DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.

On inquiring at the Department of Commerce I was informed that it had
charge of all vessels engaged in internal traffic as well as in foreign
trade, and operated lines of steamers running to all ports of the globe,
carrying freight at a rate between home and foreign ports that defied
competition, but they did not carry freight between foreign countries.
The men for the Mercantile Marine were furnished by the Army and had the
same pay. They were required to load and unload cargo in every port
where they took on or discharged freight, and shippers did not have to
pay wharfage charges or pilot fees, for everyone took his ship into port
and out without a pilot. The department also had charge of all
Government warehouses, wharves and docks and appointed all consuls to
foreign countries and received their reports, which were published in
the National Gazette.

The business of the Department was run on the principle of the greatest
good to the whole people, so that whenever the profits any year exceeded
the expenses and the sinking fund, freight rates were reduced.



CHAPTER X.

DEPARTMENT OF RAILWAYS.

I went from there to the Department of Railroads and was given a copy
of freight and passenger rates which on examination proved to be very
simple and that required no great lawyers with legal cunning to draw up
as they did in my country in making tariff schedules to fool the people