The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1918-03-05
Public Pining For More Copies
Of Golden Words of Congress
Senators Think Other More Less Useful Documents Might
Be Suppressed in Its Favor. An Interesting Debate.

WASHINGTON, D. C.-Members
of both branches of congress have
been deluged with letters from con-
stituents asking why they have not
been receiving the Congressional
Record. The matter was threshed
out today on the floor of the senate
with some gravity and more levity.
Senator Smoot, member of the
joint committee on printing, an
nounced that it has been impossible
to print more than 5000 copies of
the Record daily, and consequently
few copies are distributed beyond
the District of Columbia.
Senator Gallinger said constituents
had informed him that they had not
received a copy of the Record since
February list. "This is a situation
which l very much deplore," said
the senator. Because the Record is
now the only uncensored public doe
ument which we have, and it should
be in the hands of the public. I I'M
derstand no copies are being dis
tributed beyond the District of COL
umbia. I understand this is due to
the shortage of paper, but think
/ the shortage could be remedied in
some other way than by cutting down
the Record.
Calls Volume Useless.
For instance, yesterday l received
this volume in the mail Wholesale
prices from 1900 to 1910. Now,
high-salaried men have to be travel
ing about the country compiling
these figures. They are absolutely
worthless. Yet we are spending hun
dreds of thousands Of dollars annual
! ly publishing such books which are
intended to exploit some department.
of the government. / have before me
long list of such volumes of little
account. One of them is called the
Pirates Of the Deep'-a story of the
squid octopus. Now, I want to ask
/ sCCli1GOI EiuOOI IL lI6E6 Is IOI a TeIQS-
dy for this situation?'
Before Senator Smoot starts to
explain this affair."" said Senator Pen
rose, 81 would like to ask Senator
Gallinger if he would except from
the general tenor of his remarks
publication entitled Through Costa
RIGA the Magnificent With Motor
car"
That's another one," said Senator
Gallinger. "There are others just as
absurd I suppose; that volume con-
tributes to the war;
Senator Smoot explained that this
year the joint committee on printing
received only one bid for such paper
as the Record is printed upon, and as
that was faulty it would not be taken
advantage of.
Senator Penrose again interrupted
to remark that during the war crisis
such volumes as Narcotic Plants and
Stimulants of Ancient Americans"
might be dispensed with.
Hits at CreePs Bureau.
Senator Smoot said there was con-
tinuOus pressure to have such vol
umes printed as public documents.
He. declared one bureau of the gov
eminent spends at least $4,000 day
on printing. What bureau is that?"
he was asked.
"CreePs bureau" he replied. 81
think it should be investigated.
81 am very glad" said Senator
Penrose, "that the senator called the
attention of the senate to this abuse,
which is rapidly reaching the proper
tons of scandal. l have objected
frequently on the floor of the senate
to making the Record look more like
copy book from a telegraph Office
than dignifed legislative record.
"Only yesterday | received a let
ter from a prominent gentleman in
Philadelphia calling my attention to
a document which had been sent to
him by a government department and
expressing his establishment that a
document of such useless character
should be sent to any one of average
intelligence.
upon another occasion I received
a protest from a manufacturer call
ing my attention to the publication
by the department of commerce, bu-
reau of census, which department is
sending broadcast through Pennsyl-
vania reports of the census of man.
ufacturers, dated 1914. l have here
a copy of the report relating to pc
troleum refining, dated 1914. Surely
there can be no great value to this
cumbersome compilation of figures"
Taken Up in House.
The matter of the curtailment of
the Congressional Record was taken
up in the house yesterday by Repre-
! sentative Moore, of Philadelphia,
who said the people of the country
were not thoroughly informed of the
/ proceedings of congress.
Representative Campbell, of Kan
sas, asked Mr.. Moore if it were true
| that tons of nanpr containing snapoh-