Bisbee daily review., 1909-12-22
EXPLOIT UNCLE SAM
PRESS AGENTS ARE THICK IN
WASHINGTON.
Thrive In Nations Capital in Greater
Number and More Dignity Than
Anywhere Else In the
World

Aside from legislation, adjudication
end administration. the big colony Of
government officials and appurte-
nances thereto in Washington is main.
ly engaged in publicity promotion.
Washington the beautiful may truly
be said to be the home of the press
agent. He thriyes there in greater
number and more sstinaable dignity
than on any other spot on the face
of the earth. Press agents there. have
their trade reduced TO a scientific
basis. Their glorious example for
emulation <is none other than the
United States of America, one of the
frmest believers in printers ink en-
gagged in modern development.
To be without a press agent in
Washington is almost as bad as be-
ing without two gallon top hat A
man can get along without a top hat
by borrowing one from his ,neighbor
in tho next hall room, but press
agents are fixtures that cannot be Dor
rowed What press agent could be re-
lied TO tout another mans. game?
None.
The government goes in for the
press agent strong. 1t hires him in
the highways and in the byways, and
when he once gets on the pay roll he
remains there for life. Congress raves
and caves about the press agent, but
be is just as hard to eradicate as the
boil weevil or the tick in cattle. He
Is NOT a. ohpoviope n ,No..cs.o -.
every congressman. and by the way
they all have nice young men. prefer
ably those with newspaper training,
IS secretaries, is against the govern
Tcent press agent.
This sentiment got so strong not so
long ago that one Mr.. Joseph Bueklin
Bishop, Panama canal publicity pro-
Clotsr got fired" by law. Mr.. Bishop
was hired for $4,000 a year to keep
the newspapers informed on the proe-
ress on the Panama canal Now, no
newspaper would have believed those
figures If they were not of public rec
ord. The figures were too high. Mr..
Bishop came in for fine line Of per-
soual pubi:..-y in the senate, and
when he was ''firea" and made secre.
ftry of the Panama canal commission,
notice was served on all departments
TO cut out the press agents. Did the,
10 it? Wei. rather not
The appropriation for the maint
nance and operation of the govern
ment printing Office this year was S.,
GOO, 600. with an additional $4,000 for
officials who draw salaries, not wages.
Tue sUvernme nt printing Office turns
out thousands of tens of literature
Come OF it is Of doubtful value, and
as a whole it cannot be compared with
the splendid literary products of the
bureau of engraving and printing,
where authors are confined to 81, 81,
IS, $40. $50. 500. $500, 81, 900. $1,000 and
$4,000 bills, with acres and acres of
United States, Philippine and Panama
bonds and cottage stamps as a side
line.
This great E-as5 of literature pro
s.uced by she government printing o.
fee is circulated. Some congressman
get as high as 10000 copies of such
publications as farm bulletins, dairy
reports and garden dissertations.
1aarkc Cochran, Herbert Parsons,
Nick Longworth and few other con
gregsional lights who live in cities
get exactly tie same quota. They are
rot very useful to their constituencies.
bit they do come in handy in persuad-
ing a country congressman that ne
ought to be for a certain bill in con-
mittee, particularly if he needs about
10000 copies of a treatise on the
ckinch bug.
To produce this big c-c2 of litera-
ture the government pay roll is
weighted down with a few hundred
rapid and ready writer's. The writer's
for the most .,art are newspaper men
Who prefer nine O'Clock rising TO fol-
lowing the patrol wagons and meat
inC trains in search of items for the
local papers.
One of the most indefatigable CT
this class of regenerated newspaper
men is Mai. John NJ. Carson, chief OF
The bureau of manufactures. Mai Car
sons bureau gets out the consular
bulletins. Information on every SUB
iect under the SUE is sent out by tie
rsam all ready for use ia the paper
70 encourage those writer's who ara
-O-