United States. Department of Commerce and Labor

The Department of Commerce and Labor was created during the administration of Theodore Roosevelt, with George B. Cortelyou being appointed the department’s first Secretary. Victor Howard Metcalf succeeded him on 1904 to become the second Secretary of Commerce and Labor, and was then succeeded himself in 1906 by Oscar S. Straus. In 1913, as William Howard Taft left the Presidency, Congress split the department into two–the Department of Commerce and the Department of Labor.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1989

The writer of the clipping hopes that in time the Department of Commerce and Labor will prove its usefulness, but does not believe that it has currently justified its existence.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-05-17

August Belmont holds a whip as a Republican elephant jumps over a large barrier with slats that read, “Panama Canal,” “coal strike settlement,” “open door in China,” “reciprocity with Cuba,” “curbing of trusts,” “Dept Commerce and Labor,” and “Alaskan boundary decision.” A donkey jumps through the space just above the “curbing of trusts” slat.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08-14

On the left hand side of the cartoon, Uncle Sam holds up a “Depart. of Commerce and Labor” blackboard that reads, “cost of living increased 15.5%” A Democratic donkey holds a “calamity” horn and starts to cheer. On the right hand side, Uncle Sam flips the blackboard and hits the donkey on the head. The other side reads, “wages increased 16.6%.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08-03

A memorandum outlines the legislative history which designates who is responsible for the administration of the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-11

Postmaster General Cortelyou is pleased about the appointment of Charles Earl as Solicitor of the Department of Commerce and Labor, and believes he will be of great assistance to Secretary of Commerce and Labor Victor Howard Metcalf.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-07-09

Acting Secretary of State Adee relays a telegram from Acting Secretary of Commerce and Labor Lawrence O. Murray, which relates to a telegram to Secretary of the Treasury Leslie M. Shaw from the collector of customs at the port of San Francisco regarding the Russian cruiser Lena, which is being inspected for repairs. Adee includes Murray’s reply stating that the collector’s telegram to Shaw should have been sent to the Department of Commerce and Labor, rather than the Treasury Department.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-12

Assistant Secretary of the Navy Darling informs President Roosevelt that the armed cruiser Buffalo has been dispatched to patrol the Bering Sea at the request of the State Department and the Department of Commerce and Labor. Darling requests Roosevelt’s approval to authorize the ship searching and seizing sealers.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08-23

President Roosevelt instructs Secretary of Commerce and Labor Straus to investigate the Department of Commerce and Labor to ensure that no work is being done on Sundays, unless it is unavoidable. Roosevelt mentions an enclosed letter from Reverend Wallace Radcliffe.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-25

Written as a supplement to a paper by Edgar M. Atkin and H. M Edwards, the pamphlet details employers’ responsibility to offer compensation to workers injured on the job as described by the new Compensation Law, passed as an element of the Act of May 1908. The Secretary of Commerce and Labor is responsible for enforcing this legislation, and the grieved party must make its claim as soon as possible to be eligible for this compensation.

Comments and Context

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

President Roosevelt accepts George Cortelyou’s resignation from his cabinet with “keenest regret.” Cortelyou had served Roosevelt since the assassination of William McKinley, and Roosevelt praises him as as a man of high character and ability. Cortelyou played an especially significant role in the organizing and efficient administering of the recently-formed Department of Commerce and Labor.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-06-26

Third draft of a letter with handwritten edits. President Roosevelt formally accepts the Republican presidential nomination. He then reviews several campaign issues and the achievements of his administration.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08-15

President Roosevelt discusses “the trusts” in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He discusses the control and regulation of trusts, including recent legislation. Speech has applause noted.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-04-03

Secretary of the Treasury Shaw states that the Treasury Department and the Bureau of Immigration will be liberal with the admission of individuals that may fall under the Chinese Exclusion Laws if they are attending the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. China has been invited to participate and the good faith of their participating citizens should not be questioned. Shaw assumes that the Department of Commerce and Labor will have the same policy.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-07-06

Summary of the formation of the new Department of Commerce and Labor. Speeches were delivered by Secretary of Commerce and Labor George B. Cortelyou, Secretary of the Navy William H. Moody, and Director of the Census Bureau S. N. D. North. A congratulatory telegram from President Roosevelt was read by Cortelyou.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-07-03

Harold Bolce sends a report he has written on the trade of the United States with Oceania, Asia, and South America. Bolce argues that Pacific region markets are miniscule compared to the possibilities in Argentina and Brazil.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-12-09

Senator Platt forwards a letter from George Washington Aldridge supporting William S. Wandby for Commissioner of Labor. Platt asks President Roosevelt for his reaction to this suggestion.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-12-05

President Roosevelt reports that all the horses are now laid up. He also relates a thank you letter he received from Yick Nam Quan. Quentin’s pet mouse died.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1904-02-10

Senator Platt writes to President Roosevelt regarding the service of Commissioner of Patents Frederick Innes Allen. Platt believes Allen has been a successful appointment and cites the opinions of Senators Orville Hitchcock Platt, Alfred B. Kittredge, and Louis E. McComas as well.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-01-27

Secretary of Commerce and Labor Cortelyou announces to President Roosevelt that he is resigning from the Cabinet to become the chairman of the Republican National Committee. Cortelyou also expresses his respect for Roosevelt and the job he has done.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-06-23