Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-07-26
UNCLE SANS BOOKS
TONS OF OFFICIAL LITERATURE
ACCUMULATE AT THE
CAPITAL I,

Work Has Been Begun Reelassifying
the Millions of Volumes-Four Hun
dred Meat Inspectors Are to be Ap-
pointeo-Question of Qualification.
Washington, D. c., July 25.-That
lew people realize the tremendous ac'
emulation of official literature which
Uncle Sam has on hand in this city IS
evidenced by letter which Superln.
tendent of Documents Post received
this week. The letter, coming from a
town not thoushand miles from the
renter Of Iowa, asked the superinten-
dent to send "all the public docu-
ments available for free distribution
to help start a new library" and was
accompanied by a note from the repre-
sentative of the sender's district ask
Ing that the request be complied with.
The Iowa would-be librarian narrowly
escaped an absolute deluge of printed
matter, for there are at present nearly
100000 copies of public documents
available for free distribution, repos-
ing in storage in Washington. AS
these pamphlets and volumes would
fill ten freight cars, the superintendent
settled the matter by mailing a cata-
logue of books available, suggesting
that the applicant select such as would
be appropriate and send in a requisi-
ton for "one'' copy of each. Work
has now begun in reclassifying these
millions of volumes that have been ac-
cumulating for years in the old build
ing at the government printing office.
1t is estimated that there are more
than 100000 separate and distinct
titles in the mass, some covering sets
of several volumes, and it is easy to
see that had the request of the Iowa
librarian been complied with at once
he would have shortly found himself
the possessor of a white elephant in
the shape of more books than he could
possibly house.
Meat Experts.
The butchers and meat experts OF
Washington are in the throes of an eX'
citement that, in view of the hot
weather, bids fair to become danger
Gus. Four hundred meat inspectors
are to be chosen to change Packing
town into Spotlesstown. To select
these inspectors, it will be necessary
to put the applicants through the ques
tion drill, in which the civil service
commission has grown most expert
and blanks foreshadowing the inquisi
tion have already been sent to those
showing incipient inspectoritis. Wash
ington "meatists," as they call them
selves, feel that being expert in theil
: line and admirably equipped through
having grown up in the center OF pc
litical atmosphere, they should sue
coed in securing large number of in
spectorships, to enable them to worl
hard for Uncle Sam. So it is that the
blanks have created excitement, TO
many local butchers, ANXIOUS to breal
into the field of political opportunity
feel that it should not be required 0
an inspector that he be able to spell
the names of various diseases whicl
afflict cattle, or to draw UP an intri
cate report, SO long as he understand
the beasts from experience. Sucl
things they regard as effete and uI
necessary. One local butcher, in hi
amazement over the application blan,
for which he had sent and whic
must be filled out, according to hin
as a preliminary step toward going t
Chicago and looking down the throa
of cow" expressed the feelings c
many of his fellows when he said: "a
close as can reckon, the applicant
expected to know everything unde
the sun except politics and religion
Those two are barred" Altogether j
looks as if Uncle Sam, having decide
on meat inspection, was going to tr
for inspectors as is inspectors.
Holiday Time.
The time for singing is come, an
the wall of the government clerk
heard in the land Because he gets
half holiday on Saturdays during tn
summer, while naturally drawing flu
pay, it is now ruled that he is to b
locked for twice the amount Of tim
he loses. Naturally he is sore, and til
government seems to have put its foo
into trouble again. Indeed, the fact
often adduced against federal and M
nicipal ownership-that a governmel
is less successful bargainer than a
individual or corporation finds amp
illustration here in Washington. Tt
national government supplies half tt
business of the city, and in man
classes of supplies it buys far MOI
than all the city population combine
1t is frequently pointed out, in explain
ton to the oft-repeated statement tn,