Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-01-16
AN OFFICIAL JOURNAL
Hobson Wants Government to
Print National Newspaper.
TOBE STRICTLY NONPARTISAN

nero OF the merrimac Plans q journal
] to Be Issued Periodically and to Sum-
marize Government Work-Different
Editions For Each Section-No Edi-
toriaI Comment.
Representative Richmond Pearson
Hobson of Alabama, the hero of the
Merrimac, has prepared n bill for the
! periodical issue of an official journal
which shall contain brief notices of the
work of the various departments and
bureaus of the government, of the su-
preme court and Of congress, says
Washington special dispatch to the
New York World. Mr.. Hobson said the
other day:
'"The official journal is intended to
make connecting link between the
/ government and the people. The prof.
ect grew out of my work with the ag-
r1cultural department. | found that O
vast amount of most valuable material
did not reach the people. My first
movement was to take this material to
the people of my district, the Sixth Ala
bama, by campaign in which repre-
cNAtdliNtS VI llG agricultural ueDdTI-
ment made short talks. The result was
like an awakening Property values
advanced appreciably, especially tim
Der lands, and an era of improved ag-
riculture has begun in that district.
Il found that all the departments of
the government were issuing publica-
tions giving the results of their work,
between $50 and 200 all told, vet the
vast bulk of the people were not be-
ing reached. | believe that the pro-
posed journal VIII create renewed In
terest and confidence among the masses
In governmental affairs. 1t will be
strictly nonpartisan and without ed
itorial comment 1t cannot help but
aid the press Of the country, not only
in furnishing ready index, but also
In creating a taste and demand for
reading matter and for additional in
formation upon important subjects.
at is intended that the issues going
to industrial sections shall be some.
what different from the editions going
to agricultural sections and that the
editions for the cotton states shall be
somewhat different from those going
to the grain states, so that each sec
ton of the country may get most In
formation upon the subject in which 1t
Is chiefly concerned.
"The control of the journal is to be
vested In joint committee independ-
ent Of any influence. 1t is intended
that during the sessions of congress
the journal shall be double the size of
the issues between sessions. The for
mer will have sixteen pages, the lat
ter eight. Although all details are
left to the joint committee, it is ex-
pected that the journal Will be issued
weekly, but 1t may be semiweekly or
even appear at shorter intervals if
found necessary.
"The present estimates contemplate
allowing each congressman and sen
ator to furnish the names of $1,000
recipients of the Journal There will
be additional copies, and all told about
10000 families will receive the jour
nal free. The postofiice department
will handle the copies in blocks,
through the carriers, thus saving the
expense Of addressing, the postmasters
and rural carriers keeping lists of the
recipients"
The sum of $4,000 is appropriated
by the bill for equipment and S2T5O0O
for the expense of issuing the publica-
tion.
1t is Mr. Hobson's idea to have n
staff of trained newspaper men to han
die the news which is sent in by the
various departments. Just how the
bill will be received cannot be hazard
ed, but Mr. Hobson has made inquiry
and finds that most of the department
officials are in favor of it.