Relation of the Federal Government to Research 



101 



Stat. 1064) ; and similar provisions apply to the United 

 States Maritime Commission, the Federal Power Com- 

 mission, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the 

 National Labor Eelations Board, and the National 

 Bituminous Coal Commission. 



The Federal Reserve Board is authorized to examine 

 the accounts, books, and affairs generally of Federal 

 Reserve and member banks, and to require "such state- 

 ments and reports as it may deem necessary" (38 Stat. 

 251, 261-2) ; while its Federal Advisory Council has 

 power "to call for information and to make recom- 

 mendations in regard to discount rates, rediscount busi- 

 ness, note issues, reserve conditions in the various dis- 

 tricts, the purchase and sale of gold or securities by 

 reserve banks, oi^en-market operations by said banks, 

 and the general affairs of the reserve banking system" 

 (ibid., 263). In another field, the Tariff Commission 

 is given access to and a right to copy "any document, 

 paper, or record, pertinent to the subject matter under 

 investigation, in the possession of any person, firm, co- 

 partnership, corporation, or association engaged in the 

 production, importation, or distribution of any article 

 under investigation," as well as power to hold hearings 

 and require production of evidence (39 Stat. 795, 797). 

 The Civil Aeronautics Authority may hold public hear- 

 ings, administer oaths, require preservation of evi- 

 dence, and subpoena witnesses, books, or documents. 



Most of the agencies dealing with statistical ma- 

 terials have authority to compel private organizations 

 or individuals to supply various specified types of data. 

 Thus the Bureau of Labor Statistics has power to se- 

 cure from industry statistics of employment, wages, 

 hours, and other labor information (46 Stat. 1019) ; 

 the Commodity Excliange Administration may require 

 statistics relating to the ojieration of commodity ex- 

 changes (49 Stat. 1491) ; the Bureau of Agricultural 

 Economics has authority to secure periodically on 

 specified dates information from growers and dealers 

 as to quality and quantity of various crops such as cot- 

 ton and tobacco; and the Bureau of the Census, the 

 Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, and the 

 Department of Justice may secure detailed statistical 

 data covering numerous fields. 



A similar jiower with respect to specimens is con- 

 ferred upon the Commissioner of Fisheries who "may 

 take or cause to be taken at all times, in the waters 

 of the seacoast of the United States, where the tide 

 ebbs and flows, and also in the waters of the lakes, such 

 fish or specimens thereof as may in his judgment, from 

 time to time, be needful or proper for the conduct of 

 his duties, any law, custom, or usage of any State to 

 the contrary notwithstanding" (U. S. C. 16:745). 



Data From Federal Agencies 



The power to secure information from other agen- 

 cies of the Government is perhaps most clearly stated in 

 the statute creating the Federal Trade Commission, 

 which provides that — 



the st'VC'i-Ml fli'iiarrmpiits mid bureaus of the Government when 

 directed h.v the President shall furnish the commission, upon 

 its request, all records, papers, and information in their pos- 

 session relating to an.v corporation subject to any of the pro- 

 visious of this act « * * 



Other agencies, such as the Tariff Commission and the 

 Federal Power Conunission have similar authority ; and 

 the Federal Communications Commission may request 

 valuations from the Interstate Commerce Commission. 

 Officers and employees of the executive departments 

 and establishments are required to furnisli the Civil 

 Service Commission with whatever information it may 

 need in carrying out its functions (U. S. C. 5:650); 

 and a similar provision requires that: 



All departments and establishments shall furnish to the 

 Comptroller General such information regarding the powers, 

 duties, activities, organization, financial transactions, and meth- 

 ods of business of their resijectlve offices as he may from time 

 to time require of them ; and the Comptroller General * * * 

 shall * * * have access to and the right to examine any 

 books, documents, papers, or records of any such department or 

 establishment (U. S. C. 31:54). 



In almost identical language the Bureau of the Budget 

 is empowered to require information from other agen- 

 cies of the Government. 



The Bureau of Labor Statistics may call upon other 

 departments for statistical data; and the Central Sta- 

 tistical Board may require fi'om any Federal agency 

 or from any agency subject to Federal supervision, "in- 

 formation, papers, reports, and original records con- 

 cerning any existing or proposed statistical work car- 

 ried on by or subject to the supervision of any such 

 agency."' The agencies so called upon, however, are not 

 required to disclose confidential information. In the 

 case of the Securities and Exchange Commission, how- 

 ever, even information withheld from the public be- 

 cause of its confidential nature may be made available 

 on request to the Federal Reserve Board. 



The Tennessee Valley Authority has been given ac- 

 cess to patents, formulae, and other scientific informa- 

 tion in the files of the Patent Office as an aid to carry- 

 ing out its functions with respect to the production of 

 nitrogen, fertilizers, and liydroelectric power. Unless 

 an infringed patent was originally assigned to an em- 

 ployee of tlie Federal Government, however, the owner 

 may sue the Corporation for royalties. Relevant in- 

 formation collected by the T. V. A. is available to the 

 Federal Power Commission. 



