Speech #500125092

This subject has already been deemed of such importance that there is already in the Treasury Department a Commissioner of Commerce. and his bureau should be transferred to this new department. Our railroads and telegraphs are great national industries which have not been taken possession of by the Government in this country as in some countries. and those industries need the supervision and to some extent the care and protection of the National Government. and this subject will naturallyfind a place in this iew department. Mines and mining. manufactures. forestry. the production of foodfishes. education. labor. and labor statistics (each of which three now has a Commissioner). immigration. the census and generally all statistics concerning our national industries. should. if this department is created. be transferred thereto. At some time I supposethis Government will. like all other civilized and cultivated governments. systematically extend its assistance XIX551. and patronage to art. and whenever this shall be the case the department of national industries will have within it an art bureau. and I trust that we may then have some standard of art. that we may have art critics or art censors or art committees which will supervise purchases of works of art for the National Government. If such supervisors had existed hitherto when the Government has been purchasing works of art. it might have saved us from some of the purchases of abortions of art in the way of painting and socalled sculpture for which the money of the Government has been expended.