Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-25
PUBLIC DOCUMENT
FACTS OF INTEREST IN sUPERIN-
TENDENT FERREL.s REPORT.
Increasing Demand on the Part of
Public-A Library
Needed.

Some facts Of interest in regard to the
public documents are found in the annual
report Of L. c. Ferrel. the superintendent
OF disbursements. The total number of doc
uments received during the year is stated to
have been 674.714 and those distributed
706 sos. He states that q ,9O3 were sold, the
net receipts being $s,9022 p. the average
price per document being 31.9 cents. He
adds that 1.-The public demand for public
documents has been stimulated largely by
the distribution Of price lists. This office
has issued the third edition Of a price list
Of all public documents now available for
sale. The Department Of Agriculture issues
and distributes monthly list Of Its pub
locations, which has a circulation OF about
60, OOO copies. The department recently Is
sued Entomology Bulletin g. new series, on
the mosquito, price cents The supply
was exhausted in day Or two, and orders
for 1t are coming in at the rate OF ten to
twenty day. The consequent correspon-
dence. return of money, etc, is greater
expense than 1t would be to reprint the
document. But the constant demand for
documents that are not out OF print is not
confined to the publications Of the Depart
ment Of Agriculture. There should, in my
judgment, be authority lodged somewhere
to order the reprint of documents when the
public demand is large enough to justify it.,
If the plates have not been destroyed.
Increasing Inquiry and Demand.
Until recently 1t was almost impossible
for the public to obtain public documents,
as they were distributed by way Of favor
to few people. The demand was limited
because no catalogues were issued and the
people did not know what was being pub
lished. Now catalogues and price lists are
printed at great expense to the govern
ment. and are circulated all over the coun-
try, so that the people have become greatly
interested In and are eager to buy doc
uments. Sound business principles would
for supplying any document the people
want and are willing to pay for, without
restrictions Of any kind.
II find that there is a constantly increas-
ing inquiry for the public documents from
public institutions school and college
libraries. especially for such as relate TO
scientific matters. This demand must sooner
or later result in a more economic and sys-
tematic distribution Of the documents print
ed for the personal use Of heads Of de-
partments and bureaus, and members OF
Congress.
1.-The law authorizes the printing Of but
1000 copies of the Monthly Catalogue
These are distributed as follows: Five hun
dred copies to members and officers Of Con-
gress; 500 copies to designated repositories,
as required by law; 200 copies to heads OF
departments and other officials of the gov
eminent, and the remainder to miscellane-
GUS libraries and public institutions.
THE pressure for the catalogue upon the
part Of individuals has been very great,
and many were anxious to pay any reason
able subscription for it. To satisfy this
demand, in a measure, I have prepared and
had printed complete price list of all doc
uments available for SALE which Is supplied
free to anybody. But this is not satisfac-
tory to the large business and scientific in
terests of the country who desire to keep
posted on current publications. 1 therefore
hope that Congress will authorize the pub
LEGATION Of a subscription edition OF the
Monthly Catalogue, to be sold at 60 cents
year.
Need of a Library.
There is a growing need for national
library Of official public documents, and
there is no better foundation upon which
to build such library than the library Of
this office. There Is not much doubt but
that the state and municipal and foreign
governments would render every assist
ance in their power to make the collection
Of official documents complete.
This office would undertake the collec-
ton of the official documents of state,
municipal and foreign governments II au-
authority were given, however, 1t would be
necessary also to afford proper facilities
for the use of the same by the public.
Sufficient space could probably be arranged
for either in the new printing Office build
ing or in the proposed hall of records.
mo doubt Congress will soon see the ne
cesstty of providing means for opening up
to the public the great document library
we now have. At present there Is barely
compelled to refuse all applications to
IT.