Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1913-09-03
CoNGREssNrEN TRADE IN BOOKS.
Oklahoma COngrvs ,'uan ais for In-
VestigatiOn iOto fhe Natter.

VestigatiOn iOto fhc Natter.
Washington, Aug 81 Congress
could not possibiy )cgm a more
praiseworthy OF .uiahIn undertake
| ing at this time .htn 10 'Olow up the
| suggestion of Representative Ferris,
of Oklahoma, that an investigation
be made of traffic in government pub
| lications, especially to ascertain
what members Of Congress, if any,
are engaged in selling or swapping
different kinds of publications, what
revenue they derive therefrom and
what other persons, either semi-offi-
| cially connected with Congress or
| otherwise, are carrying on this busiA
ness.
Another Matter.
So far as free seeds and mileage
are concerned, so much has been
written about them that the subject
has long since become hacKneyed
and hoary with age, but there are
few persons who have paid enough
attention to the traffic in Congress-
ional documents and government
publications to put the matter
squarely before the public as about
the greatest farce of the present day.
1t is true that not many members of
Congress are engaged in this book
store busin ess as a side line by any
means. In sact, there are not a few
who legitims tely send to their con-
stituents eve,y page Of printed mat
| ter that they can get their hands on
without swapping with their neigh
Dor members unless it happens that
a particular man has a constituency
which has no need of certain docu-
ments, then trade is made. On the
other hand, it has been hinted here
for many years that there have been
certain members Of Congress who
each year made a neat little pile in
the publication business.
There are certain men working in
Washington, who in one way and an
other, are said to do a thriving busi-
ness in all kinds Of congressional
publications. They are just as busy
day in and day out as any drummer
on the road, making trades here and
there, swapping to one member a
certain allotment Of such matter
that another will not need, and
generally doing a stimulating traffic
in these publications.
Just what kind of publications and
OF what value the government gets
out each year and distributes to
10 the general public and doubtless
never will be. These publications
vary all the way from the one-page
leafiet on eradication Of the Texas
cattle tick or the Mexican pink boil
worm to the costly and handsome
volumes of American history, Con-
gressional biographies and other pub
lications that would grace and adorn
any up-to-date library. In fact,
should you go to buy these books
they would cost you a pile Of ready
cash because Uncle Sam, through his
agents, never sells on credit, but the
nifty Congressman is able to pull
them over to his constituents free of
cost.
Book Dealers Involved.
Only last year Senator Fletcher, of
Florida, chairman Of Congressional
joint committee on printing, found
that book dealers. were doing a land
Office business in buying government
publications at small cost and then
selling them at a good profit. He
put the lid on, and as a result the
superintendent of documents was or
dered hereafter to sell but one copy
OF the same publication to the same
person. That put a temporary stop
to this traffic, but it is believed that
II Congress follows the suggestion
made by Congressman Ferris not
few members may be brought to the
bar and made to disclose what infor-
nation they may have regarding the
government free book business in
Washington as side line. The traf-
fic and swapping of such matter to-
gether with the wholesale sending
out OF pumpkin, squash and turnip
seed, grape vines, in fact anything
that would keep the Congressman in
touch with the people at home, has
never squared exactly with simon
pure craftsmanship.