Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-01
Representative Jas. B. Perkins.


nothing, and the way to improve the stu
alton IS to make some reasonable changes.
THE cost of the government printing has
increased from a little over two millions ten
or twelve years ago to about seven mil
lions. 1t is unnecessary to say that this
increase is out of proportion and that there
has been wastefulness in every branch.
much of this waste can be remedied by
improved administration, and 1 am glad to
say that already, under the impetus given
by this investigation, there have been great
improvements. Mr.. Stillings. the new pub
lie printer, Is an excellent man. He Is In
tellgent and he is not afraid.
I'm the departments the various subordi-
mates have had impressed upon them the
fact that they must get their reports in
some sort of shape, condense them as much
as possible. and that the manuscript must
be sent to the printing office In such condi-
ton that the cost of composition will not
be doubled by corrections made in the proof
These changes soon come to very large
figures.
Saving on Reports.
''The saving in the report of the controller
of the currency for 1905, when compared
with his report for 1904, will be $50 COO and
the report for this year will be more serv-
iceable than the former one. An enormous
amount OF useless detail has been cut out.
THE reports of the commissioner of edu-
cation are published every year at the ex-
pense of the government, containing a de-
tailed list of the attendance of every school
in the country. filling almost two great vol
unIes with figures that nobody reads There
has grown up In many branches of the gov
eminent a diseased taste for statistics, no
matter what the cost of collecting and pub
fishing them. and no matter how little the
practical value of what is collected.
IF these school statistics furnished by
the commissioner OF education were pub
lished once in five years this would be am
pie and there would be a saving of at least
10000 year on that item alone.
Reduction In Publications.
'Tn the BILL as I have drawn 1t, there is a
reduction in the number OF many govern
ment publications. When million volumes
have accumulated and nobody wants them
Il is perfectly clear that we are fooling
away the peoples money. either by publish
ing things they don't want at all or by pub
fishing larger editions than are required by
the governments needs
II should say. at a guess, that IL all the
changes I propose are adopted the number
of volumes turned out from the government
printing office would be at least 100000 less
annually than are now turned out by pro-.
visions of law. and possibly half a million
Il don't hesitate to say that the publica-
ton OF these four or five hundred thousand
books could be stopped without any harm
to anybody Barns and cellars would no
longer have to be hired by the government
to store trash that cannot be distributed
Some of the chiefs of minor bureaus who
think that the government exists only to
exploit their greatness, would have to send
out somewhat smaller number of their
own illusions. They would have to cur
tail their length and reduce their cost
The people could bear up under this with
out repin.ng.
"Of course. don't suppose that all the
recommendations I have made win be
adopted by the COMMITTEES, and probably
even IL they all were adopted by the COM
mittee, some OF them would not be adopted
by Congress. Any reduction in govern
mental expense affects the purse the pride
or the vanity of some one.
Might Save Million.
'.StiH these efforts are not without their
use. / think the expenses Of the govern
ment for printing during the present year
viii be one-quarter of million dollars
less than they were last year. and IL all
the reforms and changes were carried out
which are advocated, there could probably
be a saving of a million
Even quarter of a million dollars
saved a year is something. and the saving
Is not made by any diminution of the use
fulness of government. When thing is
required. when 1t Is useful to the public
there Is no reason that a rich and pros
porous people should not have 1t, and pay
what It costs to get it. But when we are
fooiing money away stupidity and uselessly,
that Is thing that one likes to try to
stop. He may not succeed to the extent
OF his desires. but he usually accomplishes
something. and even the effort. It seems TO
me- Is not only meritorious. but agreeable