Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-01-19
Better PUBLICATIONS AT RE-
pucEp EXPENSE SHOWING
MADE az ORA WILLIAMS.
ECONOMY FAR BEYOND
ANYTHING PROMISED
Duties Consolidated Under One Head
Tends to Better Service and Reduced
Cost Much Work Accomplished
Along Desired Lines-cost of Print
ins and Binding Materially Reduced.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines. Jan. 1s.-Betterment OF
the publications Of the state OF Iowa
and at the same time reduction in eS-
pense thereof is the lesson taught by
the report of the state document de-
partment as laid on the desks OF MEM
bers of the Thirty seventh general as
sembly today. 1t was SHOWN thdI
changes can be made, and have peeh
made, which have increased the gener-
al usefulness of the publications OF the
state and this with economy FAR be-
yond anything ever promised or eN-
pected by anybody interested in the
welfare of the state.
The report covers only year and a
half of work since the general assem-
bly, transferred the department from
its scattered place about the state
house and consolidated it into one de-
partment with power 10 actually super
wise the publication and distribution oil
the books of the state. Only partlai
report is possible, since practically All
the larger publications of the state
have been ordered in the last three
months and only a few of them nave
been completed. A large part of the
first year of the operation OF the de-
partment was taken up in getting es-
tablished and in operation, owing to
delays incident to the change.
The document department, the duties
OF which had been partially performed
by the governor, secretary Of state,
state printer and a number OF others,
were by the new law placed under the
state document editor. and to these
were added number of duties long
neglected and ignored. chiefly relating
to the proper preparation OF copy so
that printing could be done in the most
economical manner. or the elimination
of useless material. Under this new
arrangement there Is supervision by
the state, for the first time, of the gen.
eral publication business so far as 1t
relates to the regular reports and va
rious booklets and pamphlets issued,
and also some system as to the man
ner Of distribution thereof.
The report Of Ora Williams. docu-
ment editor. rust issued, shows that
great deal Of work has been done along
the line principally desired namely,
that Of improving the quality Of the
work done. But at the same time this
has worked economy. A comparison Is
not possible az to all books or pamph-
lets published, but q comparison IS
made as to each and every publication
where an issue has been made since
the change in policy and there was a
similar publication issued recently but
PRIOR to the era OF supervision. This
comparison shows that as to the TWEEN
ty-six publications wherein a compar-
ison Is possible, the aggregate cost
this time was $3s,669-26, whereas. the
last previous publication OF the same
or similar documents or reports cost
s55,5ss.90, a difference Of s21,92s.64.
This part OF the business is only
about 50 per cent Of the entire cost OF
prin ting during the year and a half
The saving Of 40 per cent was there
fore only q third of the printing. As
TO the remainder, a comparison is not
possible as to much of it, while as to
the remainder 1t is job work, or that
which does not come under the super
vision Of the document editor.
Il Great Saving Made.
Another startling fact is disclosed. in
that the cost of printing and binding,
dS uS0C Wy tiiC SloLo ~ iil(Cl oIio pAhu-
err and exclusive Of other contractors,
in the first year under the supervision
i of the state document editor was $22,-
051.37 less than in the last year before
the document department was trans
ferred s"
Z illustrations are given In the report
showing how, without the leaving out
4 of single fact, without injuring the
quality OF the report in any way. but
merely by proper direction as to tine
form Of tables to be printed, report
has been made to cost $1,000 less
than before. In other instances re-
ports contain far more material than
ever before but cost only small part
of the former cost. This has been, 1t
IS pointed out, due not to any scaling
Of bills or change in the manner OF
computing the cost, nor has there been
any different Interpretation Of the con-
tract under which the printing and
binding is done. but 1t is due entirely
4 TO process OF proper editing OF the
copy for the publications. The elimi-
nation of waste has all been prior to
the publication OF the reports.
No Trails to Follow.
SIN the task of editing and revising
the manuscripts for the vast publica
ton business of the state Of Iowa there
have been no trails to follow" says
Mr.. Williams in his report "and it was
but natural that in blazing new path
ways rough places would be encoun-
tered. The law itself is necessarily in
such general terms as to appear some
times vague. At the outset there had
~ ut 70 4,
breaking away from traditions. There
is always a disposition to follow the
old way Just because it is old, even
tho better way Is possible; but the
department has not accepted the com
mon excuse for doing things wrong
that they have always been done that
way. The plan Of the law seemed tc
= can famnlate that the manuscript:
should be solely revised after passing
thru the hands of the governor; bu
&