appointed by the Secretary of Commerce and Labor. As has been pointed out, a characteristic feature of the old system, when the Lighthouse Board was in charge, was the use of Army and Navy officers as inspectors in charge of these districts. In accordance with the provisions of the act of 1910 these positions will, in the future, be filled by civilians. For three years, however, Army and Navy officers may continue to serve. At the present time civilian inspectors have been appointed in but four districts. These inspectors have immediate charge of all field work in their respective districts with the exception of construction and repair work. They are thus responsible for the proper management of light stations, fog-signal stations, light vessels, relief light vessels, lighthouse tenders, and depots; for keeping upon their stations all floating aids to navigation; for the maintenance, repair, and operation of all lighthouse craft permanently or temporarily in the district; for the construction of new aids or additions to aids; for the repair, cleanliness, and efficient condition of all aids to navigation and other property in the district; for keeping ready for service at the shortest notice all spare or relief moorings, buoys, appendages, and relief light vessels; for the distribution of supplies; for the efficiency of the personnel; for the disbursement, as may be authorized, of funds on account of the Lighthouse Service; and for such other duties as are involved in the proper conduct of the district. The regulations for the Lighthouse Service direct that inspection shall be made of all light vessels, tenders, depots, light and fog-signal stations, beacon and post lights, and buoys four times each year, and unlighted beacons twice each year, if practicable, and, if impracticable, that a report of the facts shall be made to the commissioner, with reasons for failure to make the required inspections. This inspection can be made by the inspectors personally, but is usually performed by superintendents and assistant superintendents attached to their offices. These latter officers are appointed by the Secretary of Commerce and Labor on the joint recommendation of the district inspectors and the Commissioner of Lighthouses, subject to the civilservice rules. They are concerned with the supervision of the construction work carried on within the district. These offices are maintained in all but the river districts. In addition to these officers, provision is also made for certain clerical and other assistants at the district headquarters. The following statement shows the total number of employees attached to the district headquarters and the cost of running such offices: The above information is given for each district separately in Exhibit No. 4A, "History, organization, and activities of the Bureau of Lighthouses. Depots. For the storing and distribution of the apparatus and supplies used by the field stations proper the service maintains 30 depots. In Exhibit No. 4A is given a statement showing the number 1 Salaries of the 15 Army and Navy officers acting as inspectors in charge are not included. of employees and cost of maintaining and operating each of these depots. The figures for all 30 combined are: Of these depots the one at Tompkinsville, N. Y., is known as the general lighthouse depot, since it is maintained on a much larger scale than the others and differs from them in that important manufacturing operations are carried on in connection with it. The total number of persons employed at it is 170, and the total cost of its operation is $183,433.14. It is located on Government property. For the distribution of equipment and supplies, the location and repair of aids to navigation, and the transportation of inspectors and other officials the service maintains a fleet of 57 lighthouse tenders, the total cost of the operation of which in 1911 was $1,379,127.12. Light stations and other aids to navigation.-The field stations proper, or the units performing the work for which the service is maintained, consist of: 1. Light stations proper, or lighthouses requiring the services of a keeper, or a keeper and assistants. 2. Light vessels, which fulfill much the same purpose as lighthouses. Though moored while serving as light stations, they are capable of locomotion under their own steam or sail power. 3. Relief lightships, which are used to take the place of light vessels when blown from their moorings or removed for repair or other purposes. 4. Attended lights. These differ from light stations proper in that they do not require a keeper in constant attendance. 5. Unattended lights. 6. Buoys, daymarks, and other aids to navigation. The total number of persons employed by the service exceeds 5,000, and the total of appropriations for the service for 1912 was $5,935,360. ADMINISTRATION OF THE TWO SERVICES BY ONE BUREAU. In the foregoing the effort has been made to make as clear a statement as possible of the work done by these two services and the manner in which they are organized for its performance. Careful study of this statement and of the more detailed description of the organization and activities of these two services given in the exhibits can, in the opinion of the commission, lead to but one conclusionthat the two can be most efficiently and economically administered by a single bureau. SIMILARITY OF THE TWO SERVICES. Both are organized and maintained for the same general purposethe protection of life and property endangered along the coasts and other navigable waters.. Both have to maintain stations along the coast. Both have substantially the same business problems to meet in locating, constructing, and maintaining these stations, in recruiting a personnel, in manufacturing or purchasing equipment, in purchasing, housing in depots, and distributing supplies, in maintaining a field-inspection service, in maintaining telephonic and other means of communication, in disbursing funds, in keeping proper books of account, and in rendering reports showing financial and other trans actions. It is true that the stations maintained by the two services are not identical in character and that the precise duties performed at them are not the same. These facts, however, in no way detract from the feasibility or desirability of having the two services administered by the same bureau. In this connection it is of importance to notice, and to emphasize, that the recommendation of the commission that the two services should be administered by a single bureau in no sense involves the consolidation of the field stations proper. On the contrary, the commission believes that the field stations of the two services should continue in great part to be maintained as now existing. At the present time the Bureau of Lighthouses is maintaining without difficulty different classes of field stations, the most important of which are: (1) Lighthouses, (2) lightships, and (3) buoys and other aids to navigation. The adoption of the recommendation of the commission would mean simply the addition to this list of a fourthclass of (4) life-saving stations. While the commission thus does not have in contemplation the consolidation of field stations proper, and, consequently, does not base its estimate of economies to be realized through action upon its recommendation upon any saving that will result in the operation of the field stations proper, it nevertheless believes that, in practice, possibilities for effecting economies in this branch of the work will arise at many points as soon as these various stations are brought under the same administrative direction. In another part of this report attention is directed to the fact that many of the life-saving stations are located within a fraction of a mile, or a mile, of two lighthouses. It is well within the bounds of possibility that, in a number of cases, it will be found advantageous, not only for the lifesaving station to be located on the same reservation as the lighthouse to which it is contiguous, but, to a certain extent, to diminish the number of employees required to operate the two establishments by having the same person perform duties in respect to both. The possibility of doing this is especially great since the conditions of service at both lighthouses and life-saving stations are such that the personnel, to a considerable extent, are not actively employed all the time. Their presence is essential in order that their services may be available when need for them arises, rather than on account of the volume of work to be done from day to day. It thus may be found quite feasible for the keeper or one of the crew of a life-saving station to discharge the duties of assistant lighthouse keeper at the light contiguous to the life-saving station. As stated, the commission, though believing that economies may be realized in this way, does not base its recommendations for the placing of the two services under a common direction upon this ground. The recommendation of the commission is based upon the two facts that the problems of administering the two services are identical in character and that the field stations proper to be administered are located so close to each other that a great economy can be realized by having their affairs directed by the same administrative service. In the following pages the attempt is made, by an analysis of existing conditions, to show, in as specific manner as circumstances will permit, how these field services can be more efficiently and economically administered by a single bureau in one department than by two bureaus in separate departments. In doing this each of the branches of administration that are required in order that the field stations proper shall properly perform their duties will be considered separately. These different branches are: 1. General administration. 2. Construction and repair work. 3. Provision of equipment. 5. Distribution of supplies. 6. Field administration and inspection. GENERAL ADMINISTRATION. In the description of the two services given in the exhibits, the number, titles, and compensation of all persons attached to the bureaus proper of the two services at Washington are given. This statement shows the following total number of persons employed and aggregate of annual salaries carried by the pay rolls: It is manifestly impossible to state precisely the reduction in number and compensation of employees that can be effected by a consolidation of the two offices. There can be no question, however, that it will be considerable. At the present time each service has three principal officers engaged in general supervision and control. They are: If the two offices at Washington are consolidated, but one set of superior officials will be required. This will mean the elimination of one bureau head and one chief clerk and probably also of one assistant bureau head. If all three are eliminated the saving will be at least $9,000. Granting, however, that it may be necessary to provide for a second assistant to handle the additional work, his salary will be more than offset by the saving that will result in the clerical help, rent and quarters, and other expenses pertaining to the offices proper of these officials. The net saving to be obtained in respect to the offices of these superior officers can thus be estimated at $9,000 annually. Disregarding clerical and messenger service, in the two subdivisions handling technical matters in the Washington offices, provision is made for the following personnel to perform duties in respect to construction and engineering work: The commission is of the opinion that an economy of at least $5,000 will result from the consolidation of the divisions for performing this work. It is quite likely that the services of the three employees shown under the Life-Saving Service can be dispensed with. It should be borne in mind that the technical questions involved in preparing plans and specifications for life-saving stations are comparatively simple. Not only are the structures required to house the men and apparatus at life-saving stations of a simple character, but all conform to, or can be made to conform to, much the same model. Granting, however, that one or more of these employees will have to be retained, the saving to be effected in respect to clerical and other employees will more than offset their salaries. Thus, for example, it is quite likely that the services of the "title and contract clerk,' $2,000, and clerk, $1,200, assisting him, will not be required, since the duties of these two employees pertain chiefly to matters having to do with the acquisition of sites and the making of contracts for the crection of stations. In respect to other features of work performed in the Washington offices, such as general correspondence, maintenance of files, keeping of records, appointments, and the like, only the general statement can be made that some saving, which may be estimated at 10 per cent, will undoubtedly result. This will mean a further economy of $6,000. On this basis the total saving indicated amounts to $20,000. The commission, of course, recognizes that this estimate is approximate. It may be that, when the actual work of consolidating the two offices is entered upon, it will be found that need will exist for |