Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-27
HANDLING the COPY FOR G. P. 0.
ADJUNCT TO RAPID AND EFFI-
GENT WORK.
Division Of Publications and Clear
ing House-Large Amount
of Work Done.

When mention is made of government
printing and publishing it is customary to
think of the big adjustment on North
Capitol street which annually turns out
millions of copies Of official volumes.
However. modern adjunct to rapid and
efficient work at the government printing
office is the department provision for
technical preparation of copy before it is
sent to the public printer.
The division of publications of the De-
partment of Agriculture is believed to
have been the first organized effort to
plicity of authors. Formerly even the
printing were not definitely known, and
it is alleged that the ingenuity of the
chiefs of division would frequently be
called on to find an appropriation under
which the work could be carried
Prior to the organization Of the division
of publications in 1890 a requisition book
was kept in the division of accounts and
disbursements. This was used to order
such printing as would be charged against
that specific appropriation, amounting to
about $4,000 annually. There was no
supervision, and consequently no uni
formity In size or style of the various
volumes. Nor was it possible to ascer-
tain what had been issued and what dis
tribution was made.
Clearing House Established.
The establishment of division of pub
locations created a vast clearing house
where manuscripts submitted by the vari-
Gus officials of the department were
brought to the attention Of the Secretary.
Those approved were thoroughly edited
and prepared for the printer, and the
chief was also authorized to keep an &C
count of the expenditures in this line.
The editor-in-chef was made the sole
medium of communication with the gov
eminent printing Office and the highest
departmental authority on all questions
of technique.
Later a section of illustrations and
the document section were added. the
latter having jurisdiction over distribu-
ton. The editors were formed into an
editorial section, and indexing was also
given the same rank. The force now
comprises editors, indexers. craftsmen.
photographers, accountants, stenogra-
pliers, typewriters. clerks skilled labor
ers, messengers, ETC.; In fact, young de-
partment within itself
The work of the division of publications,
which is under the chiefship of Joseph A.
Arnold, involves every detail of general
printing, as we'll as distribution. About
a quarter of a million miscellaneous re-
quests for publications are annually ham
died. and 100000 franks are pasted on
packages of documents. In short, nearly
Is 600, 900 copies of agricultural literature
are addressed, sacked and delivered to
the post office.
Popular Literature.
Farmers bulletins are. of course, pop
ular throughout the country, and are now
demanded at the rate of 100000 a
year. About 6O.OOO.O 600 copies have been
printed and distributed since their IL
auguration. They are one of the chief
mainstays of the department in inform
ing the agriculturists of the experiments
lions of the government, and are reprinted
from time to time to meet the growing
demand. All copies, with the exception
Of the weather bureau, not used for
certain specific mailing lists, are turned
over to the superintendent of documents
for sale.
While the Department of Agriculture is
one of the best patrons. of the govern
ment printing Office, the proportionate
costs are said to be small. This is owing
to the fact that a major portion Of the
publications are run off on press which
prints. folds and pastes or wire-stitches
a completed booklet at one operation
and with incredible rapidity.
Hundreds of thousands Of page plates
are available at the government printing
Office for reprinting, and this fact is uti-
lized to produce good readin' matter at
little over the cost Of white paper The
most pretentious volume gotten out for
the department Is the annual year book,
giving resume of the current investiga-
tons. Under a recent law this volume is
run in editions, but the demand usually
consumes the full 100000 authorized. Last
winter reprints were ordered completing
the quota for the past two years.