The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1906-01-22
The PUBLIC
PRINTING
REFORM

Washington, Jan. 22-To do away with
unnecessary printing originating in tho
departments and TO improve the form of
the annual reports and other department
documents the president has issued 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 publication.
"The chairman shall be an assistant sec
retary, or other qualified official, and at
least one member OF the committee shall
have had practical experience in editing
and printing.
"It shall be the duty of such committee,
under direction of the head Of the depart
ment, to see that unnecessary matter Is
excluded from reports and publications:
TO see that copy Is carefully edited before
and not after going TO the printing office:
TO do away with the publication Of un-
necessary tables, and TO require that
statistical matter be published in con-
densed and intelligent form; TO superer-
wise the preparation OF blank forms: 10
require the frequent revision OF mailing
lists. to prevent duplication OF printing
by different bureaus; 10 exclude unneces-
sary Illustrations from department docu-
maximum edition allowed by law when q
smaller edition will suffice; to recon-
mend to the head of the department for
inclusion in the recommendations con-
tsined I'm his annual reports, needed chan
ges i'm the statutes governing department
publications"
MUCH MATTER CUT OUT.
The president also has directed that the
following general principles shall hereaf-
ter govern the form OF annual reports OF
the various bureaus and offices OF the de
partment:
"1-Annual reports shall be confined to
concise accounts OF work done and ex-
penditures incurred during the period COW
cred. with recommenda ations relating to
the future, including plans for work 10 he
undertaken
"2-Contrihutions to knowledge in the
form OF scientific treatise shall not be in
cluded I'm annual reports
"3-Illustrations in annual reports shall
be included. except: (a) Maps and dia-
grams Indispensable 10 the understanding
Of the text, Oh views OF monuments or
important structures begun or Erected (c)
views showing conditions I'm outlying pos
sessions OF the United States and relating
To work done or recommendations made.
"4-Inserted material written or com
piled by persons not connected with the
reporting office. and Biographical and Gu
logistic matter relating To the past or
present personnel of the office, shall he
excluded
g. Reports of officers who do not re-
port directly 20 the head OF an executive
department shall not be printed In the an
nual report OF a department. but where
necessary shall be summarized I'm the re-
ports Of the officials To whom such offi-
GERS do report
"e-Tahles shall be inserted only when
verbal summaries and statements Of to-
tails are inadequate and complete texts OF
laws and court decisions shall. except in
cases OF great Importance be excluded.
20 Detailed descriptions and lists OF
methods. processes, purchases bids. re-
jections. installations, repairs. specifca-
tions and personnel employed shall be
omitted except when required by their
unusual Importance or by statue"
The president also announced that he
will appoint a general committee on book
making advisory 20 all the departments.
20 consist OF the Librarian of Congress as
chairman, the public printer. a repre-
sentative of the department doing the
largest amount of printing and two print
ors not In the public service OF large eX-
periouce I'm making good books. who are
10 serve without compensation other than
their travelling expenses This committee
IS not 20 deal with the contents OF publ
cations but solely with their form size.
style paper. type. makeup and binding