Our Government: Local, State, and National: Idaho Edition Part 17

Bureau of Animal Industry.--Continuous advancement is being made by the government toward placing the agricultural pursuits upon a more scientific basis. One of its most important services is performed in the Bureau of Animal Industry, which inspects the greater part of the meat products exported to European countries.

The law providing for this inspection was necessary because of the claim in European markets that diseased meats were s.h.i.+pped from the United States. An inspection is also provided for live animals intended for exportation and for animals imported. Much scientific work is also devoted to a study of the various diseases of animals.

The Division of Seeds.--Over $100,000 are expended each year by the Division of Seeds in the purchase of "rare and valuable"

seeds, bulbs, and plants. These are distributed free throughout the country for the purpose of fostering the introduction of new and more valuable crops.

Public Road Inquiries.--Another important interest is carried on by the Office of Public Road Inquiries. Here experiments are made with regard to the best system of road-making and the best materials to be used for that purpose.

Weather Bureau.--Through the Weather Bureau daily forecasts and warning of storms are sent to over 50,000 different points, and storm signals are displayed at 300 places on our coasts. By its operation, millions of dollars are saved each year to the agricultural and maritime interests of the country. A recent decree of the Post-office Department renders the reports of the bureau of still greater service. Slips of paper having the storm, frost, or other warnings printed on them are distributed by the rural mail carriers at the various houses in the districts affected.

THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.

Nature of the Department.--Because of the nature of the subjects a.s.signed to this new department, it has rapidly become one of the most important of the departments. Among the duties of the Secretary of Commerce are these: to promote the commerce and the mining, manufacturing, s.h.i.+pping, fishery, and transportation interests of the United States. The President is given the power to transfer to the department those bureaus in other departments which are engaged in scientific or statistical work, the Interstate Commerce Commission and the scientific divisions of the Agricultural Department being excepted.

The offices which have been transferred are as follows: the Bureau of Statistics; Census Bureau; Bureau of Standards of Weights and Measures; Bureau of Navigation; the Steamboat Inspection Service; Bureau of Fisheries; Coast and Geodetic Survey and Light-house Board. The Bureau of Corporations was created for the department. The Commissioner of Corporations is expected to investigate the organization, conduct, and management of the business of corporations and other combinations engaged in interstate or foreign commerce, except such carriers as may be subject to the interstate commerce act.

The Chief of the Bureau of Statistics.--The Chief of the Bureau of Statistics collects and publishes the annual statistics on commerce. These reports are of such a character that they are invaluable to the President in the preparation of his messages; and they are used extensively by the heads of departments, members of Congress, and the public. Tariff laws, special legislation for particular industries, and all international trade treaties are also based on these compilations. The greatest demand is for the Annual Statistical Abstract, which presents in a condensed form the history of the commerce of the United States for a number of preceding years.

The Superintendent of the Coast and Geodetic Survey.--This officer superintends the survey of the coasts and rivers of the United States. He has charge of the publication of charts and sailing directions which are of inestimable value to mariners.

The Light-House Board.--The Light-house Board has charge of the light-houses, of which 1199 had been established previous to the year 1899, besides the light vessels and beacons used for the protection of navigation.

THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR.

On March 4, 1913, the bill was signed by the President which created the Department of Labor. It is evidence of the spirit manifested by the Americans to make their government serve the cause of human conservation. Besides the Bureau of Information, which was created for the department, there were transferred from other departments the Bureau of Immigration[55] and the Children's Bureau. The Division of Naturalization was made a bureau, and the Bureau of Labor was const.i.tuted the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

[Footnote 55: In 1912 there were 838,172 immigrants to the United States, and 2853 were refused admission. Of these there were 767 paupers, 31 contract laborers, 749 diseased persons.]

SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTIONS AND REFERENCES.

1. Does the President select the members of his Cabinet from among former members of Congress? Would this be desirable?

2. Have the members of the Cabinet ever been allowed to appear before Congress in the interests of their own departments? Would this be desirable? Walker, The Making of the Nation, 92; Bryce, American Commonwealth, I, Chapter 9; Atl. Mo., 65:771-772.

3. Who are now the heads of the executive departments? Were they prominent in National affairs before they were selected for these positions?

4. In 1901 a bill was introduced in the House of Representatives which provided for an increase of the annual salary of the Vice-President to $25,000, and that of each member of the Cabinet to $15,000. What reasons can you give for or against such a change?

5. What was the history of the State Department prior to 1789? Harrison, This Country of Ours, 182-187.

6. Give a list of the Presidents who have been Secretaries of State. How do you account for this policy in the first years of our government, and not at a later time? Name some of the other prominent Secretaries of State.

7. Who are our amba.s.sadors? Can you give the name of any foreign amba.s.sadors in Was.h.i.+ngton? See Congressional Directory.

8. The methods by which our ministers are selected, take possession of their offices, and are presented at foreign courts, are described in Curtis, The United States and Foreign Powers, 15-21.

9. The duties of ministers. Curtis, The United States and Foreign Powers, 22-26.

10. Are our amba.s.sadors given adequate salaries? Curtis, The United States and Foreign Powers, 13, 14.

11. From a consular report learn what the duties of a consul are?

Curtis, The United States and Foreign Powers, 30-33.

12. For an account of our consular service, a comparison with that of other nations, and a consideration of some of the weaknesses in our system, see Curtis, The United States and Foreign Powers, 28-30.

13. A business man and the consular service. Century Mag., 60: 268-271.

14. Abuses in our consular system arising through appointment. Atl Mo., 85:455-466, and 669-683.

15. A plea for consular inspection. Forum, 30:28-34.

16. What is the great seal of the United States, and what is its use?

Harrison, This Country of Ours, 199-200.

17. What is the particular work of the Marine Department? of the Steamboat Inspection Service? of the Marine Hospital? Lyman J. Gage, Organization of the Treasury Department, Cosmopolitan, 25:355-365.

18. What is the work of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing? Spofford, The Government as a Great Publisher, Forum, 19:338-349.

19. What is the extent of our merchant marine? Should it be increased?

Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1900, 437-450.

20. From the appendix to the last Finance Report get the chief points connected with the work of the following officials: Treasurer, Chief of the Secret Service Division. A good description of the Treasury Department is given in Scribner's Mag., 33:400-411.

21. From the last report of the Bureau of Statistics find answers for the following: The expenditures of the government in the different departments; value of merchandise imported and exported; amounts of corn, wheat, cotton, wool, and iron produced, imported, and exported; the chief nationalities of immigrants, and comparison of the total number with previous years.

22. Are our coasts well defended? Harrison, This Country of Ours, 225.

23. Describe the work of the President, Secretary of War, Secretary of the Navy, and of the other Cabinet officers at the outbreak of war.

Cosmop., 25:255-264.

24. For ill.u.s.trated articles on education at West Point and Annapolis, see Outlook, 59:825-837, 839-849.

25. Comparison of our pension system with that of other nations. Forum, 33:346-348.

26. Defects in our pension system. Forum, 31:670-680.

27. Changing character of the immigration to the United States. Rev. of R's, 24:723, 724.

28. Why the Chinese should be excluded. Forum, 33:53-59.

29. Why the Chinese should be admitted. Forum, 33:50-68.

30. Influence of the allotment of land on the Indian. Forum, 34:466-480.

31. Results of the work of experiment stations. Scribner's Mag., 31:643-660.