The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-04-10

general supervision or direction sucn
as Is furnished by the present commits
sion.
Distribution OF Government Documents.
Attention is called to the report of
! the commission transmitted to the con-
gress with my message of Feb. 8 and
to the supplementary statement sent
herewith (appendix No. 81 on the CEN
tralization Of distribution of govern
ment publications. BY adopting this
! recommendation II is conservatively
estimated that $4,000 can be saved.
This Is exclusive of the saving which
could be made by handling the con-
gressional documents in the same man.
ner. An account kept for thirty-one
days with the volume of this business
of handling congressional documents
showed an average of twenty-one tons
per day. These documents were first
taken from the printing office TO the
capitol, then from the capitol to the
postotilce, then hauled back to the
Union station. the latter being but n
An up to date plant at the printing
office which could handle all this would
entail an increased capital outlay for
permanent equipment OF only about
$4,000. The recommendation for CEN
tralizing the distribution OF documents
from the departments, if acted on, will
affect the appropriations Of seven de-
moi ptr ;pl
ments and the Washington postoaice.
| may say in connection with this
report and recommendation that the
house of representatives. in passing
the agricultural appropriation bill for
the fiscal year 1913, instead of reduc-
ing the cost of distributing govern
ment publications in the department
of agriculture by $4,000, has increas
ed to the extent of $13,2G0 the amount
appropriated for salaries for the divi-
sion of publications over the appropri-
alton for the current year.
Outlines of Organization.
The outlines of organization of the
government, which were transmitted
with the message of Jan. II, have been
sent to each of the departments with
request that orders issue which will
require that the outline be kept up to
date (appendix No 81. This will not
only make available at all times the in
formation needed by congress or the
administration when called for and as
sist materially in the preparation Of es-
Inmates of appropriations, but will
make unnecessary the publication of
the official register, thereby saving ap-
proximately $4,000 for each issue.
Conclusion.
In submitting these reports, with rec
concentrations, | will state that in my
opinion each of the foregoing recon-
mendations, II acted on, will contribute
largely to increase efficiency. Direct
ly and indirectly the changes proposed
will result in the saving of many mil
lions Of dollars Of public funds. This
will leave the congress free to deter
mine whether the amount thus saved
shall be utilized to reduce taxation or
to provide funds with which to extend
activities already carried on and to
enter on beneficial projects which 9th
erwise could not be undertaken for
lack Of funds.
Again urge upon the congress the
desirability Of providing whatever
funds can be used effectively to carry
forward with all possible vigor the
work now well begun. The 100000
required for the prosecution Of the in
quiry during the ensuing year and the
$4,000 estimated for the publication
of results are inconsiderable in COM
parison with the economies which can
be realized.
WILLIAM II. TAFT.
The White House, April 4, 1912.