Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-04-19
STATIONERY STORE RUN
BY uncle SAM
All Things in Stock Sold at
Cost


the brand new legislator when he ar
rives at Washington is that all his sta
tionery and statinery supplies will be
furnished free.
Hardly has he been shown through
the Capitol by some older colleague
than he becomes acquainted with the
fact that down in The basement of the
big, gray building is one of the most
complete stationery stores in the Unit
ed States. He is astounded at the
cheapness of everything, and marvels
at the fact that there he can buy 1909
sheets of the finest linen paper, bear
ing at the top in deep old English let
tering the inscription, House of Rep
.resentatives, L. s, Washington" for
$40. He can get a high-grade fine
finished cotton paper for $1SS a thous-
and, engraving included. and another
grade with handsome lithopraph sup
prescription for 81.
Later the Congressman is told the
reason for this, and along with that
information it is explained to him that
his stationery allowance will be S125.
! The reason for the cheapness of every
thing in Capitol statinoery headuuar-
ters is that the stationery store makes
not a shadow of profit. The hand
somely engraved paper is bought flat"
The cutting and engraving are done at
the government printing Offices so is
lithographing. Pens, pencils, ink, mu-
culage, paste, clips, erasers and every
other sort of supply is sold to the Con-
gressmen at manufacturers cos5, and
the $125 allowance more than covers
the office expense of the busiest Con-
gresham.
Wise Ones Draw Cash at Once.
Rarely has it been known that the
appropriation has been exceeded. But
there is one other advantage-all the
unexpected balance comes to the Com
gresham i'm cash, and if he does not
cas- to purchase at the statinery store,
he can have the money in advance and
make his purchase elsewhere. Many
of the older men of Congress long ago
learned the trick of getting the use Of
1925 for a whole year without interest.
Annually, at the opening of Con-
gress at least three-fourths Of the
members of the House draw their $125
in money, then buy their office sup
! plies on tick" AT the beginning of
their second year of office they settle
up their bills for the preceding SEES
sion, again drawing down the differ
ence. This system has been going on
for a generation.
Another cause for remark in con-
notion with the stationery room of the
Capitol has been the tremendous sup
ply of social stationery and pretty lit
tie desks ornaments and implements,
such as attract the eye of women,
which may be Notwithstanding,
fancy reticules, pocketbooks, the daint-
est of note paper, scented and other
wise; pearl or silyer-handled desk
implements-and endless arrays Of
pretty little kntck- knacks which a
mere man would scorn to use as an
establishment of an office desk.
The affable clerks Of the stationery
room Wi explain that this fancy goods
department is an outgrowth of the
habit of the American legislator TO
elect his whole family to the Office
along with himself The 1925 goes
long way, and the stationery room at
christmas, Easter and other gift-mak-
ing seasons is as busy a mart as any
similar store in the national capital
and everything at cost.
Cheapest Book Store i'm the World.
Uncle Sam runs the largest, cheap
est and in many ways the most unique
book store in the world. The store"
is an eight story building adjoining the
| Government printing office in Wash
ington. All books-not more than one
of each to a customer-are sold at
cost by August Donath, the "storekeep-
err" Many rare and old books are in
cluded in the mass, but under the law
they must be sold at cost, regardless
Of their age or historical value
THE fact that we charge so little
for books, said Mr. Donath, docs not
mean that We compete with book
tsellers, but it means that Congress
believes that when a man takes the
trouble to pay few cents for pub
| LEGATION he is more apt to read it care
fully than if it were thrust on him
free of cost. Besides private publish
ers are not allowed to print or handle
Government publications under ordin-
airy circumstances"
Each senator and Representative
designates libraries in his state and
district, to which the 'fstorekeeper"
sends copies of all publications free
of charge. He also sends these libra
ries copies of general catalogues which
he complies, monthly, biennially and
annually
Within the last - months the store
did a business of $4,000, which repre-
scented the cost of more than 100000
books and pamphlets.