New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-06-02

greater intrinsic value issue from any puoishns ho
In the world than from the Governments rInNIs 80
Of the United States Hundreds OF thousands oi uo'.
are expended every wear and hundreds OF experts win
their departments. are constantly e"pio'.u !"
prosecuting scientific research in many orec"o' !" ~
plorations in careful investigations OF economic ana
social questions experiments conducted ai'r 'ne 0
spproyed modern methods all having practical enos IN
and designed to promote the general a'cia' anu
social welfare and cannot be otherwise than that inc
results OF these researches detailed In the reports Of
such competent Investigate possess Naiue much De-
vond that usually ASSIGNED TO public documents
Mr. Ames expresses the opinion that the low esteem
In which pupc documents are generally hcid Is que
in part 10 the fact that they cost the recipient nothng
AID that they arc bound unattractively. One Of the
chief vexatos Of the present lack OF systen-and IL is
cause Of much needless expense as we'll as veXaton-
is the multiplicity of editions respecting which supern
tcndent Ames among other things. saws:
MANY Of the most important publications OF the Gov
ornmont are issued in different styles OF binding with
VARYING title pages and back titles that anyone NAV
roscss three or iour copies of the same work without
Intervening from outward appearance that they arc
all the same document. This IS true OF many OF the
annual REPORTS tho executive Offices and 10 less de
rroc NJ the scientific publications Of the Government
Tho former are all embraced in the executive documents
~ Congress bound in leather with special front ana
hack title. They appear again In an edition known y
Messages and Documents correspondence backed once
mora they are Issued in departmental edition. as reports
NJ the Secretary Of ETC.. Volumes ], ., etc. and lastly
many Of them are published in bureau edition.
as reports OF the Chief OF the Bureau
ri.h an oonr,nrlatc title Who. not familiar with
Ills subject would sumse that Messages and Documents
Department Of Interior, Volume a. was identical Win
Executive Documents. Volume IA and both with Report Of
thc Secretary Of the Interior Volume and all three with
the Annual Report tho Commissioner OF Education1 Or
who wishing to consult the report OF the Commissioner oil
Labor and having his hands Messages and Documents
department Of Interior Volume g. would suppose that
.hs was tho very he desired unless he Ind been
previously apprised Of the lac,sl Or who having o'.
casion TO refer 10 the reports the General Resources OF
the United States or to the reports o. the fSh ConS
sicncr Of the Bureau OF Ehnology would imagine tha
,hov rcrc 10 be found miscellaneous documents
OF the House Of Representatives II he had not perhaps
accidentally discovered thisf
SUPERINTENDENT Amos points out and discusses IN
torcbIe malTjer the evils of the present cumbersome
ora extravacant methods of distribution and. recon-
nerds as n measure OF sound economy the consolida-
,ion NJ fine work under a single head Among other
things he says:
The chief evil OF the present method Is found IN tho 'ac'
that OF nearly all public documents there are at least hfe
and often distinct agencies OF dstributon VIZ the
cor.te the House OF Representatives le Department
under whose supervision the document prepared ana IN"
sneca bureau Office from which 10 cmanaes Inc laws
authorizing the printing Of documents usually run as 10"
lovs So many copies tho Of he Senate, so many
for the House. many for the use Of the Department
or Bureau by which they prepared In addition 70
this each Department publishes an edition large or smao
IL own annual reports for IS Now all these as
tbtnr agencies ac the most without any inor
maon rs TO- or regard for what tho others are doing one
unavoidable consequence is that duplication and Implication
Of Government fayors in the form OF documents o'eh
costly exist large degree Another consequence J.
the employment Of an unnecessary number Of Officers ana
arents in transactng the work Of distribution thue'
presAnt methods the document and folding rooms OF 'e
senate and must be maintained. and spohuE
Offices in hn several executive departments ana bdr'''
when the whole business might and should ne oonu''
under the supervision of single cot Of officers ihNoN
Ing almost as Of less number Of sunoo'
mates and largely reduced expenditures hifa oohre
guence Of this multiplicity Of agents OF Distribution "
the scarcely les general coafuson that exists a.
well in tn minds 0: members of Congress a. On me Iait
o. the public at large whore many Government pub
icaons az, to be obtained the ascertanment OF when
Information cost, often not te trouble and ANNOYANCE
Senators and representatives are aware that attention "
the requests Of their in the matter OF docu'
Involves repeated visits 70 or correspondence win
the several departments the Government. which they
would generally II practicable. gladly avoid
Now all these and other evils could in the main be
reniedcd by the establishment OF bureau OF document.
Under the general management OF competent executive
officer which the entire business of distributing docu
mens, excepting sucn are required Tor ohciai use
should conducted This would make possible at once
the introduction sound business principles and meth
DDS in the conduct this large department OF public
affairs which, under existing conditions cannot possibly
be done. 1t would centralize and tystemstke 'he
whole work as reduce expenses 20 the minimum II
era executive departments Of that which is now an In
cuubance in the way Of Of documents occupying
rooms which are greatly needed for other purposes ~
would make possible by simple system Of registration
the prevention q all duplication in the distribution Of
documents end thus mako given number OF N" same
available the largest service IL would .ubsefve me
convenience Of all having 70 DO with documents A. IL
would provide one single source from which documehb
themselves or information regarding them could always
and promptly secured II would relieve members Of
Co,r-es Of much OF the trouble and which they
now experience IL substitutes one place and agency
for dealing with this question Of documents In place Of
the many existing.
The only apprehension that worthy Of oonsidera
ton is that which regards rights and privileges Of mem
beers Of Congress and heads Of dcpasnt~ snd bureaus
in the matter Of distributing documents a. though these
rights would In way be moro liable 10 he dsreghrded
than at present There Is however rcsson whatever
for supp0snQ that privileges Of members Of Congress
would be in the abridged by the establishment OF
bureau Of documents Whatever private privileges are
granted by law continue and would be easy for Congrcss
To formulate such regulations for application in the daily
administration Of bureau would secure n each mem
bcr the fun enjoyment OF these privileges NO document
beonrng 20 the quo'a OF any Senator Representative
should be distributed except upon his order ana then not
yithou, having his compliments" his autograph at
tsched or without being accompanied By Information
mat upon his order thus securing 10 MIN al Vhe
credit and honor attaching TO the gift The same rehhs
apny 70 heads Of Departments and officials o. the Gov
,ment whose quotas OF documents would be held for
d,sributlon By the Their privileges should and
co,ld he lust as carefully guarded IN every particular
and whatever supposed 70 accurc from their
roc. distribution Of should ia all the
nondonce and other OF the bureau be secured to them
ROYAL VISITORS At NIAGARA.
NAL