The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-26
UNCLE SAM AS A PRINTER

| distribution they are sent from the gov
eminent printing office to the warehouses
of the capitol. Some of these are in the
Senate office building and those of TIE
| House of Representatives ON the other
| side of the capitol. But even these mod
| ern spaces are cramped, and an old
car barn and part of an old house are
still used to store these volumes. Inside
of these big warehouses, therefore one
gets the impression of big brick yard
| from the stacks of wrapped and sealed
books. each representing the allotment
| of q member of Congress.
| In the distribution of these publica-
| tons the dispositions of the members
vary. Many of them will send only on
| request, and there are others who dis
| pose of their share almost as quickly
as they are placed to their credit. Oc-
casionally some members will not ex-
haust his allotment before he retlies
from office, which has resulted in am
accumulation of years that will some
day land in the waste basket
1t is just about this season in the
political calendar that the men in the
folding rooms are beginning to get busy,
for it is one of the methods of modern
politics to make full use of this privI-
lege in campaign work, The fact that
member can hold his allotment of pub
locations until any time he desires TO
send them out allows him when his CAM
paign for reelection comes due, to fire
broadside after broadside of all kinds
of reading matter into his district, which
sometimes has it's effect.
There are occasions, however when
1t does not. They tell the story of one
of the western members who sent as
his campaign literature many reports
more than six years old. and received
more than a third of them back With
the notice that he would have to be
more up-to-date to be re-etecd
In his earlier days in Congress jos
Wheeler was said to have sent as many
publications to his constituents as he
could lay his hands on. He supposed
that he was thereby gaining many friends
among his people, but when he returned,
after his first session in Washington, he
found that he had made, at least, one enc
my. The day that he arrived home the
mail carrier appeared with a hand cart
instead OF his usual horse and wagon.
been Killed carrying Joe Wheeler's pub
locations.
one of the greatest volumes issued by
the government in point of popularitJ
is the agricultural departments wear
book. Although the senator's distribute
about 10000 copies annually and the
representatives about 100000, the demand,
is much greater. Next in popularity
comes the horse and cattle book. which,
tells all about the various breeds OF
stock, their good points and bad points.
and their ailments and treatment. 1t is
printed every two years, and each mem.
Der distributes about 300 copies
From the viewpoint of the average citi-
Zen there are a lot of unattractive Dub-
locations issued by the government bur
the dryest is not necessarily the least
useful The Nautical almanac, for in
stance, is a most valuable publication in
the hands of those who have use for Il,
ana the statistical reports are prized
highly by men engaged in national and
foreign commerce.
There are lot of pamphlets that come
out under the title of farmers bulletins,
which. when bound into one volume. are
OF the most absorbing interest to tho
housewife who delights in turning out
good things to eat. They contain such
information as the economical use OF
meat in the home" nuts, and their uses
as food" milk and eggs and their uses
as food" bread and bread maSing," and
much other information of such a char-
acter that gives many hints in preparing
the family meals.
Some of the publications issued through
this means are of inestimable value, be-
cause they are of such a nature that their
compilation is not attempted outside Of
the government service. In the scientific
line the Smithsonian reports contain n
great deal of valuable information IN
archaeology and ethnology, which could
be gotten from no other source, while 10
the business man the consular reports
which contain accounts of foreign agri-
culture, commerce, health and imports
and exports, come as an immense helm In
their work "
:, There is also large map Fe /. -, ,
States, which would cost
no less than So, which is Nm
by educators. Such publ I'm AK
only in small lots. which m I'M f
are some little trouble to Il Ms
placing them In the right X1d
If the specter of death Il
houses of Congress many u Z
son, 1t also makes its pree
way among the men in the -,
For every member that di
eulogy printed to the am, ~
5000 Each member is ALI III tfr
copies with the exception a hs
leagues of the deceased me-
ceive 80 or more. Some of IN ~
eulogies of deceased membe Y
been exhausted. which has "
emulation of over 800 in the
WAREHOUSE