The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-30
WI Ask Congress to Provide for Publication of GoV-
 ernmGnt Paper
EVERY. CITIZEN IS ID
 RECEIVE PAPER FREE
Captain Hobson Claims That Such a Journal Would Be of Inestimable Value and Would Inspire
 Confidence.

Washington. December 29.-(SpeciaI) Representative Hobson of Alabama will introduce bill as soon as Congress reassembles providing for the publica- tion of an official journal.
 Of 1t he says:
 "The Official Journal is intended to make connecting link between the government and the people, and will be in effect periodical report to the peo- isle of the work done by all the &'anches of their government. The yToject grew out of my work with the
 ricultural department. where I found q vast amount of most valuable ma terial that did not reach the people for whom 1t was intended. My first movement was to take this material to the people of my district by a cam paign in which representatives of the various bureaus of the agricultural department made short talks. The re- suits of this tour of the Sixth district of Alabama was like an awakening and property values advanced appreciably, especially the value of timber lands, and an era of improved agriculture has begun in that district.
 Many fupicatlonS issued.
 Upon furth CT examination, I found that not only the Department of Agri- culture but all the departments of the government were issuing publications 1 for the, purpose of giving the results l of their work to the people. Althoagh Nthere are from 150 to 200 publications lssued by the government every week, many of them containing information that would be absolutely invaluable in the hands of the people, yet the vast bulk of the people thus far are unable to be reached.
 "T believe that this journal in addi-s tion to carrying valuable information in form in which 1t can beutilized with be the means of familiarizing the peo pie with the really stupendous work that their government is doing. and will remove distrust and suspicion and will create renewed interest and con 1idence among the masses in govern mental affairs. It will tend to put the people in a better condition to control and direct their government and thus strengthen tn @ foundations of self government. The journal will be strict ly n-partisan and without any edi- torial comment.
 Tt cannot help but aid the press of Nthe country, not only in furnishing a ready index, but in creating a taste and demand for reading matter and for ad- ditional information upon important subjects that can only be touched upon in the journal.
 Tt is intended that the issues to industrial sections shall be somewhat different from editions going to agri- cultural sections, that the edition in the cotton states shall be somewhat diff ferent from that going to the grain states, so that each section of the coun- try may get most upon the subject in which it is chiefly concerned.
 Weekly Is Proposed.
 "The control of the journal is to be vested in joint committee which shall be independent of any form of in- fluence. It is intended that during the sessions of Congress the journal shall be double the size of the issue between { sessions. The former will have 16 pages, the latetr eight. Although all s details are left to the joint committee, it is expected to be weekly, but 1t nfay be semi-week1y or appear at even shorter intervals if found necessary. a "The present estimates contemplated Z allowing each congressman and sena- R tor to furnish the names of 15,OOO re- ' cipients of the journal and about S0O,- 900 in addition, making about 100000 families to whom it will be delivered < free. The postoffice department vii, handle the copies in blocks. through their carriers; thus saving the expense N of addressing, etc. The various post masters and rural free, delivery car riers keeping lists of the recipients at E their offices and routes"
 4 Mir. Hobson's Bill. * Captain Hobson's bill is as follows: < A bill to provide for the publication of
 an Official Journal.
 Be it enacted by the Senate and the
 IT..t4 States of America in Congress assem- A bled. That the public printer shall pub fish at least weekly, for the informa- t tion and instruction of the people of E inc United States, an Official Journal, |f which shall contain brief notices of the Iwork of the various executive depart y yments and independent bureaus of the ~ government, of the supreme court ana A, of the proceedings of Congress so far as the same may be of general public q interest
 Sec. 2. That joint committee con- *s sistinr of two members of the House ,of Representatives, appointed by the speaker, one member of the Senate ap- pointed by the president of the Senate, lone member of the supreme court ap- s+ s+pointed by the chief justice, and one each from the departments of . 1riculture. postoffice, and commerce V nd 1abor appointed by the respective -secretaries, shall arrange for the prep aration of the material by contract or oth erwise, and for the simultaneous by contract or otherwise Tiff deemed necessary, at one point Tn the smiddle west and at one point on the XPacific coast.
 Size of the Journal.
 Sec B. The size of the Official Jour nal shall be determined by the Joint commottee, and the journal snail pc TOT Regulations as the joint committee shall Xprescribe. Sec. 4. It shall be the duty or each | Jypostmaster and rural free delivery car vrier to maintain at their respective or hoes and routes list Of citizens oe- kermined in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed py the loiht Aommittee, to whom they shall deliver