THE NATIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Whereas, Among the causes of such conditions, unsatisfactory
and injurious to both capital and labor, the most important is over-
production due to lack of adequate statistical information; there-
fore, be it
Resolved, That the Chamber of Commerce of the United States
of America urge Congress to increase the appropriation for the
Department of Commerce and to instruct said Department to
gather, compile and make available such information to all such
industries as rapidly as the machinery for the work may be created
efficiently. (Resolution, Third Annual Meeting, 1915.)
A FEDERAL STATISTICAL COMMISSION
Whereas, The approach of the 1920 decennial census calls for
the immediate formulation of plans for this, the largest single statis-
tical investigation periodically carried out by the Government of
the United States; and
Whereas, The rapid development of the country, and the great
growth of our foreign trade, in the last few years, have resulted in
radical transformations in commerce and industry and have brought
about a constantly increasing demand for statistical information;
and
Whereas, The rapid growth and increase in the number of gov-
ernment bureaus and commissions which conduct, or apply the
results of statistical and economic investigations has resulted in
much duplication, overlapping, and crossing of the lines of work
and fields of investigations covered by these government agencies
and by the Census office, respectively; and
Whereas, There now exists no central agency through which
these various statistical activities may be properly correlated; and
the several departments and other governmental agencies concerned
are seriously handicapped and the value of their investigations
lessened by the absence of such correlation; and
Whereas, It seems specially important that there shall be close
and effective cooperation during the next few years, as to statistical
matters, between the various government agencies and those in
practical touch with labor, agricultural, commercial and industrial
conditions: therefore, be it
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