New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-03
WHERE REFORM rs URGENTLY NEEDED
HOW PUBLIC DOCUMENTS ARE TREArEp-Absohp
AND wAsTEFCL METHODS SOME Valuable
srOGrsTIoSS.

HOW PUBLIC DOCUMENTS ARE TREArED-ABsURp
AND wAsTEFUL METHODS SOME VALUABLE
SUGGESTIONS.
Washington. May 2 Special)-The report OF MI
Ames the superintendent OF Documents in the Interior
Department cont facts and suggestions which
are Of much general interest 1t appears that 4aeoo
Congressional documents received and distributed
during the year, all except twelve OF which wero
those OF the XLvIIth Congress Many OF these docu'
monts comprise several volumes each II appears that
one volume of tho XLvIth Congress. three OF the
XtyIIth and six OF the XLvIIth Congress- have not
vet been received from the Public Printer OF the doc
uments OF the XLIXth Congress, eghyfve volumes OF
documents Of the first session and all OF tho socond
session. except the Senate and House Journals stll re-
main to be delivered
This IS fair example OF the business methods OF
Reformed" Benedict Tho superintendent regrets that
authorized repositories arc obliged TO wait for one and
sometimes years after document Is printed beiorc
receiving the samen He states that applications for
the purchase of public documents steadily incrcas-
ing In number. In the last year 1,5o0 maps OF tho
United States sold at 81 80 each. together with
enough other documents to mako the total receipts
S2,39l
Tho system of exchanges Of duplicate vol
umes and sets Of public documents DO
tween PUBLIC libraries through tho medium
of tho department has boon very successful.
In the last year 3O,o75 volumes were received and
o0,O62 sent. Since the system was adopted 1l,S53
volumes Of "Thc Globo' and " Record have bean
received besides about 1000 volumes OF Other docu-
ments mainly scientific and other publications OF
permanent value for reference The superintendent
again calls attention to the vicious practice which now
prevails to large extent Of giving different titles
10 the same document For example. of the annual
report of the director Of the Geological Survey for
1ss4-'s5, an edition Of 1000 copies was Issued as
with the back title " House Executive Documents,
Second Session XLvIIIth Congress, Volume 13, Fifth
Annual Report of the United States Geological Sur
vey,, but with . different title page second, IN
edition of 1000 copies with tho back title:
Message and Documents, Interior Department, Vol
ume 3; Report Of the Director OF the united Sassos
Gsoosca sryey and do0 Wh @ bd bss PasI s
~ s. Geological survey Powell E;.h D 6,ssrsd
fr from tha IN either Of the other edons OF
report of the Commissioner Of Education no loss than
four editions are Issued, each under derpnt u'io no.
wonder that duplicates and tTlpcaes of such docu-
are s ssRf the the RHGns
volume Of documents which bear no relation to esra
0I Of Se st
Revision Of the Rules of the House" Goosraph ga!
hiSs Si Lake ad @y
Of s34 pages with SO plates heavy paper and weigh
Volumes iEe p Ofcred BY the last Congress was
This docs include volumes ordered and paid for BY
e and
would bring the aggregate up to at least 3,OOOOOO
volumes. Tho unbound documents OF that Congress
amount to 13O,11l volumes, of which Mr. Ames cassl
fes 77,74S as valuable documents which should be
bound before leaving the printing Office and thus made
serviccable to the pubc.D
1t is small wonder that paper and Ink cont FACTORS
as we'll junk dealers flourish under what superfn
tendcnt Ames Justly styles tho entire lack Of system
which now prevails He says; The present
methods of distribution involve waste and e1travaagncc,
needless expenditure for public printing and subject to
Inconvenience nearly all persons having 10 do with
public documents and that the printing and distr
button Of documents seem TO be the only department
OF public business in which there IS serious endeavor
after economic methods. notwithstanding tho large
expenditure OF public money involved" Mr. Amcs for
nearly twenty years has had charge Of the distribution
of public documents in the Interior Department, and
his views are entitled TO weight with Congress, which
probably Will not oct In the matter until impeled by
the stress Of an intelligent public sentiment