Pennsylvania Act 1921-108 — BUREAU OF STATISTICS AND INFORMATION ACT

Act text

BUREAU OF STATISTICS AND INFORMATION ACT
                 Act of Apr. 20, 1921, P.L. 193, No. 108              Cl. 71
                                  AN ACT

     Establishing a Bureau of Statistics and Information in the
        Department of Commerce; providing for the appointment of
        officers and employes, and providing for the fixing of their
        duties, powers, and compensation; making it the duty of the
        Secretary of Commerce to furnish statistical data provided
        for in this act to the heads of the State Government for the
        use of their departments, upon requisition; making it the
        duty of persons, associations, copartnerships, corporations,
        and municipal and other public officers to furnish
        information required; prescribing penalties for violation of
        such duty; and repealing certain acts. (Title amended July
        18, 1968, P.L.412, No.188)
        Section 1.  Be it enacted, &c., There is hereby established,
     within the Department of Commerce a Bureau of Statistics.
        (1 amended July 18, 1968, P.L.412, No.188)
        Section 2.  The Secretary of Commerce is authorized to
     appoint a chief of said bureau and such other officers and
     employes as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this
     act, to prescribe their duties. He may also use temporarily any
     clerks or employes of the Department of Commerce in the bureau
     as occasion may require.
        (2 amended July 18, 1968, P.L.412, No.188)
        Section 3.  The bureau shall collect, compile, and publish
     all statistics and useful data and information relating to
     labor, coal mining, oil and gas production, manufacturing
     industries, commercial operations, public service companies,
     municipalities, maritime interests, and other business of the
     State; and, in order to facilitate the duties herein imposed,
     all persons, associations, copartnerships, and corporations,
     engaged as herein described within this Commonwealth, and
     municipal and other public officers, are hereby required to
     furnish such statistical information as the Secretary of
     Commerce or the chief of such bureau may require. The Secretary
     of Commerce shall have a complete, summarized, and systematized
     report of the statistics and information collected and compiled
     by the bureau published annually, and shall otherwise provide
     means for making such information available for the use and
     benefit of the public as he may find necessary.
        (3 amended July 18, 1968, P.L.412, No.188)

        Compiler's Note:  The Secretary of Community Affairs,
            referred to in this section, was abolished by Act 58 of
            1996 and the functions were transferred to the Secretary
            of Community and Economic Development.
        Section 4.  It shall be the duty of the Secretary of Commerce
     to furnish statistical data and information to the heads of the
     State Government, for the use of their respective departments,
     upon the subjects mentioned in this act, upon requisition made
     in appropriate form, as promptly and completely as practicable,
     that unnecessary duplication of the gathering of statistics and
     information may be avoided.
        (4 amended July 18, 1968, P.L.412, No.188)

        Compiler's Note:  The Secretary of Community Affairs,
            referred to in this section, was abolished by Act 58 of
            1996 and the functions were transferred to the Secretary
            of Community and Economic Development.
        Section 5.  The Secretary of Commerce, the chief of said
     bureau, or other person duly authorized by either of them, shall
     have power to issue subpoenas, administer oaths, hold hearings,
     and take testimony in all matters relating to the duties herein
     required of said bureau. Any person, association, copartnership,
     or corporation, doing business within the Commonwealth, or
     municipal or other public officer, who shall neglect or refuse,
     for thirty days, to answer questions requested by circular,
     official blanks, or personal application, designed to secure the
     data and information required to be furnished by this act, or
     who shall refuse to obey the subpoena and give testimony
     according to the provisions of this act, shall be liable to a
     penalty of two hundred dollars, to be collected by the Secretary
     of Commerce in a proper action for the use of the Commonwealth.
        (5 amended July 18, 1968, P.L.412, No.188)

        Compiler's Note:  The Secretary of Community Affairs,
            referred to in this section, was abolished by Act 58 of
            1996 and the functions of the secretary were transferred
            to the Secretary of Community and Economic Development.
        Section 6.  The following acts and parts of acts are hereby
     repealed as respectively indicated, namely:
        An act, entitled "An act establishing a Bureau of Statistics
     and Information in the Department of Internal Affairs;
     authorizing the Secretary of Internal Affairs to appoint a chief
     of bureau and other officers and employes; fixing their duties,
     powers, and salaries; making it the duty of corporations, firms,
     and individuals to furnish information required; prescribing
     penalties for violation of such duty; and repealing certain
     acts; and transferring the records, equipment, and supplies in
     the Division of Production in the Bureau of Statistics and
     Information in the Department of Labor and Industry, to the
     bureau hereby established," approved April eighteen, one
     thousand nine hundred and nineteen (Pamphlet Laws, eighty),
     absolutely.
        An act, entitled "An act abolishing the offices of
     Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent of the Bureau of
     Railways, in the Department of Internal Affairs; creating the
     offices of Chief and Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Railways
     in said Department of Internal Affairs; prescribing their duties
     and fixing their salaries; and repealing all laws and parts of
     laws inconsistent herewith," approved April twenty-one, one
     thousand nine hundred and eleven (Pamphlet Laws, seventy-three),
     absolutely.
        So much of an act, entitled "An act reorganizing the
     Department of Internal Affairs of the Commonwealth, designating
     the officers and employes thereof, and fixing their salaries,"
     approved May sixteen, one thousand nine hundred and nineteen
     (Pamphlet Laws, two hundred two), as refers to the Bureau of
     Railroads, and fixes the salaries of the chief of bureau,
     assistant chief of bureau, and two clerks, and also so much as
     refers to the Bureau of Taxes and Assessments, and fixes the
     salaries of chief of the bureau and two clerks.
        The repeal by this act of any act of Assembly shall not
     revive any act or part thereof heretofore repealed or
     superseded.
        Section 7.  All other acts or parts of acts inconsistent
     herewith be, and the same are hereby, repealed.