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SPECIAL AGENTS TO INVESTIGATE TRADE CONDITIONS ABROAD.

The act of February 3, 1905, making appropriations for the legislative, executive, and judicial expenses of the Government appropriated $30,000 for the investigation by special agents of trade conditions. abroad, with the object of promoting the foreign commerce of the United States. In accordance with that act four agents were appointed and assigned, one to South America, one to Canada and Mexico, one to Japan, and one to China. These agents have forwarded reports to the Department, which have been published in the Daily and Monthly Consular and Trade Reports. These reports, together with conclusions and recommendations, will be presented to Congress in due time.

BUILDING FOR THE DEPARTMENT.

While I do not at this time press the question of erecting a suitable building for the Department, it seems to me imperative that Congress should at once authorize the leasing, for a term of years, of a building large enough to accommodate the various bureaus and offices of the Department now occupying rented buildings. The locations of these buildings and the amounts appropriated for rentals for the fiscal year 1905-6 are shown by the following table:

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It will be seen from the foregoing statement that the buildings now occupied by the Department are about 14 miles apart east and west, and about one-third of a mile apart north and south. The delay, inconvenience, and expense incident to the transaction of daily business by so scattered an organization are self-evident.

The rent of a building large enough to accommodate these bureaus and offices would, in my judgment, be at least $100,000 a year. But the assembling of the bureaus and offices of the Department under one roof would result in a saving in the cost of administration on a very conservative estimate of at least $66,000 a year, thus more than compensating for the increased rental. This

saving would result from a reduction in the clerical force, made possible by consolidation of the libraries and the disbursing and appointment work of outlying bureaus and offices, from a reduction in the subclerical force, including watchmen, engineers, charwomen, laborers, elevator conductors, mechanics, and the like, and through economy of time and service and a saving in fuel, electric lights and power, printing, horses, wagons, and telephones.

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