New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-10
THE PRINTING BILL PASSED
MANY IMPORTANT PROVISIONS STRICKEN
OUT BY DEMOCRATS.
HOLMAN OPPOSES THE REFoRM-To DISTRIBUTE

HOLMAN OPPOSES THE REFoRM-To DISTRIBUTE
DOCUMENTS TO PEOPLE WHO WANT THEM.
TBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRiBrNEl
Washington Dec. 9--Aftcr being shorn OF some OF
Its mos, important and useful provisions, the bill 10
regulate the public printing and the binding and dis
trb,tion Of public documents was passed by the
uonse OF REPRESENTATIVES to-day. In body pledged
10 reform and economy" no fewer than 100 members
nearly every one a Democrat-led by that eminent
economist" Mr.. Holman, voted against one OF 'he
most necessary and urgent reforms ever proposed Ill
Congress. 1t was reform which for years has peeh
advocated by every intelligent librarian in the United
States and by every other person who has had &C
casion and opportunity 10 observe the wasteul ex-
travacance and inefficient methods which control the
distribution of documents published OF the expense
OF the people and designed for their benent' Inc
chief bonefcia!ies Of these methods certain wash
ngton dealers In such publications. and few en-
p.oycs and hangers on about the Capitol.
In consequence Of the existence Of these loose ana
wasteful methods, such publications OF the Govern
ment as are OF great intrinsic or permanent value-ana
that description is applicable to many OF theH-uo
not, as a rule, reach the hands OF the people VIII
would derive benefit from them, and for whose use
they are intended except by purchase at round price
from a middeman who has paid tribe lot them
Even IN Washington, the place OF pubIcauoh' II Is
often easier and cheaper-and sometimes necessary
publications. TO buy it from middleman tian 10
obtain IL without charge as. In theory, he Is emitted
to do.
In the course of its Investigation the committee
which framed the bill found that In one instance 'he
same document, q most valuable one, too, had bcel
sent by no less than forty different Senator's Repre-
sentativcs and officials 10 the man, thereby de-
nrvinc thiry.nine other persons who might need it
Of the opportunity obtain II, except by purchase al
n high price Among the sections which were ruin
lessy and ignoranty slaughtered by the House TO-DAY
was one which was designed to prevent this fragrant
abuse, without in the least restricting the flght OF
privilege CT senators and Representatives. to dispose
of their respective quotas of documents as they
might choose Again. there are hundreds Of tons
m re- than 100000 voumes-ot public documents stored
in the basement of the Capitol and in other pubic
buildings In Washington. the accumuations OF many
years which moulding and rOttlng ana al 'he
mercy Of rats and other vermin Many Of these books
are 50 valuable that book dealer testified that he
cou,d sell them for So volume. There Is absolutely
no provision for the distribution Of these volumes anon
the people to whom they belong because they 90 not
honc TO the quotas" of Senator'S and Representatives,
These are the property OF the people OF the ihi'e!
states whose taxes paid for them. but there they ie
rottlng in dark. damp dungeons; ana the STOCK Is
growing az the rate Of $1,000 or 10000 volumes q
year.
The ELL contained a section which provided that
public and school libraries to complete broken SETS
and there are thousands of such broken sets scat
tered among the public libraries Of the country
second TO public and school libraries that have not
been supplied with such sets, and third to other
persons which persons and libraries should be de-
icnated by senator's Representatives and delegates
In Congress This section was ignOlantIy ana
wantonly stricken from the BIZ by the House, on The
motion of Economist holman. Who evidently pre-
iers that the bOOksmany OF which are valued AT
,n1t,r, hall rof
Capltol rather than be distributed among the public
and school libraries and placed In the hands OF the
people TO serve the purpose for which they Were
printed. -, =,
Nine other sections Of the bill containing I'M
poriant and necessary provisions in regard 10 the
care and distribution and sale Of documents, com
pri,ng all Which, related TO that branch OF the
measure were eliminated. The bill now goes to thr
senate: and it i to be hoped that that body WIZ
insist on the restoration Of the eleven sections which
were struck out to-day, and that public sentiment
NAV be aroused which wi compel the House OF
Re6rcscn tatiy,s to abandon It's indefenbe position
in favor OF one OF the most fragrant, offensive AMI
expensive abuses which flourish at the National
Capital.