The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-01-22
President Lays Down Some New
General Rules
MUST EDIT COPY CAREFULLY
Instructions TO Heads of Departments
Direct That no Unnecessary Mat
ter Is to Be Printed BY
Government in Future.

Washington, January H.-To do away
with unnecessary printing originating in
the departments, and to improve the form
of the annual reports and other depart
mental documents. the President has is
sued the following instructions applicable
to all the executive departments:
There shall be appointed by the head
of each of the executive departments
an advisory committee on the subject of
printing and publications. The chairman
shall be an assistant secretary, or other
qualified official, and the least MEM
ber of the committee shall have had
practicable experience in editing and in
printing.
Exclude Unnecessary Matter.
ut shall be the duty of such COM
mittee, under direction of the head of
the department TO see that unnecessary
matter is excluded from reports and
publications.; to see that copy is care
fully edited before and not after going
to the printing office; to do away with
the publications of unnecessary tables,
and to require that statistical matter
be published in condensed and Ineligible
blank forms; to require the frequent re-
vision of mailing lists; to prevent duplica-
ton of printing by different bureaus to
exclude unnecessary illustrations from de-
partment documents. and to prevent the
printing of the maximum edition allowed
by law when a smaller edition will suf-
fee; to recommend to the head of the
department for inclusion in the recon-
mendations contained in his annual re-
ports needed changes In the statutes gov
erning department publications"
The President also has directed that
the following general rules shall here
after govern the form of annual reports
OF the various bureaus, and offices of
the departments: - .ss4as.s.4 sss<es < s s
Lays Down General Rules.
81 Annual reports shall be confined to
concise accounts of work done, and ex-
penditures incurred during the period
covered with recommendations relating to
the future, including plans for work to
be undertaken.
"2 Contributions to knowledge in the
form of scientific treatises shall not be
included in annual reports.
'3. Illustrations in annual reports shall
be excluded except: (a) Maps and dia-
grams indispensable to the understanding
of the text (b) views of monuments or
important structures begun or erected
(c) views showing conditions in outlying
possessions of the United States and re-
lating to work done or recommendations
made.
"A Inserted material, written or COM
piled by persons not connected with the
reporting office and biographical and eulo-
CYSTIC matter relating to the past or pres
ent personnel of the office, shall be ex-
cluded.
IS. Reports of officers who do not re-
port directly to the head of an executive
department shall not be printed in the an
nual report of a department, but where
necessary shall be summarized in the re-
ports Of the officials to whom such offices
do report.
"e Tables shall be inserted only when
verbal summaries and statements Of totals
are Inadequate and complete texts of laws
and court decisions shall, except in cases
of great Importance be excluded.
az. Detailed descriptions and lists Of
methods, processes, purchases bids, re-
jections. installations repairs. specihca-
tions and personnel employed shall be
omitted except when required by their
unusual Importance or by statute
The President also announces that he
will appoint a general committee on book
Ing. advisory to all departments. to con-
sist of the librarian of Congress as chair
man, the public printer a representative
OF the department doing the largest
amount of printing, and two printers in
the public service, of large experience
In making good books. to serve without
compensation other than their travelling
expenses. This committee is TO be appoint
ed to promote the economy, utility, ap-
propriateness. beauty, durability and so
far as practicable the uniformity of the
government publications. This committee
Is not to deal with the contents of the
publications. but solely with their forms.
size. style, paper. type, makeup and bind
ing.
Result of Keep Commission Report.
This action of the President is the re
suit of a report made to him on the pub
lie printing by the committee on depart
ment methods popularity known as the
keep commission" which has been in
vestigating the subject by his direction.
Various recommendations In this report
relating to the printing office have also
heen approved by the President and will
he made the subject of p communca tion
from him to the public printer. Among the
administrative changes In the printing Of
fce recommended by the committee are
the following:
The installation of cost-keeping sys-
tenn in the government printing office. and
the employment of expert assistance IN
installing SYSTEM the keeping of effi-
cheney records of the work of employees
and the use of such records to weed out
incompetent persons; the adjustment of
compensation paid at the government
printing office, so that watchmen. fire.
men. elevator conductors laborers and
other miscellaneous employees shall be paid
compensation not exceeding those paid
by the executive departments for the same
work.
Kentucky Again In Service.
New York. January 21.-The United