Evening star., 1937-03-28
BY REX COLLIER.

tor and publisher-with the
~ result that business is BOOM
ing in the field Of Federal periodical
publication.
Colorful covers clothe news bulle-
tins" that some unkind critics have
called Government propaganda"
Striking photographs and drawings
illustrate data on crops and schools
and Indians and roads.
Interesting "by-line' feature arti-
cles by Government and private au-
thorities tell the readers about a
multitude of things, from weed con-
troll to Inauguration weather.
Editorials with a punch" deal
with varied subjects-including the
debate over packing of the Supreme
Court.
Even poetry is invoked in some
publications to spread the gospel
of governmental good will or what
ever may be the passing mood Of the
Federal muse.
Small wonder that circulation is
climbing, that new publications are
being born-and, as charged by sew
eral congressional foes OF 'propa-
ganda," that Uncle Sans printing
and distributing costs are mounting
year by year.
Annual Cost Near $4,000, 900.
While the total cost OF Government
magazines alone is not easily ascer-
tainable, Representative John Taber,
ranking minority member Of the
House Appropriations Committee, re-
Gently told the House that the cost
of all Official Government 'propa-
ganda' has risen to s20,o00,000 a
year. Prior to 1888, he declared, the
total was half that figure.
Every organization in the Gov
ernment," Taber said, lis sending
out all sorts Of opaganda-propa-
ga'cda in fancy colors, pamphlets with
pictures Of reclamation projects, pic
lures Of resettlement operations, pic
lures Of w. P. A. propositions and all
that sort of thing
OF course, the taxpayer foots the
bill
The Government Printing ONCE
lists more than 10 periodicals for
which subscriptions are taken by the
superintendent of documents. Ex-
cluded from this list are a consider
able number Of mimeographed pam
phlets and other periodicals distributed
by the agencies concerned.
Various bureaus of the United
States Government" the Printing
Once explains in a preface to its
periodical price list, have found that
the only adequate way to get official
information before the public while
still fresh and valuable is to publish
it in periodicals instead Of holding it
for annual reports or occasional
volumes"
The preface adds: The periodicals
90 free Of postage, like other public
documents
100000 Pieces = Day.
In this connection Representative
Engle, Republican, of Michigan, said
on the floor recently that more than
100000 pieces OF franked "propa-
ganda" are sent out by the Govern
ment every day in the year.
Excluding editorial expense" he
estimated the total cost for printing
and distributing departmental pro-
motion material during the past four
years at s2l7,453,043, divided as fol-
lows: Lost postal revenues, $l1S,849,-
020; paper cost, s24,232, SOL; print
ing cost, $74,37l, ,422.
These figures, of course, cover not
only periodicals, but news sheets, bull
letins, circular letters. annual reports,
charts and all other forms of "in-
formation
Not listed by the Government Print
ing ONCE is the biggest of Uncle Sans
magazines in point Of circulation-the
Consumers Guide, which boasts of
100000 circulation. 1t might as well
be 100000 or 100000 or 100000 900
as far as that is concerned. For it's
free.
Born of the New Deals Triple A."
this attractively covered and pro-
fusely illustrated monthly magazine
goes free to organized and individual
consumers of every classification
merely for the asking. 1t is issued
by the consumers counsel of the
Agricultural Adjustment Administra-
tion in cooperation with the Bureaus
OF Agricultural Economics, Home Eco
nomics and Labor Statistics.
Costs About $4,000 Yearly.
The Consumers Guide is among the
more expensive Of Government mag
azines, costing about $4,000 a year.
Under the heading. "Our Point of
View" the Guide explains editorially
It's rather profound belief that con-
sumption is the end and purpose Of
production"
ITO that end" the magazine
states, "the Consumers Guide en-
phasizes the consumers right to full
and correct information on prices,
quality Of commodities, and on costs
and efficiency Of distribution.
1T aims to aid consumers in max
ing wise and economical purchases by
reporting changes in prices and costs
Of food and farm commodities. It
relates these changes to develop
ments in the agricultural and general
programs of national recovery. 1t
reports on cooperative efforts which
are being made by individuals and
groups Of consumers to obtain the
greatest possible value for their ex-
penditures."
The editor adds: while the Con-
sumers' Guide makes public oficial
data on the Departments Of Agri-
culture, Labor and Commerce, the
point of view expressed in its pages
does not necessarily reflect onicial
policy, but 1t is q presentation OF
governmental and non-governmental
measures looking toward the advance
ment Of consumers interests"
Meat Inspection Described.
The cover Of the February issue
bears a mouth watering photograph
of . roast, ready to be carved, in ad-
vertisement Of the leading article,
Under the Round Purple Stamp"
This feature, replete with photo
,~a~hs ~ rox,ororaArt vnAof insnAc.