of articles as applied in various countries. As far as possible these published editions of foreign tariffs are revised to date, and, in addition, changes in foreign tariffs are noted in the Daily Consular and Trade Reports and are reprinted in special pamphlets entitled "Foreign Tariff Notes." The Bureau, by virtue of its close relations with American consular officers, and its files of the current official publications of foreign countries, possesses exceptional facilities for keeping informed as to tariff rates and customs formalities incident to the entry of goods into foreign countries.

Commercial statistics.-Statistical information in regard to imports and exports is received by the Bureau in monthly returns from the collectors of customs, showing the principal articles imported and exported, stating quantities where possible and values in all cases; the countries from which each article or group of articles was imported and to which each article or group of articles was exported. These statements are printed primarily in the Monthly Summary of Commerce and Finance and distributed to individuals and firms engaged in commerce, to commercial organizations, educational institutions, and libraries, and to such commercial and other newspapers of the country as may request the same.

Other tables of imports, much more complete in detail are published quarterly, showing the quantity and value of the imports entered for consumption, the rate of duty, and the duty collected on each article or group of articles; and these quarterly statements are subsequently presented in the form of an annual statement. This statement of merchandise imported for consumption includes: (1) The merchandise entered for consumption and duty paid upon its arrival at the port, and (2) merchandise withdrawn from warehouse for consumption on payment of duty. Merchandise entering the country and deposited in warehouse is not included in the statement of imports for consumption unless subsequently withdrawn from warehouse.

The Monthly Summary also contains tables showing the principal articles forming the trade between the United States and its noncontiguous territories-Alaska, Porto Rico, Hawaii, the Philippine Islands, Guam, and Tutuila.

Annual statements of the commerce of the United States presenting trade movements in much greater detail than those of the Monthly Summary of Commerce and Finance are published in a volume entitled "Commerce and Navigation of the United States." This volume shows in great detail the trade by articles and countries, stating the countries from which each article or class of articles was imported and to which each article or class of articles was exported during a five-year period; also statements showing the movements of merchandise and of gold and silver by customs districts, the imports

for consumption, and other statements showing details of the trade movements with foreign countries and with the noncontiguous territories for a term of years.

The Statistical Abstract of the United States, a voiume of about 800 pages, presents in condensed form statements regarding the commerce, production, industries, population, finance, currency, indebtedness, and wealth of the country, and includes in addition to the compilations made by the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce the more important statistical data compiled by other branches of the Government, and with this a condensed statement of the commerce of the principal foreign countries. It is published annually.

Specific opportunities to extend trade.-Specific opportunities for the extension of American trade, transmitted by consuls, are published in the Daily Consular and Trade Reports under the title "Foreign trade opportunities." Notes relative to opportunities for the sale of American manufactures to the Federal Government are also published under the heading "Proposals for Government supplies."

Plans and specifications for public and private works in foreign countries, as well as samples of articles for which a demand has been or may be created, often accompany reports by consular officers and commerical agents. Announcement of the receipt of these is made in the Daily Consular and Trade Reports, and circulation of them is made by the Bureau, an endeavor being made to reach as soon as possible the manufacturers likely to be interested.

The Bureau cooperates with representative trade organizations by conferences with their officers, by the use of membership lists for the distribution of confidential information, and by filing with them plans and specifications for work relating to the industry or industries represented by such organizations. Numerous individual requests for information from American manufacturers and exporters receive attention and endeavor is made to supply promptly all material in possession of the Bureau on a particular subject.

All of the trade information received is carefully indexed, and the Bureau has a record of reports on most lines of trade in foreign countries, and when requests for data on any particular line are received search is made through these records and all information available is furnished. If a subject as to which information is sought is one of importance and interest to a number of concerns, such concerns are invited to submit a list of questions covering the facts de sired, and these inquiries are sent to American consuls throughout the world. The results of these inquiries are subsequently published and distributed by the Bureau.

The Bureau has also issued a directory of 1,138 quarto pages containing the names of about 125,000 individuals and firms in foreign

countries engaged in the import trade, classified by countries and by industries. Supplements will be issued from time to time making corrections and additions.

The bulletins and monographs of the Bureau on special statistical and commercial subjects now number several hundred titles, and cover a wide range of trade matters.

Domestic trade development.—Although the law provides for the promotion and development of trade at home and abroad, work has thus far, in large measure been devoted to recording and extending the foreign trade of the United States. The work of domestic commercial development is now being taken up actively, and is destined to become an extremely important branch of the service of the office.

The yearly exports of manufactures to foreign countries are now about 5 per cent of the total of 20,000 million dollars' worth produced in the United States annually. The factors of commercial promotion and development related to the domestic production, distribution, and consumption of manufactures which are of legitimate interest to the Bureau are very numerous and worthy of extensive investigation and publicity.

The Bureau has already entered this field with its commercial agents and will extend its researches and add to its publications as rapidly as practicable. Commercial and manufacturers' organizations have been studied, and a report has been published dealing with the promotive activities of 70 representative organizations. Commercial museums and expositions, commercial education, methods of distribution of manufactured products, standards of credit, quality and sources of raw materials, and similar subjects await study from the point of view of the Bureau, as outlined in the law.

BUREAU OF LIGHTHOUSES.

The first lighthouse on this continent was built in 1715-16, at the entrance to Boston Harbor, by the Province of Massachusetts, and was supported by light dues on all incoming and outgoing vessels, except coasters. Several other lighthouses were built by the colonies. Congress by the act of August 7, 1789, authorized the maintenance of lighthouses and other aids to navigation at the expense of the United States. There were at that date eight lights in operation, maintained by the colonies. These, together with others completed later, thirteen in all, were ceded to the General Government by the States.

The maintenance of lighthouses, buoys, etc., was placed under the Treasury Department, and up to 1820 was directed personally by the Secretary of the Treasury, except for two intervals, when supervision was assigned by him to the Commissioner of Revenue. In 1820 the superintendence of the lights devolved upon the Fifth Auditor of the Treasury, who was popularly known as the General Superintendent of Lights, and who continued in charge thereof until 1852, when the United States Lighthouse Board, consisting of officers of the Navy and Army, and civilians, was organized, with the Secretary of the Treasury as ex officio president of the Board. The Board selected from its own number a member to act as chairman.

The Lighthouse Service was transferred to the Department of Commerce on July 1, 1903. On July 1, 1910, the Lighthouse Board was terminated, and the present Bureau of Lighthouses established. In this Bureau four officers are appointed by the President--a Commissioner of Lighthouses, a Deputy Commissioner, a Chief Constructing Engineer, and a Superintendent of Naval Construction.

The United States Lighthouse Service is charged with the establishment and maintenance of aids to navigation, and with all equipment and work incident thereto, on the sea and lake coasts of the United States, on the rivers of the United States, and on the coasts of all other territory under the jurisdiction of the United States, with the exception of the Philippine Islands and Panama. The jurisdiction of the Lighthouse Service over rivers not included in tidewater navigation is restricted to such as are specifically authorized by law; these now include practically all the important navigable rivers and lakes of the country.

All the work of establishing and maintaining the aids to navigation under the jurisdiction of the Lighthouse Service is performed directly by that Service through the district organizations, with the exception of a few minor aids which are maintained by contract, and with the

exception of the American Samoan Islands and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where the aids are maintained through the local authorities. The Lighthouse Service also has supervision over the establishment and maintenance of private aids to navigation.

There is an office in Washington, which is the executive center of the Service, under the Commissioner of Lighthouses and the Deputy Commissioner. There are in this office an engineering construction division, under the Chief Constructing Engineer; a naval construction division, under the Superintendent of Naval Construction; a hydrographic division, under an assistant engineer, and the general office force, under the chief clerk.

The Service outside of Washington is divided into nineteen lighthouse districts, each of which is under the charge of a lighthouse inspector. In each district there is a central office at a location selected on account of either its maritime importance or its geographical position, and there are also one or more lighthouse depots located conveniently for carrying on the work of the district, in the matter of storing and distributing supplies and apparatus. Each district is provided with one or more lighthouse tenders for the purpose of distributing supplies to the various stations and light vessels and for transportation of materials for construction or repair, for the placing and care of the buoyage system in the district, and for transporting the inspector and other officers of the Service on official inspections of stations and vessels and on other official duty.

In addition to the various district depots, there is in the Third lighthouse district, on Staten Island, New York Harbor, a general lighthouse depot, where many of the supplies for the whole Service are purchased and stored and sent out for distribution, and where much of the special apparatus of the Service is manufactured or repaired, and where also there is carried on various technical work in the way of testing apparatus and supplies and designing or improving apparatus.

On June 30, 1912, there were 44 regular lighthouse tenders in commission, and the Service maintained light vessels at 51 stations; having for this purpose 65 light vessels, of which 14 were relief vessels, making a total of 109 vessels. The number of employees was 5,534, and the number and classes of aids to navigation maintained by the Service were as follows: