Evening star., 1923-07-21
ECONOMY KNOCKS
/ OUT 2u. S. BOOKS
Joint Commission Votes to
Abolish Employees Register
and Navy Publication.

Pursuing its policy of economy. the
Joint committee on Congress. IL was
announced today. has unanimously
voted 20 cease publication of the
Oficial Register commonly known
as the Blue Book) and of the Navy
Year Book Senator Moses of New
Hampshire is chairman OF the joint
committee on printing and also of
the Senate printing committee.
1t is estimated that the govern
ment, through this action. will save
forty or fifty thousand dollars every
two years, and probably $4,000 each
year. The blue book is printed every
other year, and the Navy year book
annually.
The joint committee took this ac-
tton following approval OF the course
planned hy the permanent conference
on printing, the Secretary of Com
merce and by the director of the
budget in the case of the blue book,
and py the Secretary Of the Navy and
the director of the budget in the case
OF the Navy year book. These publ
cations II was held, were not Of suf-
ficient value TO warrant the outlay
of money required to publish them.
tetstS1eT OI f1shptOses.
The Blue Book is the official regis
ter OF ali government employees. The
Secretary of Ststa was directed to
publish such a register by law enact
ed in 1S16-every two years. Later
1t was turned over to the Secretary
of the Interior TO handle. and later
still to the director OF the census.
Ninety per cent OF The copies of the
Blue Book were used here in Wash
inSton.
The joint committee on printing
proposes that Il card index Of all gov
errI1ent employees, classified and un-
CLASSIFIED, be kept hereafter at the
office of the Civil Service Commis sion,
and kept always up TO date and avail
able for such use as may be required.
All changes in the personnel are to be
forwarded promptly by the depart
ments and independent bureaus to the
Civil Service Commission.
The publication of the Blue Book
costs in the neighborhood of S25. 900,
with prospects of an increase in price.
Its compilation by the census bureau
has been estimated at another $50 600.
The Navy Year Book has been pub
Ished annually since 1910. under
provision of the law. Secretary
Denby has held that the book was
not of sufficient value to the Navy
Department to warrant its continued
issuance. About $3.50 copies have
been printed each year at a cost of
approximately $4,000.
Waste Prevention Law.
The joint committee on printing
Is authorized by the legislative act
approved March l. 1919, to adopt
such measures as it deems necessary
to prevent waste in the public print
ing and binding and distribution of
government publications. 1t is in
pursuance of this authority that 1t
has now acted to cut off the two pub
locations in question.
The president of the Civil Service
Commit sSion has advised the joint
committee that the weakness of the
Ofilcial Register lies in the fact that
1t is not complete; that its list of
personnel is true and accurate only
upon one day in each two years.
Before the Official Register becomes
available for distribution it is al
ready, to considerable extent, OBJ
selete." The commission recon-
mends, however, that the publication
of the Official Register should not
be discontinued until something bet
ter has been established to take its
place.