Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-01

&sheets of paper looms bigger IN the
FEDERAL government establishment.
Rudyard Kipiing wrote a rather
lengthy poem entirely about, the files.
He found it a fruitful subject. Ex-
perts have written lengthy prose
articles about files and manufacturing
companies and business colleges have
lots Of expert advice to give concerning
files. The reason the subject IS SO
important and has so many commenta-
tors is that files represent, first, the
records of what people have lone, q
second, they represent an ever increas-
ing problem in storage. First. they are
vehicles of informations second, d
arc dead weight. On both counts, they
require much attention.
\ good example is the interstate
commerce commission. BY following a
case through that body, an idea can be
obtained how the files. the slips OF
paper, grow in bulk. A shipper be
lieves he is being charged too much
freight. He files a complaint with the
commission. This starts a new file. 1t
is given a docket number. The com
mission notifies all railroads involved
that the complaint has been flied and
they must defend the existing rates.
| These notifications add more slips Of
paper. A hearing is set by the issuance
of an order. Another slip of paper.
Testimony is taken. evidence being
given on both sides. This may add any
where from a dozen sheets Of type
written paper to half Il ton Of typed
and printed matter, depending on the
Importance of the case. Sometimes
great stacks of statistics, called eI-
hibits, intended to illustrate the jus
tice or injustice of rates are added to
the documentary evidence. Then all
parties file briefs. which are printed
arguments. In d big case a brief may
be as big as an unabridged dictionary.
All of these must be retained in the
files. Finally. the commission renders
an opinion and issues an order. These
are added TO the files.
There are some half dozen cases a
day brought before the commission
and each new case starts another file
which grows as the case progresses.
All these papers must be retained as
they are federal records. The prob
lem is growing constantly and it is ex-
pected that the commission soon viii
have to erect a great warehouse in
addition to its present conln odlouS
quarters. merely to store these slips
of paper.
Patent Office Files Expensive
The patent office is another govern
ment agency where flies accumulate
rapidly. The general land office il
another. Since the war the veterans
bureau and the war and navy depart
ments have built UP mammoth files.
All the other departments, commls-
| sions. boards and bureaus stagger un-
der the same ever-increaslng incubus
consisting Of slips of paper, each one
Of which is too light to tilt anything
but a precise and sensitive scale.
These files must be tended, too.
Thousands of clerks are employed
merely to take care of them-to put
| slips Of paper in and take old slips
Of paper out for examination. d.
Ii is proposed 10 build a federal
hall OF archives and when that is done,
many Of the files will be concentrated
and the pressure or existing office
space will be l%ightened. but now every
government building at Washington Is
bullying with files.
Besides the vast quantities Of papers
retained in the files there is a daily
output of waste paper which may be
DISPOSED Of. In an establishment rs
great as the American government
waste paper is more of a problem than
seems possible to the ordinary citizen
who finds that q library w~aste-paper
basket. emptied perhaps once q week,
amply takes care of his needs. The
problem is big enough TO have q special
committee Of the house Of representa-
| tives in general charge, the committee
on the disposition of useless papers in
executive departments. This commit
tee periodically superVises the throw
ing away Of papers which have become
useless or which need not have been
kept 1t all.
Waste Paper Problem.
There are many manufacturing de-
partments in the American govern
ment. There are various kinds Of
waste in all Of them. One OF the most
interesting examples is that presented
by the government printing office and
here. again, 1t is a question Of paper.
In the course of printing and binding,
50 great an accumulation Of waste pa
per constantly is being piled up that
the public printer annually asks for
bids from purchasers of such waste,
who utilize it for remaking into fresh
paper. Good prices are obtained for
this product. which offset. in part. the
dftlhl HHSN'- 1'N9 iVtfiitS
called for for the removal of this
waste from the printing office. Men
ton of some Of the items will indicate
what a big waste paper basket the
government printing office has. 1t is
estimated that during the six months
from next January to June 80, the
waste will amount to 10000 pounds of
shavings from blanks and biankbooks;
32J.000 pounds of shagings from white
book papers; 100000 pounds of shaw
ings from various white and colored
papers. strawboard and such bookhind
ing materials; $50, 900 pounds of print
ed paper waste; $500 pounds Of ma
Mia paper clippings; 100000 pounds
Of wrapping paper waste, book cloth,
buckram clippings and sweepings: 10
900 pounds Of Irvine and rope; 12J, 900
pounds of discarded and mutilated pub
lications; 1000 pounds Of discarded
and mutilated account books and ledg-
ers.
This is a total in the ncighborhood
Of 100000 pounds Of waste paper,
~pasteboard and Irvine. A fifteen-hun-
dred-ton waste paper basket.
The contractor who is awarded this
waste must remove it at frequent in
~terVals, rs it accumulates during the
period his contract covers. If he did
not, the government printing office
would be literally crowded out of its
buildings; its waste basket would grow