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Show ment of commerce before taking action which may control the commerce which the department of commerce is especially espe-cially charged to foster, promote and develop." The shipping board. " In some of its foreign officers, particularly in Loudon," Lou-don," it is stated, "tho work of the shipping board along lines of commercial commer-cial intelligence parallels that of the department, of commerce, occupies in considerable degree the same field." The federal trade commission. '.'It will be noted," complains Mr. Redfield, "that tlio federal trade commission is giveu the supervision over tho combinations combina-tions permitted by law for developing foreign trade. This is a function which falls directly within the organic law of the department of commerce." The international high commission. It duplicates activities of I lie department depart-ment of commerce in the protection of American trademarks abroad. Tbe railroad administration, through its power to embargo freights, or grant or remove export rates, without consultation consul-tation with the department of commerce. com-merce. Tho department of state, through its consular service. Here, Mr. Redfield says, there is no crossing of activities, "but a very generous spirit of cooperation coopera-tion and sincere mutual respect and helpfulness." The department of agriculture. The bureau of mines. Quoting the law creating the department depart-ment of commerce, Mr. Redfield asserts as-serts that department is the one which should control the business of developing develop-ing foreign commerce. "Either the department de-partment of commerce should be so organized or-ganized as to perform its important function effectively," he says, "or it should not. If it should not do so, then the organic law dictating its functions should bo modified, and it should cease to be in name what it hardly is in fact the department of commerce." If it should be recognized that tlic department is the focus of commercial organizations on t,he part of tho government, gov-ernment, then the various independent bodies shcjuld be so headed into it that the. world of commerce abroad and at home may know there is one center for commerce, as there is one for agricul ture, for war, for the navy, Hnd not "a congeries of unrelated parts which operale, indeed, in personal harmony snd peace, but without effective results, which can only come from systematic and unified effort." Mr. Redfield asks if there is any sound reason why there should not be a representative of the department of comnerce upon the war financo corporation, corpora-tion, upon the federal reserve board. upon the federal trado commission, upon the shipping board, upon the interstate in-terstate commerce commission, upon tho international high rommission, or upon the railroad administration. If such a reason exists, Mr. Hedficld asks what it is. On the other hand, continues tho query, in it the public purpose and intent in-tent that tho department charged to foster, promote and develop the foreign and domestic Commerce of the country should do it only in part, subject to the "kindly and unintentional but nevertheless never-theless real competition and control of others, charged, indeed, with some dif ferent duties, but acting within the same commercial area"? CONFLICTING ACTIVITIES. If the growth of the foreign and domestic do-mestic commerce of the United States could Itccp pace with tho number and zeal of hoards and commissions by which it is pressed forward, tlro is no question that America, would lead the rest of the world in trade so decisively de-cisively that, for all practical purposes, this country would do all the business that's done. No fewer than cloven separate and distinct organizations are engaged in promoting foreign trade. William C. Redfield, secretary of commerce, who recently resigned from the president's cabinet, declared iu a report made in response to a request froni the senate, that "any industrial organization composed com-posed as is tho commercial organization of the government, would fail, for the seeds of decay arc planted in the very separateness of the component parts.'' The report showed that an amazing number of branches of the govprnuont , in addition to the bureau of forcigo anil domestic commerco of tho department, arc more or less active in the promo lion of foreign trade. "The war finance corporation, whoso appropriation," soys Mr. Iicdfichl, "is made for tho express purpose- of doing that with which the r r-ji.-i rt ifi-n t. nf commerce is ipccificully charged by law." Tho federal rcscne board, which, he says, functions, so far lis the depart-incut depart-incut of commerce is lOnCsrs'td, "sep. arntelv, without obligation of rithei consultation or of coopi-rat ion. " The interstatn commerce commission. "The suggestion would probably bo slrHnK'1 to them,'' ssys Mr. Redfield, "that they should consult Ihc depart |
