New-York tribune., 1900-05-23
THE COPYRIGHT INVALID.
REPORT ON MESSAGES AND PAPERS OF
THE PRESIDENTS"
METHODS OF DISTRIBUTING THE WORK
CRITICISED BY THE SENATE COM
MITTEE ON PRINTING.


Washington, May 22.-The Senate Committee
on Printing to-day made a report OF it's fnvesti-
cation Of the compilation and publication Of the
Messages and Papers Of the Presidents The
committee finds that Representative Richardson
devoted four years to compiling and ndexing
the papers. ut is not to he doubted" the report
says. that his labors were most assduous and
that they consumed during this period a great
amount of his time" It also Ia stated that he
expended $4,000 of his own funds in securing as
sistance in the preparation of the index. With
reference to the claim of copyright. the commit
tee says that Mr.. Richardson does not claim
that it operates against the Government, but
only against all other publishers-that IL pro-
tectS the form Of the publication the illustra-
tions and the original matter though none OF
the documents themselves
On this point the committee expresses the
opinion that 'the prohibition in the printing act
was intended to cover every publication author
lied by Congress in all possible FORMS and IT
adds that 'in view of the debate it is clear that
Congress intended to prevent precisely what has
happened-the copyrightng of this particular
book. Your committee thinks that copyright
should not have issued in behalf of the Mes
sages and that the law it stands is sufficient
to deny copyright to any and every work once
issued as Government publication. If the SER
vices of any author or compiler employed by
the Government require TO be compensated, pay
ment should be made in money, frankly and
properly appropriated for that purpose, and the
resulting book the publication in whole and as
to any part should be always at the free use of
the people, and this, without doubt. was what
Congress Intended
The committee says the donation OF the plates
Of the work to Mr.. Richardson was mistake,
placed a
committee pronounced Richardson's contract
with Barcus. the publisher unobjectionable, but
criticises Barcus's methods as questionable,
leading to the belief that the Government was
identified with the publication and sale Of the
books. Mr.. Richardson's receipts have amounted
20 S11 $50.
In conclusion. the committee says that no ad-
ditional legislation is necessary but 1T is recon-
mended that in future Congress shall not place
the control of the plates of Government publica-
tions in private hands.
In the Senate Mr.. PIatt, of New-York, chairman n
of the Committee on Printing. presented the re-
port, and it read in full.
Mr. Gallinger inquired If the committee had taken
any action on a resolution he had introduced pro-
viding for the publication of thirty thousand sets
of the work for which ne said there was great
demand
Mr.. Patt replied that action had been taken.
the adoption of the resolution would involve an
expenditure the part of the Government Of more
than S2G0,0OO
Mr.. 'Gallnger directed attention to the fact that
the cost of the work to the Government was about
81 a set, while the private concern which was
printing 1t sold 1t to the public ut s34 set. He
thought the committee might well report back the
resolution to publish ten thousand twelve thou
sand sets If the Government not able to print
the work for the scholars and libraries of the coun-
try he thought arrangement ought to be made
to print the work and sell 1t at cost.
The report of the committee ordered to be
printed. VI ts--