Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-04

departments at Washington. It IL the
opinion of the commission that the opera
can be entirely eliminated. and that the
recording and indexing Of incoming and
outgoing letters can be reduced at least
30 per cent
dependent Investigations Of methods fol-
lowed in handling and fling CORE
spondence in certain bureaus and serv-
ices. the results of which will be en-
DDS. pointing out wherein they are de-
fective, and recommending changes to
make them conform to the most approved
practices. the general policy pursued Is
that Of working in close cooperation
through the means OF joint committees.
To the end that these committees might
all work as nearly as possible along uni
form lines. and that the departments and
establishments might have before them
the conclusions reached by the commits
sion relative to fundamental principles
and the best practices in respect to the
performance of this class Of work. the
sent to the heads of departments q mem
orandum setting forth the principles
which should govern In the matter OF
This memorandum also contains sugges-
tons for the use Of labor-saving devices
In preparing and mailing letters. am
transmitting herewith a copy OF this
memorandum.
On the basis of this memorandum
active efforts are now being made In all
Of the departments for the Improvement
of the methods OF handling and filing OF
correspondence. These efforts have re-
suited in radical changes in existing
mics. The fiat filing system has been
substituted for the old cumbrous folded
and Endorsement system. Carbon copies
of letters have been substituted for press
". I~{- Rv,1~ 90 @~NSr tn "a
been entirely discontinued In a number OF
services. and in others the maintenance
OF book records OF incoming and outgoing
communications has been discontinued
The effort is being made to make CORE
spondence files self-indexing. and thus
avoid the necessity for making and using
secondary finding devices. This work
| can only be intelligently prosecuted as the
result of painstaking and detail tnvestiga-
ton of the special conditions to be met
| will. therefore. be required to carry out
| this work throughout the entire govern
ment 1t Is Of the utmost Importance
| that the work should be prosecuted un.
such as is furnished by the present COM
mission.
Distribution of Documents.
Attention is called to tho report Of the
commission, transmitted to the Congress
| with my message Of February 8. and to
the supplementary statement sent here
| with on the Capitalization Of distribution
| Of government publications. BY adopting
| this recommendation IL Is conservatively
estimated that 1000 can be saved. This
| is exclusive of the saving which could be
made by handling the congressional docu-
ments In the same manner. An account
| kept for thirty-one days with the volume
Of this business of handing congressional
documents showed an average OF twenty
| one tons per day. These documents were
| first taken from the printing once to the
Capito, then from the Capitol to the post
| efhce, then hauled back to the Union sta
| ton, the latter being but Q short distance
| from the printing ONCE. An up-to-date
plant at the printing once which could
handle all this would entail an increased
| capital outlay for permanent equipment
| of only about $4,000. The recommends.
ton for centralizing the distribution OF
documents from the departments, if acted
| ON, will affect the appropriations OF