174. U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
The commission left New York City for Puerto Rico on April 6 and 
returned April 24, 1939. Its findings and recommendations have been 
reported to the President. 
EXHIBITS AT EXPOSITIONS 
During 1938 the Division of Fishery Industries finished arrange- 
ments for a Bureau of Fisheries display for the Pan-American Exposi- 
tion at Tampa, Fla., and planned the participation of the Bureau in 
the ‘‘theme”’ exhibits for the New York World’s Fair, 1939. The dis- 
play at Tampa consisted of a diorama of the sponge-fishing industry. 
At the New York Fair the Bureau was represented in the following 
dioramas: Conservation, Food, Industry, Recreation, and Territories. 
Displays also were shipped to San Francisco for the use of Fair authori- 
ties at that city in the Golden Gate International Exposition. These 
consisted of illuminated panels depicting the migration of the Alaska 
salmon in the Pacific Ocean and the American and European eels in 
the Atlantic Ocean. The Bureau also was represented in the Con- 
servation theme at this Fair. 
The publicity attendant upon the public showing of displays de- 
picting the Bureau’s activities and operations in the fishery industries 
is recognized as an important factor in the public relations of the 
Bureau of Fisheries. 
ECONOMIC AND MARKETING INVESTIGATIONS 
There is a constant demand upon the Division of Fishery Industries 
to conduct economic studies of the commercial fisheries, including 
investigations having application to the various functions of market- 
ing fishery commodities. It has been possible to undertake only a 
limited program of long-time or continuing studies of this kind with 
available personnel and funds during recent years. However, as is 
customary each year, many short-time economic and marketing 
studies were made in order to satisfy the urgent demands placed upon 
the Division. Some of these studies are conducted preliminary to or 
closely associated with administrative activities of the Bureau and, 
consequently, they are frequently not published. Some of the 
economic and marketing studies which were made during the past year 
are discussed briefly in the following paragraphs. 
SURPLUS-FISH SITUATION 
As a result of the legislation incorporated in Public Act 542, which 
was approved on May 25, 1938, the Federal Surplus Commodities 
Corporation, during the latter part of the fiscal year 1938, purchased 
3,595,000 pounds of fish and fish products at a commodity cost of 
about $265,000. These purchases consisted largely of pollock, had- 
dock, cod, mackerel, blue runner, hake, and squeteagues or “‘sea trout.” 
It will be recalled that 12,059,000 pounds of fishery products were 
purchased, at a commodity cost of $597,000, during the latter part of 
the fiscal year 1937 under similar authority. These costs do not 
include handling and transportation. 
Fishery commodities purchased by the Federal Surplus Commodities 
Corporation were diverted from the normal channels of trade and 
