Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-15

OF public documents and the extravaGance
OF our public printing bills Ia emphasized
in most striking manner by two enor-
nous volumes just from the press entitled
comprehensive Index to the Publications
of the United States Government, 1851
1883. 1t makes two Quarto volumes of
about 1000 pages and contains about 5000
titles. representing the various volumes
that were issued during the years named
by the United States government. Unfor-
tunately there Is nothing to show how
many copies Of each Of these GOOOO volumes
were printed and bound, but il we take
as an average 200 for the ordinary edition
we ind that this index represents about
l.2Oo0e0.O0O printed volumes. That is GER
ta1nly very moderate estimate
This index has been compiled by Dr.
John G. Ames. chief of the document diyi-
sion, department OF the Interior in ccom-
pi!ance with the provisions of joint reso-
luton OF Congress which directs the prep
aratton OF an Index of all publications Of
the government from 1881, the date at
which the descriptive catalogue of govern
ment publications by Ben: PerIey Poore
terminates. to 1893, the date at which the
index by the superintendent Of documents
begins, and therefore covers a period of
Twelve years. being those Of the Forty
seventh TO the Fifty second Congresses in
elusive. The work is based upon a plan
peculiar to itself. adopted as a result OF
Mr. Ames long experience in dealing with
p pup documents. In the preface he says:
tons Of the government 1t must be evident
That satisfactory index Of<the same must
be sui generis.' differing in certain im-
portant respects from that of any other Sc
ries OF publications. This is rendered nee
essary in the first place by the peculiar
and complicated classification of public
documents, and, in the second place by
the multiplicity. of editions of many OF
these documents issued in distinct series
and under different titles. Such an index
must not only contain reference to every
document published, but it must clearly
indicate where the document is to be
found In the several series under which
government publications are classified and
II issued In more than one edition or Sc
rieS, then reference to each edition or
series must be given. The compiler seems
very successfully to have accomplished his
purpose. and at last to have made it pos
stble for one In search of information on
any subject to readily ascertain whether
this Is found in any publication of the
government issued during the period COW
cred Dy the index, and, If SO, where. 1t
thus makes available for public ard private
use great mass OF government literature
which would otherwise be compare tiyely
worthless Such an index to the series or
public documents issued from the organiza-
ton of the government would be Of ines
Unable value.
Valuable Matter Made Available.
been expended in its preparation 1t is un-
derstood that. though aided by competent
assistance, nearly every document cited was
subject to Mr.. Ames' personal scrutiny AS
one examines the work he cannot but be i'm
pressed with the great number and va
riety of subjects treated more or less fully
In government publications. and with the
intrinsic and permanent value of the In
formation found in many of them. A cas-
ual inspection of the index discloses an
other fact, viz. that ver.' many documents
are printed and bound for preservation In
permanent form which ere merely of tenn
porary value and of no general interest
whatever These help In large measure to
make up that array of public, documents
shelves of all public libraries that are de-
positories of public documents. and which
are seldom or never consulted. The print
Ing of these documents for the use of Con-
gress In Its legislative proceedings may be
necessary, but wise discrimination would
exclude most of them from the series that
Is bound for permanent preservation and
for distribution. Such an exclusion would
materially reduce the bulk of public docu-
ments now sent to libraries and the expense
of printing and binding.
Duplication Of Publications.
Still another fact made evident by an ex-
animation Of the work Is this-that many
publications of the government are issued
in two. three and sometimes four separate
and distinct editions, and to make the In
dex complete and satisfactory 1t Is neces-
sary to refer to each of these editions. Mr.
Ames, in a general report on the subject of
public documents, declares this multiplicity
of editions is source of great confusion
and annoyance. 1t prevents any satisfac--
tory classification and arrangement of
these documents upon library shelves, as
the different editions are issued In differ
ent styles of binding, with varying title
pages and back titles, so that one may pos
sess two or three copies of the same work
without discovering from their outward APP
pearance that they are Identical pubiica-
tons" This Is one of the causes In the
vast duplication that occurs in the distfibu-
ton of documents Mr.. Ames thinks this
evil could be readily remedied Ii the proper
authorities would give attention to the sub
ject.
The index shows a vast number OF indi-
yiduaI documents issued from the govern
ment printing Office, but 1t does not show
the aggregate number of copies published.
These, 1t Is known, amount TO millions an
nuaNy. The expense of their publication Is
so great and the method of their distribu-
ton SO unsatisfactory that Congress may
well consider whether the laws governing
this subject should not be materially modi-
fed. Mr. Ames holds somewhat radical
views on this point. He says: 1.-THE time
has come for q new departure in the whole
matter of the distribution of public docu-
ments. The present system involves, OF
necessity, a measure of injustice and par
tIality. and tends to burden the government
with an ever-increasing expenditure in the
way of public printing. The edition of any
particular document issued suffices for sup
plying the volume to only one in large
number of the citizens OF state or con-
gressional district, of whom. at least. many
others are equally entitled to copy. 1t Is
not possible. therefore, to make any equita-
BILE distribution OF them among the popula-
ton, for where only one person can be
supplied. a score. hundred or a thousand
more have. on every proper consideration.
an equally Just claim to the favor. The
proportion OF those who cannot secure docu-
ments must also necessarily Increase with
the increasing population. unless Congress
Il willing to make constantly increasing APP
preparations for the printing OF documents
for gratuftous distribution. Constant dis
erimination must therefore. be practtced in
the granting of these gratuities at the pub
lie expense, and 1t Is no unreasonable or
unjust reflection upon members of Congress
to suppose that IN many cases this discrimf-
nation is In the first place based chiefly
upon partisan grounds. This itself is de-
slructive Of any fair and equitable distribu-
ton of government publications.
Would Stop Free Distribution.
s.In view OF these facts. 1t Is worthy of
serious, consideration whether the printing
OF documents for general gratuitous dis