Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-01
PRINTING REDUCTION
HOW 1T HAS WORKED IN ONE DE-
PARTMENT

President Roosevelt's order of less than
a~xear ago regarding printing in the execu-
tive service is nothing more than the in
junction ''be careful yet it has already
caused marked reforms in government
publication work. A remarkable instance
Is found in the annual reports of the
various bureaus of the Department of Com
merce and Labor, which were cut from
2,3O7 pages in 1904 to 1 346 in 1906 saving
of 961 pages. or over 40 per cent; this, too,
without any loss in effectiveness, indeed
rather to the benefit of the publications.
In the same period 147 illustrations were
cut out of the reports. 1t would be a mis-
take to infer that the bureau reports prior
to 1906 were carelessly compiled they
merely were not uniform in contents and
were not edited with the idea that they
must undergo the scrutiny of a central
editorial force free from bureau influences
such as is now maintained in the Office of
the Secretary.
Committee on Printing.
Under the Presidents order depart
ment committee on printing was appointed
by the Secretary of Commerce and Labor,
consisting of Assistant Secretary Murray,
Mr.. W. H. Rossiter, chief clerk of the
census, and DR.. Geo. c. Havenner, chief
of the printing division. With the CO.
operation of the chiefs of the various
bureaus this committee was able to accom-
pish many reforms in the departments
publication work. One volume of trade re-
ports that had grown up, practically dupli-
eating another volume, was discontinued.
The saving of over $4,000 a year thus eff
fected is more than the pay roll for the
entire division of printing in which the
new rules for the department publishing
are made effective. Other volumes have
Illustrations have been excluded Many of
the reforms carried out in accordance with
executive order Were anticipated by the
department in instructions given his di-
vision of printing by the Secretary
The reduction in the printing bill has not
been of the kind that is accomplished by
the use Of an ak, but has been such that
the lines of economy and usefulness have
been made to meet.
Work Of Value When Made Public.
Few other departments have so many bu-
reaus whose work is of value only when
made public. The investigations undertaken
by the bureaus of corporations, labor and
the census are the true basis for thorough
understanding of social and economic con-
ditions in the United States. and therefore
are at the bottom of a whole class of prac-
teal reform. The problem of distributing
and assimilating the thousands of aliens
who are entering this country Is lntelli-
gently studied only with the aid of the re-
ports of the bureau Of immigration and
naturalization. The trade relations of the
nation are thoroughly analysed only by the
bureaus of statistics, manufactures and the
census; the condition and future of the mer-
chant marine can be ascertained best
through the reports of the commissioner of
navigation, while study Of the fisheries
falls back on the publication of the bureau
of fisheries Keeping in view the great i'm
portance of the work being done by the
department, it has been delicate work, to
adjust the principles of economy and USE
falness SO that neither might encroach on
the other, yet this has been done. The
saving in the annual reports Is only one Of
many due to intelligent criticism Of manu-
script and care In handling the departments
appropriation for printing.