Evening star., 1915-12-26

such difficulty and delay as does exist.
large corporation which had been
paving such an agency in Washington
300 month for information concern
ing contracts found that the govern
ment itself wants to supply such infor.
nation.
In Washington your average govern-
ment official has wide open door.
rms reception may be partly for po-
iltlcal eject, and IL may waste some
valuable time. but it is worth while 10
let the average citizen feel that all
nave access to the government
Value Of the Library.
While the Library of Congress is es-
pecially valuable to any one who can
use its vast resources through visiting
the splendid building in which they are
housed. its growing service to the
country at large is more and more ap-
preciated. Its monthly list of all the
publications which are issued by the
states Is OF unusual value to those who
want TO keep posted on activities out
side their own commonwealths. In
qutries from people who live where To-
cal library facilities are lacking re-
ceive especial attention: bibliographies
and references to the nearest library
are furnished. The supplying of print
ed catalogue cards at cost to hundreds
OF libraries throughout the country
saves the local libraries many thou
sands of dollars and forms a direct
service to every library user.
The National Capital as a source of
information radiates not only the d.
verse knowledge collected and pro-
duced by government bureaus That
anorded by privately organized social
and civic agencies is by no means in
considerable. Washington is the head
quarters for a score or two OF ma
tional organizations, such as the
American Civic Association, National
Voters League, Carnegie Institution.
American Federation of Labor, Cham
ber of Commerce of the United States,
National Geographic Society. American
Institute of Architects, American
Forestry Association, American Peace
Society and Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace.
Capital a Demonstration City.
with the progress achieved under
the magnificent plans to make Wash
ington the most beautiful of capitals,
it does not seem too much to hope for
similar progress toward making 1t a
demonstration city in municipal gov
ernment. There is at present discus
sion over the proportion OF funds for
local needs, which should be con-
tributed respectively by the taxpayers
of the District and by the federal gov
tional support for a civic program in
the administration of Washington, de-
signed to try out new activities and
develop tested standards for COM
munity life.
The purpose OF this series of
articles in The Survey is not to de-
scribe exhaustively the social service
Of the federal government. It is to
give Mr.. Average Citizen. wherever he
may be-and particularly II he is in
terested in ways to improve conditions
of life and labor-touch-and-
glimpses of work which his govern
ment is doing in this direction: to
make him acquainted with his servants
who are on the job: to stimulate his
interest SO that he may give them the
backing they need to secure appro-
priations and executive support; to
enable him to get from his government
information and help which he and his
neighbors need in efforts to promote
the well being Of their community"