Evening star., 1932-09-04
Uncle Sam Cuts Free List
Economy in Printing and Distributing Pamphlets
Saves Departments Thousands OF Dollars.
Public Nov Must Pay for Many Issues.

Of its principal periodicals 50 per cent
for the coming year. Volume l Of the
Commerce Year Book, relating to
American commerce, has been discon-
tinued, and Volume 2, relating to for
eien commerce, has been limited to
statistical tables, with q total saving OF
$1,000. The weekly Commerce Reports
have been reduced from "a to Is pages
at a saving of $4,000. Other publica-
tions have been similarly reduced in
size and cost.
The Commerce Departments list OF
popular information bulletins also has
felt the economy ak. Last year these
bulletins cost $4,000. This year they
will cost about half that sum.
Some Estimates Erroneous.
This department makes it a policy
to conduct an inquiry as to the prob
able demand for a trade or informa-
ton bulletin before placing an order
with the Government Printing ONCE
Sometimes these estimates 60 far
astray, as in the case of the compre-
hensive illustrated pamphlet on Fur
niture, Its Selection and Use" 100000
copies of which were printed more than
a year ago. Less than fourth of these
have been sold.
Fortunately, the department will moi
lose in this transaction, even though
not another copy Is sold to the public
Before ordering so large a number OF
the books, the department secured from
a national furniture manufacturers Or
ganization a guaranty that it woulc
purchase all copies remaining after two
years
The demand for a series Of pam.
phletS on wood utilization has proved
tremendous, on the other hand Nearly
100000 copies of these pamphlets, in.
cluding the extremely popular "Yor
Can Make It" series, have been sold.
Child Welfare Leaflets.
Ranking in popularity with the Agri.
culture Departments farmers bulletin:
and the Commerce Departments wood
utilization series are the Labor Depart
ments Leaflets on prenatal, infant
and child care and Child Manage
ment," nearly 10000, 900 copies of " hich
have been distributed, chiefly by mem
bers OF Congress. Another two-pam.
phlet series in great demand is the
Public Health Services 'Wcnderfu
Talk With Her Daughter" and "A
. 4olh WIFI x1lS oO1l
That there has been great waste ir
Government publications Is testified te
by the superintendent of documents
He reports that during the past II
years more than 10.5oo,oo0 copies oi
Government publications ordered fol
sale or free distribution have been solo
eventually as waste paper. In addition
more than 1000, 900 copies CT publica-
tions have become obsolete and nearly
5000. 900 more have been returned K
the Government by depository libraries
These documents cost much more thar
a million dollars to produce.
Besides this waste. countless Other
publications fall by the wayside in ths
course of congressional redistribution
Some years ago approximately 100000
publications that had never been re.
moved from their wrappers were sole
as waste at the Capitol and tons ol
useless printed material are said 10 bt
stored there at the present time.
Friends Of governmental economy
point out that Congress could do much
to eliminate this waste by ahDlishins
free distribution Of Government docu.
ments by members of Congress. Ths
suggestion has not taken well to date.