SURVEY.
The United States Board on Geographical Names (est. 1890) pro vides for uniformity in the use of geographic names on maps and in publications issued by the Federal Government.
The Bureau of Reclamation (est. 1902) constructs and operates irrigation works ; collects annual payments from water users for cost of irrigation ; promotes knowledge of irrigation methods; suitability of markets, and improvement of farm homes.
The Bureau of Mines (est. 1910) is a bureau of mining, metallurgy, mineral technology, and mineral economics. It conducts investiga tions concerning mining, preparation, treatment, and utilization of mineral substances with a view to improving health conditions, in creasing safety, efficiency, and economic development, and preventing waste in the mineral industries. It studies the production, consump tion, distribution, and marketing of mineral commodities. It investi gates mineral fuels with a view to their most efficient mining, prepara tion, and use. The bureau studies the use of explosives, electricity, safety methods, and appliances in mines, and the causes and preven tion of mine accidents, explosions, and fires. It trains annually more than Ioo,000 mineral workers in first-aid and mine-rescue methods.
The National Park Service (est. 1916) conserves and operates all the Federal Parks—national parks, national monuments, national historical parks, national military parks, and allied areas—for the benefit and enjoyment of the people. (See NATIONAL PARKS ANT) MONUMENTS.) The Division of Grazing (est. administers the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934. This act provided for a conservation program covering the forage, soil, and wild life resources on public domain lands. 142,000,000 acres of this land are under the jurisdiction of the Grazing Service. The Division of Territories and Island Posses sions (est. 1934) co-ordinates the activities of the various Federal departments pertaining to the U.S. islands and territories of Alaska, Hawaii, the Philippine islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin islands. Canton, Enderbury, Howland, Jarvis and Baker islands in the South Pacific have been colonized for the United States under the direction of this division, Canton island to be used as a commercial air base. The Petroleum Conservation Division (est. 1936) assists the secre tary of the Interior in administering the Connally Law, which pro hibits the interstate and foreign commerce of oil produced in violation of State law. It co-operates with the oil and gas producing States in an endeavour to prevent avoidable waste in oil and gas production and in working toward uniform oil and gas conservation laws. The Bonne ville Project (est. 1937) makes available for use and sale the electric energy generated by Bonneville dam and power plant on the Colum bia river at Bonneville, Oregon. The Office of the Director of Forests (est. 1938) promotes a unified policy of forest conservation on all lands under the jurisdiction of the department.
The Bituminous Coal Division (est. 1939) administers the Bitumin ous Coal Act of 1937. The division superseded the National Bi tuminous Coal Commission, the original administrative agency. Through administration of the Bituminous Coal Act, which expires April 26, 1941, the division is charged with responsibility for stabiliz ing bituminous coal markets and conserving bituminous coal resources by establishing minimum prices and marketing rules and regulations. There are also assigned to the Department of the Interior addi tional functions, including the operation and maintenance of a Gov ernment-owned railroad into the interior of Alaska ; the exercise of certain powers and duties in the administration of the affairs of the Territories of Alaska and Hawaii ; the maintenance of Saint Eliza beth's hospital, an institution for the treatment of mental diseases of the army, navy, public health service, and the insane of the District of Columbia; also the maintenance of The Freedmen's hospital, an institution providing medical and surgical treatment for the coloured race of the District of Columbia and residents of the several States. Howard university, an institution for the education of the coloured youth in the liberal arts and sciences, supported partly by congres sional appropriations, is also under the general supervision of the de partment, as is the Columbia Institution for the Deaf. (See DEAr AND DUMB: United States.) (H. L. Is.) The Department of Department of Agri culture was established by the Act of Congress of May 15, 1862, assigning the duties of acquiring and diffusing information on subjects concerned with agriculture. Subsequent legislation has given the de partment responsibilities in all phases of agricultural welfare and in many fields related to the general welfare.
The department is organized in 12 staff offices and 26 operating bureaus and offices. Staff offices include budget and finance, personnel, plant and operations, extension service, library, foreign agricultural relations, office of land use co-ordination, office of Civilian Conserva tion Corps activities, office of marketing and regulatory work, office of the solicitor, office of experiment stations, and office of information. Agencies with major responsibilities in the field of research include Agricultural Marketing Service, Bureau of Plant Industry, Bureau of Agricultural Chemistry and Engineering, Bureau of Dairy Industry, and Bureau of Home Economics. Functions of the Bureau of Agri cultural Economics combine economic research and general planning. Regulatory duties are administered by the Food and Drug Adminis tration, Commodity Exchange Administration, and Agricultural Mar keting Service. The Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine conducts research and regulatory activities and programs to control insect pests and diseases. The Bureau of Animal Industry conducts both research and regulatory work. The Farm Credit Administration assists associations of farmers to obtain adequate credit and reason able rates to finance co-operative services, land mortgages, and pro duction operations. The Rural Electrification Administration assists groups of farmers to obtain electric service. The Farm Security Ad ministration administers emergency rural relief, rehabilitation loans and guidance, assistance for migratory farm families, and loans to assist tenants to become farm owners. The Commodity Credit Corpo ration makes loans to producers on stored agricultural commodities to finance carrying and orderly marketing.
The Soil Conservation Service conducts erosion control research and demonstration and co-operates with individuals and groups of farmers in applying good land-use practices, purchases and develops submarginal land for constructive uses, encourages development of farm woodlands and water facilities and treatment of land for flood control. The Forest Service is responsible for the care of public forest lands and assists owners of private lands on problems of reforestation and forest management. The Agricultural Adjustment Administration administers the national conservation and adjustment program, pro viding for conservation practices, production and marketing adjust ments, the Ever-Normal Granary, and farm income maintenance including payments. The department co-operates with State agricul tural colleges and experiment stations to promote and co-ordinate researchand the system of agricultural extension which provides information for farmers through county agents and agricultural and home economics specialists. The Division of Marketing and Market ing Agreements administers marketing agreement programs and determines needs for diversion of price-depressing farm surpluses. The Federal Surplus Commodities Corporation purchases farm sur pluses for distribution to needy low-income families. The Sugar Division is responsible for administration of programs for sugar cane and sugar beet producers as authorized by Congress. The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation administers the program to insure wheat crops against natural hazards. The Weather Bureau provides daily reports, forecasts, and general advice on weather and climate.
(H. A. WAL.) The Department of Commerce.—The Department of Com merce succeeded the earlier Department of Commerce and Labor by the act of Congress approved on March 4, 1913, which also created a separate and independent Department of Labor. The secretary of Commerce is a member of the president's cabinet, but is not in line of succession to the Presidency. It is his duty to promote and develop the foreign and domestic commerce, the mining, manufacturing, ship ping and fishery industries and the transportation facilities of the United States. There are an under-secretary and an assistant secretary assisting the secretary of Commerce in supervising the functions of the department.
The department is composed of 8 branches, as follows: the office of the secretary, which supervises the work of the department as a whole; the Bureau of the Census, for the publication of statistics relating to population, agriculture, manufactures, mining, etc.; the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, charged with the collec tion and dissemination of trade information for the benefit of manu facturers and exporters ; the Coast and Geodetic Survey, for survey ing the coastal waters and the publication of nautical charts ; the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation, for the enforcement of the navigation laws, the inspection of steam vessels, and the licensing of their officers and crews ; the Bureau of Standards, the custodian of the official prototype standards of measurement, which carries on industrial experimentation and research ; the Patent Office, through which the Government issues letters patent to inventors, and regis ters trade-marks, prints, and labels ; and the Inland Waterways Corporation for the development of inland waterway transportation and the operation of Government-owned barge lines. (H. L. H.) The Department of Department of Labor is the outgrowth of an agitation that began after the Civil War (i861-65), when recognition in the Federal Government for the great group of wage-earners of the country was first sought. This resulted in the creation of the Bureau of Labor in the Department of the Interior in 1884. In 1888 the bureau was made an independent establishment and in 1903 the Department of Commerce and Labor was created, and the Bureau of Labor was transferred 'to it. A law approved by President Taft on March 4, 1913, created the Department of Labor and transferred to it the Bureau of Labor (now the Bureau of Labor Statistics), the Children's Bureau and the bureaus of Immigration and Naturalization. The law also gave the secretary authority to conciliate industrial disputes.
The department, through its bureaus, pursues a clear-cut service in fostering the welfare of the wage-earner. The Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization guards the gates of the nation, and protects the American workman from injurious competition from abroad. The Bureau of Labor Statistics keeps the wage-earner and the public in formed as to employment, wage, working conditions and cost of living. The Conciliation Service seeks to avert and settle industrial disputes, and to foster the spirit of co-operation in industry. The Women's Bureau and the Children's Bureau work for the betterment of women and children in industry and in home life. The Division of Labor Standards is authorized to develop desirable labour standards in industrial practice, labour law administration and labour legislation. The Public Contracts Division administers the Walsh-Healey Act which requires Government contracts to contain maximum hours, minimum wage, child labour, safety and health stipulations. The Wage and Hour Division enforces the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Its duties are to see that employers engaged in inter state commerce and producing goods for interstate commerce conform to the wage and hour standards. (F. PE.)