Evening star., 1913-10-19
WHAT The GOVERNMENT Is DOING

| ment win be suggested which viii insure
the proper methods and supervision Of all
roads built under the federal grants. This
VIII .,, Protect the government against any
possibility OF the wAsteful use of the
$SO0OO00 which may be obtained from the
proceeds from the sale Of the land. II
such m amendment Is offered the super
vision OF construction. repair. and main
tenance OF these roads will be given to
expert road builders and engineers OF the
pf11ce OF public roads Of the Department OF
Agriculture. There Is q possibility. how
ever. that a suggestion may be made pro-
viding that the work OF road building be
supervised by officers of the Engineer
Corps Of the United States Army.
X
Not until the urgent deficiency bill was
passed By both the House and Senate and
ready to be signed
"Anti-P Publicity" by President Wilson
Au.~a-.~x did government off,
cials begin to think
much about the probable effect which the
Giilett 'anti-publicity" amendment to the
bill might have upon the work Of several
OF the departments in disseminating in
formation based upon Uncle Sans scien-
tif1c researches and statistical investiga-
tons. The concensus of opinion seems to
be that the Gillett amendment will fan Ia
De enective because Of the authors at.
tempt; to make 1t too sweeping and his
not making 1t more specific. The amend.
ment offered by the Massachusetts, mem.
Der Of Congress-. and which was adonted
by the House some weeks ago and in.
Guided In the bill as It passed the Senate
provided that: mo money appropriated
by this or any other act shall be used for
the compensation of any publicity expert
unless specifically appropriated for that
purpose"
Although the amendment was offered
after the notice Of an examination for a
publicity expert In the Office Of good
roads OF the Department of Agriculture
was read by Representative Gillett to the
House, its intent was not only to prevent
the employment Of such a man as was
called for In the examination but it aimed
TO prevent the use Of any government
money for the compensation Of any pub
licity expert in government bureau
whose employment is prospective, or who
is already included on the government
rolls Government officials believe that
anything SO sweeping as this would in
terfere with some Of the most important
work which the government is doing In
disseminating Useful information through
articles prepared for use in newspapers
and magazines.
The intent of the law is learned from
the speeches which Were made on the
amendment In the House September 6,
by Representatives. Gillett, Fitzgerald and
others, The chairman of the appropria-
ttons committee said In speaking of the
Dill that he bad very pronounced views
about the lmpropriety OF the employment
Of publicity agents in connection with
any service of the government" and that
he Will be glad to "See definite legislation
enacted which will prevent the use of
public money for any such purpose un-
less Congress specifically and deliberately
authorized such emplOymentS."
Although the intent of the law was to
prevent the dissemination of useful in
formation through the medium of news
paper articles prepared In the bureaus.
officials think that careful reading Of
the law will show that 1t will be iinpos-
sible either for the controller of the
treasury or the Attorney General to give
"a decision which will interfere with any
line of publicity work which is now being
carried Oh by the departments. The pub
icity of which Representative Giliett
complained included laudatory articles
commencing the work Of a bureau or in
praise OF any man engaged in the work.
Such articles. SO far as is known, seldom
appear. from any Of the bureaus now
has been written by men whose aim is
to do nothing more. than to issue quickly
to CORRESPONDENTS brief reports of investi-
cations which We're formerly printed in
government documents issued at great
expense The principal departments In
which this kind OF publicity work is
being done are the Departments of Agri-
Commerce. Interior and Labor.
Although the various officials believe
that the amendment cannot prevent the
dissemination OF information in type
written form. whether it be prepared by
newspaper men employed to handle pub
licity or by special clerk who handles
publicity work. it is probable that at
the coming session of Congress Secre-
tary Houston and perhaps one or two
other cabinet officers will seek to avoid
further criticism by asking for specific
appropriation to provide for the news
paper publicity.