THE UNITED STATES BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 1 369 



ORGANIZATION. 



Until 1903 the Bureau was known as the "United States Commission of 

 Fish and Fisheries," and was an independent institution of the Government, 

 responsible directly to Congress. In that year it was included in the new 

 Department of Commerce and Labor, becoming the United States Bureau of 

 Fisheries, as known at present. 



The work at the outset naturally fell under the three general heads of 

 scientific investigation, fishery inquiry, and fish culture. This classification has 

 been extended and perfected, and enters into the organization at the present time. 



The permanent personnel of the service includes 325 persons, of whom 83 

 are on duty in Washington and 242 are at outside stations, at laboratories, and 

 on vessels. The officials under the commissioner are a deputy commissioner, 

 a chief clerk, and a chief of each of the three divisions before referred to. All 

 subordinates are appointed, after passing the prescribed examinations, from 

 the registers maintained by the Civil Service Commission. 



The deputy commissioner is the executive next to the commissioner, and 

 acts with full powers in the latter's absence. The commissioner's office, which 

 represents the administrative division of the Bureau and has the chief clerk at 

 its head, has under it the accounting office, the office of the architect and engi- 

 neer, and the office of vessels, in addition to the library, records, correspondence, 

 and property. In this division there is a technical and clerical force of 20 

 persons, not including messengers, watchmen, janitors, engineers, firemen, and 

 laborers, and the 34 civil employees in the vessel service. 



The chief of the Division of Fish Culture, with an office force of 7, directs 

 the operations at the hatcheries and the planting of fish. Each hatchery has a 

 force consisting of a superintendent, fish culturist, skilled laborers, etc., the 

 number of employees for all the stations reaching a total of 168. In addition to 

 these there are 13 superintendents, fish culturists, and other employees at large. 

 During the busy seasons the hatchery force is increased by the temporary 

 employment of many spawntakers and laborers as the work requires. For the 

 distribution of eggs and young fish there are 6 transportation cars permanently 

 provided with crews of messengers, numbering in all 26 men. The car and 

 messenger service is under the immediate direction of a superintendent. 



The Division of Scientific Inquiry includes besides its chief 6 scientific 

 assistants and a number of clerks. Three special agents are employed in the 

 Alaska inspection service, which is under this division, and 3 persons are per- 

 manently employed at the biological laboratory at Beaufort, N. C. Numer- 

 ous investigators and assistants are also employed temporarily as needed for 

 the study of special problems at the laboratories and in the field. 



In the Division of Statistics and Methods of the Fisheries there are the chief, 

 4 statistical field agents, 2 local agents, and 8 clerks, some of whom are avail- 

 able for field work. 



B. B. F. 1908— Pt 2—44 



