The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-03-29
Government Printing.

The other day the Congressional
Committee on Printing reported a
resolution to print ten thousand extra
copies of the report of the Commits
sioner of Patents for the use of the
Commissioners, and five thousand extra
copies sor the use of the House Of
Representatives. W~hereupon Mr..
Latin of this State said that there were
now ordered, in the Government print
ing office, but not yet printed or issued,
one hundred and sixty thousand vol
umes of the Patent Office reports for
1868 and 1864. We are now in the
year 1866.
1t is only a few weeks since we re-
ceived the agricultural report for 1861
and Mr.. Latin says that so enormous
are the orders of Congress to the Gov
eminent printing office, thati If no more
should be made-if Congress, that is to
say, should now at once stop the bust
ness Of book publishing-the Govern
| ment printer could not finish his work
in hand in less than a year.
He proceeded to give some facts and
figures which show the extraordinary
and reckless W~atefulness of Congress in
printing. Ii seems that the United
States Government last year used up
one thirteenth of all the paper made in
the country; that when it buys paper
its purchases are so enormous they ere
ate a dearth, and raise the price of the
commodity sll over the country. The
Government printing amounts in cost
TO one-twelfth of the value of all the
publications, including magazines
newspapers and pamphlets, in the
whole country.
Mr.. Latin desiIeB to cut down this
great expense, and when he wishes TO
print fifteen thousand copies of one
book, the public is to understand that
this is in the interest OF economy. His
resolution, which was passed after
some opposition, saves the country
nearly one hundred and twenty-Dine
thousand dollars. Several members
opposed this reduction, and in doing so
addueed the curious argument that
such a work as the Patent Office report
is of great interest and importance to
our mechanics. But If this is so the
mechanics would be pretty sure TO buy
it; and any publishing house in the
country will print it IS a private enttIs
prise. Mr.. Latin very justly remarks
that spelling books and Bibles are of
interest and importance 10 even a lar
ger clRss-it is a wonder Congress does
not print huge editions of these books
Certainly il would be better b print
Bibles than such worthless trash as the
Agricultural Reports, of which Con
gress priIis n hundred thousand cop
les two or three years after date and,
as q rule, government reports are so
pitchforked together, without order or
method, without proper indexes or IN
t~elligent arrangement that no man
will refer TO them if he can get the in
fosnetion he requires anywhere else.
A copy Of this Patent-Ofice report costs
the Government s. sea- but a copy Of
one of our scientific journals is worth
ten times as much to any artisan or in
ventor, and the best Of proof Of that is
that yon may buy Patent Office Reports
by the dozen or hundred in the second
hand book shops st the price Of waste
paper or less
&r. Latin said "This book goes into
the hands Of persons whose interests
we protect by law, whose inventions we
protect by law, and / believe that every
man who is really interested in read
ing It is willing 10 attest his interest in
il by paying a certain sum Of money.
/ do not think il expedient that men
should pay anything like the cost OF
the book But l do think il should be
provided that after the year 1866, any
person receiving the mechanical part
OF the Patent D8ce Report should be
obliged Ia pay say twenty-five per cent
Of what the book cost the government
We shall then learn Just what value
the people place upon that book II il
shsll be found that only three thou
sand people in the United States are
willing TO pay fifty cents for that book,
then we need not next year provide for
the publication of ten thousand copies
OF il"
But q much more effective way of
testing this matter would be to put the
manuscript into the hands Of 8 respon-
sible publishing firm, and let them pub
lish the book on the same terms IS
other works Of merrit-excspt that the
United States shall require no copy
right Mr.. Kelly said: Il represent a
district IN which there are immense
machine shops, works OF engineering,
etc. and there is not IN apprentice boy
IN my district that does net value the
Mechanical Report and does not study
II There Is no book sent out BY this
government which does so much TO i'm
prove The condition and promote the
welfare OF the whole community AS the
Mechanical Report In that case, any
publisher wll be glad 10 PRINT the book
and sell It at the lowest paying rate; he
Will do more, for be viii have il carefully
edited and arranged by a competent
scientific person-and thus increase its
value TO students and readers and
those who buy 1t viii be less likely 10
use Il a. waste paper, or light fires with
it-N Y.-P0Si
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