The Detroit times., 1913-09-15
RAYMOND w. PULLMAN,
Times Washington Bureau, No. u
MefroDOlifan Rank BuiIdinQ.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15.--Cabine'
officers who are now In washington
and who preside
Departmental over those depart
publicity" ments In which
newspaper IN y
are employed TO handle publicity, are
undecided as to just how serious Will
be the effects of an amendment to
the urgent deficiency bill which pro
hibits the use OF any money appro'
priated by that bill, or any other act
for the compensation OF any publicity
expert, unless the money Is spectfi-
cally appropriated for that purpose.
II the bill Is passed In the senate
az amended in the house. government
officials for the most part believe that
II will be necessary to ask for do
cision from the controller OF the treas
ury or the Acknowledgement to learn
whether the act will apply to the
payment of salaries to men who are
already employed In the department.
as editors or chiefs OF Offices OF In
formation, and who also handle pub
LEFTY. 1t will also be necessary 10
get definition of just what is pub
licity expert. Some OF the best sto-
ries which are now prepared In seN'
eral> of the departments are the work
OF men holding administrative offices.
Secretaries Lane and Daniels. for In
stance, are both trained newspaper
men. and during the short time they
have been in ONCE each has given 70
the press considerable matter about
their departments which has been In
teresting enough to be printed and
given widespread publicity over the
country. Would their ability in this
direction and their previous newspa'
per experience qualify them as pub
licity experts?
A number Of the government bu-
reaus have had in their employ for
years trained newspaper men whose
work has been to popularize the re-
suits of scientific researches and sta
tistical Investigations carried on by
the gOvernment-thati Is, to condense
and throw into readable and under
standable English scientific reports
which were formerly given TO the
public in printed documents SO heavy
with technical expressions that they
lacked interest for the general read
ing public and were ineligible only
to members of scientific societies.
The notice OF a civil service exami
nation for a publicity expert In the
once Of public roads In the depart
ment Of agriculture il what stirred
Representative Gillett, Massachu
sets member Of Congress. to offer his
amendment. which was passed In the
house. 1t appears now that the ex
animation was not authorized by the
secretary Of agriculture. and that the
notice was prepared by the civil ser
vice commission following a request
made In error by an omctal Of the
ONCE Of public roads. For this rea
son the examination has been called
off, A similar examination was held
recently. for q publicity expert to han
die work In the once Of Information
in the department Of agriculture.
Secretary Houstons plan has beer
to have attached to his Office a capa
BILE man whose newspaper training
qualified him to assist scientists il
the preparation Of bulletins and state
ments to be given to the press. 4
was estimated that much could b,
saved in the dissemination of infor
nation II large part Of the materia
gathered by the government could bt
given to the newspapers for Quicl
publication, rather than to wait 81,
or twelve months before printed
bulletin could be issued. Such pub
licity, 1t was stated, was not In any
way to interfere with the work o.
Washington correspondents or othel
newspaper men OF Washington, ant
whenever they have proper bushes.
with the secretary or assistant secre
tary Of agriculture, or any Of theiI
subordinate oflcers. that free access
to their ofhces would be given. The
plan has worked out well so far, anc
odicials of the department Of agricul
ture we're surprised when the attack
was made on the system during the
discussion on the Gillett amendment
last week.
The hardest attack made on the
publicity systems of the departments
came more than three years ago, when
an attempt was made to get into one
Of the appropriation bills an amend
ment providing that information on
government work should be furnished
to newspapers and magazines only
ION request" AZ the effectiveness
Of the work of publicity men depends
upon widespread dissemination Of IN
formation to newspapers and maya
sines Of all kinds In all parts Of the
country, 1t was evident that an end
to publicity work would have come
n the ION request" amendment were
allowed to stay in the bill. Represen
tative Cooper, Of Wisconsin, argued
| that such an amendment would mean
that newspaper and magazine editors
would get little information on the
governments work. for not many peo
! pie would be likely to request some
thing which they were not sure ex