accomplishments consisted of savings by forwarding shipments via United States transports; consolidation of various less than carload shipments into carloads and securing special rates; obtaining contract rates from intercoastal lines and various carriers; having shipments from the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific coast made subject to the general contract Government rate; obtaining reductions in carriers bills through changes in classification; savings by purchas ing f. o. b. point of origin, thereby obtaining land-grant deductions; consolidation of export shipments, and the storing of vessels and field trucks without cost. A detailed statement covering shipments during the fiscal year 1925 is shown in Table 13, page 69. DEPARTMENT LIBRARY The department library is the central depository where all books, periodicals, and printed matter are recorded. It is a clearing house by which the information is made readily accessible. The detail work is to collect, catalogue, and properly classify all material bearing on the work of the bureaus or offices to which it gives service. Books when not in use are on the library shelves, and when in use the library has a proper charge for them, showing where they may be found. Trade journals or official periodicals received in the library are recorded and routed to divisions interested. The enlarged activities of the department have reacted on the library and the demands have increased accordingly. The following figures will give some idea of the year's accomplishments, but they necessarily can not show the efficient assistance rendered research workers or the splendid spirit which animated the service. Total number of books in the library on June 30, 1925, was over 117,000; total number of books and pamphlets added during the year, 7,850; 3,715 books were catalogued; 117,483 cards of new accessions were added to the catalogue; 6,473 books and pamphlets were collated and prepared for the bindery; 623 books were sent to the bindery; 2,013 books were discarded; 2,919 letters and post cards were written for books or in acknowledgment of their receipt. The circulation of books in the Commerce Building amounted to 17,717; 2,629 books were borrowed from the Library of Congress and other libraries; 1,825 trade, technical, and scientific periodicals, including 84 daily papers and 61 foreign gazettes, were currently received, recorded, and routed to 2,356 individuals or divisions. Approximately 1,000 research workers from other Government departments used the library. The greatest care is practiced in the selection of books and an intelligent estimate is made of the economic value of each book as bearing on the work before it is added to the library; but in spite of this, one of the greatest handicaps to efficiency is the lack of adequate space, both for shelving, for working quarters, and for refer ence purposes. At present the assistants have to work at the side of the stack room and many unnecessary steps are taken in order that they may consult the catalogue and other tools on which their work depends. The reference room is crowded and the space for shelving wholly inadequate. WORK OF THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1925, 132 contracts, totaling $1,203,407.12, together with 9 contracts of indeterminate amounts; 141 leases amounting to $616,136.98; 26 revocable licenses amounting to $5,373; 2 insurance policies amounting to $355,500; 18 deeds involving the sum of $386,749.74; 91 contract bonds amounting to $542,811; 90 official bonds amounting to $577,000 were examined (approved, disapproved, drafted, redrafted, or modified). The number of legal opinions rendered, formal and informal (memorandum), totaled 140 (a great many verbal opinions of which no record is kept) were also rendered during the year; legislative matters handled which concern the Department of Commerce (drafting and redrafting of bills, reports relative thereto, etc.) numbered 5. Power-of-attorney cards, authorizing agents to execute official and contract bonds for surety companies, totaled 3,257. In addition, 10,494 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. Total..... 475,000.00 197, 680.00 100,000.00 $152,750.00 $503.34 2,490. 39 $855, 245. 69 $524, 380.00 2,835, 303. 00 5,347, 470.00 1,050, 030. 00 501, 569.38 2, 106, 987.00 2,371, 347. 34 9, 490, 870. 39 1,398, 645.00 855, 245. 69 945, 366. 64 23, 833, 091. 38 2, 212, 767.00 1, 225, 612. 33 2,993. 73 152, 750.00 27, 427, 214. 44 TABLE 2.-Itemized disbursements, 1925 BY DISBURSING CLERK, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Office of the Secretary: Contingent expenses, Department of Commerce, 1923_ $972.93 44, 062.23 185, 676. 59 11, 241.66 62, 016. 63 Salaries, office of the Secretary, 1925_ Salaries, office of the Secretary, 1925-26---- Total Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce: Commercial attachés, 1923_ Commercial attachés, 1924_ Compiling foreign trade statistics, 1924. Export industries, 1925__. Investigating sources of crude rubber, 1923–24_. Raw material investigations, 1925_. Salaries, Foreign and Domestic Commerce, 1924.. Total Bureau of Standards: Advisory committee for Aeronautics (transfer to Bureau Air Service, Army (War transfer to Bureau of Standards, Air Service, Army (War transfer to Bureau of Standards, act of Jan. 5, 1923), 1924_. 6,758.92 205, 824.11 850.00 517, 403.07 1.00 11, 266. 71 16, 315.90 15,951.95 298, 017. 12 265.22 8, 011.60 9, 947.74 185, 757.96 725.95 13, 409.93 21, 218.44 533, 763.74 11, 092. 02 65, 927. 45 799. 17 22, 854.93 .91 14, 594. 32 57, 294. 84 3, 893.70 106, 730. 43 7,762. 68 123, 817. 28 3, 051. 42 37, 330. 55 9,420.90 247, 427. 12 50.30 1, 826, 701.28 693. 47 26, 532. 07 1, 896. 39 1,529. 46 968. 00 Air Service, Army (War transfer to Bureau of Standards, act of May 21, 1920), 1925__. Air Service, Army (War transfer to Bureau of Standards, act of May 28, 1924), 1925_. 5,087.51 Armament of fortifications (War transfer to Bureau of 847.18 380.25 Bureau of Standards-Continued. Automatic rifles (War transfer to Bureau of Standards, 111 $546.00 2,069. 70 793.55 Aviation, Navy (Navy transfer to Commerce, 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_. Aviation, Navy (Navy transfer to Bureau of Standards, Clothing and equipage (War transfer to Commerce, act of Color standardization, 1924. Conference on oil pollution of navigable waters (State transfer to Bureau of Standards, act of Mar. 4, 1925), 1925-26Construction and repair, Bureau of Construction and Repair (Navy transfer), 1923___. Construction and repair, Bureau of Construction and Repair (Navy transfer to Bureau of Standards, act of May 21, 1920), 1925 Construction and repair, Bureau of Construction and Re- Engineering, Bureau of Engineering (Navy transfer to Engineering, Bureau of Engineering (Navy transfer to Com- Equipment, 1923.. Equipment, 1924_ Equipment, 1925__ Experiments, Ordnance (Navy transfer to Bureau of Stand- Export industries, Department of Commerce (transfer to Field artillery, armament (War transfer to Bureau of Stand- Gauge standardization, 1924. Gauge standardization, 1925. General expenses, Bureau of Entomology (Agriculture General expenses, Lighthouse Service (transfer to Bureau Improvement and care of grounds, 1924_ Incidental expenses of the Army (War transfer to Com- Incidental expenses of the Army (War transfer to Bureau 10, 818. 05 795. 28 28, 674. 16 2,244.76 989.97 8,416.85 113.75 485.22 1,809. 58 8,708. 20 119. 14 4.66 558.91 14,995. 25 54, 615. 55 56.87 4, 469. 08 823. 87 922. 84 2,429.65 33, 350. 15 4,367. 41 1, 921. 37 60.66 9, 326. 14 22, 450. 32 879.22 9, 069. 13 1,002. 25 10, 623. 26 12, 352.92 8,645. 26 10, 029. 27 10, 353. 05 158, 079. 40 30, 226. 58 1, 979. 85 27, 211. 78 946.45 26, 004. 62 Bureau of Standards-Continued. Investigation of mine scales and cars, 1924_ Investigation of public utility standards, 1924 Investigation of public utility standards, 1925_ Investigation of radioactive substances, 1924. Investigation of radioactive substances, 1925‒‒‒‒‒‒ Investigation of textiles, etc., 1925 Land, Bureau of Standards, 1925–26_. Manufacture of arms (War transfer to Bureau of Standards, act of May 28, 1924), 1924-25--Metallurgical research, 1924__ Metallurgical research, 1925. Mineral mining investigations, Bureau of Mines (Interior transfer to Bureau of Standards, act of May 28, 1924), 1925 Ordnance and ordnance stores, Bureau of Ordnance (Navy transfer to Commerce, act of May 21, 1920), 1923Ordnance 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), 1924 Ordnance and ordnance stores, Bureau of Ordnance (Navy Ordnance stores, ammunition (War transfer to Bureau of Ordnance stores, ammunition (War transfer to Bureau of Ordnance stores, ammunition (War transfer to Bureau of Party expenses, Coast and Geodetic Survey (transfer to Radio research, 1924 Radio research, 1925_. Replacement of altitude chambers, 1924. Rope investigation, 1924___ Rope investigation, 1925 Salaries, 1924 Salaries, 1925. Signal Service of the Army (War transfer to Bureau of Signal Service of the Army (War transfer to Bureau of Standards, act of May 28, 1924), 1925_ Sound investigation, 1924. Subsistence of the Army (War transfer to Commerce, act of $194.89 11, 552. 07 953.77 22, 457.71 8,955, 15 91, 155.66 1,708.52 10, 014. 84 3, 160.81 23, 563.38 173, 117.00 759.80 3,656, 69 37, 522. 67 4, 245. 65 21.20 1, 179.93 1,207.10 7,969. 85 585.17 129. 19 286.00 1,211. 87 1,753. 38 369.28 3,293, 38 42, 300. 10 57, 773. 42 5, 252. 16 6, 968. 20 15, 096. 08 464, 020. 87 33.00 3. 381.40 266.67 5, 311.90 3,583.26 5,198. 64 94, 599. 22 2,895, 26 27,625.93 1,209.80 9, 203.38 Sugar standardization, 1924_ 4,733. 29 Sugar standardization, 1925_. 4,307. 25 Tanks (War transfer to Bureau of Standards, act of May 21, 1920), 1923-24. 36, 539. 81 1, 146. 07 |