unless there is some representative of the workers competent to speak in their name, to advocate their cause, to convey to the Executive head and his advisers the laborer's side of labor's contention, he and they must be deprived of valuable and far-reaching information. It is to supply this present deficiency that the American Federation of Labor has asked, and should repeat and increase its efforts, to secure the enactment by Congress of a law creating a Department of Labor, with a Secretary who shall have a seat in the President's Cabinet.

The creation of a Department of Commerce with the provision for the subordination of the Department of Labor, will minimize the importance of labor's interests and minimize the present Department of Labor. Against such a procedure, in the name of American labor, I enter my most solemn protest.

There can be no question that the members of a President's Cabinet are representatives of the employers' and business men's side of industry, commerce and finance. Our ambassadors and consuls to foreign countries are agents and advocates of the same interests, and there can be no good reason for the creation of a Department of Commerce, particularly when the Department of Labor, which was created for a particular purpose, in no way germane to a Department of Commerce, and which it is purposed shall be absorbed thereby to the detriment of the interests of all our people. It is therefore urgently requested that in the event that the honorable Senate should deem it wise to enact Senate bill 569, that the Department of Labor as now constituted may be eliminated from its provisions. I trust, too, that you may extend the courtesy of submitting this communication to the Senate of the United States.

I have the honor to remain, yours, very respectfully,

SAML. GOMPERS, President American Federation of Labor.

The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The question is on agreeing to the amendment submitted by the Senator from Wisconsin as modified.

Mr. TELLER. I do not think the Senator from New Hampshire [Mr. Gallinger] need infer that we are criticising the work of the committee because we do not agree with the bill in all its provisions. I believe it is customary in the Senate for Senators who do not entirely agree with a committee to make suggestions of amendment, and I hope that will be continued. Certainly the proposition of two bureaus of statistics in one Department and the chief of one the assistant chief of the other is a new departure in administration. Nobody ever heard of such a thing before, and anybody who has had experience in those affairs must know that it will not work. All that has gone out, however. The Senator from New Hampshire seems to think it is a reflection upon the committee to strike it out.

Mr. GALLINGER. No, Mr. President, if the Senator from Colorado will permit me, I did not mean to say that.

Mr. TELLER. It sounded like it.

Mr. GALLINGER. I meant to say, and I repeat, that I am of opinion that the language of the bill does not bear out that construction. That is all I meant. It is a difference of opinion between the Senator and me.

Mr. TELLER. It is possible that we are mistaken, but it does not seem so to me. However, that has gone out.

Here is another proposition which I think ought to be considered a minute. As I said before, I am not making objections in hostility to the bill. I expect the bill to pass. I should like to see it in such shape, however, that it will be a proper bill to be passed. On page 5 there is a very proper provision. I do not find fault with it.

And all consular officers of the United States, including consul-generals, consuls, and commercial agents, are hereby required, and it is made a part of their duty, under the direction of the Secretary of State, to gather and compile, from time to time

That is what they are doing, perhaps without any law, but there is no objection to it. What I object to is this:

From time to time, upon the request of the Secretary of Commerce.

In other words, you take away from the Secretary of State the power to do this, unless the Secretary of Commerce requests it to be done, do you not? Mr. LODGE. I do not think that is the intention, certainly.

Mr. TELLER. I do not know that it is, but does it not look a littleMr. LODGE. The line which the Senator has read is my amendment. reason why I have replied to the Senator.

That is the

Mr. TELLER. I think what the Senator had in mind perhaps was that upon the request of the Secretary of Commerce the Secretary of State should furnish the statistics to this Bureau. I think that would be proper, but I hardly think it would be proper to say that he is to make these inquiries upon the request of the Secretary of Commerce. That work has been done for a number of years, and it has been very valuable.

Mr. LODGE. It has been done under the law-the law establishing the Bureau of Foreign Commerce in the State Department.

Mr. TELLER. I did not know it had been done under the law.

Mr. LODGE. I think that is the way it has been done.

Mr. TELLER. I did not know whether the law required it or whether it has grown up; but either way, it has been a useful and valuable service.

Mr. LODGE. Of course, the Secretary of State has the power to direct the consuls to transmit any information that he desires.

Mr. TELLER. I think it would be better to change this so that, upon the request of the Secretary of Commerce, he should furnish the statistics to the Department of Commerce.

Mr. LODGE. Then the Senator would strike out the words "upon the request of the Secretary of Commerce." That is all that is necessary.

Mr. TELLER. Then I would strike out those words.

Mr. NELSON. Mr. President

The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Does the Senator from Colorado yield to the Senator from Minnesota?

Mr. TELLER. Certainly.

Mr. NELSON. Will the Senator from Colorado allow me to suggest that we can meet the suggestion he has made, and it will not mar the bill in the least in that respect, by striking out, in line 15, the words "upon the request of the Secretary of Commerce?"

Mr. TELLER. I think that will do it.

Mr. NELSON. If that is satisfactory, it will not change the effect of the bill. If the Senator from Colorado will move that amendment, I shall have no objection to it. Mr. TELLER. I move, then, to strike out in line 15 the words "upon the request of the Secretary of Commerce."

The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Colorado moves an amendment. The Chair will entertain the motion now, although there is an amendment pending. Mr. TELLER. As this is an informal amendment, I hope it will be entertained. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Chair will entertain the amendment. The question is on agreeing to the amendment proposed by the Senator from Colorado, which will be stated.

The SECRETARY. In line 15, page 5, it is proposed to strike out the words “upon the request of the Secretary of Commerce."

The amendment was agreed to.

Mr. TELLER. Mr. President, I merely wish to say a word about the Statistical Bureau. It is a matter I have had considerably at heart, and I know some other Senators have. I do not know but that we have it now so that it is thoroughly complete and efficient. I can hardly tell by hearing the bill read, and nobody else can, for that matter.

What I think we need is that when the Director of the Mint shall make up his estimate of the amount of gold, when the Comptroller of the Currency shall make up his estimate or his statement, that somebody, before those statements become published or become a part of a report, shall oversee them. I do not know whether this bill provides for that or not. I do not know whether it would be regarded as offensive to the bill if I were to suggest it. I believe that is what we ought to have.

Mr. NELSON. I will say to the Senator from Colorado that I think the amendment of the Senator from Wisconsin will reach the point to which he has referred.

Mr. TELLER. The other day I understood the Senator from Missouri to indicate that to his mind the Chief of the Bureau of Statistics had control of these estimates of other departments. I challenge that. I think perhaps he did not mean that. He meant to say, I guess, that the Chief of the Bureau was acting under authority of law. That is right. But he has no power over the Director of the Mint. He could not change his figures if he wanted to, except to change them in his own report. He could see that the Director of the Mint made his figures conform to those of the Bureau of Statistics. That is where the trouble comes in.

Mr. ALLISON. Mr. President, I should like to say a word before the amendment is acted upon. As I understand, it is now proposed, by the scope of this bill, to transfer to the new Department all matters relating to statistical information, and the amendment offered by the Senator from Wisconsin proposes to give this new Secretary the power to subordinate all other departments to this Department, because, whatever he asks from them they are bound to furnish, if I understand the purport of the amendment.

Mr. CULLOM. All other departments?

Mr. ALLISON. All other departments. That is to say, if the Secretary of Commerce wishes any information or statistics as respects anything connected with another department, it shall be the duty of that department to furnish it.

Now, I doubt very much whether it is worth while for us to insert in this bill a provision of that character, even applying to the departments. It is true that the amendment originally proposed has been amended so as to strike out bureaus, but that does not meet my objection thoroughly. I understand now that this bill transfers the Bureau of Statistics from the Treasury Department to the Department of

Commerce, the object being to have that Department do what the Bureau of Statistics in the Treasury Department is now doing. Am I right in that respect?

Mr. NELSON. Certainly the Senator is right. If he will allow me in this connection, I wish to say to him that in one respect he misapprehends the bill. There is no attempt to transfer any statistical division of the Government, except what is known as the Bureau of Foreign Commerce, which used to be called the Bureau of Statistics, in the State Department. That is transferred to the new Department and consolidated with the Bureau of Statistics, now in the Treasury Department, with a view of making one entire Bureau of Statistics. That is the only consolidation. The bill does not attempt to enlarge the scope of the work that is now conferred upon the Bureau of Statistics.

Mr. ALLISON. I am glad to have the information. That was really my understanding, and I intended to state it.

Now, if that be true, as I understand it to be true, I submit that the amendment now offered by the Senator from Wisconsin is not necessary, because it is the duty of the Bureau of Statistics to collate and compile the information which it is now proposed to provide for by specific statute. I have before me the requirements with respect to the Bureau of Statistics, and I find that they embrace practically everything connected with our internal and external commerce, and they also contain every proper thing, I should think, as respects the industries of the country. Mr. NELSON. may say, if the Senator will allow me to interrupt him right here, that that was the very reason why we thought it was appropriate to the Department of Commerce.

Mr. ALLISON. Very well. The Senator does, not understand me to oppose this transfer or to oppose his bill. I suppose a little bit of criticism on this bill as it occurs to Senators on the floor can not be considered as hostile to the measure. Mr. COCKRELL. Will the Senator from Iowa read that section?

Mr. CULLOM. Let us hear it read.

Mr. ALLISON. I will not read the whole of it, because it is an elaborate arrangement and seems to be very well prepared.

The Chief of the Bureau of Statistics shall, under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, annually prepare a report—

That is what he is to do

The Chief of the Bureau of Statistics shall, under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, annually prepare a report on the statistics of commerce and navigation of the United States with foreign countries to the close of the fiscal year. Such accounts shall comprehend all goods, wares, and merchandise exported from the United States to other countries; all goods, wares and merchandise imported into the United States from other countries, and all navigation employed in the foreign trade of the United States; which facts shall be stated according to the principles and in the manner hereby directed.

And then the manner is set forth in considerable detail, which I will not read. Then another section provides what the collectors of customs shall do in order to enable him to prepare these statistics, and there are a great many other things which he is obliged to do.

The Chief of the Bureau of Statistics shall, under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, prepare and publish monthly reports of the exports and imports of the United States, including the quantities and values of goods warehoused or withdrawn from warehouse, and such other statistics relative to the trade and industry of the country as the Secretary of the Treasury may consider expedient.

Now, I submit to the Senator from Minnesota that it will be impossible, as I conceive it, for this new Secretary to secure these statistics in any way except from the Treasury Department. He will not have in his Department that upon which this information can be founded or from which it can be derived. All this information as respects exports and imports is necessarily in the hands of the Secretary of the Treasury and within the purview of that Secretary. So I think there will be difficulty in transferring this particular duty from the Secretary of the Treasury to the new Secretary.

Mr. LODGE. Do I understand the Senator from Iowa to mean that because the Secretary has to get this information from collectors of customs, therefore it ought to remain under the Treasury Department?

Mr. ALLISON. No, sir; the Senator should not so understand me.

Mr. LODGE. Will the Senator kindly explain to me what the objection is? Mr. ALLISON. I undertake to say that it is not a practicable thing to undertake to transfer to the new Bureau all the warehouses of the United States which contain foreign goods. It is not practicable to transfer to the new Secretary the duty of making a monthly statement of the value of goods in warehouse or withdrawn from warehouses, except he obtains the information through the Secretary of the Treas27628-04-31

ury, unless the new Secretary is to take upon himself the control and direction of the importation of merchandise and the collection of revenue thereupon.

Mr. LODGE. I understand-and the Senator will correct me if I am wrong—the officers in charge of the warehouses and the collectors of customs, etc., now transmit these statistics to the Chief of the Bureau of Statistics. The Chief of the Bureau of Statistics does not collect them himself at the warehouses and ports. They are transmitted to him by those officers.

Mr. ALLISON. They can be by law. They are not now authorized to be transmitted to the Bureau by any statute I know of.

Mr. LODGE. I thought that was what the Senator read.

Mr. ALLISON. I have no doubt the Chief of the Bureau of Statistics is in communication with these collectors for the purpose of securing information.

Mr. LODGE. I mean that the Chief of the Bureau of Statistics has a large mass of statistics, as we all know, gathered from the collectors of our ports and from warehouses, etc. Now, he does not himself go around to the various ports and get them. They must be transmitted to him by those officers.

Mr. ALLISON, That may be, but they are now transmitted necessarily to the Secretary of the Treasury.

Mr. LODGE. Certainly; and by him sent to the Bureau of Statistics.

Mr. ALLISON. Yes.

Mr. LODGE. Now, suppose the Bureau of Statistics were moved into the Department of Commerce. We are proposing to transmit from the State Department the statistics gathered by consuls.

Mr. ALLISON. Very well.

Mr. LODGE. Why can not the Treasury transmit those gathered from collectors? Mr. ALLISON. Possibly it can. I am only saying that possibly there will be a little difficulty in providing that the head of one department shall transfer monthly to the head of another department, or to a bureau of another department all these statistics. It will require duplication, undoubtedly, but I make no special point on that. The law continues:

The Chief of the Bureau of Statistics shall prepare an annual statement of all merchandise passing in transit through the United States to foreign countries, each description of merchandise, só far as practicable, warehoused, withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, for exportation, for transportation to other districts, and remaining in the warehouse at the end of each fiscal year.

Of course this can all be furnished by the Treasury Department to the new Department, if necessary, and that is the way it will have to obtain it-through customs officers and not through any officers that the Secretary of Commerce can possibly employ.

Now, then, in addition to that, the law provides:

The Chief of the Bureau of Statistics shall collect, digest, and arrange, for the use of Congress, the statistics of the manufactures of the United States, their localities, sources of raw material, markets, exchanges with the producing regions of the country, transportation of products, wages, and such other conditions as are found to affect their prosperity.

Now, that is all done under the law by this Bureau which is to be transferred to the new Department, and I submit that with this statement it is unnecessary for us to inject into this new statute mandatory provisions. I think a head of a department when called upon for statistical information will furnish it as a matter of comity, and I do not think one Secretary should be subordinated to another in this regard. Therefore I find more ample provision made here than I had supposed the other day when I was speaking somewhat of the importance of what the Senator now proposes and what is proposed in this bill, and to which I cordially agree. I have no fault to find with it, but I think the method now adopted is one which has proved satisfactory and which, with an efficient chief of bureau, will gather under this new Secretary all the information from every source available which will be required in this annual

statement.

Mr. LODGE. I should like to ask the Senator a question, if it does not disturb him. Mr. ALLISON. Certainly.

Mr. LODGE. Whether the Bureau of Statistics remains where it is or whether it is transferred, it will perform the duties which the Senator has read from the original statute and are repeated and amplified here?

Mr. ALLISON. Undoubtedly.

Mr. LODGE. Now, we have gone to work and imposed on the census the task of collecting the same statistics that this Bureau is collecting from month to month and year to year. Why should we duplicate this work? Why can we not in some way consolidate the statistical work instead of having it done twice?

Mr. ALLISON. If the Senator from Massachusetts understands me to propose duplication

Mr. LODGE. Oh, I do not.

Mr. ALLISON. I must certainly disabuse his mind. I am endeavoring to do exactly what the committee is endeavoring to do, but I am criticising now a suggestion made by the Senator from Wisconsin, which I agreed to practically in advance the other day, because I did not know then in detail what I see now on looking at the statute--that there is ample and complete power now to gather all that is possible to be gathered by the new Secretary. Therefore it is that I want the Secretary to have the widest scope, and that the best comity, if I may use that term, shall prevail between the secretaries, and not have clerks of one department write letters to the other, and make it the duty of that other to respond thereto.

Mr. QUARLES. If it will not interrupt the Senator from Iowa, I should like to make a suggestion.

Mr. ALLISON. Certainly.

Mr. QUARLES. The fact that the statistics gathered in that Bureau-as the Senator has read from the statute-are valuable and accurate does not meet the case, I suggest to the Senator. Let me illustrate from the statute which he has just read. It requires the Bureau of Statistics to gather full information regarding manufactures, for instance. Is there any necessity in the decennial year, when the census is expressly charged with the duty of gathering those identical statistics, of having the work duplicated by that Bureau? Under my amendment, as the Senator will see, there would be a discretion left in this officer to suspend the work of the Bureau for the particular year when the census is charged with the duty of gathering those identical statistics, and there is no object in paying for them twice.

Mr. ALLISON. I agree thoroughly with the suggestion made by the Senator, but that is a criticism upon the census bill which we passed two years ago. If it is true that these statistics are as comprehensive as the statistics of the census, then we should not have provided for them; but I think the decennial census is intended for a wider and perhaps more important purpose-that of showing in detail the growth and development of our country for each decade, so that we can compare the census of 1900 with the census of 1890 and ascertain as respects our agricultural, our manufacturing, our farming, and our mining production the progress and development made in ten years. Therefore, decennially we have in the past-it may not have been wise-provided for an enlarged and specific and detailed statement, which it is not expected will be done in the Bureau of Statistics. It is, as a matter of fact, impossible that it shall be done, and it is impossible that any department can do it every year. We shall have expended, when we have finished this decennial census, ten or twelve million dollars, because every home has been visited, every farm has been visited, every manufacturing industry has been visited, and the details have been shown, for this decennial period, as to the number of men employed in each, as to the wages paid in each, so far as practicable, because all that information is difficult to secure.

I suggested yesterday that when the Senator from Wisconsin brings in his elaborate provision here for a continuation of the census, without regard to decennial periods, making it a bureau or an office in some one of the departments of the Government, then is the time to arrange for that class of statistics specifically and, perhaps, more in detail for the imposition of new duties, if there are additional duties required, upon the Chief of the Bureau of Statistics.

Therefore it is, Mr. President, that I would rather we would not now deal with the new powers that are proposed here as respects the gathering of statistics, but that we should rest for the moment, at least until we get this new Department into play, upon the very comprehensive statute and the comprehensive powers that are now given to the Chief of the Bureau of Statistics, which Bureau is to be here transferred. That is my general idea.

I may be mistaken about it, but I undertake to say that it will be impossible for us each and every year to deal at large with the question of our occupations, our wages, our labor, our manufactures, our mines, our forests, and our agriculture in detail as they are dealt with every ten years. So, after further consideration, I believe it is unwise for us now to legislate whereby we shall enlarge the duties and powers of this new Secretary so as to make every other Secretary who happens to have a statistical bureau in his Department subordinate to the new Secretary, as will be the case if this amendment is agreed to.

I hope the Senator from Wisconsin will withdraw the amendment and allow the law to stand, as I think it does stand, with comprehensive powers as respects the gathering of statistics. I am sure that every Secretary of any department will gladly furnish the statistics in detail when called for, and they will furnish them, and do furnish them, in their annual reports, which are always transmuted right into the Statistical Abstract.

Mr. LODGE. Mr. President, as I understand it, we have had censuses of late which were intended to chronicle the decennial growth of which the Senator has spoken. We added one subject to another until by the time the census was published the