Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-15
ublic document by resorting to the nearest

pubic document by resorttng to the nearest
pubic library DIT cannot be considered a
hardship If he be required to pay tlfe small
pr1ce at which can be purchased should
ne desire copy for his own personal use.
either because of Its intrinsic value or be-
cause 1t fills vacant space in his library
case. The begging of documents by our
citizens and the giving of them as a COM
piimentary gratuty by officers of the gov
eminent, cannot but have a demorallzing
tendency"
The restriction of the supply OF public
documents to those who are willing to pur-
chase would doubtless diminish the number
issued. 1t would at least reduce the ex-
pense to the government to the lowest prac-
Icable figures. That the number now pub
liShed greatly exceeds all requirements
even under the system OF gratuitous distri-
brtion, Is evident from the millions of vol
umes accumulated in the folding rooms of
the Senate and House, In the several execu-
tive departments. and In the office of the
superintendent of documents, for which
there Is no demand 1t seems an inexcus-
able waste of public money to continue the
printing and binding of documents for per-
manent storage or for sale as waste paper.
MI. Ames thinks also that for the sake
of convenience and economy there should
be radical change in the method of dis
trfbuting government putAicatio tons. He says
1.-THE experience and observation Of each
succeeding year in the matter of the dis
tribution of public documents only help to
confirm the conviction that the one reform
most essential. whether regard be had to
economy or to the general convenience, or
to approved business methods, is the estab
lishmenI of one single bureau or Office at
which the whole business of distributing and
selling the publications of the government
shall be conducted. 1t is doubtful if any
other instance can be cited in the conduct
of either important public private af
fairs In which methods so lily considered,
so wasteful. so wanting in system, have
obtained and continued year after year in
force with no serious effort at correction.
The chief evil of the present method is
found in the fact that of nearly all public
documents there are at least three, and Of
ten four, distinct agencies of distribution,
viz. the Senate. the House of Representa-
tives, the department under whose super
vision the document is prepared and the
special bureau or Office from which 1t ema-
mates. One unavoidable consequence Is that
duplication and duplication Of government
favors in the form of documents, often
costly, exist to a large degree. Another
consequence is the employment of unnec-
cessary number Of officers and agents in
transacting the work of distribution.
Bureau of Documents Proposed.
These and other evils could In the main
be remedied by the establishment of bu-
reau of documents, under the general man
agement of a competent executive officer.
a. which the entire business of distributing
documents excepting such as are required
for official use, should be conducted. This
would make possible at once the introduce
ton of sound business principles and meth
DDS into the conduct of this important de-
partment of public affairs. which under ex-
listing conditions could not possibly be done.
1t would so centraliZe and systematic the
whole work to reduce expenses to the
minimum. 1t would, to a large extent, re-
neye the Capitol and the several executive
depe rtments of that which is now an In
crmbrance in the way OF masses OF docu-
ments. occupying rooms which are greatly
y,.p cd fnv<n oil L
possible. by q simple system of registration.
the prevention of all duplication In distribu-
ton of documents of sufficient value 10 war
r. mt the expense of such registration, ana
thus make a given number of the same
available for the largest service. 1t would
sUbserve the convenience OF all that have
to do with documents. as 1t would provide
a single source from which documents
themselves or information regarding them
could always promptly be secured 1t would
relieve members of Congress or much OF
the trouble and annoyance which they ex-
perienee as IL substitutes one place ana
agency for dealing with this whole question
o. documents in place OF the many now
existing.
Some radical changes in the laws govern
ing the number of copies of documents
printed. and the method OF their distr1pu,
ton are absolutely necessary IL any reai
reform in this matter. such as Is demanded
in the interest of economy, Is to be estab-
Iished and these changes must be MADE
chiefly in the laws that provide for the
printing or eocuHienls Iof .he uss - ~
gress. The number now printed for the
use of the executive departments Is only
sufficient to meet the demands, with the
possible exception of a few offices where
extravaganza and excessive expenditures
occur The chief offender in making the
cost of public printing what Ii Is = Con-
gress itself, and not until 1t Is willing to
reduce the number of copies of government
publications printed under under existing
laws for its own use and cease ordering for
the same purpose new publications not re-
ouired for official use, and furthermore Is
ready to introduce sound business princi-
nles In the method of distributing public
documents, will there be any genuine re-
form or any large reduction of expenditure
In the printing, binding and distribution OF
the publications of the government.
PRESIDENTS CLIP FOR