé of the paint situation” ; “ The German
iiniline dyestuffs cartel” ; “ Potash in Czechoslovakia” ; “ Fertilizers
in Ireland” ; “ Data on camphor” ; “ The Bulgarian attar-of-roses
industry.”
The special study of the dye and organic-chemical situation in
Europe, by F. E. Breithut, has been productive of very significant
results. Mr. Breithut visited England, Germany, France, Italy,
Switzerland, Austria, Poland, and Belgium, and a series of trade
information bulletins on those countries will be issued.
A number of special articles have been written at the request of
trade publications.
A special monthly cable service has been devised, whereby sta
tistics with respect to China wood oil, showing stocks on hand and in
transit from the interior, as well as sales, prices, and crop forecasts,
are received each month and transmitted to interested American
firms.
The division had exhibits at the Textile Exposition in Boston and
at the National Laundry Owners’ Exposition at Providence, the
■object being to indicate the reliability and value of American as
compared with foreign dyes.
Work has been undertaken looking to simplified practice in the
■drug industry. The division has supplied to foreign representa
tives of this Government more than $3,000 worth of books on chemi
cal subjects (provided gratuitously by publishers and organiza
tions). Through the direct assistance of the division a number of
agency agreements have been established by American firms in such
items as medicinal preparations, toilet articles, paints and varnish,
turpentine, and rosin. Several large individual transactions were
fostered, notable among which was the sale of 00,000 tons of coal-tar
pitch to British interests (this being followed by other sales), 200
tons of pine oil to European interests, and 4.0,000 gallons of denatur
ing wood alcohol to Argentina.
COAL D IV ISIO N

The coal division was reorganized in September, 1923. Two
reports are issued monthly—one giving a General Survey of Condi
tions in the Coal Industry of the United States and the other giving
a summary of the Export Coal Situation. These are distributed to
a list of more than 400 names. Sixty-six special circulars have been
issued during the fiscal year, covering market conditions, production,
imports, exports, and consumption in foreign markets. A t the re
quest of the division various branches of the coal industry and the
coal-carrying railroads have appointed representatives on a perma
nent committee advisory to the coal division.
The division is engaged in compiling material for an exporters’
manual or handbook, to show conditions in the principal foreign
markets, as well as the movement of American coal to all foreign
countries, the characteristics of our principal export coals, facilities

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REPORT OP THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

for handling coal at our principal ports, and other information o f
interest and value. In addition, current statistical tables are main
tained, showing production in the various States and the principal
movement of coal for export, coastwise, via the Lakes, and to New
England. Curi'ent statistical information is also maintained on spot
mine prices, ocean charter rates, and the production, imports, and
exports of the principal foreipi countries producing and consuming
coal. Special confidential information regarding foreign trade op
portunities is sent to a list of 216 exporters.
During the year 1,591 letters were answered, as compared with 770'
letters in 1923.
E LE C TR IC A L E Q U IP M E N T D IV ISIO N

Through the special committee of the Electrical Manufacturers'
Council, appointed to advise with the bureau’s electrical equipment
divisiop, this division continued its close contact with the industry.
It has also been regularly in touch with the Electric Power Club,
the Society for Electrical Development, and several radio organiza
tions, as well as individually with telephone manufacturers. In
connection with domestic questions, the division has also been in
contact with the National Electric Light Association and the Com
mittee on the Delation of Electricity to Agriculture.
Work was continued on basic material that is regularly called for.
such as information concerning wiring practices abroad, export and
import data, revision of central-station directory for various coun
tries, and the like. The routine requests for information have in
creased from 2,536 in the fiscal year 1923 to 3,347 in 1924, m ainlr
because of the great interest in radio.
Certain changes in the classification of electrical exports were
arranged for and a revision of the Electrical Glossary was carried
out. Special circulars issued by the division during the year num
bered 129. The division has helped many manufacturers in securing
efficient representation in foreign markets. It has continued to study
the activities of firms handling electrical goods in various markets,
as reported in foreign technical journals. Much information was
sent out giving details of direct prospects for selling goods. One
compan\- writes that as a result of reports published by this division
in Commerce Reports it has marketed its product in every country
of the world, and it states that a list of prospects furnished by the
division secured from a foreign buyer the largest order that companv
had ever received.
Specifications obtained from abroad and distributed to American
manufacturers have included those inviting bids on a telephone ex
change in Latvia, high-tension insulators in Australia, street-car
equipnient in South Africa, power plants in Egypt, telephone equip
ment in Australia, an electric-light plant in Mexico, insulated wire
in Australia, etc. The division has continued to function as Amer
ican sales agency for specifications issued in connection with the
Morwell Power Scheme in Australia. Contact has also been main
tained with large construction companies, and possible opportunities
for them to design and build large engineering projects in foreign
countries have been currently transmitted to them.
A special survey was made of the market in all civilized countries
for American radio equipment, the replies to a questionnaire being

FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE

103

sent out to the trade in the form of special circulars. Similar sur
veys in other lines were handled in the same manner.
Catalogues of some of the European manufacturers were obtained
and circulated among American manufacturers. In the domestic
field an analysis of the relative importance of various sales districts
in tlie United States as markets for electrical lines was carried out.
In conjunction with the Geological Survey, the division obtained late
statistics on the number of electric-light consumers in the United
States.
FOODSTUFFS D IV ISIO N

The total mail received by the foodstuffs division for the past fiscal
year was 34,016 pieces. There were 901 visitors and telephone re
quests. There were 8,216 reports from the foreign field received and
disposed of. Outgoing correspondence totaled 8,173 letters.
At the request of cooperative tobacco associations several con
ferences were held as to how these organizations might improve the
marketing of their products abroad. Conferences have been held a
number of times with representatives of the Pacific coast dried and
fresh fruit industries, who desire more information on the competing
products in the Mediterranean region. Recently John H. Hynes has
been chosen to cover this district (with headquarters at Rome),
making special reports on citrus and deciduous fruits, as well as nuts.
The California Packing Corporation and the Sun-Maid Raisin
Growers have followed the lead of the Rice Growers’ Association of
California in appointing representatives to be located at Washington
in order to make greater use of the special reports of this department.
There has been a comprehensive study of the production, market
ing, and distribution problems of the Pacific coast and competing
territories. H. B. Smith was appointed as special representative of
the division in Europe to report on the foodstuffs trade and on crop
conditions; he is furnishing regular reports.
Among the many specific sales results brought about by the division
there may be mentioned, first, the case of a large concern which the
division helped in establishing its product in Cuba and which is now
taking in about $700 a day, with the business rapidly increasing.
As a result of a trade opportunity about 1,000 hogsheads of tobacco
were sold by three large exporting firms. The bureau was also in
strumental in securing a large order from a government monopoly
for an American tobacco firm. Through the efforts of the division
a contract was closed which gives American growers the privilege of
supplying the Polish Tobacco Monopoly for 20 years with 60 per cent
of its leaf-tobacco requirement.
Three publications have been issued during the past year—World
Trade in vegetable Oils and Animal Fats, Chicle and Chewing Gum,
and European Economic Conditions Which Affect the Markets for
Agricultural Products. The following publications are in process
of being printed or are in preparation by the division: Rice Trade
of the World, Tobacco Trade of the World, Markets for Canned
Foods in the Western Hemisphere, Markets for Flour, Export Meat
Trade and Practices, World Statistics on Meat Trade. Handbook of
Coffee Statistics, Nonintoxicating Beverages in Latin America, Inter
national Movement in Dairy Products, Markets for Canned Foods in

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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OK COMMERCE

Western Europe, Foreign Markets for Confectionery, Brazil >cit
Industry.
The division now has six regular press statements which are Issued
weekly or semimonthly, as follows: “ Foodstuffs ‘round the w orld” ;
“ World trade and crop notes” ; “ Foreign notes on meats, fats, oilsT
and livestock” ; “ Fishery new sservice” ; “ World dairy and poultry
notes ” ; “ Confectionery foreign-trade notes.” Other reports and
items are released from time to time.
Inquiries, questionnaires, and'cable requests sent during the year
by the foodstuffs division to the bureau’s foreign representatives
and to the Consular Service numbered 159, covering a great variety
of subjects.
H ID E AND L E A T H E R D IV ISIO N

There has been a substantial increase in the amount of work
handled by the hide and leather division. For four months the work
was centered on the development of sole-leather markets in the'
Orient, while for the past half year the attention of the division has
been focussed on eastern and central European markets for American
upper leather. The results have been most gratifying; there havebeen noteworthy increases in exports to these countries.
Complete estimates have been published of the world’s availablestocks of cattle hides, calfskins, sheepskins, and goatskins. A cable
service from Buenos Aires was instituted, giving monthly the figures
of production of “ frigorífico ” hides in Argentina and Uruguay, and
estimates of stocks on hand. The industry has been supplied im
mediately with the replies to questionnaires regarding livestock and
production of hides and skins in all parts of the world.
The division has assisted in the study of certain defects in frig
orífico hides which have been the cause of substantial loss to tanners.
The movement for the improvement of raw hides and skins in many
parts of the world has been carefully followed and reported to the
industry. The work of cooperation with the owners of reindeer
herds in Alaska has continued, a study of the domestic market for
reindeer skins has been made, and a study of foreign markets is now
in progress. The division has received reports on the leather indus
try and the market for American leather in Spain, Turkey. Italy.
Greece, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and
China. For banks and industrial engineers a vast amount of work
has been done with respect to the general economic situation in the
leather industry at home and abroad. The hide and leather division
has cooperated with former Trade Commissioner Norman Hertz in
the preparation of an up-to-date survey of the hide and leather in
dustry of Great Britain. This is now in the hands of the printer
and will soon be published as a monograph.
During the year 1,636 requests for information and assistance
which required extended research were answered, an increase o f
34 per cent. In addition, the division has aided 307 visitors, and
members of the staff have consulted with 302 firms outside of
Washington.
During the year 144 special circulars were distributed, an increase
of 220 per cent as compared with the previous year. The wide range
of subjects is indicated by the following titles, picked at random:

FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE

105.

“ Germany’s consumption of hides and skins,” “ Fancy-leather indus
try of Austria,” “ British leather production,” “ New labor-saving
device for treatment of hides,” “ Market for sole leather in Shang
hai.” Notifications of 200 selected trade opportunities were pub
lished, and in many instances, as a result of these, members of theindustry have established with foreign agents and buyers connections
that promise to be most profitable.
There were sent out during the year 58 questionnaires relating to
foreign raw stock and 43 relative to production of foreign leather
and markets for American leather abroad. Two questionnaires re
lating to tannning materials were sent out to the domestic trade.
The informational files of the division have more than doubled in
size and value.
IN D U S T R IA L M A C H IN E R Y D IV ISIO N

During the last 12 months the work of the industrial machinery
division has increased considerably. On the 1st of June the chief
of the division started on a European investigation trip, to last sev
eral months. The number of machinery inquiries handled by the
bureau showed an increase of more than 60 per cent as compared with
the preceding year. Visitors at the division in Washington num
bered 217, including many leaders in the American industry, and also
many foreigners, who were assisted in the missions that brought
them to this country.
Comprehensive data concerning individual machinery dealers
throughout the world have been supplied in many instances. Manu
facturers made many demands on the division’s extensive file of
foreign steam-boiler regulations. The division furnished to Ameri
can trade journals articles of real value, such as those recounting
achievements of American machinery manufacturers abroad in the
face of keen foreign competition. Much attention has been given to
foreign students, particularly engineering, in the United States.
The division has cooperated with the American Engineering Stand
ards Committee in connection with Pan American standardization
and also in relation to publishing a proposed engineering glossary
in Spanish, Portuguese, and English. A number of improvements
have been introduced in the classification of industrial-machinery
exports. Much information was collected and disseminated concern
ing highway construction abroad. Considerable time was devoted to
a Targe and important delegation representing 17 Latin American
Republics, invited to the United States to study our methods of road
construction, equipment employed, etc.
There has been turned over entirely to this division the handling
of “ construction news ”—preparation of material for Commerce
Reports, advertising of calls for bids, answers to inquiries, etc.
Six trade information bulletins were published: Promoting Amer
ican Machinery Sales Abroad; Industrial Machinery Trade of Italy;
Value of Machinery Export Statistics; 1924 Plans for Machinery
Exports; Ice-Making and Cold-Storage Plants in South America;
and Ice-Making and Cold-Storage Plants in Mexico, Central Amer
ica, and the West Indies. Many other special studies were made,
their genera] character being indicated by the titles u American
designs copied abroad,” “ Italian machinery industry and trade,”'

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REPORT OP THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

“ Whut is your export ratio?” “ British machinery competition.” and
“Machinery exports to Mexico and Central America.” Mimeo
graphed circulars were sent out to the number of 134, covering such
subjects as “ Dairy and refrigerating machinery exhibitions at
Buenos Aires,” “ Estimates requested for citric-acid plant for South
America,” “ Advertising in India,” “ Industrial-machinery trade in
Trinidad.” “ Steam-boiler regulations in Tokyo,” and “ Foreign com
petition in machinery markets.”
IR O N A ND STEEL D IV ISIO N
•

Commerce Reports has been the principal vehicle for the distri
bution of data by the iron and steel division. Special articles were
prepared, also, for trade journals and the press. Trade information
bulletins issued by the division have included The British Steel In
dustry; Trade Organizations in French Metallurgy; Italy’s Foreign
Trade in Iron, Steel, and Nonferrous Metals; Magnesite: Commer
cial Sources and Trade; International Trade in Cement; and World
Survey of the Zinc Industry. Material for similar bulletins relating
to foreign production and trade in chrome, aluminum, and bricks
has been collected and assembled. Of the division’s special circulars
100 have related to British and continental activities in iron and steel
items, 50 were devoted to individual foreign markets for roofing
materials, while the remainder dealt with miscellaneous subjects such
as iron ore, wire, cement, and specific trade opportunities. Toward
the close of the year a weekly trade letter was inaugurated which
reviews European iron and steel production and trade.
Questionnaires sent out by the minerals section covered (for ex
porters) roofing materials, tin, lead, and aluminum foils, and refrac
tory cement and (for importers) foreign sources of manganese ore,
bauxite, magnesite, graphite, mica, asbestos, quicksilver, and plati
num. On behalf of the domestic cement manufacturers, the min
eral section inaugurated an exhaustive survey at home and abroad
to learn the extent of foreign production and trade with this and
other markets. The vast amount of data collected appeared in a
three-part bulletin, entitled “ International Trade in Cement,” which
has been called for in unusual numbers.
The chief of the division and his two assistants visited most of the
manufacturing and exporting centers of the East, South, and Middle
West, conferring with exporters. The number of visitors to the
division at Washington more than trebled as compared with the
preceding year.
Among specific examples of the studies made by the division dur
ing the year for the benefit of exporters, the following may be men
tioned : Outline of foreign markets for the sale of steel reinforce
ment materials; leading markets for steel transmission towers, possi
bilities of exporting steel barrels and drums; prospective world
trade in portable steel buildings; bridge, building, and railway con
struction in many parts of the world brought to the attention of
interested firms: establishment of contact with foreign buyers for
American manufacturers of wire netting, drop forgings, and other
steel articles; world-wide survey of requirements for screws and
bolts.

FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE

107

The chief of the division gave technical and trade advice and
assistance to local representatives of a foreign government in the
purchase from American manufacturers of large quantities of steel
construction materials. He was also particularly helpful to Ameri
can exporters after the earthquake in Japan, because of his intimate
knowledge of the country and its engineering requirements. Since
October one of the assistant chiefs of the division has been secretary
of the Department of Commerce Committee on Standardization,
the work involving interviews, conferences, committee work, and
correspondence in large volume.
The year 1924 witnessed greatly increased activity in foreign
construction undertakings of all kinds requiring large tonnage of
steel bars, shapes, and plates, sheets, wire products, piping, builders’
hardware, cement, asphalt, roofing materials, and miscellaneous
items falling under the “ minerals and metals ” classification. The
most important of these were advertised in Commerce Reports, but
a large number requiring quick action and special treatment were
distributed by the division to those firms known to have a particu
lar interest in the specific work and the field of operation. Among
these were included terminal buildings and bridges for E g y p t; steel
bridges for Canada, Australia, India, and China; reinforced con
crete bridges for Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay; waterworks
involving cast-iron and steel piping for. South Africa; grain ele
vators for Canada; docks and wharves for a number of European
shipping ports; street paving in Java; and railroad construction in
Mexico and other Latin-American countries.
Hardware, closely allied to iron and steel, was made an added
activity of this division, the transfer from the specialties division
being effective May 1, 1924. Returns in response to a general hard
ware outline are coming in from the foreign field force. Much of
this information has been circularized among interested hardware
firms, while the hulk of it remains in the division as “ background
material.”
L U M B E R D IVISION

On July 1,1923, the chief of the lumber division sailed for Europe
for 15 months’ work investigating the lumber markets of western
Europe. Detailed studies were made of the markets of the Neth
erlands and France, and the Netherlands monograph was completed
and sent to the printer. In the fall of 1923 the staff in Washington
was called on for considerable assistance to the Japanese Ambassa
dor and our northwestern lumber trade in connection with the
mrchase by Japan of about 100,000,000 feet of northwestern lum>er; the inquiry, with complete specifications, was released simul
taneously through the bureau’s district offices at Seattle and San
Francisco. During the year the trade lists covering lumber agents
and importers in practically all lumber-importing countries nave
been revised and brought up to date, and in this connection a
lumber-agency “ clearing house ” has been built u p ; 89 agency con
nections were recommended to lumber exporters during the year.
Information obtained from 1,217 exporters is carefully indexed
for mailing-list purposes and was used by the division in sending
out each of the 114 confidential circulars and 20 circular letters

15308—24------ 8

108

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

issued during the year to those firms interested in the particular
wood or product under consideration.
Some time ago the division inaugurated, through a questionnaire,
a survey of foreign box-shook markets. The results of (¡his in
vestigation have been brought to the attention of the industry by
means of numerous circulars.
The last of the important and extensive series of trade informa
tion bulletins on Methods of Handling American Lumber Imports
Abroad—this last number being the report covering Asia—was pre
pared by the lumber division during August., 1923. Other trade in
formation bulletins included Forest Resources of Central Europe
and Austrian and Czechoslovakian Lumber and Woodworking In
dustries. The cooperage market abroad was covered in Miscel
laneous Series No. 118, Stave Trade in Foreign Countries. The
division arranged with the trade commissioner at Manila to prepare
a comprehensive report on Philippine woods in cooperation with
the Philippine Bureau of Forestry. This report was received in
manuscript form shortly before the end of the fiscal year 1924.
Many articles were contributed to Commerce Reports and much
additional material was released directly to lumber trade journals.
A total of 6,695 business problems and questions were handled
during the year by the lumber division. The division has been of
increasing service to lumber exporters going abroad. The lumber
division has cooperated with the commercial laws division in help
ing to settle disputes between foreign importers and American lum
ber exporters. The division has continued to be in close touch with
associations in the lumber industry. In April a member of the
division addressed meetings in New Orleans, Memphis, Jackson
ville, Savannah, Atlanta, and Mobile.
With the cooperation of the statistical division, monthly statistics
are issued covering the exports of lumber and wood products by
species, customs districts, and countries of destination. The di
vision has been instrumental in having the classifications made
more comprehensive. Also, foreign statistics of the trade in lumber
and its products have been compiled and interpreted.
The principal lumber-trade journals of the United States and
other countries are received, reviewed, and indexed. Important
forestry publications, as well as new books on lumbering and for
estry, are reviewed. The division keeps in close touch with develop
ments in forestry, standardization of lumber grades and sizes, tests
of wood products, improved methods of manufacture and utili
zation, etc.
PAPER DIVISION

There was an increase of about 25 per cent in the number of in
quiries relating to paper that were answered by the bureau. Much
of the division's time was taken up in an endeavor to assist American
producers in fighting European competition in the United States
market. Conferences were attended in Washington, New York, and
Chicago. The division has made a study of the production of pulp
and paper in the principal European producing countries. Another
important matter taken up by the division was the collection of
samples of the various grades of waterproof case-lining paper made

FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE

109

in the United States for the purpose of testing and developing a
standard specification for inclusion in the transportation division’s
manual on export packing. The Bureau of Standards made the
tests. The division also assisted the division of simplified practice
in its program for elimination of waste in the paper industry.
Trade information bulletins were published discussing the markets
for paper and paper products in Chile and Peru, in Mexico, and in
Cuba. A supplementary study was made in Mexico to obtain facts
relative to German competition on special grades of paper, the
results being published in Commerce Reports.
A t the request of a large producer of waxed paper and candy
wrappers, special lists giving the names and addresses of possible
agents in the most important consuming centers of the world, were
furnished. Similar services were rendered to other manufacturers.
Through information furnished by the commercial attaché at Tokyo
two large manufacturers of printing equipment were induced to
send representatives to Japan to take advantage of the need for
replacement of equipment destroyed by the earthquake. The pat
entee of a new material used in paper making was aided in the dis
posal of his patent rights in England. A large manufacturer was
given special assistance in connection with the opening of an office
in Shanghai. The division was instrumental in helping another
large corporation to overcome difficulties in connection with a for
eign government contract. Further revision of trade lists was
taken up. The special monthly statistical service was expanded.
A few of the more important articles published in Commerce Re
ports were “Analysis of the United States paper exports during 1923,”
“ The newsprint paper industry of the United States.” “ Exports of
paper from United States during first quarter of 1924,” and “ Cana
dian pulp and paper exports in 1923.” The report of paper exports
from the United States published each month in Commerce Reports
was continued through 1923-24. Numerous reprints of articles pub
lished in the “ Paper” section of Commerce Reports appeared from
time to time in newspapers and trade journals.
PET R O L EU M D IV ISIO N

During the summer of 1923, because of the overproduction of crude
petroleum in the United States, a large number of requests were
made on the petroleum division for assistance in disposing of both
crude petroleum and petroleum products abroad. The division has
constantly pointed out to the trade the importance of allotting a cer
tain portion of the domestic production for export.
Specialized statistical data were prepared on specific requests from
various oil companies, as well as for general distribution. Compila
tions of the petroleum trade statistics of individual countries were
made, as well as special compilations of United States statistics in
cooperation with the statistical division. In cooperation with the
commercial intelligence division trade lists were improved and a
considerable number of new lists prepared. The chief and assistant
chief of the division attended the First Annual Petroleum Exposition
and Congress at Tulsa, Okla., in October, and visits were made to
some of the leading exporters in that territory.

110

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

The special “ country lists,” which were begun the preceding year,
by which information was obtained as to the particular countries in
which each American exporter is interested and the special products
manufactured, were extended and proved of increasing value.
Among the 90 special circulars issued the following may be con
sidered representative subjects: “ Germany’s supply of petroleum and
allied products” ; “ The outlook for petroleum trade of France” ;
“ South China market for paraffin w a x ” ; “ Taxes on petroleum and
petroleum produ&ts in M exico” ; “ Egyptian Government general
specifications for o ils” ; “ Petroleum consumption in Japan, 1923.”
A series of reviews covering the petroleum trade of the principal
foreign markets during 1923 and the outlook for 1924 was pre
pared by the bureau’s foreign offices and published partly in Com
merce Reports and partly in special circulars. Several series of
periodical circulars were begun, such as the “ Monthly petroleum
shipments from the Tampico district, M exico” : “ Monthly imports
and prices of petroleum products in Argentina ” ; “ Monthly reports
on the petroleum market in Belgium ” : similar reports for Italy and
other countries, etc. Representative Commerce Reports articles cov
ered “A review of petroleum developments abroad during 1923,”
“ Kerosene trade of the Orient,” “American petroleum export trade
during 1923,” and “ The current tread of German petroleum trade.”
To the series of trade information bulletins were added surveys
of the petroleum industries of Poland, of Peru and Ecuador, and of
Japan. A survey on the industry of Russia was also completed, to be
published after the close of the fiscal year.
A total of 142 trade opportunities for the sale of American petro
leum products abroad were handled by the division during the year.
The great value of this service is demonstrated by the notable con
crete results that have been reported by various firms. The division
at Washington replied to 3,134 inquiries during the fiscal year.
The division lias begun the preparation of a series of commodity
surveys covering the market for gasoline, kerosene, lubricating oils,
and other individual petroleum products throughout the principal
countries of the world. The special statistical service of the division
is being constantly improved and expanded. Special attention is
being given to the revision and expansion of trade lists in cooperation
with the commercial intelligence division. A periodical priceinfoi'mation service has been inaugurated, one feature of this being a
quarterly report on gasoline prices in all principal foreign markets.
RUBBER DIVISION

The work of the crude-rubber section of the bureau's rubber divi
sion is mentioned under the heading “ Investigations of raw
materials.”
Current information regarding foreign markets for rubber prod
ucts was given to the trade chiefly through mimeographed special
circulars, the mimeograph equipment having been furnished espe
cially for the division by the rubber industry. The number of cir
culars issued was 313, as compared with 168 in the fiscal year 1923
and 52 in 1922. In Commerce Reports there have been monthly
presentations and interpretations of American export figures, while
other articles contributed to the weekly magazine included such titles

FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE

111

as "World export trade in rubber and balata belting,” "Market
for hot-water bottles in Great Britain,” “ The Japanese tire market.”
“ French exports of rubber products,” and “ Possibilities of expan
sion in American golf-ball trade.” The division gave personal serv
ice to inquirers in about 4.000 cases during the fiscal year.
The division continued its practice of offering special cooperation
to the division of statistics in the preparation of monthly, semi
annual. and annual statements of rubber exports from the United
States, these statements being distributed in mimeographed form
long before they appear in print. The number of classes of rubber
products separately reported upon was increased during the year.
Early in 1924 the division prepared a trade information bulletin,
The Use of Statistics of Rubber-Goods Exports, which gave direc
tions for the correct preparation of export declarations, explained
the statistical system, and contained a glossary. During the year
regular issuance of statistical statements of imports of automobile
tires and golf balls was undertaken.
The division has supplied in definite order, through its system of
“ export handbooks,” the basic information affecting the importation
of rubber goods into foreign markets. In the year just ended the
service was completed in 58 handbooks. In all, 74 countries are
treated.
Trade information bulletins other than the one mentioned above
were : Austrian Trade in Rubber Products, The Market for RubberSoled Footwear in China, and Export Trade in Rubber Footwear.
The work of preparing schedules showing the tariff rates appli
cable to rubber goods imported into foreign countries was continued
during the year under the direction of an employee furnished by
the Rubber Association of America. Schedules have now been dis
tributed for every rubber-goods market of any importance. The
rubber division has also continued its interest, in cooperation with
the commercial intelligence division, in the preparation and distri
bution of lists of foreign importers of rubber products.
In March, 1924, the chief of the division went to Brussels. Bel
gium, to confer with rubber growers and manufacturers in attend
ance at the Sixth International Rubber Exposition and to assist
with the exhibit of the Rubber Association of America. lie subse
quently reviewed the tire trade in Belgium, France, and England
before returning to the United States in May.
Other special work ifieluded cooperation in a successful move
ment to bring about the rescinding of special marking requirements
for rubber goods entering Denmark. Attention was also given to
unfavorable tariff situations in Cuba, Spain, and British South
Africa. Special informational campaigns covered canvas rubbersoled footwear and druggists’ rubber sundries.
In October, 1923, the division welcomed a committee of foreign
sales managers from the rubber industry who came to Washington
to become better acquainted with various divisions of the bureau,
and in particular to review the work of the rubber division.
SH O E A ND L E A T H E R M A N U F A C T U R E S D IV ISIO N

During the fiscal year 1923 the shoe and leather manufactures
division sent out 15,602 pieces of mail (including general corre

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REPORT OP THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

spondence, circular letters, etc.), an increase of nearly 25 per cent
over the preceding year.
In December, 1923, the division compiled and the bureau published
a trade directory containing names and addresses of 990 exporters of
leather manufactured goods, specifying the kind of product manu
factured—boots and shoes, gloves, belting, etc.—also whether the firm
is a manufacturer and exporter or an exporter only. A supplemental
directory is contemplated which will contain 496 additional names.
A special mailing list was prepared segregating principal articles of
export but including those less frequently called for. This list has
been of great assistance in the prompt dissemination of opportunities
to augment foreign trade.
Boot and shoe manufacturers engaged in extensive foreign trade
were requested by the division to send illustrated catalogues with
price lists to all the bureau’s foreign offices. This has resulted in a
good deal of profitable business. Through the efforts of the divi
sion several important business matters were amicably adjusted.
Manufacturers were aided in their foreign trade-promotion efforts,
and very substantial results were achieved in numerous instances.
Many analytical statistical statements have been prepared for
manufacturers, bankers, students, lawyers, editors, and others, as well
as articles for publication in Commerce Reports, newspapers, and
trade journals. Through an arrangement made by the division with
the National Boot and Shoe Manufacturers Association and the New
England Shoe and Leather Association the 245 circulars prepared
by the division and distributed to the industry were mimeographed
and mailed without expense to the bureau. These circulars included
such titles as “ Increase in exports of leather boots and shoes,” “ Con
ditions in the Netherlands shoe market,” “ Swedish market for sad
dles and accessories,” “ Market for wardrobe trunks in South
Africa,” and “ Imports and exports of leather gloves.” The division
also issued two trade information bulletins covering the boot and
shoe industry and trade in South Africa and in Australia.
Through the cooperation of the division of statistics export data
concerning a number o f additional articles—shoe findings, bags and
suitcases, shoe polish, etc.—are now given to the public each month
in mimeographed circulars.
The chief of the division attended conferences of the industry in
New England, New York, and the Middle IJYst. He has maintained
close contact with committees of nine trade organizations, as well as
with individual manufacturers, to whom advice has been given as
to the selection of potential foreign markets, methods of effective
distribution of products, and sales promotion abroad, in addition to
information regarding immediate foreign markets.
S P E C IA L T IE S D IV ISIO N

The specialties division handles about 20 major groups of com
modities, some of these being business equipment, furniture, ceramics,
sanitary ware, musical merchandise, jewelry, sporting goods, motion
pictures, photographic goods, toys, and professional and scientific
instruments. One of the important phases of the work is the ground
ing o f the small manufacturer, inexperienced in export trade, in the
elements of exporting. This may be called a merchandising service.

FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE

113

A direct sales service is also provided, giving definite assistance to
large exporters in finding foreign outlets for their products. For
eign markets are studied. Surveys of various industries are made
with regard to production, quotas allocated for foreign trade, and
competing industries abroad. Up-to-date information on foreign
advertising mediums and methods is kept on file. The results of all
these services have been very gratifying; both large and small manu
facturers have benefited materially.
World trade surveys were made during the fiscal year covering
athletic and sporting goods, furniture of all kinds, jewelry, ice and
roller skates, portable typewriters, and hardware. Plans are being
made for other world surveys of this nature, and a survey covering
the field of scientific and professional instruments, including hospital
supplies and similar lines, is under way. Special market studies
were made covering fountain pens, awnings and porch shades, mo
tion pictures, tinware, office and school supplies, office equipment,
amusement devices, playground equipment, and other specialties. A
brief survey of permanent industrial expositions abroad was made.
A special study of the German toy industry was carried out.
Trade information bulletins issued by the division included Office
Supplies in Brazil, The European Market for Sporting and Athletic
Goods, Market for Athletic Goods in Canada and Newfoundland,
The Latin American Market for Sporting and Athletic Goods. Be
sides these, there were ready for publication at the end of the fiscal
year bulletins on the markets for athletic goods in the Far East and
in Africa and the Near East, for furniture in Europe and in Latin
America, and on the German toy industry.
On the basis of reports from the field, 53 special circulars were
prepared and distributed to the various trades and 414 articles were
prepared for Commerce Reports. About 250 special reports were
distributed to trade associations and individual firms on request.
More than 300 reports were furnished to trade journals and the
press, and about 4,000 articles resulted. More than 1,100 trade op
portunities were received in the division, and 1,012 of these were
published.
In the issue of Commerce Reports for November 12, 1923, there
appeared the first of the monthly surveys of specialty exports. E x
ports for each of the four quarters of the year are given in the first
issues in May, August, November, and February. Articles of a
special nature were contributed during the year to various trade
journals. The specialties division had charge of compiling and pre
paring the material for the booklet entitled “ Helping, the Exporter,”
illustrating the services of the bureau.
The survey of foreign advertising mediums and methods, made
by means of a detailed questionnaire sent to all American counsels
throughout the world, is nearing completion, and the new service
will soon be made available through the bureau’s district offices.
The division has maintained close cooperation with trade asso
ciations. As chairman of the bureau’s committee on exhibits, Mr.
Morse devoted much time to the proper preparation of exhibits for
important trade-organization meetings.
In connection with the domestic-commerce surveys being con
ducted by the bureau, the specialties division is making a survey of
the sanitary-ware situation m the United States.

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During the fiscal year 1924, 5.310 inquiries were answered by letter
and 817 memoranda were prepared. Trade journals reviewed and
indexed numbered 1,589.
T E X T IL E D IV ISIO N

The textile division is constantly called upon by various other
branches of the Government for advice and direction in the matter
of obtaining their textile supplies or in the disposition of surplus
war materials; relations with the War and Navy Departments, the
Public Health Service, and the Marine Corps have been especially
close. The division has also held numerous conferences with a view
to marketing prison-made goods in a manner less detrimental to the
legitimate manufacturer. After the Japanese earthquake the divi
sion assisted the Red Cross in acquiring approximately $3,000,000
worth of clothing for relief work, and it is conservatively estimated
that at least $300,000 was saved to the Red Cross through the serv
ices of the division and its contacts in the textile industry. Reliable
estimates of the destruction of raw-silk stocks and of cotton-mill
machinery in Japan were obtained and supplied to interested per
sons in this country.
Difficulties experienced by cordage manufacturers in securing sup
plies of sisal from Yucatan led to the inauguration of a monthly
cable service beginning April 1, 1924, whereby the American consul
in Progreso reports to the textile division the stocks of sisal on hand,
shipments, export taxes, crop conditions, and other developments.
The opinions of the fur trade as to the Government’s methods of
disposing of Alaska fur-seal skins were ascertained through personal
interviews by the bureau’s branch offices, and a complete tabulation of
these reports was made. Executives of the Boy Scouts were advised
as to clothing specifications and methods of placing their business
for uniforms.
A large cotton export firm asked the bureau’s assistance in the
protection of 25,000 bales of cotton, worth about $2,500,000, in or on
the way to the disturbed area in Mexico last December. The textile
division intervened through the State Department in behalf of this
firm, and arrangements were made for safe storage in warehouses.
As a result of representations made by the division, through the
State Department, the Bulgarian courts permitted an important
cotton-goods house in New York to register its trade-mark, a pre
vious application having been rejected. The division maintains
close contact with nearly 50 organizations or committees represent
ing various textile industries. Numerous conferences were held with
their membership. In some cases displays and specially written
articles were furnished for association meetings.
In May, 1924, the chief of the division sailed to Europe to inves
tigate textile conditions and markets; his itinerary includes such
important centers as Manchester, Bradford, Dundee, Belfast, Liver
pool, Copenhagen, Havre, Paris, Lille, Roubaix, Tourcoing, Milan,
Vienna, Prague, Hamburg, Berlin. Bremen, etc.
Through the bureau’s representative in India, the textile divi
sion has helped a New York firm to sell hundreds of thousands of
dollars’ worth of cotton-goods remnants. An American line of

FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE

11».

athletic underwear, etc., has become established in some of the Latin
American countries through the assistance of the textile division and
field officers of the bureau. These are only two out of the many con
crete results attained by American manufacturers through the spe
cific services of the division.
The special statistical services of the division include: A world
survey of the cotton situation every four months, showing produc
tion, consumption, and stocks; a world survey of wool production;
Bradford wool top prices, received by cable each week, together with
opening and closing prices of the London wool auctions; weekly
statistics of imports of raw wool at New York, Boston, and Phila
delphia; weekly average prices of cotton gray cloth for such im
portant piece-goods markets as Osaka, Manchester, New York. Cal
cutta, Madras, and Bombay (released semimonthly).
The textile division tabulated, as soon as available, the years
figures of the United States imports of cotton piece goods, not only
by countries of origin but by classes, weaves, and yarn numbers, and
mailed these statistics to interested manufacturers, importers, and
exporters. In cooperation with the statistical division, arrange
ments were made to tabulate the imports of cotton cloth at New
York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago, showing commercial
names; at present these figures are released soon after the close of
each month. A number of articles analyzing the foreign-trade figures
of the United States were published in Commerce Reports during
the year. Regular bulletins dealing with special sections of the in
dustry include: “ The cotton service bulletin,” weekly: “ What the
world’s cotton-goods markets are doing,” weekly; “ Foreign-trade
notes on yarn and knit goods,” about once a month; “ World’s wool
digest,” weekly; " Comparison of international cotton gray cloth
prices,” semimonthly; “ Dry-goods merchants’ world news letter,”
fortnightly, designed for the domestic trade. The number of copies
of these regular bulletins mailed out during the fiscal year 1924
totaled 260,000 (against 69,000 in the preceding year), in addition
to 150,000 copies of special bulletins (as compared with 48,000 in
1923), covering 156 different subjects, such as “ Review of the British
wool industry,” “ Kapok production and marketing in Japan,”
“ Notes of interest to the carpet and rug trade,” “ Argentine market .
for American textiles,” and “Australian hosiery market.” Trade in
formation bulletins issued by the division included The London
Market for American Textiles, Cotton Goods in Survey, Selling
American Hosiery Abroad, and The Belgian Wool Industry. The
division prepared 770 articles for Commerce Reports.
The textile division received 37,000 pieces of incoming mail during
the year, and outgoing letters totaled 11,500, of which 5,500 were
answers to definite requests from the trade; of these latter about 3,000
required special research. Members of the division discussed textile
questions with 550 visitors to the Washington office.
TRA N SPO RTA TIO N D IV ISIO N

Much time was devoted by the transportation division to the
preparation and publication of special reports, of which the most
important was Packing for Foreign Markets, containing about 275
pages of text and 245 illustrations. The more general parts of this

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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

book were condensed and published as a trade information bulletin,
which was distributed to 20,000 shippers and shipping companies.
The American Railway Association reprinted excerpts which it sent
to 400,000 individuals and companies in the United States and Can
ada. A handbook on Railways of Central America and the West
Indies, the first of a series on Latin American railways, was com
pleted and sent to the printer, while the work on Mexican Railways
is well along toward completion. A report on Highways in Latin
America was undertaken, and preliminary reports on all countries
were completed in time for the meeting of the Pan American H igh
way Conference in June. Trade information bulletins other than
the one already mentioned included Transportation in Relation to
the Export Trade in Agricultural Products, Rate Procedure of
Steamship Conferences, and The Geneva Conference and Ocean
Shipping.
The chief of the division served on a number of special commit
tees, including the President’s Committee on Shipping. The trans
portation division represented the Department of Commerce in the
negotiations leading to the Pan American Highway Conference
mentioned above. In cooperation with the domestic commerce divi
sion, the transportation division has undertaken a program of
activity in connection with domestic packing, which is expected to
develop important improvements through reductions in damage and
pilferage and in initial container costs.
The chief sailed for Europe June 14 to make an extended study
of foreign steamship rates and conferences, free ports, and the prin
cipal locomotive and car-building industries.
The division aided the freight-claim-prevention work of the Amer
ican Railway Association with the object (attained in part) of
reducing the waste due to loss and damage. Numerous packing
surveys were made for leading exporters, and packing specifications
and instructions were furnished which resulted in better and more
economical shipping containers.
The increase in the work of the division is indicated by the fact
that the inquiries answered during 1924 numbered 20,940, as com
pared with 15,193 in 1923.
In the fall of 1923 an investigation was begun of the transporta
tion of perishable fruits and vegetables, more especially Pacific coast
commodities.
A publication is now being completed which will include all essen
tial information concerning shipments by mail to foreign countries.
Miscellaneous Series No. 121, International Communications, was
prepared by the chief of the communications section of the division,
who left May 15 for Mexico City as secretary to the American dele
gation to the Pan American Electrical Communications Conference
which opened May 27. The communications section handles in
quiries covering traffic, rates, schedules, and legislation in regard to
commercial aviation abroad. A map showing the important aviation
routes in western Europe was prepared. The section gathered sta
tistics showing the financial standing, equipment, services, and con
cessions of many of the telephone systems throughout the world,
especially in China. Reports of telegraph, cable, and radio services,
regulations, equipment, and proposed extensions have been acquired
and used as reference material to aid in answering inquiries.

FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE

117

INVESTIGATIONS OF RAW MATERIALS AND AGRICULTURAL
PRODUCTS

The raw-material surveys begun during the preceding fiscal year
were continued and brought toward completion in 1923-24.
The primary purpose of the crude-rubber survey has been to study
areas capable of producing rubber in competition with the planta
tions of the Far East, where the exportation of rubber is under
monopoly control. Of the four parties sent out the so-called “ Mid
dle .East ” party left for India, Ceylon, British Malaya, and the
Dutch East Indies in May, 1923, and returned in March. 1924. Its
report was finished the ist of May and was sent to the Printing
Office May 18, the first proof being received June 25. The Caribbean
party left in July, 1923, and, after covering the Central American
States, Panama, the Atrato region of Colombia, and certain parts
of the coastal region of Ecuador, returned early in April, 1924, and
is now getting its report in shape for publication. The Amazon
party left in July, 1923, and in cooperation with the Brazilian Gov
ernment, which furnished a river steamer, explored all the political
units of the Amazon Basin- except Colombia and Ecuador. The
members of this party returned in June, 1924, and are preparing
their report. Those in the Philippine party left in September, 1923;
they covered the southern Philippines and British North Borneo
and obtained information concerning Sarawak. They returned the
latter part of May, 1924, and their report is nearly ready for publi
cation. The office force at Washington has collected information
concerning all the countries not covered by the field parties, espe
cially Africa. It has also been working on statistics with regard to
the production of crude rubber, from all political units where it
grows, from 1900 to the present. Publications covering these studies
are being prepared. Statistics concerning the production and
sources of gutta-percha, balata, and chicle have also been compiled.
It is planned to send an investigating party to southern Mexico and
also to Haiti, and perhaps another party to Liberia.
The nitrogen survey was continued. A field investigation into
the factors controlling the costs of Chilean nitrate was undertaken;
the results of this were incorporated in Trade Information Bulletin
No. 170, The Cost of Chilean Nitrate, issued in January, 1924. A
comprehensive study was made of the nitrogen situation in the
United States, the results being embodied in Trade Information
Bulletin No. 226, issued in May, 1924. A survey was made of the
technical development and economic aspects of the air-nitrogen in
dustry of the world, the results being published in June, 1924, in
Trade Information Bulletin No. 240. Two additional reports are
now being assembled, namely, Part V I, dealing with the nitrogen
situation in various countries of Europe, and Part V, which is a
bibliography and guide to technical and economic literature with
particular reference to the air-nitrogen processes.
The results of the sisal investigation carried out in Yucatan were
embodied in Trade Information Bulletin No. 200, entitled “ S isa l:
Production, Prices, and Marketing.”
The study of the domestic resources of vegetable-tanning materials
of the United States, coupled with an analysis of our growing de
pendence on foreign sources and of the production and consumption

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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

of such materials, was crystallized in Trade Information Bulletin)
No. 167, The Problem of Our Commercial Independence in Tan
ning Materials. In consequence of the suggestions in this report.
Congress made an appropriation for a survey of the stands of chest
nut timber and a study of the spread of the blight and the best
methods of resisting it. Trade Information Bulletin No. 211, Wattle
Culture, has aroused much interest in the possibility of the cultiva
tion of this valuable tanning material in the United States and in
Central and South America. A trade information bulletin dealing
with chrome ore and chrome salts is about to go to press. Other
trade information bulletins, including a survey of the quebracho
industry and one giving an analysis of the production of tanning ex
tracts and the consumption of foreign and domestic tanning ma
terials and extracts, are in preparation. Samples of several new
tanning materials have been received from Mexico and Central
America and submitted for analysis. It is intended to broaden and
intensify this service during the coming year, so that American tan
ners may be kept fully advised as to the possible development and
use of new vegetable-tanning materials throughout the world.
The first phase of the bureau’s survey of world trade in agri
cultural products is a statistical study designed to give a background
of fact not only with regard to American trade in the most important
agricultural products but also the details of the trade of our princi
pal competitors and our most important customers. Under this head
ing eight comprehensive pieces of work have been completed and w ill
appear in published fox-m during the coming year. They will cover
the period from 1909 to the latest figures available. The products
covered by these bulletins are wheat, wheat flour, and rye; corn, oats,
and barley; tobacco; sugar; meats; cotton; wool; and silk and otherfibers.
A careful study has been made of the distribution of the total
trade of the United States in all agricultural products. Trade In
formation Bulletin No. 177, The Distribution of Agricultural E x
ports from the United States, has already been published. A second
bulletin, dealing with a comparison of the export, value and the
physical volume of our export trade in agricultural products, has
been completed and is ready for printing. A third bulletin in this
series will deal with other aspects of our export trade and also with
our import trade in agricultural products.
A second phase of this work is concerned with the methods em
ployed by exporters in buying, handling, and selling agricultural
products. Questions of how exporters finance their operations, ques
tions of transportation, storage, warehousing, ocean freights, insur
ance, packing, distribution in foreign countries, etc., have been
studied and the results in part have been published. Trade informa
tion bulletins dealing with this phase of tne work have been r No. 183r
Buying' Wheat for Europe; No. 185, Selling American Wheat
Abroad; No. 216, Transportation in Relation to the Export Trade in
Agricultural Products; No. 241, Financing Agricultural Exports
from the United States. Another bulletin dealing with methods o f
marketing Canadian wheat is now at the Printing Office. The manu
script has been completed on a number of other studies of this char
acter. Forthcoming bulletins will deal with methods of marketing
export cotton, meats, tobacco, vegetable oils, etc.

FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE

119

The third phase of this work deals with European economic condi
tions and foreign methods and practices that affect the market for
American agricultural products. Two bulletins have so far been
published dealing with this part of the work—No. 335, European
Economic Conditions Which Affect the Market for Agricultural
Products; No. 233, Foreign Import Duties on Wheat, Wheat Flour,
Meats, and Meat Products. A number of related studies either have
been completed or will be finished in the near future. Among these
are studies of the methods employed by European importers in
handling agricultural products—methods of financing imported farm
products, cooperative marketing in relation to the distribution trade
methods of financing agricultural production and marketing abroad,
•etc.
The total results of the work in world trade in agricultural prod
ucts will be published in about 30 bulletins, of which 8 have appeared
up to the end of the fiscal year. This work was done very largely
by the regular staff of the bureau, though it was necessary to employ
a few additional temporary clerks and two or three marketing ex
perts. Excellent cooperation has been received from the trade.
TECHNICAL DIVISIONS
D IV IS IO N OF FO REIG N

T A R IFF S

The division of foreign tariff's gives advice on the conditions
governing the shipment of goods from one country to another, espe
cially duties, documents, consular and customs procedure and re
quirements, and all related regulations, restrictions, and charges.
It supplies information concerning internal charges or regulations
in foreign countries affecting imported goods, such as sales or lux
ury taxes, consumption or excise duties, and quality standards offi
cially established. The division keeps informed as to the licenses
and fees to which commercial travelers are subject abroad and the
■customs treatment of their selling samples in each country. It ad
vises with regard to 'the shipment of advertising matter and sam
ples abroad. It furnishes data as to the ex]>ort duties, restrictions,
and regulations of foreign countries. The division studies the eco
nomic conditions and commercial policies of important foreign coun
tries and gives close attention to commercial treaties, reciprocal
agreements, and preferential arrangements.
The number of letters written by the division during the fiscal
year 1924 was (5.523, a great proportion of these necessitating re
search and most of them being acompanied by specially prepared
statements and memoranda. In addition, there were more than
1,200 visitor's to the division in Washington during the year, as well
as more than 1,300 telephone calls.
The division published regularly in Commerce Reports all changes
in foreign tariffs, customs and consular regulations, and internal
taxes that are of interest to American exporters.
In order to obtain a better understanding of the drift of Euro
pean tariff legislation and commercial policy, the chief of the divi
sion made a first-hand study of the situation in the principal coun

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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

tries of western and central Europe. As one of the results of this
trip a trade-information bulletin was issued on European Tariff
Policies Since the War.
Two pamphlets, entitled “ Shipment of Samples and Adver
tising Matter to Europe ” and “ Shipment of Samples and Adver
tising Matter to the British Empire,” were issued, outlining iii
detail the customs regulations, duties, and other factors that should
be taken into account in this connection.
Before the patent and trade-mark section of the bureau was trans
ferred from this division to the division of commercial laws twopamphlets on Trade-Mark Protection in Europe and Trade-Mark
Protection in Latin America were issued.
The consular regulations of Canada and the Latin American coun
tries, covering the documentary requirements, consular fees, packing
and marking requirements, etc., imposed upon shipments going to
countries of Latin America and the West Indies, have been com
piled and issued in mimeographed form for each country concerned.
In accordance with a new system introduced advance copies of
items prepared for publication in the tariff and trade regulations
section of Commerce Reports 'are sent to the district offices in those
areas where there axe industries interested in the information, enab
ling the. branch offices to distribute the data from three days to a
week in advance of its appearance in the weekly.
Another additional service recently instituted is that of follow
ing up requests (alre'ady answered) with further correspondence
when additional information is received; as for instance, when a
change in the situation occurs.
The increase in the staff of the division that has taken place in the
last few years necessitated a reorganization, with regional sections.
This change is expected to result in a more rapid handling of the
regularly recurring work of the division.
D IV ISIO N

OF CO M M ERC IA L LAW S

During the past year the division of commercial laws has ren
dered services which, directly and indirectly, have resulted in econo
mies to American foreign trade that m'ay be calculated in terms of
many hundreds of thousands of dollars. The division’s aims are
to supply and compile information covering all legal phases of
trading abroad and to assist American firms 'and their counsel in
the solution of their foreign legal troubles.
Among the notable achievements of the division the following may
be cited: A list of 8,000 investigated attorneys in foreign countries
has been compiled and is at the service of American manufacturers
and their legal advisers. A study has been made of cases of
contract repudiation and breach, and many cases of fraud and
bad faith have been investigated and dealt with, remedies hav
ing also been suggested, through the proper wording of contract
clauses and through the inclusion of provisions for proper inspec, tion of shipments. Special attention has been paid to the movement
for commercial arbitration, and the work of the division has con
tributed in no small degree toward making this a practical and effi-

FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE

121

cient remedy accessible to business men. The division has studied
carefully (and given assistance regarding) the standardization of
rules governing the liability of cargo carriers in ocean trafiic. The
important question of the advisability of protesting unpaid drafts,
and the formalities connected therewith, has been covered by a
thorough investigation, the results of which have been embodied in
a series of trade information bulletins.
An exhaustive stud}7 of the taxation systems in foreign countries
has been made, especially throwing light upon the liability of Ameri
can principals to taxation where foreign business is conducted
through agents. The patent and trade-mark section has contributed
to the greater safety of American interests in foreign countries by
installing a world-wide system of reporting upon cases of trade
mark piracy and patent infringement. The division has now a com
plete topical file of information on bankruptcies, bills of exchange,
conditional sales, powers of attorney, incorporation, and taxation
of all commercial countries. The question of agency arrangements
has been made the subject of a thorough study, the principal pitfalls of the problem have been carefully illuminated, and effective
remedies have been suggested. The division has completed arrange
ments with competent legal advisers in the capital of every State in
the Union for current reporting upon legislative changes affectingcommerce. A directory of legal activities of all United States Gov
ernment departments and commissions has been initiated and is now
in course of preparation.
The division has enabled a number of American law firms to equip
themselves for dealing with the legal problems of their American
clients in export and import transactions. The division has brought
about a careful scrutiny, on the part of publishers of export periodi
cals, of every advertisement that is accepted for insertion therein.
Trade information bulletins issued by the division have included
Agency Agreements in Foreign Trade, Protesting Drafts, Construc
tion Enterprises and Contractors’ Requirements (in various for
eign countries), Legal Aspects of Trade in Portugal, Trading Under
the Laws of the Union of South Africa, Trading Under the Laws of
Argentina, Bankruptcy and insolvency Laws of Argentina, and
Consignment Laws of Chile and Bolivia. Bulletins prepared but
not yet published deal with taxation in Belgium, Italy, and Great
Britain.
Nineteen special circulars have been prepared by the division, in
cluding such topics as “ Cuban decision on protest of drafts,” “ Taxa
tion of income in British India,” “ Leasing of State lands in Cuba,”
“ Dutch law on agency and agency contracts,” and “ Rights of for
eigners under Soviet laws in Russia.”
Two hundred and six articles on topics of foreign laws have been
prepared for publication in Commerce Reports during the year,
covering 47 countries. The articles discuss, among others, the follow
ing leading topics: Agency laws, taxation laws, bankruptcy laws,
consignment and conditional-sale laws, company laws, pension laws,
powers of attorney, and general trading laws.
In the fiscal year 1924 the division’s outgoing letters totaled 14,724
(including only correspondence received by the division direct),

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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

against 10,376 in 1923 (including also letters received by the bu
reau’s district offices for attention of the division of commercial
laws).
The adjustment section has helped American importers in a number
of cases where defective products (oil, nuts, seeds, etc.) were shipped
by foreign exporters after collecting on letters of credit against ship
ping documents. The division has also investigated a number of
trade complaints originating abroad and has succeeded in straighten
ing out many of them. During the fiscal year 1924 the division has
handled 173 complaints of American concerns against foreign firms,
involving about $350,000. During the same time 185 complaints of
foreign concerns against domestic firms have been handled. More
than 1,000 American claims against foreign concerns have been
passed on by means of interviews or personal advice.
The section of legal information is in touch with a leading law firm
in each State in the United States and with legal advisory committees
in New York and in Philadelphia. The division organized a volun
tary law-school advisory committee, chosen from the deans and pro
fessors of the foremost law7 schools in the country. Through this
committee the division is fostering the introduction into the curricula
of courses designed to acquaint students with international commer
cial law.
The bureau’s patent and trade-mark section was transferred to the
division of commercial laws on March 1, 1924. Notification of any
apparent attempt to “ pirate ” an American trade-mark is promptly
transmitted to the concern interested, so that it may oppose the regis
tration of the trade-mark or apply for its cancellation. Advice is
continually being given on specific problems. A complete and up-todate file of foreign legislation is maintained. An advisory committee
has been chosen to enable this section to give proper advice under dif
ficult circumstances. An important part was taken in the discussions
for the revision of the trade-mark agreement of 1910 at the Santiago
trade-mark convention of 1923. At the request of the International
Chamber of Commerce and of the State Department suggestions were
made for revising certain international conventions for the protection
of industrial property and the registration of trade-marks. A t the re
quest of the Cuban Secretary of Agriculture suggestions were made
and a draft of a proposed law suitable to the needs of Cuba’s expand
ing commerce was prepared. Besides the trade information bulletins
mentioned elsewhere, various special circulars were issued by this sec
tion, including one on the conditions for restoring applications for
patents and trade-marks and reviving registrations that had been de
stroyed in the Japanese earthquake. There has been a development
of valuable cooperation between this section and trade associations.
The service of the insurance section has two purposes. One is to
aid American firms in problems relating to marine insurance, cargo
carriers' liability, terms of policies; fire insurance in foreign coun
tries where American firms maintain branches, warehouses, and
offices: pension laws of countries where Americans hai7e employees;
bonding and suretyships in foreign trade. In the second instance
the section aims to serve American insurance companies operating
abroad. An insurance advisory committee has assisted this section.
Numerous applications for the agencies of American insurance
companies have been passed on as trade opportunities. An insurance

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123

questionnaire covering every phase of the insurance business was
prepared during the year and sent to the bureau’s field officers and
to consular officers of the Department of State. The replies to this
are now coming in and will form the basis of a series of trade in
formation bulletins.
FINANCE AND INVESTMENT DIVISION

The chief of the finance and investment division has devoted
a large part of his time to keeping the division in close touch with
the financial houses interested in foreign trade. He has made many
speeches before conventions of bankers and exporters. Since April
8, 1924, he has been in Europe investigating the organization of
investment trusts and bondholders’ protective associations.
During the year the division took up the task of analyzing and
publishing the budgets of Latin-American and Far Eastern nations
and important municipalities, with special reference to their bear
ing on the advisability of American investments. A large part of
its work has consisted of research in connection with requests from
banks and others for information regarding public debts, foreign
and internal loans, currency, exchange, etc., of foreign countries.
Many of these requests have involved extensive compilations and
analyses.
Trade information bulletins issued by the division during the
year have included British Banking, Changes in the Monetary Use
of Silver Since 1914; Balance of International Payments of the
United States in 1922: Principal Features of Chilean Public F i
nance; The Bolivian Public Debt; The Bolivian Fiscal System; Brit
ish Financial Conditions in 1923; Currency, Exchange, and Bank
ing in Bolivia; and The Balance of International Payments of the
United States in 1923.
The division has compiled all available statistics of American
investments abroad and of foreign investments in the United States
and keeps a list of the current offerings of foreign securities in this
country. During the year there has been completed a revision of the
handbook, Investments in Latin America and the British West
Indies, which is now being prepared for publication. The division
receives from abroad many reports on specific opportunities for
investment of American capital. These are critically examined, and
when they seem promising they are forwarded to those bankers and
engineering concerns that are known to be interested.
From among the 44 special circulars issued by the division during
the year the following titles may be mentioned as representative:
“ Ecuadorean exchange situation” ; “ Progress of bank liquidation in
Cuba” ; “ The new German currency” ; “ Operations of French
investment companies” ; “Proposed international bank in Sofia” ;
“ The public debt of Argentina” ; “ The Netherlands: Basic elements
in florm exchange” ; “Austrian banks as a field for American invest
m ents” ; “ Recent Italian legislation affecting foreign investments” :
“ Great Britain and the gold standard.”
During the last few months investigations have been carried on in
Europe by special representatives of the division with reference to
banking in Scandinavia, emigrants’ remittances, and methods ein1530S— 24-------9

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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

ployed in Europe to finance the importation of agricultural com
modities.
The inquiries answered by the division in the fiscal year 1924
totaled 4,582, as compared with 3,717 in 1923.
D IV ISIO N OF RESEARCH

The division of research has continued its work of (1) prepara
tion of copy for major statistical publications, (2) information serv
ice to correspondents, and (3) services of a varied expert and tech
nical character to other divisions of the bureau. The most important
new work of the division was the assembling and coordinating of
the Commerce Yearbook, together with the entire preparation of a
large part of it. The initial issue of this publication has elicited
the most favorable comment. The 1922 issue of the Statistical
Abstract of the United States was shortened by the omission of obso
lete and too detailed material, and for the 1923 issue there was
undertaken a thorough revision designed to make the Abstract a
more comprehensive and better balanced handbook of economic and
social statistics. The foreign-country sections of the Survey of
Current Business continue to be compiled in this division. Data for
the United States section of the Statesman’s Yearbook was pre
pared, and the League of Nations was regularly supplied with
United States data for its Monthly Bulletin.
Semiannual reviews of the trade of the United States with the
world have been prepared and published as trade information bulle
tins. The series of studies of principal tanning materials begun in
1922- 23 in conjunction with the hide and leather division was con
tinued; investigations covering divi-divi, sumac, and chromite and
an expansion of the wattle and quebracho studies of the previous
year have been completed. A number of similar reports have been
prepared in conjunction with other divisions, the outstanding ones
being surveys of the camphor and the chicle and chewing-gum
industries.
The division continued its direction of the graphical and drafting
work of the bureau. The drafting staff has been increased somewhat,
and there was a marked expansion in the volume of work, about 1,000
charts, maps, etc., of varying sizes having been prepared during
1923- 24.
The division aids other divisions of the bureau and other Gov
ernment offices by translating from foreign languages and explain
ing and assisting in the use of foreign statistical sources.
The direct service of the division to correspondents falls under
two heads— (1) furnishing data on the foreign trade of other coun
tries, and (2) general economic and statistical inquiries not of a
strictly commodity, regional, or technical character. For the most
part these required a considerable amount of research and tabula
tion.
DIVISION OF STATISTICS

The statistical division prepares statements of imports, exports,
vessels entered and cleared, and other statistics of the trade of the
United States with foreign countries and noncontiguous territories

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125

for publication in the Monthly Summary and the annual report on
Foreign Commerce and Navigation, issues regulations and instruc
tions regarding the statistical reports, prepares the classifications of
imports and exports for the guidance of collectors of customs, and
handles the correspondence and inquiries relating to United States
foreign-trade statistics. The published statements are compiled from
monthly and quarterly reports prepared by the section of customs
statistics at New York from import entries and export declarations
forwarded from the various customhouses.
The mimeographed statement of exports of food products released
to the press in advance of the Monthly Summary has been subdi
vided into three separate statements, covering (1) meats and fats,
(2) canned and dried foods, and (3) grains and preparations. New
advance statements of imports of cotton, wool, silk, artificial silk,
jute, sisal, and other fibers have been issued since February of this
year. Beginning with January, 1924, a statement showing quanti
ties of about 100 principal imported commodities remaining in
bonded warehouses has been published in part 2 of the Monthly
Summary. A new edition of Trade of the United States with the
World is in course of preparation, showing the imports from and
oxports to the different foreign countries by articles during the
calendar years 1921 and 1922.
About 225 special monthly mimeographed statements of imports
and exports are distributed to more than 17,000 addresses, giving
complete details by countries for the articles covered. The inquiries
answered by the division of statistics increased from 9,677 in the
fiscal year 1923 to 11,130 in 1924, of which 5,228 were letters and the
remainder personal and telephone inquiries.
The division furnishes reports to the Tariff Commission, Census
Bureau, Federal Reserve Board, Geological Survey, Bureau of
Agricultural Economics, Federal Trade Commission, and other
Government departments.
In addition to the weekly reports of exports of grains and flour
begun in 1923, weekly reports of imports of wheat from Canada
through principal northern border ports have been compiled since
January 1, 1924, showing separately wheat entered for consumption,
duty paid, and entered free of duty into bonded mills for grinding
into flour for export. These reports are released to the press and
distributed in mimeographed form to interested parties on Tuesday
of each week. Weekly reports of imports of raw wool at Boston,
New York, and Philadelphia have been issued since April, 1924,
showing the kinds of wtoo1 by grade, condition, country of origin,
and country of shipment.
A t the request of the National Cotton Manufacturers Association,
special monthly reports have been issued since February 15, 1924,
showing the kinds of cotton cloths imported at 5 principal ports,
according to 18 separate trade designations. Steps are under way
for issuing in the near future, at the request of the woolen-goods
industry, special reports of imports of wool cloths and dress goods
by trade designations.
Under regulations issued on November 2, 1923, by the Postmaster
General at the request of the Secretary of Commerce, business firms
mailing abroad packages of merchandise valued at $25 and over are
required to fill out a postal export declaration giving description,

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REPORT OF THE SECRETARV OF COMMERCE

quantities, and values of the goods shipped. The declarations are
forwarded hy the postmasters to the section of customs statistics at
New York and since January, 1924, have been included in the regular
statistical reports of exports published in the Monthly Summary.
During the six months ended June 30 parcel-post exports valued at
nearly $11,000,000 have been reported, dry goods and clothing
accounting for nearly one-fourth of the total.
The first report giving statistics of exports by States of origin has
been completed, covering exports during the quarter ended March
31, 1924. The principal features of the new report, giving the prin
cipal articles exported from 25 leading States, were pointed out in
articles released to principal newspapers and trade journals. The
preparation of these reports has proved to be a much greater task
for the section of customs statistics at New York than had been
anticipated, and additional personnel and mechanical tabulating
equipment are needed.
COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE DIVISION

The main functions of the commercial intelligence division are:
To compile and publish lists of foreign importers and dealers in all
commodities throughout the world; to maintain a file, in card-index
form, of detailed information relative to sales facilities and business
organization of individual foreign business concerns, from this file
to make to American firms reports as requested, including all credit
sources available to enable the American firm to rate the foreign
buyer as a credit risk, and to be prepared to obtain reports of this
character on any foreign firm wherever located if the information is
not on file; to assist American business houses in the selection of
foreign agents; to record and make available to American banks
interested in foreign-exchange transactions information concerning
foreign business concerns that fail, become bankrupt, go into liqui
dation, etc.
During the fiscal year 1924 the new trade lists (and revisions of
old ones) made available to American business men numbered 844.
There are now available lists of importers and dealers in nearly 100
foreign countries and territories, so listed that the commodities
handled are indicated. Approximately 200 commodities are treated.
About 360,000 names are now on file, from which trade lists are com
piled. During the year 28,451 requests were received for detailed
reports on individual foreign firms.
The nature of the work in this division is such that the correspond
ence handled must necessarily be extensive, and form letters are im
practicable. More than 12,000 letters were sent out during the year,
an increase of 300 per cent over the preceding year.
D O M E S T IC C O M M E R C E D IV IS IO N

The domestic commerce division was organized July 1, 1923. Its
functions are, first, to coordinate and direct the activities of the
commodity divisions in connection with domestic-commerce studies
relating to particular commodities, and, second, to conduct research
on such general problems as cancellations, plant location, w j i r e h o u s -

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127

ing as a factor in distribution. Surveys of district marketing areas
in the United States constitute an important phase of the work.
Thus far most of the work of the division has been done in re
sponse to direct requests for assistance from manufacturers and dis
tributors. In addition to this, several conferences of representatives
of retailers’, wholesalers’, and manufacturers’ associations in various
lines have been held. At these meetings functions were defined or
problems worked out. In various industries committees have been
appointed to work with the division. These committees cover such
organizations as the National Association of Retail Grocers, National
Association of Retail Clothiers, National Wholesale Drygoods Asso
ciation. National Boot & Shoe Manufacturers’ Association, and
others, 29 in all.
In cooperation with the domestic commerce division, commodity
divisions have made or are now making studies on the marketing of
electrical household appliances, paints and varnishes, and sanitary
ware and also on packing problems. A study on the marketing of
machine tools and a study of sales contracts will be undertaken
shortly. The domestic commerce division is making a study of plant
location, a study of sales territories, of warehousing, and three dis
tinct studies in the retail field, besides a careful study of the cancella
tion problem.
The division is developing its regional studies by sending a market
analyst into a region to report on the industry, commerce, and retail
business of that section, much as he would report on a foreign
country.
The various trades have shown much interest in the work of this
division, which will be able to render valuable service to the business
world when its existence and potential worth become impressed upon
the public.
ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS
EDITORIAL D IV ISIO N

Commerce Reports, the weekly magazine issued by the bureau, has
continued along much the same lines as during the preceding year.
At the beginning of each issue there has been introduced a new de
partment, called “ Commerce news in brief,” containing concise sum
maries of the principal articles. Because of increased cost of print
ing, the subscription price of Commerce Reports is to be increased
from $3 to $4 per year, effective July ID.
The number of reports received from the Consular Service of the
Department of State increased from 37,058 in the fiscal year 1923 to
39,402 in 1924. There has also been a steady increase in the number
and quality of reports from the foreign representatives of the De
partment of Commerce. The number of Foreign Trade Oppor
tunities published in Commerce Reports in the fiscal year 1924 was
3,846, as compared with 4,290 in 1923 and 2,960 in 1922.
The most important single publication issued by the bureau dur
ing the fiscal year was the Commerce Yearbook for 1922 (including
the early part of 1923). This contains 700 pages, is illustrated with
many charts and maps, and forms an authoritative review of the
economic year throughout the world, for the point of view of Ameri

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REPORT OF T1IK SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

can industry and commerce. In this book the outstanding facts of
trade, production, price changes, and market conditions are tabu
lated and analyzed. Summaries are included of the principal manu
facturing, mining, and forestry industries, of agriculture, construc
tion, transportation, communication, finance, prices, and domestic
and foreign trade of the United States, with reviews of the com
mercial and industrial developments in the principal foreign coun
fries. This first yearbook has been widely used and warmly praised
by the business men of the nation. Work on the second Commerce
Yearbook, covering 1923, has been pushed forward vigorously dur
ing the first six months of 1924, and it will soon come from the press.
Another very important monograph is Packing for Foreign Mar
kets. There is also an elaborate survey of Railways of Central
America and the West Indies, which wili make a book of about 450
pages, amply illustrated with maps, diagrams, and halftones. A
significant series of studies of the public finance of Latin American
countries was begun with the publication of Chilean Public Finance
and the sending to the printer of Bolivian Public Finance.
The three different series in which the bureau’s larger monographs
had formerly been issued—the special agents series, the special
consular reports, and the miscellaneous series—were combined
under the new title “ trade promotion series.”
During the year there has been a great increase in the number and
importance of the special supplements to Commerce Reports which
are called trade information bulletins. These have possessed an
exceptional quality of timeliness. Their general character is indi
cated by the following typical titles, out of the 122 bulletins issued:
Methods of Handling Lumber Imports in Australia, New Zealand,
and Pacific Islands; Bankruptcy and Insolvency Laws of Argentina;
The Brazilian Market for Paper and Paper Products; Italian Gov
ernment Finances; Austrian Trade in Rubber Products; The British
Steel Industry; Changes in the Monetary Use of Silver Since 1914;
Japan After the Earthquake; American Trade with Germany, 1914,
1921, and 1922; The Belgian Congo; Survey of World Trade in
Agricultural Products.
DIVISION OF CORRESPONDENCE AND DISTRIBUTION

This division comprises two distinct sections—correspondence and
distribution.
Besides the actual routing of incoming correspondence and the
examination of outgoing letters, the correspondence section offers
suggestions and advice to the various divisions with a view to insur
ing that the correspondence shall reflect the existing policy of the
bureau and the department. It also carries on a large correspond
ence of its own in relation to a variety of subjects, answering about
24,000 inquiries by mail during the fiscal year. Almost 300,000 let
ters were handled bv the division during the fiscal year 1924, as com
pared with 332,131 in 1923 and 127,385 in 1922.
Records kept by this division show the number of commercial in
quiries answered by the bureau and its district and cooperative
offices, these totaling 1,236,326 in the fiscal year 1924, as compared
with 972,702 in 1923 and 589,533 in 1922. There has thus been an
increase of 131 per cent in two years.

FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE

129

liequests received during the year for information reserved from
Foreign Trade Opportunity announcements totaled 345,784, as com
pared with 332,131 in 1923 and 127,385 in 1922.
The records show an extraordinary increase in the number of trade
lists asked for by American business men in the fiscal year—417,195
in 1924, against 181,049 in 1923 and 71,900 in 1922. The total num
ber of trade lists distributed in 1924 was about 1,000,000, represent
ing 1,318 separate lists.
The number of copies of confidential and special circulars sent out
during the year totaled 3,101,118, comprising 2,227 separate state
ments, as compared with about 1,000,000, involving 1,100 separate
statements, for the preceding year, and 350,000, covering 744 state
ments, in 1922. Thus the number increased nearly tenfold in two
years.
Further experience with the plan of maintaining in the corre
spondence division a group of reserve stenographers and typists who
are available, upon request, for work in other units of the bureau
has emphasized the wisdom of this service.
The distribution section, as in the past, has maintained mailing
lists for the distribution of publications and circulars and has super
vised the mechanical and physical details connected with the E x
porters’ Index.
On Maj' 15, 1924, the bureau took over the control of the mimeo
graph work which had previously been carried on under the super
vision of the division of publications of the department, and at the
same time there w'as transferred from the distribution section of this
bureau to the duplicating section the assembling, the placing of mate
rial in envelopes, the sealing and mailing, which operations had
theretofore formed a part of the duties of the distributing section.
This change has resulted in various economies. A special committee
appointed toward the close of the fiscal year is giving attention to the
matter of revising the various mailing lists or the bureau, the idea
being to consolidate these various records into one list, which will
probably be an extension of the Exporters’ Index.
The revision of the Exporters’ Index started during the previous
fiscal year has progressed rapidly and is now practically completed.
This involves a complete change in the mechanical operation of the
Index as well as an entire revision of the commodity classifications
used in this record.
FOREIGN SERVICE DIVISION

The direct administration of the bureau’s foreign service centers
in the foreign service division. Through it pass all communications,
either postal or telegraphic, going to and from the field. The ar
ranging of steamship reservations, the acknowledging and routing
of all incoming mail and the proper forwarding of all telegraphic
communications, the preparation of the budget of the foreign offices,
and administrative decisions with respect to personnel are matters
coming within the scope of the division’s activities.
A total of 5,754 cablegrams were transmitted between the field and
the bureau during the fiscal year 1924, as compared with 4,200 for the
year previous and 3,127 for 1922. During the past year 29,920 other
communications were received from the field. Of these 6,655 were

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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

special reports, economic and trade notes, or trade opportunities,
while 9,3(53 were letters addressed by the field staff directly to Ameri
can business firms in reply to specific inquiries.
By means of the “ liaison file” that the division maintains a copy
of every report received from the field is immediately made avail
able to every other department of the Government. During the past
year 3,470 reports were actually furnished to other departments.
The system of reporting by the foreign staff has been reorganized.
Through the organization of the “ questionnaire committee” requests
for information on the market possibilities of any commodity are
sent simultaneously to the whole field. During the year there were
sent out 114 such questionnaires, in the case of 92 of which the Con
sular Service of the Department of State participated in the report
ing. For the coming year each foreign office of the bureau will have
a prearranged schedule to follow, providing for regular cabled and
mail reports on every fundamental industry and commodity con
cerned in the foreign trade of this country.
This division arranged itineraries to the principal cities of the
country for foreign representatives on their return to the United
States. Through personal conferences and addresses such repre
sentatives have achieved important results.
Since July 1, 1923, three new foreign offices have been established
by the bureau, eight major investigations have been started, and
numerous minor investigations have been initiated and brought to
a conclusion. These are described in other sections of this report.
Two new commercial attaches, 14 trade commissioners, 10 assistant
trade commissioners, and 9 American clerks have been appointed
during the year. Resignations have included 1 commercial attache,
4 trade commissioners, 4 assistant trade commissioners, and 4 Ameri
can clerks.
DIVISION OF DISTRICT OFFICES

The fiscal year began with 9 district and 24 cooperative offices of
the bureau. During the year new cooperative offices were established
at Birmingham, Ala.; Muncie, In d .; Providence, R. I.; Springfield,
Mass.; Toledo, Ohio; Trenton, N. J .; and Worcester, Mass. The
cooperative office at Omaha, Nebr., was discontinued.
The number of commercial inquiries handled by the district offices
increased from 719,365 during the fiscal year 1923 to 967,620 in 1924.
In 1924 there were 67,401 callers desiring information, as compared
with 63,561 during the preceding year. The branch offices gave out
343,511 sheets of reserved information on trade opportunities and, h.
addition, 416,000 trade lists.
During the year there was put into effect a new arrangement
(which has worked very well) providing that a cooperative office
should work in close contact with the appropriate district office and
obtain its material directly from that office. Certain cooperative
offices, however, including Baltimore, Chattanooga, Cleveland, Cin
cinnati, Los Angeles, Newark, Norfolk, Portland (Oreg.), and Roch
ester, continue to operate under the old agreement, by which they
receive from the bureau the same service as the district offices.
During the year a series of foreign-trade conferences were ar
ranged through the district offices in a number of the larger cities

FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE

131

in their territories, the purpose being to bring the bureau’s services
directly to the attention of business men. Such meetings—of vary
ing size and character but uniformly very successful—were held in
Cleveland, Bridgeport, Springfield (Mass.), Worcester, Providence,.
Boston, Atlanta, Birmingham, Anniston. Montgomery, Mobile, Sa
vannah, Jacksonville, Pensacola, New Orleans, Indianapolis, and
St. Louis.
The examples of specific results obtained during the year through
the efforts of the district offices are so numerous that only a few
typical examples can be mentioned: The $10,000 worth of businessobtained by a Texas flour company; the $25,000 business secured by a
manufacturer’s representative in New Orleans; the $80,000 in in
creased sales of a firm of international merchants in New York;
$60,000 worth of business for a Chicago packer; $35,000 additional
trade for a New England shoe company; $38,000 worth of flour busi
ness as a result of two trade opportunities furnished to an exporter
by the Seattle office; $50,000 worth of business secured by a St. Louis
company as a result of cooperation by the bureau’s local office;
$10,000 in trade gained by a machinery company in Kansas City;
business “ mounting into six figures ” for a San Francisco electrical
company through a single inquiry transmitted by the bureau, and
many other valuable accounts for the same firm “ as a direct result
of activities of the bureau in its behalf” ; business totaling $500,000
obtained by a leather-belting concern in California as a result of
assistance rendered by the San Francisco office and by the bureau at
Washington.
In the case of 3,675 of the inquiries addressed to the bureau
(Washington office and district offices), the firms concerned reported
resulting business amounting to $1,569,439, or an average of $427
per inquiry.
CLOSE AND CORDIAL COOPERATION WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS

The purpose and effect of the liaison work of the bureau has been
to eliminate “ red tape” in the relations with other departments; to
bring into personal contact the administrative officers of other Gov
ernment organizations and the division chiefs of the bureau; to place
before the liaison representatives of other departments the written
reports of the bureau’s field officers; to encourage close contact be
tween those field officers and other Government departments through
the weekly meetings of the economic liaison committee; and, in
general, to create a new feeling of hearty cooperation between the
various field officers of the Government.
A system was devised of utilizing a routing tag on every con
sular report received in the bureau for the purpose of obtaining
first-hand comment from the division designated to take action on
the report. As a result detailed comment on the quality and dispo
sition of each report has been furnished for transmission to consular
officers, generally within one week from the date of the receipt of the
report in the bureau. In addition a periodical summary is made to
the Director of the Consular Service on each 2,000 reports received
and acted upon.
Much progress has been made in supplying consuls with.clippings
from the press, trade papers, and special circulars, giving the text

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o f their reports as published. It is believed that this has greatly
stimulated consular officers to make better reports.
During the year much greater discretion has been used in send
ing questionnaires to consuls, so that only the questionnaires most
pertinent for the consular district concerned are submitted for action.
The replies to these specific questionnaires have been, in the main,
highly satisfactory.
An adequate system of distributing reports from commercial
attachés and trade commissioners to all departments of the Govern
ment has been devised and put into effect. A weekly list of reports
received is submitted to the liaison officers of all the departments and
reports that they request are made available to them.
One of the greatest accomplishments of the year was the agree
ment upon and putting into effect of the Executive order of April
24, 1924. This order provides, in brief, for an exchange of informa
tion between the field officers of the Department of Commerce and
■consular officers fortnightly on reports on preparation and those con
templated, so as to avoid duplication; that any field officers of the
United States abroad may call upon any other field officer for infor
mation in the preparation of reports; for general supervision over
the activities of all field officers by the Chief diplomatic officer in the
country wherein they are stationed; and for a general exchange of
information between officers of the various departments, so as to
avoid duplication in reporting and promote interests of the United
States abroad.
RECOMMENDATIONS

The following are, in my opinion, the essential needs of the Bureau
o f Foreign and Domestic Commerce:
1. Adequate legislation to place the foreign service of the depart
ment on a permanent basis.
2. Additional offices in foreign countries, particularly in the Carib
bean region and various trade centers in South America, where in
adequate communication facilities make the establishment of branch
offices very essential. W ith the settlement of the outstanding prob
lems in Europe the bureau must have larger facilities for observing
European competition in Latin America.
3. A larger appropriation for the work of the division of domestic
commerce.
4. Adequate facilities for meeting the constantly growing demand
for prompt and detailed statistical work, particularly as regards
data on trade in specific commodities along the lines of the monthly
statements now issued for chemicals and cotton and woolen textiles.
5. Legislation authorizing the bureau to send experts and exhibits
to trade conventions and to charge fees for enrollment on the E x
porters’ Index.
Very truly yours.
J uliets K l e in , Director.

BUREAU OF STANDARDS

D e p a r t m e n t

o f

B u r e a u

C o m m e r c e ,
o f

S t a n d a r d s ,

Washing ton, July 1, 1921+.
Hon.

e r b e r t

o o v e r

Secretary of Commerce.
D e a r M r. S e c r e t a r y : In response to your request I furnish the
following condensed report upon the work of the bureau during the
past year:
C O O P E R A T IV E A C T I V I T I E S

The bureau has official responsibilities in connection with many
branches of the Federal Government, as well as with certain national
organizations. Thus, the director is ex officio chairman of the Fed
eral Specifications Board and of the National Screw Thread Com
mission, and a member of the National Advisory Committee for
Aeronautics and the National Research Council. He is serving this
year as president of the American Society for Steel Treating and of
the Annual Conference on Weights and Measures, and on the execu
tive committee as past president of the American Society for Testing
Materials. The assistant director is a member of the President’s
Committee on Patent Policy. On the American Engineering Stand
ards Committee the department is represented by the director, as
sistant director, and chief of the division on mechanics and sound.
In the field of technology and science the director is chairman of
several joint committees, such as the Joint Committee on Sulphur
and Phosphorus in Steel, and the Committee on Welded Rail Joints,
and is a member of others, including the Joint Committee on Molding
Sand Research. The bureau is carrying out experimental work in
cooperation with these and other national organizations, and members
of the staff are serving on numerous committees of such organiza
tions, representing many engineering, technical, and scientific activi
ties of the country. The accomplishments of these cooperative
activities for the past year will be found recorded under the appro
priate headings of this report.
NATIONAL SCREW THREAD COMMISSION

During the past year eight meetings have been held, and a second
report, to be known as the 1924 Report of the National Screw Thread
Commission, is nearly ready for submission to the Secretaries of
War, Navy, and Commerce for their acceptance and approval in
accordance with the provisions of law.
The screw-thread standards established by the commission have
already been widely accepted by the manufacturing industry, have

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REPORT OP THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

been approved by the American Engineering Standards Committed
as an American standard, and their general acceptance and use
constitute the greatest single step recently taken in standardization
as applied to interchangeable manufacture.
FEDERAL SPECIFICATIONS BOARD

This board is composed of one representative from each executive
department and independent establishment which purchases supplies
under specifications.
The board now has 65 technical committees at work on groups
of related items of specifications, the several technical committees
being composed of experts officially designated from the interested
activities of the Government. The bureau has taken a prominent
part in the work of nearly all of the technical committees, and the
chairmanships of 24 committees are held by Bureau of Standards
experts. In connection with the development and formulation of
the master specifications a great deal of research work has been done.
One hundred and sixty-two master specifications have been promul
gated as official Government standards.'
H A N D B O O K O F S P E C IF IC A T IO N S

During the past year contacts have been established with organi
zations representing consumers and with organizations which speak
for all of the major branches of industry and in some cases with
the lesser branches of industry, both organized and unorganized.
A ll trade associations and technical societies having national recog
nition known to be interested directly or indirectly in specifications
have been communicated with, as have also more than 500 public
purchasing agencies, as well as the Federal departments and inde
pendent establishments. More than 1,000 of fhese organizations have
been requested to supply copies of their specifications for considera
tion in connection with the compilation of material for the dic
tionary or handbook of specifications.
More than 30,000 cards have been prepared for a preliminary
classified index of the existing specifications now on file at the
bureau. Work thus far has been concentrated on making as com
plete as possible the collection of existing specifications issued by
the public purchasers and the nationally recognized trade asso
ciations, technical societies, and public utilities, and on making the
classified index thereto as accurate as can be. The next step will be
the selection of one or more thoroughly satisfactory well-recognized
specifications for each of the important commodities.
How to determine the most satisfactory specifications and how to
issue them in the most convenient manner for the use of the public
purchasers are among the problems now being given consideration
by a representative advisory board. This board is made up as fol
lows: American Electric Railway Association; American Engineer
ing Standards Committee; American Hospital Association; Ameri
can Hotel Association; American Society for Testing Materials;
Associated Business Papers (Inc.) ; Associated for Government
Service; Chamber of Commerce of the United States; National Asso-

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135

dation of Manufacturers: National Association of Purchasing
Agents; National Conference of Business Paper Editors; National
Conference of Governmental Purchasing Agents; National Electric
Eight Association; and Society of Automotive Engineers.
AMERICAN ENGINEERING STANDARDS COMMITTEE

Three members of the Bureau of Standards have continued to
represent the department on this important committee supported by
the engineering organizations of the country. Under its procedure
the bureau is “ sponsor” or joint sponsor for 14 engineering stand
ardization projects and is represented on 66 others.
PAN AMERICAN STANDARDIZATION

The projects on Pan American standardization of commodities
o f industrial and engineering interest which the department is fos
tering through a representative committee, whose chairman is a
member of the Bureau of Standards staff, have been outlined and a
tentative program drawn up for consideration at the forthcoming
Scientific Congress in Lima, Peru, in December. Emphasis is being
laid on standards and grades for raw materials, the products of the
Pan American countries.
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

Dr. S. W. Stratton attended a meeting of the International Con
ference on Weights and Measures at Paris. To the international
bureau has been delegated the task of a more complete correlation
of standards of measurement among the signatory countries. The
Bureau of Standards has also been in communication with the inter
national bureau and other national bureaus looking to international
agreements on (1) the temperature scale; (2) the ratio of the yard
to the meter; (3) photometric units; (4) electrical standards; (5)
radio standards; (6) X-ray standards and technique; and (7) sugar
standards. The bureau was represented at the World Power Con
ference and the meeting of the International Electro-Technical
Commission in London and at the meeting of the International
Commission on Illumination at Geneva, Switzerland, as well as at
meetings of the French and English Physical Societies, and at a
wool-standardization conference in England.
AVOIDANCE OF DUPLICATION

Conferences have been held with directors of other bureaus, such
as mines and chemistry, as well as with representatives of the
Bureau of Efficiency and the chief coordinator, for consideration of
borderland activities, and cordial understandings have been reached
in practically all matters concerning which there had been uncer
tainties of jurisdiction and possibilities of duplication.
VISITING COMMITTEE

The membership of this committee the past year consisted of
S. W. Stratton, president of Massachusetts Institute of Technology ;

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REPORT OP THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

F. W. McNair, president of Michigan College of Mines; J. R. Free
man, of Providence, It. I.; Prof. W. D. Bancroft, of Cornell Uni
versity; and A. Swazey, of Cleveland, Ohio. The committee has
held two formal meetings at the bureau and several of its members
have visited the bureau at other times.
SAFETY SURVEY AT BUREAU

During the year a survey of the bureau has been made by qualified
members of the staff of the safety hazards at the bureau and steps
taken to remedy them.
ADVANCED EDUCATIONAL WORK

As in past years, many members of the staff have taken advantage
of the educational courses offered at the bureau and at the various
colleges and universities located in Washington. This work has
entailed no small sacrifice of time, energy, and money of the indi
viduals, but it has been and will continue to be of value to the
bureau through the development and increased usefulness of its
staff. It is of interest to note that since the establishment of grad
uate courses of study in mathematics, physics, and chemistry at the
bureau in 1908 there have been 22 members of the staff who have
received the Ph. D. degree from 8 universities, including the Uni
versity of Paris. Many others have profited from the bureau courses,
of which there are usually 3 or 4 a year, with classes varying from
10 to GO students.
SIMPLIFIED PRACTICE

Up to the present time the following simplified practice recoin
mendations have been accepted by the representatives of the indus
tries concerned and have been printed:
1. P a v in g b rick .
2. B e d s te a d s ,
sp r in g s ,
tr e s s e s .
3. M eta l la th .
4. A s p h a lt.
5. H o te l c h in a w a r e .
6. F ile s a n d r a sp s.

and

m a t

7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.

F a c e a n d c o m m o n b rick ( c l a y ) .
R a n g e b o ile r s a n d e x p a n s io n ta n k s .
W o v e n -w ir e fe n c in g .
M ilk b o ttle s a n d c a p s.
B e d b la n k e ts .
H o llo w b u ild in g tile .
P a in t s , v a r n is h e s , a n d c o n ta in e r s .

The following recommendations are now in process of acceptance :
Paper, lumber, brass lavatory and sink traps, steel barrels and drums,
forged tools, blackboard slate, roofing slate, structural slate, bolts and
nuts for farm equipment, hot-water storage tanks, asbestos paper and
millboard, builders’ hardware, and hospital beds.
Simplified practice recommendations are being considered for con
crete blocks, cafeteria and lunchroom chinaware, refractories, steel
lockers, steel reinforcing bars, warehouse forms, oil-storage tanks,
sheet steel, terneplate, eaves troughs and conductor pipe, shovels, fur
nace parts (registers for warm-air furnaces), window sash and doors.
Surveys of existing varieties are in process for the following indus
tries: Automotive parts; gas water heaters (side arm and flueless
ty p es); copper boilers; hydropneumatic tanks: house tanks for coldwater storage; hacksaw blades; copper and brass products; screw
drivers; pocket knives; refrigerator hardware; collapsible tubes;
loaded shells; dental supplies; cotton fabric colors; wood handles for

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137

tools; lock washers and nut locks; rubber heels; drills and reamers;
milling cutters; clay products; taps and dies; grocery bags; boxes
(color and sizes) for gloves; underwear, hosiery, etc.; oil burners;
elevated steel tanks and towers; manhole frames and covers.
A publication has been issued on the organization of the American
Marine Standards Committee and its constitution and rules. I t de
scribes the field, objects, organization, and mode of procedure of this
committee, which has been making steady progress in the work un
dertaken in 1923. A general conference of this committee was called
on May 5,1924, to consider existing specifications for condenser tube9
and ferrule stock and to adopt recommendations for a common stand
ard for marine use.
A member of the division’s staff has just completed the preparation
of two reports on utilization of waste in the lumber industry, one of
which covers a survey made in the Pacific Northwest, while the other
deals with the situation in the Southern States.
BUILDING AND HOUSING

A survey of seasonal operation in the construction industries was
the principal new activity of the division of building and housing
during the year. The work on building codes, plumbing codes, city
zoning, statistics, and service for the home owner continued logically
from the work of the preceding year. The cooperation of trade as
sociations, professional, scientific, and civic societies, and other bodies
of citizens interested in construction, housing, and civic improvement,
has helped to make the results of the division’s work of maximum
benefit throughout the entire country.
The study of seasonal construction developed the fact that sea
sonal irregularity in building activity was due more to custom than
to climate. The average building trades worker customarily loses
from a fourth to a third of his available working time during the
year, and contractors’ organizations, material manufacturers, and
others connected with the industry suffer similarly. Constructive
remedies based mainly on what has been accomplished in various
communities were evolved, and the suggestions are being carried
out in many communities.
The building code committee prepared for publication its reports
on Masonry Walls and Floor Load Requirements and made sub
stantial progress on other reports. The plumbing code committee
issued its Recommended Minimum Requirements for Plumbing in
Dwellings and Similar Buildings, and indications were that its
rovisions would be utilized in many State and local plumbing codes,
n most localities where there are already plumbing codes its adop
tion will permit savings of from $50 to $200 per house over present
practice, at the same time giving better assurance of safe and sani
tary systems. The advisory committee on zoning published A Stand
ard State Zoning Enabling Act, on which acts adopted in at least
13 States have been wholly or largely based. It is expected that the
general use of this will simplify the legal status of zoning in the
United States.
Increasing use has been made by the construction industry of the
building-material prices and other current statistics which have been
collected and published. Members of the division prepared the

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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

articles' on “ Construction ” and “ Construction materials other than
lumber ” for the Commerce Yearbook.
How to Own Your Home, a 28-page pamphlet for the guidance
o f home seekers, was published in September and has had a sale
approaching 300.000 copies; in addition, sections of it have been
very widely reprinted in newspapers and periodicals. At the close
o f the year a study of home financing was commenced. With the
incorporation of Better Homes in America as an independent or
ganization for public service, and the transfer of its headquarters
to Washington, cooperation with it became closer. In May, “ Dem
onstration homes ” were conducted in several hundred cities and
rural communities.
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

The investigation of orifice meters for the measurement of large
quantities of natural gas has been continued and is nearing comple
tion. All measurements will be finished within the next few months,
and the calculations and preparation for publication will be com
pleted within the present year. A closely related problem, namely,
the test of large volume gas meters, is also well under way. This
work is being carried out in Chicago in cooperation with a joint
committee of the American Gas Association and the Natural Gas
Association of America.
Good progress has been made in the work on precision screw cut
ting and the construction of a precision linear dividing engine for
graduating short scales and gratings. A screw of the required accu
racy has been completed, and the bed, carriage, and other parts of
the dividing engine are well under way. When completed this
machine, it is hoped, will be capable of producing precision rulings
over an interval of 20 centimeters (8 inches), with an accuracy of
better than one-tenth of a micron.
Nineteen master scales and 1,019 commercial track scales, dis
tributed over 37 States and the District of Columbia, were tested.
The number of tests completed represents an increase of 13.9 per
cent over the best previous year, accomplished without increase of
funds, equipment, or personnel. It did, however, involve a practi
cal discontinuance of certain other vitally important work, for
example, the design and improvement of large capacity weighing
equipment and the development of specifications and tolerances.
Of the track scales tested 56.9 per cent passed the tolerance pre
scribed by the bureau for good performance. This represents a sub
stantial improvement over the figures for 1923 and is the highest
percentage of satisfactory performance since the work was begun
in 1911. Since this work was first undertaken there has been a con
sistent improvement from 38.2 per cent for the first year to 56.9
for the year just closed.
Circular No. 154, National Standard Petroleum Oil Tables, has
been completed and has been accepted by the Bureau of Mines,
Bureau of Standards, and the American Petroleum Institute. The
use of these tables will eliminate the confusion and uncertainty that
have heretofore existed as a result of the use of two conflicting
hydrometer scales.
A detailed study of sieves and sieve cloth, in cooperation with
manufacturers of standard sieves, has resulted in a noticeable im-

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in this product which is widely used in the test of Portfmovement
and cement, sand, and other finely divided materials of importance
in engineering practice.
Through the activities of the gauge section the bureau has been
unusually successful during the past year in establishing contacts
with the manufacturing industries and in applying its facilities to
the solution of problems of industrial importance. This has been ac
complished through cooperation with the National Screw
Thread Commission, the Sectional Committee on Plain Limit Gauges
for General Engineering Work, and the Gauge Steel Committee.
A research on the density of denatured alcohol, carried out at the
request of the Treasury Department, was completed and furnished
information necessary for the proper supervision and control of the
preparation and distribution of denatured alcohol for industrial
purposes.
Work on dental inlay materials, carried on under a research as
sociate arrangement, is well under way and when completed will
cover this field in the same thorough manner as the field of dental
amalgams was covered four years ago.
The 1924 annual conference on weights and measures was prob
ably the most successful one every held. Bread-weight legislation,
both State and national, was discussed at length as a result of the
recent decision of the United States Supreme Court on the Nebraska
standard-weight bread law; specifications and tolerances for fabricmeasuring devices were adopted; existing codes of specifications and
tolerances for weighing and measuring devices were modified in the
light of experience, and further action was taken in the development
of specifications and tolerances for vehicle tanks and taximeters.
The usual large amount of testing work was done by those sec
tions in which this work naturally falls: namely, length, mass, and
capacity and density. "While this work has been kept as nearly up
to date as our limited personnel would permit, an objectionable delay
in some cases has been unavoidable. This delay acts as a check upon
the quantity of apparatus submitted for test, and tends to restrict
a line of the bureau’s work which could to advantage be allowed to
increase to several times its present volume.
ELECTRICITY

An important part of the bureau’s work in electricity is concerned
with fundamental investigations of electrical standards from which
the working standards used by manufacturers of electrical apparatus
are derived, and several fundamental investigations are in progress.
A new determination of the ohm in absolute units, a determination
of the ratio of the international to the absolute henry, and the design
and construction of an absolute electrometer for measurement of
voltages up to 250,000 are well advanced.
The accuracy of radio-frequency standards and measurements was
materially increased during the year, and the broadcasting and
other stations were directly aided in holding their frequencies con
stant by the establishment of standard frequency stations, by meas
urements of station frequencies at the bureau laboratory, and by the
transmission of standard frequency signals from the bureau sta
tion WWV.
15808— 24--- 10

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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

Two advances in radio beacons were made. One was the com
pletion of the development of a directive system which enables a ship
or aircraft to follow a specific course with the aid of ordinary re
ceiving apparatus. The other was the construction of a low-power
beacon apparatus which will be placed in service on buoys and may
become an important new aid to navigation.
In cooperation with Government and manufacturing interests,
the electron tubes used in radio and methods for testing have been
standardized. Applications of the tubes have been made in numer
ous practical radio receiving problems.
At the request of the Bureau of Entomology, Department of Agri
culture, a cooperative investigation has been begun on the electric
effects which are produced when insecticide dust is sprayed over a
field. There seems to be considerable evidence that the electrified
condition of such dust may increase its effectiveness and thus ma
terially reduce the amount and cost of the poison which must be
used per acre.
An investigation of nondestructive testing of wire rope, for which
appropriation was made by Congress, has been actively prosecuted.
The magnetic method of testing appeared to be most promising and
has received a great deal of study as a nondestructive method for
testing iron and steel products. It was at once recognized, how
ever, that no magnetic method has yet been developed which gives
results that are unambiguous and capable of definite interpretation.
It was therefore necessary to make investigations of a basic and
fundamental nature to establish the relations between magnetic prop
erties of wires used in wire rope and the effect of the various causes
of deterioration in wire rope arising from service conditions. A
study of the effect of mechanical stress on the magnetic properties
of steel wire has been completed, and an investigation of the effect
of wear is nearly completed, while work is in progress on the effects
of fatigue and corrosion. The design and construction of apparatus
for field tests have been begun.
The surveys of the Government’s telephone service in the District
of Columbia and in the field, under the auspices of the Bureau of
the Budget and under direct supervision of the chief coordinator,
have been continued. An additional annual economy of $6,777 was
effected over the $62,000 reported last year, thus bringing the total
annual economy as a result of the survey work up to nearly $69,000.
In addition there was a single saving of $2,831.50 which, added to
previous single savings, makes a total of $7,590.74. There are in
sight additional economies of nearly $26,000 per annum. In no
case has the quality of telepone service been impaired as a result of
the bureau’s work.
Important progress has been made in the revision of the National
Electrical Safety Code and the preparation of the Aeronautical Safety
Code, the Safety Code for Elevators, the Code for Protection Against
Lightning, and the Code for Colors of Traffic. Signals. The National
Safety Code for Logging and Sawmill Operations was published
during the year as No. 5 in the bureau’s handbook series, and is ap
proved as an American standard by the American Engineering
Standards Committee.
The second edition of Circular 56, Standards for Electric Service,
was published early in the year, and a survey of street-lighting prac

BUREAU OF STANDARDS

141

tice in municipalities of 10,000 population and over is nearing com
pletion. The second annual conference of engineers of public-utility
and railroad commissions was held in March and attended by engi
neers representing 16 States.
In 1922 an extended and continuing investigation to determine the
causes and mechanism of the corrosive action of various kinds of
soil on underground pipes was started. About 13,000 specimens
have been buried in 46 typical soils throughout the United States
selected by the Bureau o f Soils, Department of Agriculture. Dur
ing the year about 900 specimens have been uncovered and returned
to Washington for examination and study. Results so far obtained
indicate that in certain soils in the South and Southwest initial corro
sion of iron and steel is rapid.’ It has also been found that lead is
seriously corroded in a few localities.
A cooperative investigation with a special committee of the
American Society of Civil Engineers on impact in highway
bridges has been carried on for some time. A 12-element electric
strain gauge has been constructed under the bureau’s supervision,
and field tests are now in progress at Ames, Iowa.
HEAT AND POWER

A conference with the standardizing laboratories of England, Ger
many, and the Netherlands followed by correspondence through
the international Bureau of Weights and Measures has led to sub
stantial agreement as to a uniform international temperature scale.
This agreement probably will be formally ratified in the near future.
A research on the properties of saturated steam and water, under
taken with the cooperation of the American Society of Mechanical
Engineers and now well under way, is designed to yield data of high
accuracy on fundamental physical constants, while at the same time
the data will find immediate application in the solution of modern
problems of steam engineering.
A completed research on the lire resistance and general effective
ness of curtains used in theaters to close the opening between the
stage and the auditorium, in case of fire on the stage, has developed
conclusive information as to the types of curtains necessary to afford
adequate protection to the audience.
There has been a national awakening of interest in the importance
of adequate braking systems on motor vehicles. A recording and
an inspection decelerometer were developed at the bureau to permit
measurements of the braking ability of automobiles. Representa
tives of the bureau have been invited to explain and use these
decelerometers at demonstrations in several of the larger cities. The
result has been increased information among city officials and the
public, which will promote greater safety of traffic.
A research has shown that heavier grades of gasoline could be
used in average service with resulting economy in the operation of
motor vehicles throughout the country, except for certain limiting
factors, such as crank case oil dilution and starting difficulties. These
are being studied with a view to an increase in economy of motor
transportation.
Routine testing of instruments and materials makes basic stand
ardization work available to the industries and the public. Work

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REPORT OP THE SECRETARY OP COMMERCE

of this nature has outgrown the facilities provided for it with the
resulting necessity of refusing work urgently needed by the indus
tries and of holding tests on hand for long periods. This has led
to very severe criticism from the industries involved. It is of utmost
importance that more adequate facilities be provided.
The disastrous explosion which occurred in one of the altitude
test chambers in September emphasized the need and suggested pos
sibilities of modifications in the design of these units which would
further reduce the chance of a repetition of such an accident. A
special appropriation of $72,000 has made it possible to remodel the
equipment embodying the important added safety features. When
this work is completed the operating staffs of the three altitude test
units will be safeguarded so far as can be foreseen from the danger
of explosions occurring within the chambers.
OPTICS

Certain physical and chemical properties, such as valency, atomic
volumes, expansion coefficients, boiling points, .etc., exhibit periodi
cities in the system of chemical elements. Very recently emission
arc and spark spectra have been shown to possess similar periodic
characteristics throughout the eight groups of elements. Last year
we announced for arc spectra the verification of the alternation law
which states that even and odd groups of spectral lines alternate
across the periodic, table. This year we have announced the verifica
tion of the displacement law which states that the spark spectrum
of any element resembles in structure the arc spectrum of the ele
ment just preceding it in the column to the left.
Rowland’s epoch-making table of solar spectrum wave lengths,
which has been standard for more than 30 years, was recognized as
inaccurate at least 20 years ago. In cooperation with the Allegheny
Observatory, we have undertaken a complete standardization of the
solar spectrum, based on the international system of units. A por
tion of the spectrum in the blue and violet was measured this past
year with a precision of about 1 part in 5,000,000. This program is
planned to cover a period of 11 years so as to reveal any variation
which may arise during a sun-spot cycle.
For many years one of the most important needs in the manu
facture of sugar has been an accurate and a practicable method for
the determination of the amount and character of color in the various
stages of the processes utilized. The problem has recently become
more acute because of the development and introduction of new
decolorizing carbons. Intensive study of the subject has been made,
beginning with the fundamentals of color measurement and their
application to the sugar industry, and involving the combined physi
cal and chemical characteristics of the materials used in the fac
tory. 'Phe reason for the failure of the methods of color estimation
now in use has finally been determined. The spectral character of
the color of the actual sugar liquors obtained during factory opera
tion has been accurately determined, with the result that heretofore
inexplicable difficulties encountered in factory processes have been
explained. From the facts developed, what appears to be a prac
ticable and relatively simple method of color measurement in the

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143

sugar factory has been worked out. The results obtained promise
to be of unusual value to the carbohydrate industries.
It is believed that the long-existing troublesome uncertainties of
heterochromatic photometry have finally been conveniently elimi
nated by the design of a rotatory dispersion colorimetric photometer.
This instrument measures the relative intensities of two different
light sources under conditions of an exact color match, and also
serves for the color grading of light sources.
The most .complete and accurate investigation so far made of the
aberrations of photographic lenses, covering the spherical aberration,
departure from the sine condition, astigmatism, curvature of field,
distortion, axial and lateral chromatism of 41 different high-grade
objectives, was completed. From the results conclusions can be
drawn regarding the uniformity of photographic lenses as commer
cially produced and the types of correction which are characteristic
of the different objectives.
The application of the principles of thermal radiation to roofs
and canopies, on the one hand, and to heaters, on the other, has
aroused much interest as indicated by the volume of correspondence
on that subject.
A quantitative investigation of the germicidal effect of ultra
violet radiant energy has been made, which deals with the amount
of killing as affected by wave length and intensity of the radiation,
and also time of exposure. One of the important results of this
investigation is the conclusion that waves longer than heretofore re
ported are found to be germicidal, if the time of exposure given is
sufficient.
It is gratifying to note the increase in sensitiveness and quality of
some of the photographic plates and films during the last two years.
We believe this is due, in part, to the publication of the character
istics of domestic plates and films (Scientific Paper No. 439). Many
of these products nave been more than doubled in speed.
About two years ago this bureau ruled for a leading manufacturer,
by interference methods, some 6-inch master scales sufficiently accu
rate to eliminate the use of correction charts. This company reports
the release from the necessity of applying corrections to be highly
gratifying and urges the bureau to expedite its plans for ruling
larger scales with similar precision.
CHEMISTRY

The work of the chemistry division has included the usual great
variety of tests and investigations. A large number of specifications
have been prepared, covering bituminous roofing materials, rubber,
inks, and typewriter ribbons. Thousands of tests have been carried
out on bid samples and deliveries of Government purchases, resulting
in the saving of large amounts of money to the various departments.
A process has been developed for the rapid and economical recla
mation of gasoline used in dry-cleaning establishments, and the
method is now in successful operation in several plants. The suc
cess of this undertaking was largely due to the close cooperation of
the industry with the bureau, and illustrates the value of the bureau’s
research associate plan.

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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

Nine new standard samples were prepared, standardized, and dis
tributed, and four exhausted samples were renewed during the year.
'1 his is an unusually large number and involved a great deal of work
on the part of the bureau and the. cooperating analysts.
Several new refined and routine methods for inorganic analysis
were developed, and a number of methods for the analysis of the
alloys of the platinum metals were worked out.
In the field of electrodeposition, work on the general principles of
“ throwing pow er” (the ability of an electroplating solution to de
posit in recesses) has been continued. The general distribution and
throwing power of various typical nickel-plating solutions have
been determined. This research has also afforded valuable informa
tion upon cathode potentials and current efficiencies in nickel solu
tions.
An apparatus for the analytical separation of gases into their con
stituents by fractional distillation has been developed and has proved
of great value in the study of a standard method for the determina
tion of gasoline in natural gas, which has been carried out in coop
eration with the Natural Gas Association.
This division has also developed apparatus for the absorption
of gases in liquids. This is capable of showing definitely the course
of a reaction lasting not more than one-tenth of a second.
A critical review of the literature dealing with the relations be
tween densities, pressures, and temperatures of gases has been pre
pared. This publication is especially designed to be useful to the
general public without sacrificing scientific 'accuracy or complete
ness.
Several methods of testing gas appliances have been developed to
meet the need for better protection of the public against poisoning
by carbon monoxide. The application of these methods to the study
of appliances already has been of great assistance to many manu
facturers.
MECHANICS AND SOUND

An investigation of elevator interlocking devices, requested by the
city of Baltimore, was continued through the past fiscal year. E f
fective elevator hoistway door interlocks would, according to sta
tistics, eliminate about three-fourths of the elevator accidents fatal
to the public. While most modern elevator codes make the use of
such devices mandatory, at least for passenger elevators, the ap
proval of the particular devices used has been based principally on
a visu'al inspection. The purpose of this investigation is to develop
test methods for determining the fitness of such devices by actual
reliability performance tests. The formulation of test requirements
for each of several operating conditions has been further developed,
and a number of additional devices have been tested. The results
have shown very’ definitely the inadequacy of a visual inspection.
Another result has been an increase in the number of interlocking
devices which may be considered as acceptable in the present state
of the art. The manufacturers have been quick to apply the in
formation developed and to redesign their apparatus where this has
been shown necessary.
A comprehensive investigation of wall and floor construction which
will prevent sound from being transmitted appreciably from one

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145

room to another is now under way, the experiments being conducted
in a sound chamber especially constructed for the purpose. Measure
ments are made through panels sealed into a corresponding opening
in the large sound chamber. The first measurements have been made
with panels simulating present-day wall construction, both lime and
gypsum plaster being used. The work is being carried on in co
operation with the National Lime Association and the National
Gypsum Association.
In cooperation with the Coast and Geodetic Survey, a method has
been developed for locating accurately the position of a surveying
ship when the visibility is so poor that the coast can not be seen. The
method employed involves the combined use of acoustic and radio
signals. A small bomb is exploded near the ship, the instant of the
explosion being recorded on a chronograph on board. The sound
wave produced by the bomb is picked up by underwater micro
phones located at two or more known positions along the shore.
When the sound signal reaches the microphone it is automatically
sent back to the ship by radio, where the instant of its arrival is
l’ecoi’ded on the chronograph. In this way the time inquired for
the signal to travel from the ships to each shore statioxx can then
be found by multiplying the time by the speed of sound in sea water.
W ith this infonnation the position of the ship can be quickly de
termined. The method is now in daily use by the Coast and Geodetic
Survey in connection with sounding operations off the Pacific coast.
Formerly surveying opei’ations w’ei’e often limited to five or six
days in each month, due to the visibility being so poor that the
shore stations could not be seen.
In cooperation with the National Advisory Committee for Aero
nautics, measurements have been made on the aerodynamical char
acteristics of airfoils at high speeds for the purpose of obtaining
data for use in designing airplane propellers. The investigation was
made at the Lynn Works of the General Electric Co., where large
centrifugal compressors were available for supplying a high-speed
air stream. Measui'oments were made on six airfoils at varying wind
speeds, which in some cases approached the speed of sound. The
aerodynamical characteristics of the airfoils at high speeds were
found to be radically different from those obtained at low speeds,
and it is believed the results will be of marked value in propeller
design.
An extended investigation is in progress on the strength of 8 and
12 inch masonry walls, constructed from common and medium brick,
sand-lime brick, and building tile. Three kinds of mortar are also
being tested, including lime mortar, cement mortar, and a mixture
of lime and cement in equal parts. Test walls 9 feet high and 6 feet
long are constructed, allowed to age GO days, and then loaded to
failure in the 10,000,000-pound testing machine. The results will
provide definite information regarding safe loads for different types
of wall construction.
During the year the 10,000,000-pound vertical testing machine
(the largest testing machine in the world), which had been moved
from the old branch laboratory at Pittsburgh, was set up in the
Industrial Building. The large Emery high-precision machine was
moved from the basement of the West Building to the Industrial
Building, this being a particularly difficult job because of the relative

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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

situation of the two structures and the great weight and size of some
of the parts.
The 600,000-pound machine from Pittsburgh and the small Emery
machine were also set up in their new locations in the Industrial
Building.
A ll this work was carried out by the bureau’s staff, and the re
sults have been highly satisfactory.
Progress has been made in connection with the investigation of
welded rail joints. Tensile tests have been made in the large
Emery machine, and the anvil and other equipment for the repeated
impact tests have been installed. The circular test track, however,
has not been built as yet, because of the high cost of construction.
In cooperation with the Bureau of Construction and Repair of
the Navy Department a study of stress distribution and elastic action
in riveted ship-plate joints has been started.
Work is in progress on the standardization of builders’ hardware
for Government as well as private use. Surveys are being made to
insure the adoption as standard of those items found in general
commercial production. The Advisory Committee on the Standardi
zation of Builders’ Hardware, consisting of representatives of the
prominent manufacturers in this field, in cooperation with the
Bureau of Standards, has completed the first stage of standardiza
tion work by preparing and adopting a comprehensive report on
builders’ hardware which, on a conservative basis, eliminates 26
per cent of the items manufactured in 1922. One of the outstanding
accomplishments of this work is the setting up and adoption of 29
standard finishes in place of 100 nonstandard finishes formerly
used. Standard finish samples are held at the bureau for reference.
STRUCTURAL. ENGINEERING, AND MISCELLANEOUS MATERIALS

In cooperation with the Portland Cement Association, the joint
committee on concrete and reinforced concrete, and a committee
of concrete contractors, a very thorough field test was carried out
on two major building operations to establish a means of intro
ducing into practice some of the improvements in the technique of
concrete making which recent researches have indicated to be de
sirable. The investigation also gave very interesting results as to
the quality of the concrete which was being made on these jobs
from hour to hour. In general the results showed that a very high
quality of concrete was obtained. In the one case the average strength
of the 1:6 concrete was 2,200 pounds per square inch at 28 days, and
in the other job the concrete of the same proportions, but of different
materials, gave 3,150 pounds per square inch. The maximum varia
tions of the daily averages of strength were 23 per cent below and
34 above the grand average in the one case, and from 47 per cent
below to 30 above in the second case. While these variations may
seem large, yet, in general, they were less than had been predicted
for work carried on under these conditions.
Two other notable pieces of work were those dealing with the
workability of concrete mixtures and with colorless waterproofing
materials for stone in particular. The data obtained in the lastnamed work indicate that those materials which utilize paraffin.

BUREAU OF STANDARDS

147

aluminum stearate, or mixtures of paraffin with china wood oil give
good waterproofing values when properly applied. A special fea
ture of the work in connection with the study of the workability
of concrete mixtures consisted of incorporating various admixtures
into the concrete mixtures and noting the effect of these. The
results show that the workability of a concrete mixture is about
equally benefited by 1 part of celite, 2 parts of kaolin, or 3 parts of
hydrated lime such as used in these tests, if the consistency as meas
ured by the flow table is kept constant. These mixtures in the pro
portions used did not seriously affect the strength of the 1 :2 :4 or
leaner mixtures.
Because of the testing of all the cement for the Muscle Shoals
Dam, the total quantity tested by the bureau was considerably greater
than last year, the total being 1,293,158 barrels. In addition to this
testing of cement, a very large amount of testing of concreting mate
rials was carried on for the other Government bureaus.
The final results from the investigation to determine the compara
tive durability of chrome and vegetable-tanned sole leather indicate
that it would be economically advantageous to utilize the superior
wearing qualities afforded by the chrome method of tanning, and
that this might be accomplished by developing methods of rapidly
retanning chrome leather with vegetable tanning materials in order
to secure the desirable properties other than relative wear which the
chrome-tanned leather does not possess. There is no question, how
ever, that the chrome-tanned leather gives decidedly better wearing
qualities than vegetable tanned. The investigation of synthetic tan
ning materials has shown that it is possible to obtain some excellent
learners, possessing good color, firmness, flexibility, and great
strength, but lacking in that fullness and weight required of certain
heavy leathers. It is believed that this desired fullness can be
obtained by developing the correct method of applying these newer
tanning agents.
A second paper on power losses in automobile tires (Technologic
Paper, No. 240) has been issued. These losses have been determined
on a large number of tires and the comparative results are given for
the 3y2, 4, and 5 inch sizes, both cord and fabric. The analysis of
the results showed that the carcass is responsible for the greater part
of the loss. Tests made on about 20 of the new balloon type of tires
show that the rolling resistance is greater than for high-pressure
tires when each is operated at its recommended pressure.
In connection with the study' of the heat-retaining properties of
fabrics, in addition to the measurement of heat transmission, the
permeablity of the fabrics to air and water vapor was determined
because of the effect which it might have upon the passage of heat
through it. As a consequence three different sets of apparatus
were designed and sufficiently perfected to be considered finished
pieces of laboratory apparatus. However, not enough types,of fab
rics have been studied to permit drawing general conclusions, but it
has been shown that the apparatus would be satisfactory for this
purpose.
The apparatus for testing the wearing qualities of textiles has
been modified so that it is now possible to use it for testing a wide
variety of textiles on the market. It has been used during the past
year for a study of the effect of changing the number of plies in

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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

serges, with tlie yarn size and weight of fabric remaining the same.
This particular investigation showed that there was a material d if
ference in the abrasion of a 2-ply yarn over single yarns and also
that the effect of repeated stress was materially changed when the
number of plies in the yarn differed. Some overcoatings and car
pets which had been specially treated were compared on this ap
paratus with the untreated samples and showed the superiority of
the former over the latter. A short study of the effect of reworked
wool in wool fabrics was made and showed that it was possible to
use reworked wool in fabrics and secure a fabric which would wear
better than one containing all virgin wool.
A study of foreign and domestic clays as paper fillers was made
and included the determination of the amount'of clay retained in
the paper, the quality of the paper produced, and a study of the
physical properties of the clays that might influence the paper
making process of the finished product. The results show that
with the proper manipulation of the paper-making machinery the
amount of the domestic clay retained in the paper and the quality of
the paper containing the domestic clay are, in general, the same as
the foreign clay. However, the color and the amount of grit favor
the foreign clay.
The rapid increase in the use of gypsum products led to an in
vestigation of gypsum, its manufacture into the large variety of
commodities in which it now appears on the market, and the service
obtained from these. The effect of the composition of the original
gypsum on the propertes of the plaster and studies of gypsum
hollow tile, wdth particular reference to the relation of absorption,
expansion, compressive, and transverse strength, were two of the
major problems investigated.
A number of plaster failures have been investigated. The cause
was generally found not in the material itself but the attempt to use
it without a proper knowledge of its qualities and of the variation in
the material which may be present from time to time. There is
marked evidence that the industries selling these materials would
accomplish a great deal of good through their service departments
by a system of education for the workmen covering the use of the
commodities they are placing on the market.
METALLURGY

One new major project of fundamental importance, the study of
the atomic structure of metals by the X-ray spectrograph, has been
instituted. All other major projects are continuations of investiga
tions previously begun.
Of these, the work on the standardization of methods for testing
the resistance to corrosion of metals and alloys and the collection of
experimental data on the subject is of prime importance. This work
has been carried on in cooperation with the American Society for
Testing Materials.
Next in industrial importance is the study of the properties of
metals and alloys at high temperatures. Engineering calls for in
creased use of metallic materials at high temperatures and pressures,
and the data necessary are rapidly being collected in cooperation with

BUREAU OF STANDARDS

149

the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American
Society for Testing Materials.
Gratifying progress has been made, in cooperation with the Naval
Gun Factory, on the work with high-speed steels and on the machineability of steel.
The very fundamental problem of gases in metals has received
much attention and real progress has been made. Very interesting
results have been obtained in the work for the Joint Committee on
Sulphur and Phosphorus in Steel.
In cooperation with the Gauge Steel Committee and Army and
Navy progress has been made in the work on the durability and per
manence of gauges.
The work on covering materials of all sorts with metallic coatings
by spraying, primarily for the Army and Navy, has had marked
success. A special portable truck carrying a self-contained metal
spray outfit has been rigged up for the Army Air Service. Several
spray guns have been built and delivered to different branches of the
Navy and several very useful applications of metal spray to Navy
problems have been worked out.
The work on the preparation of pure platinum and of special
refractories for the melting of platinum has continued with steady
success.
In the study of metallic material which has failed in service or
in connection with questions which can only be answered by metal
lurgical study, work has been done for the Naval Gun Factory,
Panama Canal, Veteran's Bureau, Post Office Department, National
Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, Emergency Fleet Corpora
tion, many branches of f ile Army and Navy, and the Department of
Agriculture. For example, a method for the restoration of obliter
ated identification marks on revolvers used by criminals has been
worked out and has been a real aid to justice.
CERAMICS

Work ha6 been started to obtain physical-chemical constants for
the study of clays for specific purposes, and also applicable in
processes of their purification, and constants for the regulation of
clay bodies for forming the various ceramic wares. The first phase
o f the work related to the degree of acidity or alkalinity of the
water phase of the clay-water system, as determined by the hydrogen
electrode. At the present time the problem is being attacked from
a slightly different viewpoint, namely, that of removing the con
tained soluble electrolytes from the clay and studying the qualities
o f the resultant purified clay.
A ll ceramic wares must in some part of the process of manufac
ture have removed by drying treatment the water used in working
up the clay. The resistance of different clays and bodies to giving up
this water varies very markedly, and the effect upon the mechanical
properties of the body also differs greatly. As a consequence, one
o f the most important phases in the manufacture of ceramic ma
terials is the drying process, yet this has never until now been
studied systematically. The work along this line at the bureau has
been concerned with determining the effect of the drying treatment
on the strength and other physical properties of the ware. Data

150

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

have been obtained on the rate of moisture diffusion through clay,
the rate of removal from the surface, and the rate of temperature
rise within a body while being dried under different humidity con
ditions. It was noted that, in general, the removal of the last per
cent of water increased the dry strength from 50 to 100 per cent.
Approximately 5,000 samples of glazing glass (2 by 18 inches) of
various types were tested for strength by transverse loading and im
pact. The modulus of rupture varied from 5,000 to 13,000 pounds
per square inch and the Young’s modulus from 550',000 to 16,670,000
pounds per square inch, depending upon the type of glass. Tests
were also made on 12 by 12 inch pieces of glass mounted in frames
and loaded at the center. The results show that the strengths of
these sheets approximate very closely that which may be concluded
from the strengths obtained by testing transversely strips 2 by 18
inches when tested as a beam supported at two ends.
A progress report on specifications for refractories, with special
reference to stoker-fired boiler settings, has been prepared. The data
were obtained in testing 42 brands of representative refractories,
which were obtained through the cooperation of Stone and Webster
from various power-plant installations. The results indicated that a
refractory which would successfully withstand 15 quenchings from
850° C. to running water also had a softening point equivalent to at
least that of cone 32; that the per cent linear change in the en
durance test would not exceed 2 per cent, and the deflection in the
same test, when transversely loaded, would not exceed 0.3 of an inch;
that the per cent absorption after the constant volume test would lie
between 6 and 10 per cent; and that the refractory should contain
not more than 4 per cent flux and 20 per cent uncombined quartz.
A short investigation which was primarily a study of the relative
value of clay and high alumina refractories was also carried out
with some refractories for rotary cement kilns.
The results of a series of tests on slabs of hollow tile with rein
forced concrete ribs indicated that the bond between the concrete and
the tiles was sufficient to cause the tiles to assist materially in taking
both bonding and shearing stresses. "When medium or hard tile were
used it appears that the shells of the tiles which are in contact with
the concrete are as effective as an equal width of concrete.
A t the suggestion of the Hollow Building Tile Association the
bureau has undertaken a study of the efficiency of hollow tile and
brick extrusion machines. This rather complex problem is now
under way, and the apparatus and equipment necessary for a study
of the various types of auger machines are being developed. The
preliminary study of the problem shows that one of the principal
difficulties will be the development of the necessary apparatus. This
is due to the crudeness of the machines and to the difficulty in
obtaining a constant maximum load torque for a sufficient length of
time to make observations.
The relation between enamel composition and such properties as
strength and acid resistance, as well as the effect of the relative coeffi
cients of expansion of the ground and cover coats on resistance of
the enameled ware to impact and thermal shock, have been studied
and the results published.
There is an increasing use of the wet process of enameling in the
industry. However, the technique and the compositions required for

BUREAU OP STANDARDS

151

this type of enamel are not well known. As a consequence, the bu
reau in connection with a commercial plant carried on an extended
piece of work which has been published in Technologic Paper No.
246. A number of compositions were worked out which have given
very satisfactory results in the factory on such pieces as oven and
broiler fire doors, oven-burner plates, Hue doors, brackets, and other
types of cast-iron ware.
THE OFFICE

During the year the office expended and accounted for funds aggre
gating $1,804,930, including $136,705 by transfer or reimbursement.
Personnel actions involving 1,616 staff changes were handled for the
836 bureau employees, the staff status records being maintained up
to date. The turnover by separation amounted to 33 per cent for
the scientific, 37 per cent for the clerical, and 25 per cent for the
•onstruction employees, respectively.. The bureau editorial com
mittee received and considered 298 manuscripts prepared by mem
bers of the bureau staff for publications; 69 new publications on
bureau researches were actually published. In addition 26 technical
letter circulars and 12 technical news bulletins were prepared and
distributed; 130 publicity items were prepared in the office for the
newspapers. A new system of announcements of new publications, a
revision of the bureau’s mailing list, and a new policy with respect
to document distribution received careful attention during the year.
The resulting system has been found practical and effective, in service.
A ll bureau publications will be placed upon sale by the Superintend
ent of Documents and sales stock maintained as long as the demand
continues.
With the new accessions of the year just ended, the bureau’s scien
tific library now contains 27,000 volumes and receives 646 technical
and scientific periodicals from all parts of the world. Its book
circulation has increased 20 per cent. The bureau’s library is espe
cially rich in primary sources in physics and the special technologies
within its field. For the procurement of the special equipment and
supplies, much of it unique or highly specialized, a technical cata
logue library of 16,000 scientific, engineering, and industrial cata
logues is maintained under the care of an experienced procurement
clerk. During the year 5,275 special orders were placed, in addition
to requisitions for restock of staple supplies; 6,500 vouchers were
audited and prepared for payment; and 2,580 pieces of scientific
apparatus and other equipment were accessioned and placed in serv
ice. A total of 15,964 shipments were prepared and dispatched,
consisting largely of scientific instruments tested by the bureau. The
maximum freight movement was 69 tons in one day. The, daily
mail received at the bureau amounts to more than 1,000 pieces of
all kinds. During the year the bureau made 135,852 tests, an in
crease of more than 20,000. For these the necessary routine and
records are cared for in the central office. Communications between
the 17 buildings in the bureau group is maintained by messenger
service and telephone system. The latter includes a central switch
board with 10 trunk lines, 1 tie line, and 300 active telephone sta
tions in the various buildings.

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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

OPERATION AND CONSTRUCTION

During the year some new equipment, such as carbon-dioxide
recorders for the boiler flue gases, two transformers for electric
furnaces, and a new vacuum pump, were installed.
New electric wiring was supplied in some of the laboratories, and
the necessary repairs were made to plumbing and fixtures.
Work is well advanced on a new concrete stairway to connect the
group of buildings on the hill with the Industrial Building, and a
concrete road back of the East Building was completed. Several
smaller construction jobs were also carried out, and the usual work
was done on improving the bureau’s grounds.
The regular construction work in connection with scientific instru
ments and apparatus was carried out in the bureau’s shops. Lenses
and glass laboratory equipment and photographic services were
likewise furnished.
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
PERSONNEL

The new reclassification schedule became effective on July 1, 1924.
This undoubtedly will be of considerable benefit to a portion of
our personnel. On the other hand, since the total appropriations for
the bureau remain at almost the same figure as for the year just
closed there will be some reduction in the staff. It is to be expected
that this tvill be reflected in the total amount of work turned out
during the coming year, although it is also probable that the in
creased salaries, especially of the scientific and technical staff, will
make for greater stability and contentment and thus result in a
correspondingly greater output per individual.
It is hoped that next year the Congress will feel able to provide
sufficient funds to make up at least the deficit in personnel brought
about by the inadequacy of funds to provide completely for reclassi
fication.
During the year most of the important vacancies were filled in
the scientific staff, including the position of chief of the division
of metallurgy, but a number of resignations have taken place which
have seriously affected the work.
ADDITIONAL LAND

As pointed out in previous reports, the main entrance to the
bureau's property is through privately owned land. The land be
tween the present site and Connecticut Avenue should be acquired
in order to give a proper entrance and to make provision for future
development. Since this land is rapidly increasing in value, it is
in the interest of economy to purchase it at the earliest possible
moment and particularly before it is built upon.
POWER PLANT

The urgent need for a new central power plant to supply the
bureau still exists. For several years the bureau has been forced

BUREAU OF STANDARDS

15a

to get along with a very inefficient and decentralized mechanical
plant, consisting of the original power plant designed to supply
two buildings, two additional boiler plants for heating, and numer
ous pieces of electrical machinery scattered through the various
buildings.
The efficiency of such an installation is necessarily very low, and
in addition there are certain disadvantages brought about through
the peculiar nature of the bureau’s work. For supplying the needs
of a scientific laboratory power supply must above all things be
continuous. This is never the case when power is bought from a
commercial concern and transmitted over a long distance. Often
valuable results are lost through failure of the power, and the fact
that this has to be taken into consideration in designing a large
part of our laboratory apparatus greatly complicates the work.
CARE OF BUILDINGS

The number of janitors, laborers, and watchmen necessary prop
erly to care for the buildings and grounds is entirely inadequate.
There is actual danger in this situation and it should be remedied
at once. The safety of the valuable buildings and equpiment of the
bureau is often dependent on this service, which is now very much
below the standard set for ordinary office buildings belonging to the
Government, in which no unusual risks are housed.
TRANSFER OF MAINTENANCE OF THE BUREAU’S BUIED1NGS

It is hoped that the transfer back to the bureau’s jurisdiction of
the maintenance, custodial, and operative services of the bureau’s
plant may be consummated this year. The Superintendent of the
State, War, and Navy Department Buildings, after a survey of con
ditions at the bureau made at the suggestion of the Director of the
Bureau of the Budget, agrees that this should be done. As pointed
out last year, the operation of the bureau’s plant is so complex and
so intimately interwoven with the laboratory services that a division
of control and operation is a practical impossibility.
NEEDED SUPPORT FOR TEST WORK

An increase of more than 125 times its initial volume has taken
place in the testing work of the bureau during the 23 years of its
existence. During the first fiscal year—that is, up to June 30. 1902—
there were completed 1,055 tests of all kinds, while during the year
just closed 135,852 tests were conducted.
Most of these tests were executed for other branches of the Gov
ernment, practically every branch making use of the facilities pro
vided, but a great deal of testing is also done for commercial firms
and for individuals, over 40,000 test folders, covering over 600,000
such tests, for which a charge is made, having been issued since the
founding of the bureau. The Government work is given precedence,,
however, and in some cases all testing except that for the Govern
ment has had to be refused because the demand exceeds the facilities
for doing the work.

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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

The inability to meet this demand is unfortunate. It is very desir
able for the bureau to carry out certain tests for outside parties,
not only as a means of assisting American industries and citizens
but because the information so gained is of value to the bureau.
The bureau has no intention of entering into competition with com
mercial testing laboratories, but there are certain classes of work
which it is considered desirable for it to undertake because the
results would be of public benefit. A t the present time over 85 per
cent of the scientific instruments used in the United States are manu
factured in this country. There has been a tremendous extension of
the use of instruments in all fields of industry. In the meantime the
bureau’s facilities for testing these types of apparatus have not been
materially increased and the American manufacturers have been
greatly handicapped by their inability to get adequate service from
the bureau in developing and testing their instruments. In certain
lines American manufacturers have beeii compelled to adopt unsatis
factory substitutes for adequate tests, and in some cases they have
even had to send instruments abroad and to Canada for test.

The Bureau of Standards itself was established as the result of an
insistent demand that our manufacturers be made independent of
other countries for precise measurements, and it is highly desirable
that the testing service of the bureau keep pace with the scientific
and industrial development of the country. This testing service is
not a severe drain on the Treasury, as fees are charged which prac
tically cover the cost of such tests. The fees, however, are required
by law to be turned in to the Treasury, while an appropriation must
be secured to pay for the work.
I therefore recommend that more adequate funds be made available
for this important service.
Very truly yours,
G eo rg e K . B

u rg ess,

Director Bureau of Standards.

B U R E A U OF FISH E R IE S

ep a r tm en t of C o m m erce,
B u r e a u o f F is h e r ie s ,

W ashington, J u ly 1, 1921^.
lio n . H

erbert

oover,

Secretary o f Commerce.
D e a r M r . S e c r e t a r y : In resp o n se to y o u r re q u e st I f u r n is h the
f o llo w in g co nde nsed re p o rt u p o n the w o r k o f the b u re a u d u r in g the
p a st y e a r :

The demands upon this service have increased with great rapidity.
This is to be expected in view of the great extent of our fisheries;
the multiplicity of the problems arising in the fields of fisheries
conservation, biology, technology, and propagation; the awakening
of the public conscience to the importance of keeping our water
areas stocked with aquatic lif e ; of freeing the waters from pollutants;
of rehabilitating the runs of salmon, shad, and sturgeon; and provid
ing for an adequate supply of such shellfish as oysters, crabs, and lob
sters. The bureau has recognized the need for economies in Gov
ernment expenditures and has also endeavored to meet the increased
demands upon its service through improvements in operations and
the centering of its activities on major projects.
The appreciation of the Congress of the importance of the fishery
problems is reflected in the conservation measures enacted into laws
during the first session of the Sixty-eighth Congress, and the con
sideration given to other measures touching upon this field. There
were four major enactments affecting the fisheries, all of which re
ceived the support of the department, as follow s:
1 . The act for the protection of the fisheries of Alaska, approved
by the President on June G, 1924.
2. Ratification of the North Pacific halibut treaty by the United
States Senate on May 31, 1924, and the passage of the enabling act,
approved by the President on June 7, 1924, to put into effect the
terms of the treaty.
3. The act to protect navigation from obstruction and injury by
preventing the discharge of oil into coastal navigable waters of the
United States, approved June 7, 1924.
4. The act to establish the upper Mississippi River wild life and
fish refuge, approved June 7, 1924.
ALASKA FISHERIES

In 1923 Alaska fishery problems received special study and in
quiry by President Harding, Cabinet members, and Members of
Congress. Every effort was made to secure a proper understanding
of the condition of the fisheries of the Territory, whose overexploita1530S— 24--- 11

155

156

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

tion, primarily through lack of adequate laws, had been repeatedly
called to the attention of Congress. It was largely as a result of
first-hand information thus acquired that the real seriousness of the
situation was realized and ultimately resulted in the passage by
Congress, and the approval by the President on June 6, 1924, of a
new Alaska fisheries act giving broad powers to the Secretary of
Commerce.
The new law gives authority to the Secretary of Commerce to
create areas in which fishing may be limited or entirely prohibited
in any of the waters of Alaska. Under this authority the Secretary
may fix the size and character of nets, boats, traps, or other gear
or appliances to be used; limit the catch of fish; and make such regu
lations as to time, means, methods, and extent of fishing as he may
deem advisable. Under the former act of June 26, 1906, authority
existed to limit or prohibit fishing only within streams and within
500 yards outside their mouths. The authority to extend such limi
tations as may be necessary to any waters of Alaska is of vital im
portance in perpetuating the salmon fishery of that Territory, which
in various places has suffered seriously through overfishing. It is
provided that every regulation made shall be of general application
within the particular area to which it applies. Specific authority
for the arrest of persons and the seizure of property is also contained
in the new act.
Under date of June 21 , 1924, new regulations were promulgated
creating eight fishing areas in Alaska in which fishing is limited or
prohibited. Features of these regulations include the extension of
the weekly 36-hour close season to periods from 48 to 84 hours in
certain sections, limitations upon size of mesh, and in south
eastern Alaska the creation of 20-day close periods and the entire
prohibition of fishing in 12 specific places. Following the approval
of the new law the Executive orders previously issued creating the
Alaska Peninsula and the Southwestern Alaska Fisheries Keservations were revoked, and all permits issued by virtue thereof were
canceled.
The number of persons employed in the fishery industries of
Alaska in 1923 was 25,246, the active investment was $60,039,677,
and the total value of products was $38,678,825. The output of
canned salmon was 241,713,456 pounds, or 5,035,697 cases on the
basis of 48 one-pound cans each, valued at $32,873,007, an increase
of approximately 10 per cent in both quantity and value, as compared
with the preceding year.
The salmon runs at Ivarluk, Chignik, and Alitak Bay were studied
and counts made of the number of fish ascending to the spawning
beds. These counts will hereafter form a basis for the limitation of
commercial fishing in these waters, as the new fisheries act of June
6, 1924, provides that where the number in a run may be counted or
estimated with substantial accuracy there shall be allowed an escape
ment of not less than 50 per cent of the total.
An investigation of the clam resources in central Alaska was made
in 1923, attention being directed chiefly to Cook Inlet and the region
around Cordova. The woi-k will be continued in 1924 and extended
to other sections.
The treaty of March 2, 1923, between the United States and Great
Britain, and the act of June 7, 1924, to carry out its provisions for

BUREAU OF FISHERIES

157

the protection of the halibut of the North Pacific Ocean are of
particular interest to Alaska, whose coastal waters are fished exten
sively for this species.
ALASKA FUR-SEAL SERVICE

Computations of the number of animals in the fur-seal herd of
the Pribilof Islands as of August 10, 1923, indicated that there
were 653,008 seals in the herd, an increase of 48,046 animals over
1922. The total take of sealskins in the calendar year 1923 was
15,920.
In the season of 1923 about 10,000 three-year-old male seals were
marked and reserved for future breeding purposes. The reserve was
in excess of the 5,000 required by law for the reason that the size
of the herd now necessitates the setting aside of a larger number of
young males to insure enough breeding animals in the future.
Two sales of sealskins taken at the Pribilof Islands were held at
public auction in the fiscal year 1924, at which a total of 22,540
dressed, dyed, and machined skins and 11 not dressed and dyed were
disposed of for a total bid price of $581,429. At the sale on October
8, 1923, 2,736 dressed, dyed, and machined skins were sold for $ 66,911. A t the sale March 24, 1924, 19,804 dressed, dyed, and machined
skins and 11 not dressed and dyed brought $514,518.
On account of the lack of demand for fur-seal skins and the low
prices obtained in 1923, a thorough survey of market conditions was
made by an advisory committee of merchants appointed by the
Secretary of Commerce. In line with their recommendations, the
sale of March 24, 1924, was held in New York City. Previous sales
by the Government had been in St. Louis.
The 888 blue and 29 white fox skins taken in the winter of
1922-23 were disposed of at public auction October 8, 1923. The
gross proceeds of the sale were $92,716. In the season of 1923-24.
787 blue and 15 white pelts were secured. Systematic work in charge
of a specialist has been undertaken for the development of the fox
herd and arrangements made for extensive feeding of animals dur
ing the winter seasons on both St. Paul and St. George Islands.
COMMERCIAL FISHERIES AND FISHERY INDUSTRIES

Fishery industries during the calendar year 1923 have, on the
whole, continued in their recovery from the severe post-war depres
sion. Landings of fresh fish at Boston were the greatest in years,
amounting to 123,962,000 pounds, valued at $5,419,000. The prices
received were better than in either of the two previous years,
although when compared with wholesale prices of other commodities
they have hardly reached the pre-war level. During the early part,
of 1924 prices have suffered a fairly serious decline, although the
amount of landings is still in excess of the average. Halibut landings
on the Pacific coast have continued to decline in the calendar year
1923, amounting to 7.805,000 pounds as against the average for the
last seven years of 12,104,000 pounds. A slight decline is also per
ceptible in the New England halibut landings. The prices of halibut
have increased remarkably.

158

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

The total production of canned fishery products and by-products in
the United States, including Alaska, in 1923, was valued at $85,148,0(50, as compared with $71,855,640 in 1922. This would indicate
a gratifying growth, but when viewed in detail the condition of the
canning industry presents a rather checkered picture. The salmon
pack on the Pacific coast was gratifyingly increased over previous
years. The prices have suffered some. The same is true of the
sardine pack on the Pacific coast, which, in terms of price, has
suffered even more severely, and this industry may be said to be in a
rather critical position. The east coast sardine pack is slightly
below that of 1922 and appreciably below the pre-war level, with a
gratifying increase in price. The tuna pack in California has shown
a remarkable increase both in quantity and in price. The increase
in production was accomplished by the utilization in large quantities
of less desirable species, and the extension of the fishery on a large
scale into Mexican waters. The proportion of the highly desirable
white-meated tuna has steadily declined through the last three years
or more, due to the failing supply. The production of canned shell
fish and fishery by-products has increased both in amount and value.
Thus, the fishery industries present, on the whole, a very satis
factory condition. There are, however, certain features in various
of the industries based on fisheries that are not so satisfactory. The
Bureau of Fisheries in fostering the fishing industries has directed
its efforts toward improving these features as well as toward the col
lection of such statistics as are of importance to the fish trade and to
the conservationists in indicating the trend of our fisheries.
The California sardine industry is not in a flourishing condition
as is attested by the decline in price of its product during the last
three years. However, a change in the method of preparing the
fish should make it possible to develop a domestic market and help in
exitending foreign outlets, thus bringing about a favorable reaction
upon tho price of this product. Attention has been directed to this
feature for the last several years, and the technological work, aimed
at the development of a new process, is reaching a satisfactory cul
mination. A new method consisting of a continuous hot-air baking
process of preparing fish for the can has been developed, thus doing
away with the objectionable fry-bath oil. This process has passed
through the small-scale and semicommercial stages of experimenta
tion. The industry is taking advantage of these results and in
stallations are being planned which promise to bring about a com
plete change toward improvement of the products at no greater cost
of production. Incidental to these investigations many principles
of fundamental nature in the preparation of fish for canning have
been evolved, which should prove to be of vital importance to the
science of fish canning.
Technological work on the preservation of nets has been carried on
for the past few years; the results have been published and made
known to commercial fishermen, resulting in the adoption of copper
oleate as a net preservative. Its use has already passed beyond our
own borders into other countries.
Further problems in the canning and salting of fish, utilization of
by-products, and marketing are urgently demanding attention. It
is planned to attack these problems as soon as possible with the
limited personnel and funds available.

BUREAU OF FISHERIES

159

In the past, difficulty lias been experienced in marketing the catch
of abundant well-known food fishes, thus hampering the growth of the
industry. American housewives as a rule lack specific knowledge
of the delectable qualities of many of our abundant fishes, and are
not skilled in the many attractive ways of preparing fish; nor are
they acquainted with many of the nutritive properties of fish as
food. The bureau has cooperated in many ways in an attempt to
remove these obstacles to a more general consumption of fish. Spe
cial attention has been given through lectures, demonstrations, and
the dissemination of informative matter to the better acquainting
of our housewives with this valuable food. Especially successful
work has been conducted in Boston, New York, and Chicago.
Marine foods have certain health properties of importance and
interest to the dietitian and the general public when accurately de
termined and adequately understood. For example, investigations
conducted in the fishery products laboratory of the bureau have
proven that sea foods are unusually rich in iodine, some shellfish hav
ing 200 times as much iodine and most marine fish 50 times as much
iodine as ordinary foods. Marine animals and the oils of fish have
certain constituents, such as vitamins, which are of unusual advan
tage in promoting good health. For example, cod-liver oil contains
an abundance of the antirachitic vitamin and oysters of the anti
scurvy vitamin. The bureau is cooperating with investigators in
examining these questions more closely.
The United States is both a large importer and exporter of fishery
products. Information on the condition of the fisheries and markets
in foreign countries competing with domestic products is of special
interest to our own producers. As the bureau has lists of firms en
gaged in the various manufacturing phases, it is able to establish di
rect contact with the different groups in supplying specific and valu
able information. During the past year, the salt-fish trade, sardine
and salmon canners, and others were supplied with such information,
about 3,000 individual market letters being mailed during the year.
Many expressions of appreciation for this service have been received.
The statistical program has been carried on as in previous years.
The landings of fish by vessels at the ports of Boston and Gloucester,
Mass., Portland, Me., and Seattle, Wash., were collected and pub
lished monthly. The arrangements with the Bureau of Agricultural
Economics of the Department of Agriculture, for the monthly publi
cation of cold-storage holdings of fish collected by them was con
tinued. Statistics on the production, holdings, and consumption of
animal and vegetable oils in fish factories were collected quarterly
and furnished to the Bureau of the Census under the cooperative ar
rangement begun in previous years. The statistics on the product ion
o f canned fishery products and by-products for the calendar year
1923 were collected and published early in 1924. The annual can
vasses of the shad and alewife fisheries of the Potomac and Hudson
Rivers were accomplished and are ready for publication. The statis
tical canvasses of the Mississippi River, Great Lakes, and Pacific
coast areas for the calendar year 1923, which were begun during the
previous fiscal year, have been completed and preliminary bulletins
on the first two named were published. The compilation of statistics
on these, canvasses was very much delayed due to lack of sufficient

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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

clerical force. It is hoped to have them completed before the end of
this calendar year.
PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FISHES

W ith the recovery from the postwar depression, there lias been a
substantial growth in our commercial fisheries. Many of our impor
tant food fishes are now being fished for so intensively that there is
grave concern regarding the future of these fisheries. The number of
our people who are enjoying our outdoor recreational advantages is
rapidly increasing. The automobile in particular has given a tre
mendous impetus to this movement in making accessible the hereto
fore remote places. Reclamation projects, pollution of streams, estab
lishment of dams and of recreational centers have rendered the main
tenance of an adequate stock of aquatic life increasingly difficult.
These conditions have placed a greater strain on our fishery resources,
have enhanced the importance of materially increasing the aid given
through artificial propagation by Federal and State authorities, and
have resulted in a large increase in demands upon these agencies for
eggs, fry, fingerlings, and adult fish.
The fish-cultural operations of the bureau have been directed prin
cipally to the development of present resources in an endeavor to in
crease the production of important food fishes. Many new methods
have been inaugurated in the propagation of fish in the hatcheries
and in the collection of eggs of commercial species, in an effort to in
crease the efficiency of the work without greatly increasing its cost.
A large percentage of the output of the interior hatcheries of the
bureau has been used to stock waters in the national paries, forests,
and other parts of the public domain that are under the jurisdiction
of the Federal Government. In the commercial fisheries the bulk of
the egg supply is obtained from fish taken for market purposes.
One of the most important branches of the bureams fish-cultural
work is the salvage of stranded food fishes from overflowed lands
along the Mississippi River. Flood conditions are the governing
factor in determining the extent to which rescue operations may
be conducted. The spawning season of the Mississippi River fishes
occurs in June, and if the river reaches flood stage during that month
the fish seek sheltered nesting places in the more protected parts
of the flooded lands. True to their natural instinct, most of the
adult fish return to the main channel of the river with the receding
waters, but their eggs are left to hatch in the shallow pools. The
bureau’s rescue crews follow the receding waters, removing the
young fish from these landlocked sloughs and depositing them in
the main river.
Another important work of the bureau, which serves the growing
pearl-button industry, is the inoculation of fishes salvaged in the
rescue operations with the glochidia of fresh-water mussels. The
fishes so inoculated serve as hosts and distributors of the young
mussels. This work was undertaken in an effort to maintain the
supply and afford support to a valuable industry, yielding products
valued at about $7,000,000 per annum. The demand for the adult
shells has become so great as to threaten the extinction of the mussels
in many ports of the Mississippi River drainage. The bureau’s
operations have assumed larger proportions with each succeeding

161

BUREAU OF FISHERIES

year. During the fiscal year 1024 the estimated number of glochidiu
attached to the gills of salvaged fishes prior to their liberation in
the river was 1,335,000.000.
The propagation of black bass and other warm-water pondfishes
received special attention. By means of leases from the owners of
private ponds and water rights, at points remote from perma
nent fish-cultural stations, the bureau was enabled to produce these
species in certain sections of the country at less expense than if the
fish had been shipped in from outside sources. In this manner the
available output of such fishes was materially increased.
The bureau has continued to cooperate with the fisheries depart
ments of other countries. During 1924 it donated consignments of
trout and salmon eggs, totaling 850,000, to several of the foreign
governments for replenishing depleted brood stock, and in one
instance it furnished eggs of the blackspotted trout in exchange for
spawn of the Atlantic salmon, which was not available in this
country.
The bureau* has cooperated with the fisheries authorities of the
various States along lines which have been mutually helpful, and
such cooperation has been made more effective by meeting the par
ticular requirements of the parties concerned. Exchanges of both
fish and eggs have been made and the bureau has on several occa
sions loaned the services of experienced members of its personnel
to assist State governments in the selection of suitable sites for
stations or to aid in the establishment and construction of hatcheries.
Many of the States have recently established fish hatcheries in which
eggs have been ineubated and fish propagated to meet the bureau’s
requirements, thus supplementing its work. In some instances,
States have furnished experienced help to cooperate with the bu
reau’s employees in the collection of eggs. Wherever practicable,
the cooperative work between the bureau and the States is being
placed on a permanent basis and its scope broadened.
The output of the bureau during the fiscal year 1924 was in excess
of 5,360,000,000 fish and eggs, surpassing the production of the
preceding year by a substantial margin. The following table shows
the increase in several noteworthy instances:
Species

1923

178,524,338 |
Buffalofish.............................................. ........................................................
49,000,000 !
Cisco.......................................... ..................................................................... ;
43,800
Loch Leven tro u t....... ................... ................................ . ....... ....................
100,040,000
Pike perch...................... ........ ............................ ...... ................................... .!
Winter flounder.................. ...... ........................................... ........................ 1,288,120,000

1924
305,434,823
138,300,000
4,273,800
108,301,000
2.244,290,000

CONSERVATION OF FISHERY RESOURCES

There is an awakening of the public conscience to a realization
that our aquatic resources are not inexhaustible; that some of the
most highly prized species, such as the salmons, shad, sturgeon,
oysters, and lobsters are even now seriously depleted; that adequate
conservation laws must be adopted and enforced; and that wherever
practicable our water areas should be restored to such a state of

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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

purity as will best serve public health and welfare and maintain an
abundant aquatic life. With this awakening to the needs for con
servation and restoration, there is a growing appreciation of the
importance of biological investigations and a greatly increased de
mand on the bureau and its scientific personnel to make such investi
gations. As the appropriations for this work have been reduced,
the bureau has been greatly embarrassed during the past year by
having to refuse to take up important investigations eagerly urged
by State authorities and by private persons interested in the develop
ment of aquatic resources. The greater appreciation of the value
of such work and the insistent demands that many more important
phases be taken up promptly are most gratifying.
The proper conservation of our fishery resources must depend
upon a thorough and accurate knowledge of all phases of the biology
of the aquatic animals upon which the fisheries depend. The causes
of fluctuations in the. abundance of the various food fishes must be
determined and. if depletion is shown, corrective measures must be
applied which take into consideration and are based upon such bio
logical information. It is the service of the division of scientific
inquiry to supply these data necessary for the maintenance of our
fisheries.
It has been necessary for the division to outline its program of
research with the greatest care in order that the returns from its
efforts might be of the greatest possible practical value. To this end
the work during the past year has been largely directed toward
studies of the life histories of some of the more important food
fishes—salmons, cod, haddock, whitefishes, and smelt—and of such
shellfish as oysters, crabs, clams, etc., which form a basis for im
portant aquatic products. It is primarily essential to have informa
tion relative to such fundamental facts as the rate of growth, age at
maturity, time and manner of spawning, habits of the young, feed
ing habits of both young and adults, extent and direction of migra
tions, extent to which various groups of fishes mingle, particularly
with respect to their interbreeding, and the enemies or other factors
in their environment which tend to reduce the abundance of those
fish from which we obtain our fishery products. Such investigations
as these are of primary importance in providing the necessary data
for the scientific utilization and protection of our fishery resources.
Attention has also been given to the equally important, though not
always so immediately applicable, study of oceanography and gen
eral aquatic biology. Considerable effort has also been expended in
investigations designed to improve the present methods in fish
culture.
The great salmon fisheries of the Pacific, with an average annual
domestic production of 475,000,000 pounds, constitute our most val
uable aquatic resource. A major portion of the product comes from
Alaskan waters, where the control of the fisheries is vested in the
Department of Commerce. These fisheries have been utilized exten
sively for many years, and in many places show such serious deple
tion that commercial extinction seems certain unless adequate protec
tion is given through scientifically sound measures of conservation.
During the past year tagging operations were conducted in the region
of the Alaska Peninsula similar to those carried on in 1922. A total

BUREAU OF FISHERIES

163

of 10,000 salmon were tagged. The results corroborated in every
important particular those obtained the previous year and many
new data were secured. A number of the more important spawning
areas in the regions of Bristol Bay, the Alaska Peninsula, and south
eastern Alaska were visited, and valuable information was obtained
bearing on the life histories of the salmon and on the relative num
bers of spawning fish in the various streams. Weirs were maintained
in the Karluk. Letnik (Afognak), and Chignik Rivers and an accu
rate count made of the fish ascending to the spawning grounds. These
censuses are taken for the purpose of determining the number of
parent fish which are needed on the spawning grounds in order to
maintain the run of fish at its maximum.
Other life-history studies of the Pacific salmon have been con
tinued. Scale examinations of thousands of Alaska salmon have
been made, and the results are being correlated with the results of
the tagging operations. A report dealing with the growth and de
gree of maturity of the chinook salmon taken along the Pacific coast
reveals that this taking of salmon in the ocean is extremely wasteful,
since a large proportion are small and immature and produce an
inferior product. The marking of young salmon as liberated from
the hatcheries located on the Columbia River has been continued and
four new experiments begun.
In anticipation of the further expansion of the clam and crab
industries in Alaska, an investigation of these resources was begun
during the past year, and a survey of several of the important areas
was made. Important information on the life histories of these
forms was obtained, and a report is being prepared on the clams and
clam resources of Alaska. This information has been put to prac
tical use in preparing fishery regulations.
The study of the whitefishes of the Great Lakes and related species,
representing an annual catch in excess of 40,000,000 pounds, has been
continued, and certain phases of the work have been completed.
These Great Lakes investigations represent one of the more impor
tant activities of the division of scientific inquiry.
Our North Atlantic bank fisheries are unsurpassed in importance.
The perpetuation of these fisheries is a subject of grave concern to
our people. In view of reports of depletion of the fisheries of such
important fishing areas as the North Sea. it is urgent that full knowl
edge of the conditions on the banks adjacent to our own continent
be available.
Additional emphasis has been placed on the study of the life his
tories of the cod, pollock, and haddock, of the great fishing banks oil
the New England coast. Extensive tagging operations were con
ducted, beginning in April, 1923, for the purpose of determining the
extent and direction of migrations of these fish. A total of 10,000 tags
were attached, mostly on cod, and 218 tags had been recovered by the
end of the fiscal year. Although the number of returns is compara
tively small, significant results were obtained indicating that the
cod found on Nantucket Shoals during the summer remain there
until the fall, then migrate southward and westward to points be
tween Rhode Island and New Jersey, returning to Nantucket Shoals
in the spring. In addition to these tagging operations, a study of
the age and rate of growth as shown by the scales has been under

164

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

taken and satisfactory progress is being made. This work is being
closely coordinated with similar work conducted by the Canadian
Government.
The investigation of the plankton of the North Atlantic south of
the Gulf of Maine has been continued and a comprehensive re
port dealing with the seasonal distribution of the plankton in the
region of Woods Hole, Mass., has been completed. In this work par
ticular attention is given to larval fishes, their distribution, habits,
migrations, and food. The effect of various physical factors is also
being studied.
A hydrographic and biological survey has been conducted in Long
Island Sound and a report is nearing completion. The primary ob
ject of the survey has been to secure information bearing on the prob
lems of oyster culture and the valuable oyster industry of this
region. It has been shown that the serious depletion of the oyster
resources in Long Island Sound are due to pollution and
to overfishing of the natural oyster beds close to shore. Spe
cial attention has been given to the causes of the heavy
mortality of young oysters which occurs periodically in Great
South Bay, Long Island, and to methods for the artificial
propagation of oysters. Reports on the results obtained from
the experiments on artificial propagation and on the general situa
tion as regards oyster culture in Long Island Sound and Great
South Bay have been published.
The bureau’s studies in fish pathology are designed primarily to
aid in the important work of artificial propagation and are con
fined to the diseases affecting both young and brood fish at the
various fish-cultural stations. Important advances have been made.
The life history of an important intestinal parasite which causes
heavy mortality among trout has .been worked out and the prospect
is encouraging that improved methods of caring for fish may render
the loss from this disease insignificant. Studies on the nutrition of
fish have yielded valuable results and practical use of the informa
tion has been made. These bear especially upon the vitamin content
of the fish foods in common use at fish-cultural stations and of the
results of a deficiency in the vitamin content.
The experiments and investigations relating to mosquito control
by means of fishes were continued for the purpose of determining
the effects of seasonal variations with respect to temperature and
rainfall. Experiments were commenced to cast further light upon
the true value of top minnows (Gambusia) as agents for the control
of mosquito production under a variety of conditions. As in pre
vious years, this work has been conducted in cooperation with the
United States Public Health Service and the Board of Health of
Augusta, Ga.
Other important investigations which have been brought nearly
to completion are those dealing with the salmon and smelt of the
New England States, a comprehensive study of the fisheries and
hydrography of the Gulf of Maine, the hydrographic and biologi
cal survey of Chesapeake Bay, and an investigation into the nature
and extent of the fouling of ships’ bottoms. This last-mentioned
study is being conducted in cooperation with the Bureau of Con

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BUREAU OF FISHERIES

struction and Repair of the Navy Department. At the request of
the Government of E l Salvador, Central America, a survey of their
fishery resources was made by one of the scientific assistants and a
report submitted. In cooperation with the Fisheries Conservation
Board of North Carolina, work has been begun on an investigation
of the mullet and shrimp fisheries of the South Atlantic and Gulf
States.
Very truly yours.
H

en ry

O 'M

a lley,

Commissioner of Fisheries.

LIGHTHOUSE SERVICE

ep a r tm en t of C o m m erce,
B u r e a u o f L ig h t h o u s e s ,

Washington July 1 , 192/j.
Hon. H

erbert

oover,

Secretary of Commerce.
D

ear

M r. S e c r e t a r y : In response to your request, I furnish the

following condensed report upon the work of the service during the
past year:
MORE IMPORTANT ACTIVITIES OF THE LIGHTHOUSE SERVICE
DURING THE YEAR

Four additional radio fog-signal stations were established during
the year on lightships at Boston, Mass., Nantucket Shoals. Mass.,
Swiftsure Bank. Wash., and Columbia River, Oreg., a total of 11
such stations being in operation at the close of the fiscal year, with
3 additional light vessels equipped for relief. A new lightship now
ready for service on Five Fathom Bank. N. J., was also equipped
for use as a radio fog-signal station, and the further extension of
this system is planned. Investigations have been carried on for the
improvement of radio aids to navigation. Tests have been made of
tube transmitters for radio fog-signal stations, developed to take the
place of the spark transmitters in use, and other plans developed for
increasing the efficiency of the radio fog signal as an aid to naviga
tion. The tube transmitter was placed in service April 23 on Am
brose Channel Lightship and is in successful operation. Increased
interest in radio fog signals has been shown by mariners and ship
owners during the year, and the system is now in practical use by a
large number of vessels. Favorable reports and comments by mar
iners have been received as to the value to navigation of these
signals.
At the end of the fiscal year the Lighthouse Service was maintain
ing a total of 17.288 aids to navigation, a net increase of 395 during
the year. Of the total aids, 6,115 are lighted and 8,678 are floating.
There are 674 aids in Alaska, an increase of 24 during the year.
Progress was continued in extending the automatic system of
operating lighted aids. During the year 75 attended lights were
changed to automatic and 72 new automatic lights were established.
At the end of the fiscal year 43 per cent of all coast and lake lights
were automatically operated, at greatly reduced cost of maintenance
and without loss of efficiency, as compared with lights attended by
keepers.
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BUREAU OF LIGHTHOUSES

167

Some portions of the personnel of the service have long been in
urgent need of readjustment of salary schedules, as has been set
forth fully in previous annual reports. An important step toward
such relief is the enactment of the classification act of March 4, 1923,
which was made effective in the District of Columbia July 1, 1924,
and for the field service to a restricted extent. The results of this
act and the principles and methods it establishes for the adjustment
of the difficult problem of fair compensation are of great value in
improving the civil service.
The following are the more notable lighthouse construction works
during the year: Construction was commenced of the important new
light and fog-signal station at Cape Spencer, Alaska. The stations
at Guard Island and Point Retreat. Alaska, were rebuilt and much
needed powerful fog signals were installed. The construction of a
light and fog signal on Sabine Pass Jetty was completed and the
station put in commission. Further progress was made on the project
for improving aids to navigation on Raritan Bay, N. J. Work was
also in progress on projects for improving aids to navigation on the
Hudson River, N. Y.. and reinforcing the foundations of various
light stations on Middle Atlantic coast waters which have been
weakened or endangered by action of the sea. Various other im
portant items of lighthouse and depot construction or improvement
were completed or in progress during the year, as detailed elsewhere
in this report.
Five new lightships, having modern equipment, were completed
and placed in commission on important stations on the Atlantic
coast. The new vessels were much needed to replace old vessels
which were worn out and unsafe for service. A new tender for
service on the Ohio River and tributaries was also completed and
will be placed in commission at an early date.
One of the new lightships, equipped with radio fog signal, as well
as a powerful steam whistle and a submarine oscillator, was placed
on Nantucket Shoals, Mass. The new vessel was specially designed
and equipped for this station, which is probably the most important
lightship station in the world.
The commissioner, at the invitation of the Canadian authorities,
made a brief visit to Canada toward the end of the fiscal year and
was taken on an inspection trip on a lighthouse tender on the St.
Lawrence River between Montreal and Quebec, and also visited the
headquarters of the department of marine and fisheries at Ottawa.
Canada has an extensive and up-to-date lighthouse service, conducted
under the department of marine and fisheries, in which are gathered
the activities of the Canadian Government having to do with marine
affairs other than naval. The St. Lawrence is well marked by range
lights and other aids, and various matters of interest in connection
with this system were noted. Great interest is taken in Canada in
the matter of radio aids to navigation and considerable progress has
been made.
AIDS TO NAVIGATION

During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1924, there was a net in
crease of 395 in the total number of aids to navigation maintained
by the Lighthouse Service. There was a net increase of 122 lights,
43 gas buoys, 7 float lights, 19 fog signals, and 204 other unlignted

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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

aids. On June 30, 1924, there were maintained by the service 17,288
aids to navigation, including 6,115 lights of all classes and 606 fog
signals—not including 161 buoys with whistles and 420 buoys with
bells—of which 11 are radio signals, 7 are bells operated automati
cally by gas, and 48 are submarine signals.
During the year 34 new aids were established in Alaska, including
20 new lights, 1 gas buoy, 1 gas and bell buoy, 1 fog signal, 6 un
lighted buoys, and 5 beacons. The total number of aids to navigation
in Alaska on June 30, 1924, was 674, being a net increase of 24 over
the preceding year.
Improvements in aids to navigation in the service generally have
been made during the year as follows: 46 fixed lights were changed to
flashing or occulting, the illuminant of 3 lights was changed to in
candescent oil vapor, the illuminant of 68 lights (including 1 light
vessel and 28 lighted buoys) was changed to acetylene, the illumi
nant of 41 lights (including 5 light vessels) was changed to electric
incandescent; 506 aids to navigation of various classes were dis
continued during the year. The discontinuance of further aids is
under investigation from time to time as the original necessity
for their maintenance ceases, and in that event they are promptly
put out of commission, in the case of lights, with the approval of
the Secretary of Commerce.
Fog signals were established at 10 important stations, and the fog
signals at 10 other important stations were improved by the in
stallation of more efficient apparatus. Four radio fog-signal sta
tions were established.
General repaire required for upkeep of aids to navigation in
efficient working condition were continued during the year so far
as available funds permitted, but the funds available were not
sufficient for the proper upkeep of this large amount of public
property and much important repair work was therefore deferred.
Various special works were actively carried on during the year,
including the establishment of important light and fog-signal sta
tions, the construction of new light vessels and tenders, improve
ments in systems of fixed aids and buoyage, etc.
ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION

The more important items of construction completed during the
fiscal year were the transfer of an unused keeper’s dwelling from
Ned Point Light Station to W ings Neck Light Station, Mass., in
cluding the installation of a heating system and other necessary
improvements; a wharf and three lx>athouses at Lewes, Del., for
the joint use of the third, fourth, and fifth lighthouse districts; rip
rap protection for four light stations in the fifth district; a light
and fog-signal station at Sabine Pass Jetty, La.: riprap protection
placed about Sand Island Light Station, Ala.; a reinforced con
crete bulkhead wharf at San Juan lighthouse depot, P. It.; the con
struction of a roadway at Point Borinquen light station, P. R. ; im
provements at Detroit lighthouse depot, Mich., including a reinforced
concrete wharf, the construction of an addition to the lamp shop, a
building for storage of cement and other materials, and other im
provements; placing a protective belt around the pier at Spectacle
Reef Light Station, Mich.; improvements at Chicago Harbor, 111.;

BUREAU OF LIGHTHOUSES

169

improving aids at Indiana Harbor. Ind.; rebuilding the Guard
Island and Point Retreat Light and Fog-signal Stations, Alaska.
Other important works in active progress at the close of the fiscal
year included the following: Improving aids to navigation in the
Hudson River, N. Y .; placing riprap protection about certain light
stations in the third lighthouse district ; establishing and improving
aids to navigation in Raritan Bay and connected waters, New
York and New Jersey; improving aids to navigation, Delaware
Bay entrance; repairing and rebuilding aids to navigation, A t
lantic coast, damaged by storm and ice; aids to navigation on
the eastern shore of Chesapeake Bay and tributaries; establish
ing and improving aid in St. Johns River, Fla.; repairing and
rebuilding aids to navigation in seventh lighthouse district; re
pairing and improving aids and establishing new aids to navi
gation on coasts of Florida and in approaches to Key West, Fla.;
establishing and improving aids in Galveston Bay and Houston
Channel, Tex.; improving aids to navigation at Conneaut Harbor,
Ohio, and Erie Harbor, Pa.; preparation for completing work in
Detroit River; placing a protective belt around Stannard Rock
Light Station Pier, Mich.; improving aids at Calumet Harbor,
111.; constructing keeper’s dwelling at Manitowoc, W is.; establish
ing and improving aids at Ludington, M ich.; constructing a light
and fog signal at Cape Spencer, Alaska; improvements at Coquille
River Light Station, Oreg.; improvements at Grays Harbor Light
Station, Wash.; and the construction of a light and fog signal at
Point Vincente, Calif.
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT

Important progress has been made in the installation and use of
radio fog signals for protection of navigation in fog. Investiga
tion was continued with a view to lessening or eliminating the effect
of interference. To this end a tube transmitter operating an alter
nating continuous wave was developed and tested and later installed
on a lightship. This transmitter has proved satisfactory and is
being used on other installations now under way.
Radiotelephone equipment was installed on the tender Cedar, for
use in communicating with stations equipped with radiotelephones.
Radiotelephones have also been established at two stations in the
eleventh district and preparations made for similar installations at
two other stations in that district where other means of communi
cation are not available. Radiotelephone apparatus has also been
installed at an isolated station in the eighteenth district for com
munication with a station on shore.
The extension and improvement of automatic lighting apparatus
was continued. This system has been applied economically and with
increased efficiency to minor lights heretofore operated by personal
attendants.
Primary electric batteries and small incandescent lamps for minor
lighted aids have been installed at several stations, with indications
of satisfactory service when the apparatus is finally perfected.
Experiments were made with flexible mantles for incandescent oil
vapor lights, with a view to increasing efficiency and to avoid break

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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

age in transportation and handling at stations and to reduce the
bulk of packages in shipping, and favorable results were obtained.
The hygroscopic device developed in the fifth district is now in
practical operation at Lambert Point for controlling the fog signal
and has been further perfected during the year.
The system of electric incandescent lighting developed for lightvessel illumination was improved and extended, the live new light
vessels completed during the year having been equipped with this
system of lighting.
Further improvements in the design of gong.buoys recently de
veloped was under consideration.
The installation of storage tanks for kerosene at depots and light
stations and the purchase of kerosene locally in bulk was continued.
On June 30. 1924, 322 light stations had telephone connections,
this being an increase of 7 during the year.
LIGHTHOUSE DEPOTS

The lighthouse depots are a very essential feature of the efficient
conduct of the work of the Lighthouse Service; they are the supply,
repair, and vessel headquarters for the various districts. The depots
are well distributed along the coasts of the country, but it is im
portant that various improvements be made from time to time to
facilitate the work of a growing branch of the Government. These
include closer communication between the district offices and the
main depots, at times requiring the relocation of the depots; installa
tion of railway spurs and increasing railroad facilities; keeping the
depot shops abreast of the times by installation of modern tools and
appliances; improvements in trucking facilities; improvements in
the storing of supplies and apparatus; rearrangement of wharves
and slips, etc.
The lighthouse depot at Portsmouth, Va., is the principal depot
of one of the largest lighthouse districts and is the headquarters for
five tenders and two light vessels during, the greater part of the
year. The facilities for berthing these vessels are entirely inade
quate, and the efficient operation of the vessels is much hampered in
consequence. The inadequacy of space for storing and handling
buoys causes much delay and loss. Increased facilities for this
depot are urgently necessary. Improvement of this depot is under
consideration.
Provision is also needed for improved depot facilities in several
other districts, particularly at or near Newport, R. I.; Key West,
Fla.; Honolulu, Hawaii; and New Orleans, La. Additional funds
are needed for the completion of the important depots at. Boston,
Mass.; Charleston, S. C .; and Ketchikan, Alaska.
In addition to the above there will be needed in the future a new
depot in the first district to replace that at Little Diamond Island,
which is inconveniently located; another depot at Rockland, Me.,
to break the distance between Little Diamond and Bear Island
depots; dredging at the entrance to Woods Hole depot, Mass.;
completing the improvements to wharves and providing new; storage
buildings at the general depot. Staten Island, N. Y .; rebuilding the
wharves, etc., at Edgemoor depot. D el.; an office building for the
depot at San Juan. P. R.; and improvements to the wharves at
Goat Island depot, Calif.

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171

V E S SE L S O F T H E L IG H T H O U S E SE R V IC E

REPLACEMENT OF VESSELS

Further progress has been made during the year in the replace
ment of old and worn-out vessels. Five light vessels were completed
and placed in commission, and this has resulted in a shifting of
other light vessels, permitting of condemnation of five old light
vessels which were beyond economical repair. A new river tender
was completed, and two mine planters which had been transferred
from the War Department were reconditioned for service as
tenders.
From careful estimates and examinations as to the conditions and
further serviceability of vessels of the Lighthouse Service it is
found that, in addition to those recently completed and reconditioned
and the vessels now building, seven light vessels and four tenders
should be replaced and two other tenders reconditioned within the
next five years. As it will require from two to three years after
appropriation is made before vessels are available for service, funds
should be provided now for one new light vessel, two new tenders,
and the reconditioning of two others.
LIGHTHOUSE TENDERS

The lighthouse tenders during the year have steamed a total of
477,792 nautical miles, or an average of approximately 7,833 miles
for each tender, in th$ work of maintaining buoys, carrying supplies
and construction materials to stations, supplying light vessels with
coal, water, etc., also transporting officers and employees to stations
or on inspection duty, as well as duty in cooperating with other Gov
ernment services, and the saving of life and property when occasion
required.
One new river tender, the Greenbrier, was completed during the
year, and will be placed in commission at an early date to replace
the worn-out tender Goldenrod for service on the Ohio River and
tributaries. The reconditioning of two mine planters was also com
pleted. These will be placed in commission at an early date in the
first and second districts.
The act of January 5? 1923, appropriated $240,000 for construct
ing, purchasing, or equipping lighthouse tenders and light vessels
and the act of May 28, 1924, appropriated $100,000 for the same
purpose. It was necessary to use both of these amounts for the con
struction of a river tender urgently needed to replace the Oleander,
worn out in service, and a contract was made for the construction of
a new tender for this purpose. At the end of the year 6 tenders were
equipped with radiocompasses and 30 tenders with radiotelegraph;
57 tenders in all were in commission.
LIGHT VESSELS

The service maintains light vessels on 47 stations. During the
fiscal year 60 vessels were in commission, of which 13 were relief ves
sels, and they averaged 261 days on station per vessel. Many of
these light vessels have passed the age of useful service, and some of
15308— 24----12

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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

them are in such condition as to be not worth the cost of repairs.
Five were condemned during the year. Of the vessels in service 41
have self-propelling machinery and 18 are provided with sail power
only. One has no means of propulsion.
The five new light vessels, Nos. 106 to 110, constructed under the
appropriation of $1,000,000 made by the act of March 4, 1921, were
completed and placed in commission during the fiscal year on the
stations assigned, except No. 108 and No. 110, the former being used
as a relief vessel temporarily and the latter being placed on station
after the close of the fiscal year.
New light vessel No. I l l , the hull of which was constructed by a
company to replace a light vessel sunk by a barge, was launched on
June 14, 1924, and was towed to the general depot at Staten Island,
N. V., where the Diesel propelling machinery and auxiliaries will
be installed and the vessel completed. This light vessel will proba
bly be assigned to Northeast End Lightship Station, N. J.
Radio-communicating apparatus was maintained on 30 light-vessel
stations and 11 relief vessels during the fiscal year. Fourteen light
vessels are equipped with radio fog-signal apparatus. A submarine
oscillator has been installed on light vessel No. 106, stationed at
Nantucket Shoals, Mass.
SAVING OF LIFE AND PROPERTY

Incidental to the regular work of the service, many opportunities
arise for rendering aid to those in distress because of the location of
the light stations and vessels. During the fiscal year 125 instances of
saving life and property or rendering valuable aid were reported,
often at a great risk to the lighthouse employee. Many of these
acts were especially meritorious, and the employees were individually
commended by the Secretary of Commerce.
ADMINISTRATION

The general organization of the service remained unchanged dur
ing the fiscal year.
The appropriations for annual maintenance of the service for the
fiscal year 1925 were $69,590 less than the preceding year. Efforts
have been continued toward reducing expenditures and estimates,
but the cost of materials, though reduced to some extent, has not de
clined sufficiently to permit a material reduction in funds needed for
support of the service, in view of the large amount of upkeep work,
which is becoming increasingly urgent because of inadequate funds
during the past few years. The reduction of appropriations has
necessitated the further deferring of much important and necessary
repair work which has been accumulating and which has been de
ferred for several years because of higher costs and inadequate
funds.
The classification act of March 4, 1923, was made effective for the
District of Columbia July 1 , 1924, and will be of benefit, especially
as regards the personnel in Washington which has been greatly
underpaid. Some adjustments in allocations are necessary in order
to provide equitable treatment for all employees. Classification has
in part also been tentatively applied to the field service, and adjust-

BUREAU OF LIGHTHOUSES

173

inents have been made as regards certain classes of positions. Ur
gently necessary adjustment for that part of the service whose com
pensation is limited by statute is being necessarily deferred pending
the completion of legislative action.
An adjustment of the compensation of vessel officers in the Light
house Service was made effective July 1 , 1924, in order to bring the
pa}’ of these positions more nearly on a level with that of similar
positions in the Lhiited States Shipping Board, the Lake Carriers
Association, and other shipping interests.
The eighth conference of superintendents of lighthouses was held
in Washington, January 14 to 17, 1924, and was attended by all the
superintendents of the coast and lake districts except those of the
three outlying districts. Many technical and business problems in
the work of the service were considered; the work of the conference
was conducted largely through committees designated in advance.
A revised edition was published of a pamphlet describing the
radio fog signal and the use of radio in navigation.
Systematic inspections of the service, both on its technical and its
business sides, were continued during the year. The examiner made
examinations of the office business methods and accounts, depot stores
and other property, records, etc., in some of the lighthouse districts,
and special inspections were made by the commissioner and other
officers from Washington.
Various economies in the. maintenance of the service have been
effected, the more important being the result of extending the use of
automatic apparatus for operating the lights; the installation of
kerosene tanks at light stations and depots, and the purchase of
illuminating oil locally in bulk by the various districts; the pur
chase of acetylene cylinders and other equipment in larger quanti
ties; and the discontinuance of aids to navigation found to be no
longer necessary. The development of improved apparatus and
equipment used in various operations of the service at depots and in
field work has also effected economies.
There has been effective cooperation with other branches of the
Government in many ways, and the personnel on vessels and at sta
tions are encouraged to render aid to those in distress.
Cooperation with the school authorities of various States, and
more especially Maine, has proven of much value in the matter of
providing school facilities for the children of light keepers at
isolated light stations.
PERSONNEL

On June 30, 1924, there were 5,981 persons employed in the
Lighthouse Service- including 91 technical, 154 clerical, and 5,736
employees connected with light stations, vessels, and depots. This
is a net decrease of 39 during the fiscal year. This service is
charged with the maintenance of aids to navigation along 40.580
statute miles of general coast line and river channel.
The annual report of the United States Employees’ Compensation
Commission for the fiscal year ended June 30,1923, gives the number
of reported cases of injury subject to compensation for the calendar
year 1922 of employees of the Lighthouse Service sustained while in
the performance of duty and resulting in death and disability as

174

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

follows : Cases resulting in death. G; eases resulting in permanent
total or partial disability. 3 : and of temporary total disability. 101.
This number as compared with that of all other branches of the
department combined for the period stated indicates the hazardous
nature of the field work of the Lighthouse Service. It is believed
that the authorized maximum compensation for disability on account
of injury is too low, and that congressional action is desirable to
provide a more adequate scale of compensation for employees who
have lost their earning power because of disability through injury
sustained while in the performance of duty.
The classification act of March 4. 1923, already partly effective,
will be of great value in increasing the efficiency of the personnel of
the service.
C O ST -K E E P IN G SY ST E M A N D R E SU L T S

A cost-keeping system has been continued in effect throughout the
fiscal year. The costs are based on the actual expenditures during
the fiscal year, whether of money or supplies. The information from
this cost-keeping system is useful in furnishing information as to the
disposition of all appropriations for this service, in preparing esti
mates, planning work, effecting economies, and comparing the effi
ciency of different districts, vessels, light stations, apparatus,
methods, etc.
LEG ISLA TIO N N E E D E D

PROVISIONS FOR RETIREMENT FOR DISABILITY AND OTHER CHANGES IN
LIGHTHOUSE SERVICE RETIREMENT LAW

For the persons covered by the Lighthouse Service retirement law
(act of June 20, 1918) it is very desirable that provision be made for
disability retirement. The arduous and hazardous character of
much of the work of the service, especially on vessels and at light
stations, renders the lack of a provision for disability retirement
especially serious and causes great hardship in many* meritorious
cases. Congress has recognized the justice, under certain conditions,
of providing relief for persons in the Government service who be
come incapacitated for duty. It has made provision for disability
retirement of persons in tire Coast Guard and in the Army and
Navy. In the general civil service retirement law of May 20, 1920,
there is also provision for retirement for disease or injury not due
to vicious habits. Persons included in the Lighthouse Service re
tirement law are the only ones in the military or classified civil serv
ice of the Government to whom some such disability provision does
not now apply, and legislation is needed to remedy the omission in
the Lighthouse Service law. Some other modifications in this retire
ment law are also desirable in the interest of good administration
and efficient service.
EXTENSION OF MEDICAL RELIEF FOR LIGHT KEEPERS

Light keepers are now entitled to medical relief at hospitals and
stations of the Public Health Service. These hospitals are, how
ever, inaccessible for a large number of light keepers who are sta

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BUREAU OF LIGHTHOUSES

tioned at remote or isolated points. In order that equal benefits may
be extended to all light, keepers, legislation is needed to provide
medical relief for those serving at isolated stations, and this has been
concurred in by the Public Health Service and the Secretary of the
Treasury.
OTHER MEASURES FOR BELIEF OF PERSONNEL

Legislation is needed to permit the adjustment, within a moderate
amount, of claims by lighthouse employees for loss or damage to per
sonal property, such as clothing, furniture, etc., caused by storms,
collisions, or fire at light stations, depots, and on vessels. Legislation
is also needed to give corresponding employees of the Lighthouse
Service certain necessary privileges now accorded by law to similar
services, including the purchase of commissary supplies, transporta
tion of families and of household effects when ordered to per
manently change station, and transportation on Army transports.
PROTECTION OF AIDS TO NAVIGATION

Legislation is needed for the better protection of aids to navigation.
Such aids, especially those located in the water, are often damaged
by passing vessels, and it is difficult in many instances to locate the
party at fault. More stringent requirements are necessary as to
reporting such injuries, etc. Sums received in payment of damages
should also be made available for repair of the aids damaged.
SUBSISTENCE ALLOWANCE

The present allowances authorized by law for subsistence while
traveling on official business are quite inadequate in many cases, and
persons whose duty requires them to travel are compelled to person
ally pay a portion of the necessary expenses incurred in the per
formance o f Government business. Furthermore, Congress has in
recent years recognized the increased cost of subsistence, having au
thorized higher rates of travel allowance for various branches of
the Government service, introducing unjust inequalities. There is
the same need for readjustment and equalization in this matter thar
there was in the salary schedules.
Very truly yours,
G

eo rg e

R. P

utnam

Commissioner of Lighthouses.

COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY

ep a r tm en t of C o m m erce,
C o a s t a n d G e o d e t ic S u r v e y ,

Washing ton , July 1 192
Hon. H

erbert

oover,

Secretary of Commerce.
D

ear

M r . S e c r e t a r y : In response to your request I furnish the

following condensed report upon the work of the bureau during the
past year:
HYDROGRAPHIC AND TOPOGRAPHIC SURVEYS
ATLANTIC AND GULF COASTS

Offshore and revisional inshore hydrographic surveys and topo
graphic resurveys were made at Cape Fear. N. C., along the Florida
coast, southward of St. Augustine and off Sabine Pass. Tex. Three
vessels and one tender were employed upon these surveys.
Wire-drag surveys were resumed in the vicinity of Portland
and extended southward to Biddeford, Me. This work has been in
abeyance since 1919 because of lack of funds and was again discon
tinued after the fall of 1923 for the same reason.
A survey of Lake Okeechobee, Fla., was begun in the winter of
1923-24 and will be resumed next winter. Triangulation control
stations have been established along all sides of the lake and have
been connected by primary traverse with the coastwise control
system.
The wire-drag survey of Porto Rican waters, mentioned in my
last annual report, was completed early in the fiscal year, and the
survey party with one vessel and three tenders has been surveying
the waters of the Virgin Islands. This work will be completed
during the next fiscal year.
A resurvey of Baltimore Harbor was nearly completed at the
end of the year.
PACIFIC COAST

Original hydrographic and topographic surveys were made along
the Alaska Peninsula, at Ikatan, Morzhovoi, Cold, Pavlof, Wide,
Portage, and Chignik Bays, and in the offshore areas in the vicini
ties of these bays and in Kachemak Bay in western Alaska. These
surveys were made by the personnel of two surveying vessels.
In southeastern Alaska original hydrographic and topographic
surveys were carried northward along the outside coast from the
work of last year to a point well north of Cape. Ommaney, and the
survey of E l Capitan Pass was completed.

no
V

COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY

177

The wire-drag survey of the main steamship route through south
eastern Alaska, on which the survey has been working continuously
since the World War, was completed in the fall of 1923 with the
survey of Icy Strait and Cross Sound. A special survey, requested
by the War Department to safeguard laying the new Alaska mili
tary cable, was made of Kasaan Bay and Twelve-Mile-Arm.
At the end of the fiscal year a detailed hydrographic and topo
graphic survey was in progress in Thomas, Gambier, and Pybus
Bays. On the Pacific coast offshore hydrography was resumed, first
on the southern California coast, where discontinued the previous
year, and extended northward throughout the winter, and was
then taken up on the Oregon coast in the vicinity of Cape Blanco.
One vessel was employed on this work. Three revision survey par
ties were employed during the late winter and throughout the spring
months on Puget Sound and one similar party on the Oregon coast
recovering and remarking old triangulation stations and extending
control for hydrographic surveys and locating new wharves and
structures for chart correction.
In the Hawaiian Islands one officer has been employed throughout
the year on special surveys for military purposes. This included a
hydrographic survey of Lahaina Roads, in such detail as required for
an anchorage chart for naval vessels, and a special confidential sur
vey for the War Department. For the former survey personnel,
except the chief of party, and vessels were provided by the Navy
Department ; for the latter survey the principal assistants were pro
vided by the War Department; and the chief of party and hands by
the Coast and Geodetic Survey.
In the Philippine Archipelago hydrographic and topographic sur
veys were made in the Sulu Sea and in the vicinity of Sarangani Bay.
ADDITIONAL VESSELS

In my last report mention was made of the need for additional
vessels. This has become more acute, since no additional-vessels were
provided, and the old vessels, which these were intended to replace,
are becoming less serviceable each year. In general, the survey fleet
is modern and efficient, but there are still a few of the old craft—
most of them quite small—which have outlived their effioient useful
ness and are even in some cases unsafe for further operation. Two
small vessels on the Atlantic coast—one of 472 tons displacement and
the other of 146 tons—are inefficient, weak, and costly of mainte
nance. These two could be profitably replaced by one modern vessel
of from 500 to 600 tons displacement. Three vessels of about 50 tons
displacement are urgently needed for work in Alaska as tenders to
the large survey vessels. At present the survey has two such vessels,
but both are old and weak, and it is with the greatest difficulty that
they are maintained in operation this summer. Neither is safe nor
efficient.
NEW APPARATUS IN USE

Mention was made in my last report of new apparatus just com
pleted for determining the position of a survey vessel with reference
to the shore when the latter is invisible through darkness, fog, or

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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

rain. The vessel on which this apparatus was installed, the steam
ship Guide, went to Fort Wright, Fishers Island, N. Y., and with
the assistance of Army officers stationed there made as thorough test
of the apparatus as facilities afforded. The Guide then proceeded
to the Pacific coast and began offshore surveys on the Southei'n
California coast. Some further experimental work was found to be
necessary when the apparatus was applied to actual field conditions,
but before the end of last winter it was in complete working condi
tion, and satisfactory results were obtained. Later the vessel moved
to the Oregon coast, where normal weather conditions present the
greatest difficulties for continuous offshore hydrography.
On the same vessel was installed a sonic depth finder, an apparatus
devised and constructed by the United States Navy for determining
ocean depths by measuring the time interval of a sound wave travel
ing from a sound source on the vessel to the ocean bottom and back
to the vessel. During the passage of this vessel from Connecticut
to California soundings were taken at frequent intervals by the
sonic depth finder and by standard deep-sea sounding machine of the
wire measurement type. Many additional double determinations of
depth by the two types of sounding machines were made after the
arrival of the vessel on the California coast and in connection with
the hydrographic survey of that coast. From these data there has
been developed an equation for the velocity of sound in sea water
which takes into account temperature, pressure, and salinity, and
tables have been prepared for use in ocean hydrography.
G E O D ETIC W O R K A C C O M PLISH ED

The geodetic work accomplished during the past year consisted
of the determination of geographic positions by triangulation and
traverse, precise elevations by precise leveling, astronomic longitudes
and latitudes, and values of gravity. This work was done in many
of the States and in Alaska.
In conducting the geodetic work every effort was made to cooper
ate with other Government agencies and outside agencies and in
dividuals to the mutual advantage of the bureau and those who were
assisting in the cooperative work.
The Coast and Geodetic Survey and the Geodetic Survey of
Canada have entered upon a cooperative agreement for the extension
of an arc of precise triangulation and traverse from Lake Superior
westward to Point Roberts, Wash., the end of the international
boundary between the United States and Canada, for the purpose of
furnishing a tie between the surveys and maps of the United States
and those of Canada to the westward of Lake Superior. In the divi
sion of the work along the boundary the Coast and Geodetic Survey
is operating between the Lake of the Woods and Lake Superior and
from the one hundred and ninth meridian of longitude westward to
Point Roberts. The remainder is being done by the Geodetic Sur
vey of Canada.
The Coast and Geodetic Survey and the Geodetic Survey of Can
ada are also cooperating in the extension of an arc of precise tri
angulation which will extend from Puget Sound into Alaska. In
carrying out this work a party of the survey operated during the
first part of the fiscal year in southeastern Alaska in determining the

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179

astronomic longitude and azimuth at seven precise triangulation sta
tions for use in the adjustment of the triangulation. A second party
operated during the latter part of the fiscal year in measuring pre
cise base lines for the control of the lengths of the triangulation and
in making horizontal angle observations to connect the triangulation
of southeastern Alaska with that of the Geodetic Survey of Canada
to the southward of Dixon Entrance.
The Coast and Geodetic Survey cooperated with the boundary com
mission appointed by the Supreme Court of the United States to
decide on and mark the boundary line between Texas and Okla
homa, along the Red River. The field expenses of this work, aside
from salaries of our officials, were paid from funds administered
by the commissioners. This cooperative work was of immediate
and great benefit to the commissioners, and also furnished a valu
able addition to the general horizontal control system of the country
which the survey is charged by Congress to execute.
Another important piece of cooperative work was with the offi
cials of Yavapai and Maricopa Counties, Ariz. The east and west
boundary between those two counties is defined in terms of latitude.
Attempts in the past to lay down the boundary from astronomic
observations resulted in differences of opinion as to its true location.
After correspondence with the office of the survey the county officials
agreed that the boundary should be laid down by geodetic methods,
and they requested that bureau to do the work. The field expenses
were paid by the counties.
Undoubtedly there will, in the future, be many calls on the survey
by State and county officials to survey their boundary lines and de
termine the geodetic latitudes and longitudes of the monuments.
Engineers and others who make use o f accurate geographic posi
tions realize the saving that these positions can make in their many
operations and are making great demands for a more rapid exten
sion of the triangulation net.
A line of precise levels was completed in New England extending
from Portland, Me., through Boston, to a point near the western
boundary of Rhode Island. Several spur lines were run from the
main line in the vicinity of Boston in order to furnish local engi
neers with accurate elevations based on mean sea level. Another
line of precise levels was run between Poughkeepsie and Dover
Plains, N. Y. A short line of precise levels was run from Los
Angeles to San Gabriel, Calif., to determine the exact elevation
above mean sea level of points along the Pasadena base.
A double leveling party ran several hundred miles of precise
leveling in the Yellowstone National Park during the first, half of
the fiscal year. This was done at the request of park officials, and
most of the expenses of the field work were paid by them.
The line of precise levels begun in the calendar year of 1922 at
Anchorage, Alaska, at the head of Cook Inlet, which was planned
to run through Fairbanks and thence to Valdez, was continued and
completed during the fiscal year 1923. A line of precise levels be
tween Seward and Anchorage was also completed. The leveling
connects with tide gauges at Anchorage and Valdez.
A precise tri angulation party continued in 1923 the observations
on the arc started during the fiscal year 1922 which extends from the

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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

head of Cook Inlet toward Fairbanks, Alaska. The work was taken
up again last spring and was in progress at the end of the fiscal year.
This triangulation is part of a general scheme which eventually will
be extended over the Alaskan area, following routes of travel for
the coordination of the charts of the survey and for the control of
all public surveying and mapping of the interior. The work is most
urgently requested by the General Land Office, which is laying out
public lands for settlement. That office wishes to avoid in Alaska
the great confusion which necessarily resulted in the United States
from having to use many prime meridians and base lines in layingout the public lands.
The survey cooperated with the seismological committee of the
Carnegie Institution of Washington during the fiscal year 1923, as
it had during 1922, by reobserving the angles in the precise triangu
lation system of California to detect any earth movements which
had occurred between the time the first observations were made some
30 or more years ago and the present. The preliminary results of
this work indicate clearly that certain mountain peaks and other
points on which triangulation stations had been established have
moved during the interval between the old and the new observations.
Other work during the fiscal year consisted of the determination of
the value of gravity at a number of stations in Texas for the use of
the Geological Survey in carrying on certain studies connected with
economic geology. Triangulation and traverse were extended along
the coast of South Carolina. This work was designed to establish
a number of stations to replace those established many years ago
which had been destroyed by coastal erosion, and also to strengthen
the triangulation around Charleston, which was deranged by the earth
quake of 1886. A traverse was run from the vicinity of Miami, Fla.,
to Lake Okeechobee, in order to furnish geographic positions on
which to base charts of that lake. A revision was made of the precise
leveling from Weed, Calif., to the vicinity of Seattle, Wash.

The officials of the bureau have commended in the highest terms
the help which has been rendered them by the Bureau of Standards,
eophysical laboratory of the Carnegie Institution of Washington,
bated States Naval Observatory, and the department of civil engi
neering of Columbia University. They also comment in highest
terms on the cordial relations which have existed, not only during
the year but for many years, between the Geodetic Survey of Canada
and the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey. This has re
sulted in a single system for the triangulation nets of the two coun
tries and also for the precise leveling nets.
The survey has taken an active part in the affairs of the Board of
Surveys and Maps of the Federal Government during the fiscal year.

OFFICE NEEDS AND WORK ACCOMPLISHED

After observations have been made in the field, in the triangula
tion, leveling, astronomic, and gravity work, it is necessary that
computations, adjustments, and discussion of the results be made m
the office. Although it is true that at least preliminary results can
be furnished engineers and others shortly after the field work has
been completed, it is not possible to give the results wide distribu

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181

tion until they have been finally adjusted and put into print. The
force of mathematicians and computers in the Washington office
should be increased in order that the geodetic data may be given
the public in workable form. The product can not be considered as
finished until this office work has been done.
Greater demands have been made on the survey during the past
fiscal year than ever before for the results of geodetic operations.
The computations and adjustments of the several classes of geodetic
work covered observations made in the following States, besides
Alaska and H aw aii: Arizona, California. Colorado, Connecticut.
Florida, Louisiana, .Maine. Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota,
Montana, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode
Island, South Carolina, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming.
Congress provided an item of $7,500 in the appropriation for the
fiscal year 1924 for the computation and adjustment of the triangu
lation of the Hawaiian Islands, most of which was done by the Royal
Government of the islands before annexation to the United States.
Excellent progress was made in the computation of this triangulation, and about half of the work was completed during the fiscal year.
Congress provided $5,000 for the continuation of the Hawaiian com
putations for the fiscal year 1925. A small amount o f money will
be needed in the fiscal year 1926 to complete the work and to print
the results.
For several years the estimates for the survey have included an
item for the computation and adjustment of the triangulation along
the Mississippi River which has been in existence for a number of
years. The geographic positions of the stations are on independent
datums and therefore are of little value as control points for the
Federal, State, and county surveys and maps of the 10 States touch
ing that river. An appeal was made to the Mississippi River Com
mission to adjust their triangulation into the general net of the
country, but the commission held that it was not authorized by law
to make such computations, in view of the fact that the existing data
are sufficient for all the needs of the commission. As the survey is
the bureau charged by Congress to furnish geographic positions, it
feels in duty bound to submit an estimate'for the computation and
adjustment of the Mississippi River triangulation. The bureau has
been urged to do this by a number of Government organizations.
GEODETIC SURVEYS NEEDED

The mapping of the country is a project which in the interests of
the industrial and commercial expansion of the United States should
be carried on with greater rapidity than has been the case in the past.
Even a casual consideration' will convince anyone, that all important
economic and industrial activities are dependent upon a knowledge
of place and elevation. These can be supplied only by surveys and
maps, and these in turn must depend upon fundamental control
surveys.
The survey is charged by Congress to execute a portion of the
topographic survey. That portion consists of the triangulation for
determining the geographic positions of starting points for the de
tailed survey and the precise leveling which gives the elevation above
sea level of bench marks used for the detailed leveling. This

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EEPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

geodetic work has been under way for many years, but the amount
of appropriation made annually for it is inadequate to meet the
current demands made on that bureau from various sources.
Greater appropriations have been made in the last two 3'ears for
the topographic work by the Geological Survey without any corre
sponding increase of appropriation to the Coast and Geodetic Sur
vey for the control work.
The control work should be rapidly carried out in order that
topographic maps may be made at any place where commerce and
industry demand, with assurance that when all the gaps are filled in
between the topographic maps there will not be gaps, overlaps, and
offsets between each two contiguous map sheets.
The whole control system of the country will cost only a few m il
lions of dollars, and 1 urgently recommend that this work be done
as a continuing project and carried to completion in advance of the
topographic mapping.
The United States is behind the other progressive countries of the
world in its control surveys; there are strong economic reasons why
our system should be prosecuted with corresponding diligence. The
money spent for such surveys should rightly be considered as an in
vestment which will now and hereafter bear large interest to the
public.
I f we are to have 150,000,000 people in this country in 1950 and
probably 200,000,000 not many decades after that date, this is cer
tainly the time to take stock of the natural resources of this country
in order that they may be developed, utilized, and conserved along
rational lines. The first step is to learn what we have in the form
of water power, minerals, including oil and coal, timber, soil fer
tility, forests, lands to be irrigated or drained, and this can not be
done unless there is first made an adequate topographic map such
as that now being made by the Geological Survey. I earnestly
hope that provision will be made for greater activity by the Coast
and Geodetic Survey in the extension of the necessary control system
for surveys and maps.
M A G N E T IC W O R K

Five magnetic observatories—located at Vieques, P. R.; Tucson,
Ariz.; Cheltenham, M d.; Sitka, Alaska; and near Honolulu,
Hawaii—have been in operation throughout the year, and continuous
records have been secured on the magnetographs and seismographs.
The records have been used to reduce the field results to standard
values, and they also furnish material needed in the study of ter
restrial magnetism.
The site of the observatory at Vieques, P. R., which is on private
land, must be vacated on the expiration of the lease, which is June
30, 1925. A new site is being sought on public land in Porto Rico.
The field magnetic work has been primarily resurvey work. This
has included the inspection and replacement of defective magnetic
stations for the use of local surveyors in standardizing their com
passes and the occupation of repeat stations to determine the change
m the magnetic elements. Most of the replacement work was done
in California, Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina. In
the case of North Carolina, the State cooperated so that a complete

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183

resurvey of the entire State might be carried on continuously to
completion during the next fiscal year. In California, in addition to
replacement work, a survey was made along the coast from the Mexi
can border to San Pedro, and observations were made during the
total eclipse of September 10. Kepeat stations were occupied between
Vermont and Illinois and between Nebraska and California.
A canvass of county surveyors, started in the previous fiscal year,
was continued throughout the year, so that the bureau is now in
correspondence with more than 2,000 county surveyors, an increase
of 1,000 during the year, and has received reports on the state of
preservation or 33.3 per cent of its approximately 3,700 magnetic
stations, an increase of 12 per cent during the year. The demand
for magnetic information from a great number of local surveyors
has been clearly brought out, and the bureau is now publishing its
results by States in order to meet this need.
A badly needed resurvey of the Philippine Islands will be started
during the next fiscal year and completed in the following year.
This has been made possible through cooperation with the Insular
Government.
Magnetic information is now furnished by this bureau in the
preparation of aviation maps, in the studies of difficulties in radio
and cable transmission, in the study of the atom by scientists, as
well as in the never-ceasing demand to solve the mysteries of terres
trial magnetism.
There is most urgent need for increasing the office force of the
division of terrestrial magnetism. Improved methods have resulted
in a greater output of work from the force available, but there has
been no increase of personnel for years, and the increased demand on
the part of the public has made it extremely difficult to meet the
demands made upon the division with its present personnel.
MAGNETIC SURVEY OF ALASKA

During the past fiscal year the magnetic declination was deter
mined at a large number of triangulation stations in southeastern
and western Alaska. This work makes it possible to place correct
magnetic information on the new charts of the regions which are
being surveyed.
The area of Alaska is so great that an immense amount of work
will have to be done before the magnetic survey can be considered
complete. At present magnetic stations are found only along the
main lines of travel, and there are vast areas where no observations
have been made. Observations are needed along the west coast., in
cluding the Aleutian Islands, and in the interior.
It is planned to start work in the Aleutian'Islands during the next
fiscal year, provided that transportation arrangements can be made.
The officer doing this work will also make latitude and longitude and
other observations that are badly needed in this region.
The magnetic observatory at Sitka furnishes a continuous record
of the magnetic declination, dip, and intensity. Disturbances known
as magnetic storms occur with great frequency in Alaska. These
storms are frequently accompanied by auroral displays and are ap
parently related to unusual difficulties in cable transmission and in
the operation of radio stations. The records of the Sitka Observe-

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EEPOET OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

tory furnish the data for a study of these relations. A study is also
being made of the relation of auroras to such transmission difficulties
at the magnetic observatory at Sitka.
SEISM O LO G Y

The great earthquake in Japan during the last fiscal year has
called attention to the importance of seismological investigation.
There is more concern than ordinary in this subject in the United
States and the regions under its jurisdiction. Major earthquakes
have occurred in the United States along the Atlantic coast and
Mississippi River, the Pacific coast, and in the St. Lawrence Valley;
also in Porto Rico and Alaska. During the past three years earth
quakes have been felt in 28 States, many of them in regions which
had not previously experienced them. A special investigation of
earthquakes is now in progress in California by the cooperation of
private institutions and Government bureaus. One of the aims is
the study of earthquakes in general, but the investigation is for the
very practical purpose of determining the possibility of prediction
and of designating the areas where special precautions in construc
tion should be used and where buildings of large proportions and
great dams should be avoided. In addition to the work in the Cali
fornia region, other parts of the United States should be studied.
In order to study earthquakes, instruments known as seismographs
must be operated at fixed observatories. They should be of the
highest type, continuously operated by skilled observers in order
that the earthquake records may lie correctly interpreted. This
bureau has operated seismographs at five widely separated stations
for 20 years, but as the work has been supplemental to magnetic
work, the stations have not been equipped with the instruments
which have been developed during that time.
T ID A L O B SE R V A T IO N S

The regular tidal observations at principal tidal stations of the
survey were continued during the year. Eight gauges were kept in
operation on the Atlantic coast, three stations on the Gulf coast, five
on the Pacific coast, two stations in Alaska, and one in the Hawaiian
Islands. Short series of tidal observations were made at various
points along the coasts in connection with regular hydrographic
surveys. A comprehensive current and tide survey of San Fran
cisco Bay and tributaries was made in the fall of 1923. With thecooperation of the Bureau of Lighthouses with the survey, current
observations were made on two light vessels stationed along the
Atlantic coast and two on the Pacific coast. The new' portable auto
matic tide gauge developed the past year by the survey has been
manufactured in quantity and furnished to field parties for obtain
ing tidal observations for the establishment of datum planes for the
reduction of soundings. This small automatic gauge can be in
stalled in an hour and fills the place of the hired observer in addi
tion to furnishing a better and continuous record.
SAN FRANCISCO HARBOR CURRENT AND TIDAL SURVEY

It has been recognized for some time past that comprehensive and
detailed current surveys are necessary in our large and important

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185

harbors. This has been necessary not only for purposes of naviga
tion but as v e il for predictions of the currents in connection with
admiralty cases, for which data are continually being requested of
the department, and also for the use of the Federal engineers in
harbor improvement and development. This important matter was
brought to the attention of Congress, and an appropriation of $15,000
made for the fiscal year 1923 to cover the cost of such a survey
of New York Harbor. The following year a like amount was
appropriated for a similar survey of San Francisco Harbor.
A comprehensive current and tide survey of San Francisco Har
bor was made during the fiscal year 1924, and definite knowledge
of the tide and current phenomena for that harbor is now available.
To the navigator the current tables issued by this survey are of in
valuable aid, since they inform him in advance of the time of slack
water and the time and velocity of the strength of current—
the first of considerable importance in the berthing of large vessels,
the second, in keeping account of the position of the vessel in thick
weather.
Aside from the importance of the survey to the mariner, the by
products, which are obtained at no increased cost,.are of importance
to the engineer. The Federal engineer engaged in harbor improve
ment (both of a civil and a military nature) or in wharf construc
tion, etc., can undertake his work with a better knowledge of the
current and tide conditions under which the operations will be
carried on.
The data from the survey of New York Harbor have been com
puted and the results interpreted and discussed. The manuscript of
a publication covering in detail the tide and current phenomena of
each section of the harbor is now in press. The data from the San
Francisco survey are now being computed, and after being corre
lated with the various scatered observations made at different times
in previous years the conclusions will be issued in a publication
similar to that for New York Harbor.
DELAWARE BAY AN D RIVER C U R R E N T AND TID AL SURVEY

The current and tide surveys of the various harbors are being
taken up in the order of their importance from a. civil and military
standpoint and with reference to the needs of the mariner. The
Federal engineers charged with the development of the harbor of
and approaches to Philadelphia have requested that that port be the
next taken up.
In the case of each of these current and tide surveys, conferences
are held when planning the work with the United States Engineers
in the district, and their cooperation has been freely given in every
way possible.
What has been done in New York and San Francisco Harbors in
the past two fiscal years is now planned for Delaware Bay and tribu
taries, for in addition to the value of such a survey to the Federal
engineers a knowledge of the behavior of the currents is of great
importance to shipping. Beginning in July, 1924, a comprehensive
tide and current survey is to be made in Delaware Bay and tribu
taries, and as soon as possible the results of this survey will be made
available.

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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

COO PERATION W I T H O T H E R A GE NCIES I N TID E AN D C U R R E N T W OR K

Since Seymour Narrows is in British Columbia waters, the Coast
and Geodetic Survey had no data of its own upon which to make
accurate predictions of the time of slack water, and while the straits
are not United States waters, accurate predictions of the times of
slack water of the extremely strong currents are of considerable im
portance to United States vessels plying between our Pacific North
west and southeast Alaskan ports. The Canadian Tidal and Current
Survey, with a fine spirit of international cooperation, lias provided
the survey with three months of observations made by them in the
summer of 1923. From these observations it is expected to make a
decided improvement in the value of the United States predictions
of slack water in this important thoroughfare.
Another example of cooperation in tide and current work which
has continued during this fiscal year between Canada, England, and
the United States is the exchange of predictions for a number of
orts, which are published both in the British Admiralty and the
Jnited States Tide Tables.
In order to obtain oceanographic data in the Arctic, the survey
is cooperating wi£h the National Geographic Society by the loan of
a number of current and other oceanographic instruments to Capt.
Robert A. Bartlett. Under the direction of the National Geographic
Society, Captain Bartlett is going to northern waters on a summer
cruise of the United States Coast Guard steamer Bear.
The survey is also cooperating with the Department of Operation
and Maintenance of the Panama Canal by the loan of instruments
for the observations of currents on the lighthouse tender Favorite
in the vicinity of Serrana Bank and Quita Suena Reef in the Carib
bean Sea. The information obtained will be forwarded to the survey
for analysis.
Three requests have been received from foreign countries for in
formation relative to the portable automatic tide gauge recently
developed by the survey with a view to its adoption in harbor work—
from the Harbors Board of the Government of South Australia, at
Adelaide; from the Rockhampton Harbors Board, Rockhampton,
Queensland, Australia; and from the Harbor Department of Public
Works, Rotterdam, Holland.

CHARTS AND PUBLICATIONS '

During the fiscal year the survey continued its task of furnishing
to the maritime public correct and up-to-date charts on which were
incorporated the data obtained in the mass of information reaching
this office in a constant stream from sources both within and without
the service. It also made gratifying progress in the production of
new charts resulting from the recent completion of surveys by our
field parties.
The quantity of the bureau's service is measured in the long run
by the volume of charts issued, the demand for charts being deter
mined by economic conditions. The distribution of charts in any
one year is not a measure of their value in comparison with that
of some alternative product, but rather an indication of the relative

COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY

187

activity of certain agencies of the Federal Government and of the
fluctuations in economic conditions as they affect merchant shipping
and those classes of our people who look to the sea for recreation.
The total number of charts disposed of during the year was 221,543. This total constitutes a slight increase over that for 1922 and
1923. The sales, however, are slightly less than in 1923, the increase
being in the free issue column, particularly in the issue of charts to
the Navy Department. In the improvement of the quality of our
charts we have made continued progress. Every new or reconstructed
chart which comes oft' the press results in a better quality of service
to the mariner.
u p -t o -d a t e c h a r t s

At item deserving major emphasis is the frequency with which our
charts are printed. Our coasts and harbors are undergoing ai
constant and rapid evolution. Radical changes in certain of the
areas covered by the charts are constantly being reported. The
prompt charting of these changes is considered of such importance to
the safety of navigation that it is given precedence over all other
work. In order that the charts may be kept correct with respect to
these changes, they are printed frequently in small editions.
Thus, during the year just ended, while the number of charts dis
posed of was 221,543, the average stock carried was only 89,293. The
resulting turnover of stock is 2.5 times for all charts. As a matter
of fact, the actual service rendered is even more creditable than is
indicated by these figures. For example, chart 8550. Prince William
Sound, Alaska, covers an important but unchangeable area. This
chart has been printed only twice during the last four fiscal years.
Conversely, chart 369, New York Harbor, was printed five times
during the past fiscal year and was in hand for a sixth printing at the
close of the year.
I think we may fairly assert that our service in this respect is
unequaled by any other principal maritime nation, although it is
proper to add that probably no other nation is confronted to the
same extent with this problem of rapid and constant evolution.
During the year the bureau undertook two new projects, each
representing an improvement in the quality of service to the public.
These projects were, first, charts showing results of wire-drag work
in Alaska, and, second, a new series of charts of the inland waters
from Norfolk to Key West, prepared with special reference to the
needs of motor boatmen.
WIRE -DRAG CHARTS

For some years the survey has been making wire-drag surveys
of those areas of the United States and its possessions where are
found abrupt inequalities of depth. The dangers discovered during
the course of this work have been charted promptly, and to that
extent we have afforded additional security to vessels. We have also
told the mariner in a general way that certain waters have been
dragged and the dangers discovered charted, but we have not here
tofore informed him definitely as to the areas to which that assur
ance applied.
1530S— 24--- 13

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HE PORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

During the year, therefore, the survey adopted a method of show
ing on the charts of southeast Alaska the areas which had been
swept in such a manner as to safeguard navigation. Alaska was
chosen for this first attempt, because the great depth and ample
width of channels had greatly simplified the results obtained. The
easiest task was chosen first in the hope that our experience there
might aid in the solution of the problem in more difficult areas else
where. A number of the charts of southeast Alaska have now been
issued containing this information, and it is being applied to the
remaining charts of that area as rapidly as they come up for reprint.
1N SID E-ROUTE CXI ARTS

1'he program of chart production for the year included a new
series of 10 charts showing the inside route from Norfolk to Key
West. The series was designed especially to meet the requirements
of motor boatmen cruising in this section of the coast. There has
been a tremendous increase in recent years in the number of craft
of this character.
On the series of general coast charts these waters are covered
by 25 charts ; scale, 1: 80,000. In this series the number was reduced
to 10 charts on the same scale by charting the route in strips, usually
three strips to the chai’t, thus eliminating much general detail of no
particular value to boats making this trip.
Very truly yours.
E. L e s t e r J o n e s ,
Director, Coast and Geodetic Survey.

BUREAU

O F N A V IG A T IO N

e p a r t m

e n t

o f

B u r e a u

C o m m e r c e ,
o f

N a v ig a t io n ,

W ashington, J u ly 1, 1924.
Hon.

e r b e r t

o o v e r

Secretary o f Commerce.
D e a r M r . S e c r e t a r y : In response to your request I furnish the
following condensed report of the work of the bureau during the
past year:
American shipping registered for the foreign trade and enrolled
and licensed for the coasting trade, including the fisheries, on June
30. 1924, comprised 26,571) vessels of 17,740,557 gross tons, compared
witli 27,017 vessels of 18,284,734 gross tons on June 30, 1923, a de
crease of 442 vessels of 544.177 gross tons.
Lloyd's Register of Shipping gives the total seagoing steel and
iron steamers and motor vessels owned by the principal maritime
countries on June 30, 1924, as 61,514,140 gross tons, of which Great
Britain and Dominions have 21,546,044 gross tons, and the United
States is second with 12,430,596 gross tons (excluding the Great
Lakes).
Of the total world seagoing tonnage, amounting to 32,956 vessels
of 64.023,567 gross, 912 Shipping Board vessels of 3,847,856 gross
tons and 345 privately owned American vessels of 713,681 gross tons
were laid up on June 30, 1924.
On January 1, 1924, according to the Chamber of Shipping of the
United Kingdom, there were laid up at the principal ports of the
United Kingdom 301 ships of 908,377 gross tons as against 371 ships
of 1,007,829 gross tons on January 1, 1923.
Following is a brief analysis of our shipping on June 30, 1917, as
the United States entered the war, and at the close of the fiscal year
1923, and on June 30, 1924:
Seagoing
3 (1 -

I
;
i

0ram i total

N um ber

G ross to n s

] B h ip p i n g B o a r d
! (over 1.000 gross
tons)
N um - 1
ber \! G r o s s to n s

■

20,575 j 17,710.557 : 1,339 6.290.323
1924.
27,017 1 18.284.734 1 1,498 ; 6,861,241
1920...
19
76.100
1917... .. 20. «97 ! 8.871,037 i

P r iv a t e o w n e rs
(o v e r 500 gross
to n s )
N u m -1
h er ; G r o s s to n s

1,983 i 6.244.555
2,035 ; 6,242,547
1,552 3, 564,160

Great Lake?

Num *.

All others

N um

ber
ber 1! G r o s s to n s
G r o s s to n s
2,693 2,791,204 20,560 2,414,475
2.719 1 2.758.401 20,765 ! 2.422.545
3.001 I 2.779.087 21.825 2,451,630

On June 30, 1924, there were building in American shipyards, in
cluding the Great Lakes, 222 vessels of 185,077 gross tons, as com
pared with 208 vessels of 173,305 gross tons on June 30, 1923.
480

190

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

On June 30, 1924, the tonnage under construction in the world was
786 vessels of 2,616,897 gross tons, as compared with 765 vessels of
2,543,856 gross tons on June 30, 1923. This construction on June 30,
1924, included, according to Lloyd’s Register, 1,551,671 gross tons for
the United Kingdom and British Dominions, 320,254 for Germany,
144,240 for France, and 66.654 gross tons for Japan. Of these vessels
under construction 8 are over 20,000 tons, the larger number—366—
being under 2,000 tons; the average throughout the world is a little
over 3,329 gross tons.
LOAD L IN E

It is now generally accepted that legislation on this subject is
needed; first, in the interest of safety, and, second, in the interest of
the commercial standing of our great fleet of ocean-going cargo
steamers.
There is now before Congress Senate bill No. 1319, “ To establish
load lines for certain vessels.” The subject matter of the bill being
technical, you requested a specially qualified committee of experts
to give its provisions consideration. The committee consisted of
Rear Admiral D. W. Taylor, chairman; Homer D. Ferguson, presi
dent. Newport News Shipbuilding C'o.; E. C. Plummer, commis
sioner, United States Shipping Board; David Arnott, American
Bureau of Shipping; and Hendon Chubb, marine underwriter.
This committee approved, as follows, the proposed legislation on
two broad considerations:
First, safety of the vessel ami crew and the avoidance of damage and exten
sive repair inevitable with inadequate freeboard, and, second, the fact that all
the leading maritime nations have different load-line regulations, and their
laws require foreign ships loading in their ports to comply with their several
detailed requirements unless the nation concerned has its own load-line regu
lations. The United States is now the only maritime nation of any importance
whose commerce is liable to be hampered by the lack of load-line legislation
and regulations.
As regards the first consideration, it applies more strongly to overseas com
merce than coastwise commerce, particularly to overseas commerce with the
leading maritime nations of western Europe. There is less risk in coastwise
navigation and much less risk involved in the conditions of navigation upon
our Great Lakes.
As regards the second consideration it applies solely to overseas commerce.
Obviously the great need for legislation at present is with reference to vessels
handling overseas commerce, and this most important need should be met by
legislation as soon as possible. Legislation as regards vessels handling other
classes of commerce may be deferred until the great need has been met and
experience had in dealing with overseas vessels.
* * * Since one important desideration of legislation is to put the United
States upon a par with the maritime world generally in this load-line matter
it is desirable to insure that our practice shall harmonize with that of other
nations and that the law shall express definitely the Intent that our vessels
shall not be put at a disadvantage in this connection.

You therefore approved the recommendations of the committee
that the pending legislation be amended in accordance with the
above, as well as several other minor amendments affecting the
administration of the law.
R A D IO C O M M U N IC A T IO N

Safe navigation of merchant vessels depends largely upon efficient
radio equipment, which is required by the act of June 24, 1910. It

BUREAU OF NAVIGATION

191

is necessary to inspect such equipment frequently to insure its
efficient condition and give the contemplated protection to the travel
ing public. During the past year there were 7,721 such inspections
made on American and foreign vessels coming under the above act,
as compared with (>,933 the previous year. During the same period
1,577 inspections were made of ships voluntarily equipped, com
pared with 1.124 the previous year: and 974 American ship stations
were inspected for licenses, compared with 044 the previous year.
There are 2,741 American ships equipped with radio, not including
Government vessels.
The radiocompass on shipboard provides further safety to navi
gation. The latest available records show 291 vessels equipped with
this type of apparatus, not including naval vessels of various coun
tries. It seems evident that this device will soon come into more
general use when its value is more fully realized.
Insufficient operating channels for marine service have resulted in
some congestion at the large ports where traffic is heavy, and some
way of overcoming this difficulty will be sought when the next
radio conference is held, probably the latter part of the present
summer.
To remove the intolerable interference with broadcast reception
caused by ship stations and shore stations working with ships it
was necessary to prohibit such stations using the wave length of
450 meters within the broadcasting band and substitute wave length
of 796 meters.
Broadcasting is permanently established. Experience and experi
mentation are rapidly developing and improving this service. The
success achieved in this country has encouraged many other coun
tries to utilize this important means of establishing direct contact
with the public. It is not yet possible to predict with any degree
of accuracy what benefits will ultimately accrue to the American
people as a result of this new field of endeavor in the radio industry.
Each year furnishes further evidence of its usefulness.
Class B broadcasting stations have increased during the year from
42 to 54, class A from 203 to 378, and class D from 1 to 2. There
has been a decrease in class C stations from 327 to 101. These
changes show a total of 535 broadcasting stations on June 30, com
pared with 573 a year ago. Broadcasting began September, 1921.
¡since then 1.070 such stations have been licensed, and of this number
541. or a little more than 50 per cent, have been discontinued.
There have been no marked changes in the transoceanic radio
situation. It is understood deferred service is accepted for transit
through the new station at Monte Grande, Argentina.
No figures are available showing so much as an estimate of the
number of persons employed in the radio industry. The bureau’s
records show the number of commercial operators licensed during
the past fiscal year was 3,370, compared with 2,860 the previous year.
This is the first year showing a decrease in amateur radio activity.
Last year there were 16,570 licensed amateur transmitting station's,
compared with 15,540 licensed during the year just ended.
ADMEASUREMENT OF VESSELS

During the present Congress there was introduced H. R. 8915,
“A bill to provide for the establishment in the Department of Com

192

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

merce, Bureau of Navigation, of a division of admeasurement of
shipping.”
This bill proposes to divide the country into 10 admeasurement
districts, each in charge of a man thoroughly qualified for the work.
He will be furnished with trained admeasurers, who will work under
his supervision and for whom he will be responsible. The salaries
provided should enable us to secure first-class men. When the serv
ice is established, it will form the basis for the organization of the
marine forces now under the Treasury Department, but performing
work exclusively under the direction of the Secretary of Commerce.
The necessity for this legislation in the interest of our merchant
marine is becoming more apparent. The present awkward and
unbusinesslike system of the Commissioner of Navigation perform
ing his statutory duties through the employees of another depart
ment necessarily is resulting in American admeasurement being far
below the standard of other maritime nations, involving numerous
discriminations against our vessels, delay in performing the work,
and unnecessary cost.
The proposed segregation of the services have been approved by
the President, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Bureau of the
Budget as being in the interest of ultimate economy and efficient
administration.
ENFORCEMENT OF THE NAVIGATION LAWS

During the fiscal year there were reported to the department for
mitigation or remission of penalties 8,867 violations of the naviga
tion laws, a decrease of 2,384 from 1923. From close observation the
bureau is satisfied that there is an increasing compliance with the
laws it is enforcing. This is due in pait to the efforts of our in
spection forces, and perhaps in an equal degree to cooperation by
vessel owners in the equipment and navigation of their vessels.
While the number of infractions of the law reported is still too large,
a considerable majority of the cases involve only technical violations
not involving the safety of the ship, her passengers, or cargo.
Our five inspection vessels operating along the Atlantic and Gulf
coasts during the year made 22,390 inspections and reported 4,314
violations of law as compared with 5,504 such cases during 1923.
The revenue from the activities of these small vessels con
tinues to exceed the cost of their operation. During the year
they caused to be turned into the Internal Revenue Bureau
$50,599.36 in delinquent taxes on pleasure vessels and penalties
under sections 703 and 1003 of the revenue acts of 1924 and
1921, respectively. The Commissioner of Internal Revenue in
reporting this result stated that “ the services of these officers
are valuable to the Government in this particular class of in
vestigations because of their special qualifications and facilities
for properly determining the correct admeasurement of vessels liable
to tax.” In addition to the revenue mentioned, the navigation fines
imposed and the indirect effect on internal-revenue collections render
the service more than self-sustaining. It is fortunate that this
service engaged in safeguarding life and property along the Atlantic
and southern seaboard is operated without cost to the Government.

BUREAU OF NAVIGATION

193

As stated in my report last year, it is apparent that similar results
may be obtained by an extension of Qur inspection service to the
Great Lakes, the Pacific coast, and the inland rivers. Perhaps the
most economical way this could be accomplished would be through
the employment of five qualified men—two for the Great Lakes, two
for the Pacific coast, and one for the Mississippi River and tribu
taries. Such a service should cost not to exceed $30,000 annually.
In addition to the enforcement of the navigation laws and collec
tion of internal-revenue taxes, these men would be of great assistance
in securing uniformity in the marine divisions of the customhouses
in the administration of the general laws affecting our merchant
marine. That the service would pay its way is demonstrated by the
similar service on the coast. This service has directly to do with the
safety of lives and property, and I feel justified in strongly urging
its extension.
Under the numbering act of June 7. 1918, there have been recorded
in the customhouses as of June 30,1924, 179,559 undocumented power
vessels. The value of this law is increasing with the growing need of
means for identifying these small vessels which are so well adapted
to infringement of our laws against smuggling.
M IT IG A T IO N AND R E M IS S IO N

OF P E N A L T IE S

The number of violations of the navigation law's reported from all
sources to the department for mitigation or remission has decreased
from 11,251 in 1923 to 8,867 in 1924. a decrease of 2,384. Few of
these violations were flagrant or actually involved safety to life or
property. Most of them were technical, and many could not have
been avoided even by the exercise of unusual vigilance on the part
of the master. In comparing the number of inspections with the
number of violations discovered and the technical nature of such
violations, it is evident that the policy of the department to show
leniency to first offenders is accomplishing the desired results with
out unnecessary hardship to the owners of vessels, who are showing
their appreciation of such action through cooperation and obedience
to the law. We seldom have a master reported twice for the same
offense.
S H IP P IN G C O M M IS S IO N E R S

During the year 555,633 officers and men were shipped, reshipped,
and discharged before shipping commissioners, compared with
538,755 for the previous fiscal year and 378,772 for the year 1914.
The average cost per man was 17 cents, the same as for 1923 and 1914.
Collectors of customs acting at ports where shipping commissioner
offices have not been established, shipped and discharged during the
year 58,446 officers and men as compared with 48,932 officers and
men during the previous year. American consuls shipped and dis
charged during the year 41,256 men.
Or 280,143 officers and men shipped before shipping commission
ers, 116,421 were native Americans, 41,195 naturalized Americans,
157.616 in all. or 56 per cent.
The bureau has endeavored to compile from applications filed at
the time vessels are first documented a statement of the number of
officers and men actually employed on American vessels. These fig

194

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

ures are subject to correction as trade, motive power, or rig of such
vessels change. The following, however, may be taken as approxi
mately correct: On steam vessels, 185,295: on gas vessels, 35,665;
on sail vessels, 15,887; and unrigged, 5,229, making a total of 242,076
officers and men, excluding masters manning the documented vessels
of the United States.
The signing on vessels and discharge of seamen at Mobile, A la .;
Los Angeles, Calif.; and Portland, Oreg., continues in such volume
as to warrant the establishment of shipping commissioners' offices
at those ports.
The service, even under the tentative reclassification, is seriously
underpaid. The salaries allotted to shipping commissioners are
fair, hut the amount allotted to the deputies is inadequate. They
are practically all in the minimum of their grades, the older, experi
enced deputies receiving the same pay as recent appointees to that
grade. We are endeavoring in our estimates for next year to remedy
this condition.
PREVENTING OVERCROWDING OF PASSENGER STEAMERS

During the fiscal year passengers were counted on 10,141 trips of
excursion steamers, the number of passengers aggregating 5,775,279.
Of this number navigation inspectors made 7,104 counts of 2,547,742
passengers. On 384 occasions it was necessary to stop passengers
going on excursion boats, the limit of safety having been reached.
This involved the safety of 174,098 passengers.
So far as the bureau can determine from the daily reports of the
work of this service during the present season, we are securing a
fairly reasonable supervision of excursion steamers at all of our
principal ports. The increase in the appropriation for this pur
pose during the current year has been effective.
PASSENGER ACT OF 1882

During the year 1,235 vessels entered our ports, bringing to the
United States 348,989 steerage passengers, the largest number since
1921. On 12 voyages only were violations of the law discovered,
and with two exceptions they were of a technical nature. The law
which protects the health, comfort, and morals of these passengers
is being very generally complied with but under adverse circum
stances. The habits and customs of the various nationalities do not
always conform entirely to the accepted ideas of hygiene or morals.
NAVIGATION RECEIPTS

The receipts from tonnage during the fiscal year amounted to
$1,713,432.68, compared with $1,688,786.68 from the same source last
ear. The taxes and also the navigation fees and fines are collected
y collectors of customs in the administration of laws through the
Bureau of Navigation. The receipts during the past year, com
pared with those of the previous year and 1917, the last pre-war
year, were as follows:

195

BUREAU OF NAVIGATION
Tonnage
duties

Juno 30—

Navigation
fees

f
\

¡
$1,713,432.68 ¡ $212,825.46 |
1,688,786.68 ! 221,678.56 ;
~i 1,393,743. 16 ! 159,808.03 j
'!
_______ J 1

1924_____
1923...........
1917...........

Navigation !
fines

Total

$46, 157.78 ! $1.972,415.92
36.914.62 j; 1,914,379.86
49,962.37
1,603,513.56

The accounts covering these various collections receive administra
tive examination and check in the bureau in Washington. These
various charges are imposed on American and foreign vessels alike,
and consequently do not represent a discriminator}7 tax against our
merchant marine.
N A V IG A T IO N A P P R O P R IA T IO N S

The appropriations for the bureau for the past fiscal year, com
pared with those for the years ended June 30, 1923 and 1917, were
as follows:

June 30—

Bureau

Counting Naviga Wireless
Shipping Tonnage
adjust passen
tion
service
laws
ment
gers
laws

1924.............................................
1923........ ............................ - ........
1917........................................

$12,780
42, 780
37. 780

$110,600
110,600
74. 425

$3, 760
3,760
3,000

$10,250
10,250
18, 250

$75.000
60,000
26,500

$139,200
130,000
45,000

Total

$381,590
357,390
204,955

It will be noted that the receipts of collections are about five times
the cost of operating the bureau through its direct appropriations.
These appropriations, however, cover only a part of the expenses
of the service, much of the work being performed through customs
officers acting for this bureau but appropriated for and paid through
the Treasury Department.
Very truly yours,
D. B. C a r s o n ,
Commissioner o f Navigation.

STEAMBOAT INSPECTION SERVICE

D e p a r t m e n t
S t e a m b o a t

o f

C o m m e r c e ,

I n s p e c t io n

S e r v ic e ,

W ashington, J u ly 1, 1924.
Hon.

e r b e r t

o o v e r

Secretary of Commerce.
D e a r Mr. S e c r e t a r y : In response to your request I furnish the
following condensed report upon the work of the bureau during the
past year :
TRAVELING INSPECTORS IN WASHINGTON

The three traveling inspectors, authorized several years ago, who
were to function directly under the Supervising Inspector General,
one with headquarters in Washington, one in San Francisco, Calif.,
and one in Cleveland, Ohio, have proved an increasingly effective
arm for the Supervising Inspector General to reach into the dis
tricts and obtain that uniform administration of the law with which,
under section 4403, lie is charged. It has, however, been concluded,
after mature consideration, that the efficiency of the traveling in
spectors will be increased by having them all stationed in Washing
ton, and arrangements will therefore be made to accomplish this
result.
These men will, as heretofore, be sent out to check up the work
of inspection and of investigations made of complaints lodged with
local inspectors. Another important feature in which the bureau
purposes to use the traveling inspectors more effectively is in the
investigation of complaints lodged in the central office with reference
to conditions of equipment, insufficient crews, etc., alleged to exist
on vessels.
STABILITY TESTS

Reference has been made in previous annual reports to work done
in inclining vessels. That work has been steadily increasing and,
by rules passed by the board of supervising inspectors, will continue
to increase. Up to the present time the work has been performed
by the traveling inspector with headquarters in this office. The work
has so increased that it is not now possible for him to do all of it
himself, and the bureau purposes to meet the demand, not by asking
Congress for more money, but by having the other traveling in
spectors stationed in Washington, where they can also participate in
the work of making stability tests. In a word, the work will go
forward, the ships will be inclined, and without asking more money
from Congress. This is cited as an example of efficiency and econ
omy, and undoubtedly will have your support.
196

STEAMBOAT INSPECTION SERVICE

197

EXAMINATIONS FOR LICENSES

For many years the bureau lias given consideration to examina
tions for licenses with particular reference to uniformity. Many
who are unsuccessful in obtaining license contend that the exam
inations are too rigid. Some labor leaders and men conducting
nautical schools are of the opinion the examinations are not rigid
enough and that we obtain an inferior class of officers and, inci
dentally, a greater supply than demand, resulting in the lowering
of wages. It is to be remembered that in the examination and
licensing o f applicants the local inspectors have original juris
diction, yet in the carrying out of the provisions of section 4403,
Revised Statutes, the Supendsing Inspector General has the author
ity to advise the local inspectors in such manner as to obtain
uniformity.
In facilitating business it would never be practicable to conduct
examinations in the same manner as the Civil Service Commission,
but we can, by preparing questions of the highest class and sending
them to the local inspectors, obtain a uniform result, so far as stand
ard goes, letting the local inspectors ask any additional questions.
PERSONNEL

Mention has been made in previous annual reports of the necessity, in the interest of economy, of separating 39 employees from the
pay roll in July, 1921. All these employees have been reinstated
except 7, and it is hoped that by the end of the present calendar
year all may be reinstated. When they were separated, it was with
the understanding that they would be reinstated as rapidly as va
cancies occurred. It was not possible, however, to reinstate all under
the rules of the Civil Service Commission providing for a certain
period of eligibility, and therefore it was necessary to obtain an
Executive order to extend their eligibility. Great pressure has been
brought to bear, at times strong politically, to give reinstatement to
persons who did not have priority over those who were laid off
under the economy program, but the bureau has consistently recom
mended the reinstatement of those persons whom it promised it
would reinstate, and takes pride in stating that the promise and ob
ligation of putting these persons back has about been carried out.
RETIREMENT

The retirement law was intended not only to provide for the per
sons who were to be retired, but to improve and maintain the stand
ard of efficiency. In a service where we are responsible for the safety
of life and property, we must put out of our minds all thought of
the person and think only of our responsibility. For positions as in
spector in this service the Civil Service Commission will not exam
ine a man over 55 years of age, and this being a fact, surely wet can
not be considered illogical when we recommend the retirement of a
man of 75.
LEGISLATION

There is certain legislation that is desired for this service. It is
very desirable that sections 4433 and 4418, Revised Statutes, in re-

198

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

gat'd to the working and hydrostatic pressure of boilers, be amended.
This will enable the service to make modern the rules and regulations
covering these matters, but this can not be done until authority is
given by Congress.
It is also desirable to amend section 4420, Revised Statutes, so
as to give this service the authority to require on motor boats of over
If) gross tons, carrying freight or passengers for hire, the same life
saving equipment as that required on steamers subject to inspection.
Section 4404. Revised Statutes, should be amended so as to include
the supervising inspectors under the classified civil service.
O R G A N IZ A T IO N

The following positions were embraced in the Steamboat Inspec
tion Service at the close of business on June 30, 1924:
At Washington, I). C.:
Supervising Inspector General________________________________
Deputy Supervising Inspector General (who is Acting Supervising
Inspector General in the absence of that officer)________________
Private secretary to the SupervisingInspector General_____________
Clerks_____________________________________________________
Messenger__________________________________________________
In the service at large:
Supervising inspectors_______________________________________
Traveling inspectors_________________________________________
Local inspectors of hulls_____________________________________
Local inspectors of boilers____________________________________
Assistant inspectors of hulls___________________________________
Assistant inspectors of boilers__________________________________
Clerks to boards of local inspectors_____________________________

1
1
1
10
1
10
3
40
46
75
75
95

T otal__________________________________ _________________ 364

The local inspection districts of Apalachicola, Fla., and Bur
lington, Vt., have been abolished by an act of Congress approved
April 18, 1924, effective on date of approval. The work of the
Apalachicola district has been taken over by the local inspectors
of the district of Mobile, Ala., and the work o f the Burlington dis
trict by the local inspectors of the district of Albany, X. Y.
During the year three additional clerks were appointed in the
field in offices of local inspectors—one at Xew York, X. Y., one at
Detroit, Mich., and one at Mobile, Ala.
S T A T IS T IC S

The force inspected and certificated 7,560 vessels, with a total gross
tonnage of 14,601,603, of which 7,225 were domestic vessels, with
a total gross tonnage of 11.380.783, and 335 were foreign passenger
steam vessels, with a total gross tonnage of 3,220,820. Of the do
mestic vessels there were 5,832 steam vessels, 848 motor vessels, 18
passenger barges, and 527 seagoing barges. There was a decrease
of 93 in the total number of vessels inspected and a decrease of 381,247
in the total gross tonnage of vessels inspected as compared with the
previous fiscal year. There were 862 cargo vessels examined to
carry persons in addition to crew under the act of Congress ap
proved June 5, 1920. Letters of approval of designs of boilers, en
gines, and other operating machinery were granted to 33 steam ves
sels, with a total gross tonnage of 1,159. There were inspected for

STEAMBOAT INSPECTION SERVICE

199

the United States Government 47 hulls of vessels and 2,029 boilers.
There were 2,639 re inspections of steam vessels, motor vessels, and
barges.
Licenses were issued to 22,465 officers of all grades. There were
examined for visual defects 7,130 applicants for license, of whom 22
were found color blind or with other visual defects and rejected.
Certificates of service were issued to 13,034 able seamen, and 913
were rejected. Certificates of efficiency were issued to 8,673 life
boat men, and 6,960 were rejected.
Steel plates for the construction of marine boilers to the number
of 2,119 were inspected at the mills, and a large amount of other
boiler material was inspected. There were examined and tested
161,855 new life preservers, of which 3,414 were rejected. There
were inspected 7,325 new ring life buoys, of which 442 were rejected.
There were inspected 'at factories 504 new lifeboats, of which 6 were
rejected. There were inspected at factories 103 new life rafts, of
which 2 were rejected.
The total number of accidents resulting in loss of life was 201.
The total number of lives lost was 297, of which 54 were passengers.
Of the lives lost, 180 were from suicide, accidental drowning, and
other similar causes, leaving a loss of 117 as fairly chargeable to
accidents, collisions, founderings, etc. There was an increase of 50
in the number of lives lost as compared with the previous fiscal year.
Passengers to the number of 344,658,611 were carried on vessels
required by law to make report of the number of passengers carried.
Dividing this number by 54, the total number of passengers lost,
shows that 6,382,566 passengers were carried for each passenger
lost. The number of lives directly saved by means of the life-saving
appliances required by law was 620.
Very truly yours,
G eorge U hlek,

Supervising Inspector General.

INTER AMERICAN HIGH COMMISSION
Lx ter A merican H igh C ommission .

W ashington, Juh/ /, 19H.\.
Hon. H e r b e r t H o o v e r , Chairman,
United States Section, In te r Am erican H igh Commission.
M y D e a r M r . C h a i r m a n : During 1923-24 the work of the United
States Section of the Inter American High Commission has been
conducted along somewhat different lines than in preceding years.
It was found that the actual calling of the members to the city of
Washington not only meant serious inconvenience to some of them
who reside in distant localities, but frequently necessitated post
ponement of meetings and. if not lack of quorum, at least incomplete
attendance. It was decided that since the general policies are now
well established and defined it would be sufficient to keep the mem
bers informed, through periodic communications, of progress real
ized, also requesting any comments and suggestions they might care
to make; in this way fewer actual meetings would be necessary and
such as were held could be devoted exclusively to the consideration
of special questions and to full discussion of major topics affecting
the policies of the commission.
Besides several communications of relatively minor importance, two
special memoranda have been distributed by the secretary among the
members of the section, to wit:
Memorandum No. 1, dated April 25, 1924, containing a detailed
report of a visit made by the Secretary General to the Cuban Sec
tion. and the results of conferences held with that section.
Memorandum No. 2, dated May 14,1924, containing a report show
ing progress made on various topics of the program since October 2.
1923.
One of the most important results of the conferences held in Cuba
was the designation by the executive of that country of a plot of land
on which to build the office for the Inter American Bureau for the
Registration of Trade Marks. This land is situated in the center of
the business section of Habana, adjacent to the Departments of
Finance and Agriculture. It is one square from the United States
Embassy, two squares from the chamber of commerce and the
wharves, three squares from the post office, the City Hall, the Senate,
the Department of War, and less than six short squares from the
Departments of Justice, State, and Interior, and from the Chamber
of Representatives.
The value of the land has been variously estimated. Advices re
cently received permit us to make a tentative estimate of the surface
and value of the plot as follows:
200

INTER AMERICAN HIGH COMMISSION

201

Surface, 13,413.30 square feet, at a valuation of $11.62 per square
foot, making a total value of_____________________________ $155, S62. 55
To this the Cuban Government adds a contribution in money
25,000. 00
amounting to__________________________________________
Grand to tal_______________________________________

180, 862. 55

A majority of the marks protected under the Inter American Con
vention are owned by citizens of the United States; the building
should be erected as soon as possible in order to afford proper security
for these. An appropriation of $154,177.04, as the quota of the
United States toward the construction of the building—to cost ap
proximately $200,000—has been requested.
The United States Section has given special attention to prepara
tions for the conferences to be held in accordance with the resolu
tions of the F ifth International Conference of American States.
One important undertaking was the organization of a visit of Latin
American road engineers to the United States. At the invitation of
the chairman of the United States Section, the Highway Education
Board acted as host to the visitors. The visit was financed by motor
and related industries. There were representatives from all the
American countries except Haiti. An extensive inspection trip
started on June 2 and lasted nearly a month. The visitors examined
different types of roads in North Carolina, Illinois, Minnesota,
Michigan, and other States. They were constantly under the guid
ance of State engineers who had been engaged in the construction of
roads, the United States Commissioner of Roads, and various State
commissioners of roads; these explained the different aspects of the
many problems of road construction and maintenance. The secre
tary of the United States Section accompanied the visitors. As
a result of this trip the Pan American Highway Commission was
organized, and the basis of a program for the conference on motor
roads, to be held in Buenos Aires next spring, was submitted to the
Pan American Union. This visit has produced considerable effect in
Latin American countries where important movements for road con
struction have been started. While the visitors were in this country,
the United States Section kept tine other national sections of the com
mission informed of all developments and provided them with
copies of the program and other material of interest.
The United States Section also participated, with the assistance
of officials of the Department of Commerce, in the distribution of
material in preparation for the conference on electrical communi
cations, which recently took place in Mexico City; the section is now
engaged in arranging the necessary material and securing competent
treatment of the subjects to be discussed at the conference on stand
ardization of specifications, to he held at Lima, Peru, in December of
this year.
Conventions for the arbitration of commercial disputes between
the United States Chamber of Commerce and similar organizations
in Habana, Cuba, and San Jose, Costa Rica, are in process of nego
tiation.
The following conventions have been ratified during the past
fiscal year:
Convention concerning commercial travelers: Costa Rica and
Peru.

202

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

Convention on publication of customs laws and regulations:
Brazil, Costa Rica, Paraguay, and United States.
Convention on uniform classification of merchandise for statisti
cal purposes: Brazil, Costa Rica, Paraguay, and United States.
Convention for protection of commercial, industrial, and agricul
tural trade-marks and commercial names (approved by Fifth Inter
national Conference of American States) : Brazil.
Arbitration of commercial disputes: Brazil, Guatemala, and
United States.
The report prepared by the United States Section on Company
Laws in the American Continent is now being printed; as soon as
this is completed the report on admiralty law will be published.
The work of the United States Section was greatly handicapped
this past year by a substantial reduction in its appropriation; this
condition has been partially corrected for the year 1924—25.
Respectfully,
G uillermo A. S herw ell , Secretary.

Full text of Annual Report of the Secretary of Commerce : Twelfth Annual Report of the Secretary of Commerce, 1924

FRASER