Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-08-25
GOVERNMENT AUTHORS.
How High Officials Prepare Their An.
nual Reports.

GOVERNMENT AUTHORS.
|
How High Officials Prepare Their An.
| nual Reports.
THE CONVENIENT PRINTER GENEROUS rup1rsura-
row TEE AurHoR BEoDn Hn rAsK-uuxpRspe or
PAGES AND WHAT THEY coNrArN-fRsrnoNrAls
From suBoRDNArEs-THR RECOMMENDATION.
This is . time Of great literary activity among
the Department ofncialA They are preparing
tneir annual reporta II Ii no Light task II you
consider the bulky volumes Of previous reports
and realize that the forthcoming report must
equal If not surpass, the others In size There Is
scarcely Government bureau that pretends TO be
anything which does not produce yearly volume
OF at least six or seven hundred pages The Gov.
eminent authors can write with flying pens,
without fear that q grasping and psnurious
publisher win lop on the glowing sentences or
9lue, pencil the finished and balanced paragraph.
Inc Government Printer Is the publisher for these
happy authors His duty is merely mechanical.
Ae does not read the cart-loads OF manuscript
nee from the Departments ne Simply sets up
the matter IN type and then binds the printed
pages ID DOCK form. 1t may be extracts from the
Primer is not crtticaL Hs is the most genial and
inaulgent OF publishers, and should be translated
TO the Arcadia OF authors
WHAT u REQUIRED.
but SILL In spite OF the unQuestionable advan-
tage which Department authors have over the
rest Of the profession they are not entirely happy
lor the reason that the copy must be prepared for
the printer. The Government Printer with all his
klnoiy disposition, refuses 70 furnish matter and
law. In fact, the Government Printer, while be
can exercise the greatest uberaty In printing the
proouctions OF others, Is not allowed TO indulge,
may possess so, no doubt, while It grleves him
70 mink that ne cannot do more for the Govern
ment authors yet tnere the cruel edicts OF the
ssatute-books confronting him.
now GOVERNMENT AUTHOR WORKS
Inere are some peculiartties about Government
authors which distinguish them from all others.
A STAR reporter has had the good fortune to learn
from one OF them his method OF literary work. 1t
needed for the career Of successlu vi Government
autuor. He ID Obliged In the nrst place 10 recon-
ssruct bis IDEAS somewhat in regari 70 the crea
present OF the physical and moral universe Was
designed with special reference TO his particular
allowed any thing preceding the creation Of the
orancl OF the Government over which he prestdeS
as presumably only chaos existed tnen He begins
al Ia beginning, anu by llmitiny the beginning
ne Is able 10 write an annual port
ARResTIN0 DISASTER.
After thus getting q start the author proceeds
To show how all things governmental have re-
volved about his division during the year that
passed. and Incidentally the fact is brought out
averted by MS faithful and un1aggins Zeal In the
performance OF the dutles which nave weighed
upon him. While the great mass OF the people OF
Tue country have pursued their peaceful ay0ca-
tions without interruption or thought Of
leaf, he has been able from the
watch-tower Of his Office CHAIR to perceive
the gather NJ clouds which threatened ruin and to
dlspel them. his is clearly SHOWN In d lengthy
correspondence, with some subordinate, which Is
puoiisled in iull Inc author then allows him.
sell to be diverted for a lew hundred pages from
the regular report OF the year TO show from
tracts from previous reports backed up by tables
OF figures, that his acInlni,trau ton has been more
eifcisuL, economical aud honest tnan any other
since the days OF Jefei son. In Case any DOUBT
ins Thomas nlglt deem his statements and
hundred pages OF letters which he has received
from friends and those nolding ONCE under him.
Tness letters are similar In form to those that may
be read upon tue covers or periodical
only, OF course, they are longer.
THE THREAD OF THE
narrative OF each days labOrS and trials is re.
sumed only 10 suffer another interruption which
arises from the necessity felt by the author 10 ex-
plain Or efy in hundred pages or so how he has
been ham cred by some enactment OF Congress,
AMI how mucn mJre smoothly The machinery OF
the Government would have run IL the su.Res-
lions made 80 your honorable boiy III my last
annual report" had been followed. Having reached
this point Tue author presumably knocks on for a
day o: 50 before beginning on what is really the
Important feature oi the report. these are The
Recommendations which grace the tail end OF every
depa, tInenL report. Ii The author thinks that
Congress would he unable 10 enact any esisiation
Without the lisht and wisdom derived from hl,
report It will oe seen al once that ne is wise no
Undertaking THIS part VI The work, with his facul-
Ties refreshed by BRIEF season OF rest. Among
some OF the Officials the ability OF the author /,
supposed 10 rest entirely upon this part or his
work. At any rate IL Is marked Wy a different
style. Tne sentences glow with earnestness aud
are rdlry eloquent IN luelr welI-roundeI periods.
Win what paLnoS Is IL urged that his Once be
granted
An ADDITIONAL MESSENGERS
and how the page seems to glow as he describes
the worn condition of the furniture and Carpets
Having this reached the climax, the author pro-
ceeds 70 let himself down where he can cool OF,
which he succeeds IN doing III three or four SEN
fences OF a hundred worus each, more or less. He
then signs his name and the ordinary reader sup
posing mat IL equivalent to the word "Fluls" at
the end or book, breatnes sign OF relief
that the pangs OF authorship are over ana
taken. He turns me page and Is conIrou Jed oy d
tabular statement, and ne nnds The next two or
three uCndred pages nied with similar interesting
matter. From these tables the eager student VI
Government institutions may learn how many
Claims were handled, how many letters were writ-
ten, and the percentage OF Tue clerks TO the let
ters or Claims, and vtce versa. Il these tables do
not iurnlsn all tue information needed as 70 the
PRACTICAL operation VI the Government, there are
several hundred additional pages containing the
letters 10 fui, written Wy special agents. chleIs or
rooms and other public functlonarirs describing
how they performed the duties winch had Deen az.
s,gned To their care.
lu the preparation Of the report and its accom-
panyinS Id The entire Clerical force becomes Tor
a month or so the private sc Rotary OF tue author
Who's name IL attached TO The last page Wnen
the work Is competed the manuscript Is trans.
ported TO the Government Printing Office by tue
Department wagons which are kept In readiness
Tor tuts purpose. Then the army OF printers Is set
70 work. tne numerous printing presses are
the corps or UOOkUinders pay lnelr busy pgers anu
nnaly the Volume u issued to waiting and ex-
pectaht world.
Washington Scientists At Cleveland.
During the sessions OF the American Association
for the Advancement OF science q number OF
Washington scientists contributed papers In the