Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-10-18
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT Is DOING

I limited output Of publications.. It 10
believed that the new printing law
| VIII bring about many economics ana
will at the same time increase the em-
cheney in the printing and distribution
OF government publications.
One feature Of the new law, which u
expected to have an immediate result
In increasing efficiency. and quickening
distributipn: is that which restores to
individual departments the privilege Of
sending out publications to all misce!.
laneous lists. At the present time all
publications must be mailed from the
ments: This makes 1t necessary to send
individual requests from individual
writer's for publications to the printing
two days to a week in filling the order.
The large lists of many names
will continue to be mailed from the
ONCE Of the superintendent OF docu u.
the work of this kind can be done more
efficiently in his Office.
A reduction in the cost Of publications
will also be another result aimed at in
the new law, which calls for the selling
Of all publications at cost The old law
provided for the sale at 10 per cent
above cost. This will save many thou
sands OF dollars to the people.
| The new bill also provides that a scale
Of charges for all work shall be fur
nished to the various departments in ad.
vance At the present time the cost OF
known. until estimates for the work
have been obtained from the printing
Office. 1t is believed that the furnishing
Of cost prices for composition. folding
and binding in advance will give the
heads Of departments the information
which will make 1t possible to economic
in their printing work and to save the
loss of time made necessary by sending
manuscript to the printing ONCE be-
fore an estimate Of its cost can be made.
Under the present law not more than
1000 copies Of any publication which
has 100 or more pages can be distribute
ed by the department In a single year.
The new law will permit the distribu
| ton Of 1880 copies, and with this in
crease it is believed that the increasing
can be met year by year without wait
ing for the new years allotment be-
fore orders can be filed.
| The agricultural interests Of the
! tribution OF 5000 advance sheets Of
soil surveys Of counties. Heretofore
the number to be distributed has been
the demand has far exceeded that guam
tity.
The House printing committee be-
lieves that the new bill will effect an
shout in the " least ths
efficiency Of the service. One Of the
principal points of saving will be to
give to members Of Congress a fxed
Senator's will have the privilege Of
purchasing publications to the value of
$4,000 and members Of the House of
I Representatives will be given $1,000
culars to send to their constituents
All is ready for starting the annual
distribution Of free seeds which MEM
bers Of Congress
The Free Seed send to their constit-
Distribution. Of afn, nearly .1 me 75," soee
packages year. While the actual
work of sending out seeds from Wash
ington does not start until December
Is or January 1, active preparations
for the congressional distribution of
free seeds begin months in advance,
and already flower and vegetable seeds
by the carload are being rushed to the
big warehouse in this city where
the packing takes place.
| In the work Of sending out congress
sional seeds this year a battery Of
] twenty-four of the fastest packing ma
1 chimes which have been invented will
| be in almost constant use during a rush
| is the largest equipment which has ever
been engaged in the work at one time.
| Each machine has an output of 10000
| to $4,000 packages of seeds in each
chine being regulated according to the
| size and character of the seeds.
| Each of the package-flling machines
| is as nearly human in it's action as 1t
chinery. filing and sealing each envel-
| ope in fraction of second. The work
| of the girl who sits at each machine
consists of the simple duties of keeping
glue and lubricating oil. The seed sup
ply Of the machines is automatic. Dur
| ing the busy season. 1870 people are en-
| ployed in the work of filing the en-
| velopes, handling the seed shipments,
FASTING on the mailing franks of con-
gressmen and sending out the pack
cts. Last years output was more than
100000 packages Of seeds.
| Although many attempts have been
made to abolish the free seed distribu-
ton by members of Congress. none has
| succeeded. Each year either the Senate
| or the House Of Representatives usual
| ly votes to knock out the free seed ap-
preparation, but when the agricultural
appropriation bill goes to conference
| the conferees restore the item.
| Uncle Sam will spend $4,000 for free
| seed distribution by congressman this
year, against $4,000 which was given
for the same purpose last year. In ad-
dition to this the Department of Agri-
| culture will distribute on it's own ac-
count 100000 worth of rare seeds
| 4 !.
| With the oyster season coming into
full swing. agents of the United States
bureau of chemistry
AdulteratiOn are in better position
eo than ever to protect
OF oysters. the public against tho
dangers Of unwholesome or adulterated
supplies of bivalves which sometimes
come upon the markets. Since the
close Of last years oyster season a de-
! cision has been handed down in the
United States district court of the east
ern district of New York which holds
that oysters are adulterated If consist
ing in whole or in part of bacteria or
decomposed substance, even If the shells
are unopened and no foreign material
has been added by human hands
This court decision strengthens the
pure food law, and virtually puts an
end to the stand frequently taken oy
| food dealers that the word "adultera-
ton" necessarily means an actual addi-
ton to the original substance through
human agency.
The shippers of the oysters against
whom the decision was rendered CLAIM
ed that the adulteration was not Will
| full. and. moreover. that the pure food
law does not cover and was not intend.
ed to cover the shipment of unopened
| hair on L