Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-01-20
FoIIy on Vital Paper

Oily on NlIdi dPSI
ssI ARGE streams from little fountains flow, tall oaks
l. from little acorns grow read the familiar lines
written for a school defamation by David Everett.
They are brought to mind by combination of two
recent events very important in itself the other
tremendously important to everybody.
The seemingly unmportant event is the announce
ment by the superintendent of documents in the govern
ment printing office in Washington of publication of
12S-page illustrated book The Origin Myth of Acoma
Cndans) and Other Records
The explanation is given that this government docu-
ment. printed in December 1912 contains information
obtained in September and October of 1928 from group
of Pueblo Indians from Acoma and Santa Ana visiting
Washington
IT IS probably very interesting and perhaps even val
1 liable.
But it represents the expenditure of considerable
money by the government, at a time when money is
needed to win the
And it required considerable quantity of paper at
time when serious shortage of paper has compelled
curtailment of all newspapers and magazines.
The latter is the second of the two events referred
TO at the beginning of this editorial which is important
to everybody.
American newspapers and magazines are being re-
oured by the government get along with 10 per- cent
less paper during the coming year
That will mean smaller newspapers and magazines,
and thus less information to the people
THERE is no complaint about it to the extent that 1T
is necessary and there is not much doubt that con-
gesed transportation and shortage of labor have imposed
wartime restrictions upon the paper industry.
But there is serious and justified complaint about the
uncuraed use of paper by the government for its own
publications which could at least be postponed until after
the war and which in could be prohtably
forgotten altogether.
1t is such little fountains and acorns' from which
the Large streams and tall oaks of government nef-
ciency incompetence and waste grow.
1t seems strainng of issues to isolate so trifing
thing as book on the origin myth of Acoma for the
purpose of emphasizing government extravaganza.
But it is illustrative of government practice which
is not trihng
THERE are THOUSANDS of government publications
like the one based on the myth of Acoma.
They utilize the full-time services of thousands of
government employees, who might otherwise be doing
something to win the war
They cost millions of dollars which might otherwise
provide the armed forces with munitions and weapons
Only last October, Director Elmer Davis of the Office
of War Information reduced abolished entirely 532
government publications because they constituted non
essential international activities"
Mr. Davis thus attacked but admittedly in only small
part abated bureaucratic practice which is great
public nuisance and grave misuse and waste of money,
manpower and national energy
THE American government, no less than the American
people must forego its usual practices and especially
its habua bureaucratic foles if this is to be
within the limits of time and cost the nation afford
Government publications like that devoted to the
Myth of Acoma" may may not be fine examples of
the printers art and may may not be historically
important. But the nations desperate need is for
guns planes tanks and ships to win for national
survival and the people submitting to severe hard
ships and deprivals to provide them.
If the government cannot give example to the people
at such time should at least take example from them