Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-25
DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS.
They Will Be Given Out as Usual by
Cabinet Officers
In the Next Ten Days Much Interest
Ing Information to Come - The
Presidents Message.

The question Of the publication Of the an
nual reports of the heads of the executive
departments has been decided in favor OF
tie newspapers. The only point involved
was whether they should be made public
before or after the President sends his
message to Congress. The matter was dis.
cussed at yesterdays cabinet meeting and
resulted in a declaration by the President
that the members should suit their own
convenience entirely in the matter. As the
only object in Withholding these reports
until after the submission of the Presidents s
message was to meet his supposed wishes
In the matter, it no longer holds good after
this declaration. The release of the reports
applies to all the departments, except the
State, Treasury and the Department of
Justice. The Secretary of State makes no
annual report. The Secretary of the Treas
ury and the Attorney General are by spe-
cial enactment required 70 report direct
TO Congress. In the case of these two re-
ports, therefore, it would be manifestly
improper to give them to the public in ad-
vance of their submission to Congress.
The case of all the other reports, how
ever, is different. They are made direct to
the President and their publication is en-
tirely within his control. Now that he ha 5
iSiS6dtSu tIicI OF the discretion
of the cabinet officers, it is practically set
tied that the original plan will be carried
out, in accordance with a custom that has
obtained for more than a score of years
with marked success Following this plan.
the reports of the Secretary of War, the
Secretary of the Navy, the Secretary of the
Interior, the Postmaster General and the
Secretary of Agriculture will be published
on different days between now and the as
sembing of Congress, December L.
secretary Lamonts report will be pub
lished Monday morning next Postmaster
General Bisselps on Tuesday and the re-
port OF Secretary Herbert will appear in
the newspapers of Friday morning. The re-
ports of Secretary Smith and Secretary
Morton will be published on other DAYS in
the interval before the assembling of Con-
gress. BY their release in this way they
VIII each receive good publication and the
pubic Will get a clear insight into the work
OF each department past and prospective,
a result which could not be accomplished if
all the reports were given to the press On
the same day that the President sends his
message to Congress. The reports of all
the departments except the State form an
pendices to the Presidents annual report
TO Congress on the state of the Union and
II would be almost impossible for any news
paper in the country to do Justice to them
all on the same day.
According to the present program the
press Will receive the reports of the Secre-
taries OF War. Navy, Interior and AsricuI-
ture and of the Postmaster General on diff
ferent days OF next week. The President 3
message will appear in The Star on Mon
day, December 1. The important repoft
or the Secretary of the Treasury may also
be ready for publication in The Star of that
GATE, out II not then, certainly on the fol-
lowing day. The Attorney Generals re-
port VIII appear either on Tuesday, Decem-
D law
lore, that within the ensuing ten days the
PUBIC VIII be In possession of much valua-
pie literature concerning the business of
the seven great departments of the execu-
1--WE branch OF the government. The work
OF the Department of State will receive
conspicuous consideration in the President $
message. Although he makes no formal
report like the rest of his colleagues. the
secretary OF State is required to furnish the
President with complete data for an intelli-
gent consideration of our foreign relations.
a subject of unusual Importance Just at
present. especially with regard to Hawaii
and Brazil.