^'1 cs THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES tos ^GEl^- CAli^°«**^ Useful Reference Series No. 20 Guide to the Use of United States Government Publications Guide to the Use of United States Government Publications BY Edith E. Clarke Chief of Cataloging, Office of Superintendent of Documents, 1896-1898; Compiler of the Monthly Catalogs, of the Document Catalog, Volumes 1-2, and of the Document Index, Volume I THE BOSTON BOOK CO. BOSTON 1918 Copyright by The Boston Book Company 1918 Published May, 1918 VAIL-BALLOU COMPANY 122 3 Foreword It gives me pleasure to express here my indebtedness for help received from my friends of the Documents Of- fice: Mr. A. P. Tisdel, assistant superintendent of docu- ments; Miss H. C. Silliman, chief of cataloging; and Miss M. A. Hartwell, who compiled the Checklist; and from Mr, George H. Carter, clerk of the Joint Committee on Printing. Also from the efficient staff and adminis- tration of Cornell University library; without the aid of its intelligent cataloging and management especially of this troublesome class of publications this book could not have been written. E. E. c. Auburn, N. Y. 5^^Ho Introduction The original framework of this "Guide" was a course of instruction on the subject successfully worked out in a library training school with a two-years' schedule. This framework shows itself in certain didactically set forth instructions like the eight designations,^ and the data to be gathered from the Congressional Record concerning the passage of a bill.- But upon and about this has been hung a wide discussion of the methods of publication and distribution of the national publications. That this dis- cussion is timely is seen in the fact that a bill, framed after exhaustive study of the subject by the Printing In- vestigation Commission of 1905-11, and first introduced by it in the 60th Congress, and reported on in February, 1909, has been pending before every successive Congress since, and it has been hoped, during each succeeding Con- gress, that it might become law. This, when it becomes a statute, will supersede the law under which we have been working for twenty years, and will gather up and codify all the reforms and amendments made during that period, with some much needed new ones. In some details this bill may be altered before it becomes law, but it is be- lieved that, having been so long incubating, its main fea- tures will be enacted in the form described in this work, as they bring measures of reform up to the point that it is possible to carry them in the present stage of senti- ment on the subject. But the work is not intended only as a manual for in- struction in library training schools ; nor for depository libraries only. It has the needs of depositories, chiefly of those which are public libraries, largely in view, of 1 See p. 124. 2 See p. 130. 8 Introduction those which are college libraries somewhat. But the needs of the state libraries and the largest libraries which maintain document departments it regards not a whit. It will be seen that in different sections the work addresses itself to very different classes of readers: — now to the immature student of library science ; now to the untrained librarian of the very small library ; again to the chief of a depository public library ; and at another time to any one interested and influential in directing the policies of the Government regarding the public printing. Also, the writer would be very glad could she enrol among those whom the book can help the growing number of students and teachers who use the national publications. But the technicalities which fit it for the readers whom it is first of all hoped to help, the workers who care for the documents in the libraries, may repel the workers who only study the documents. This variety of appeal creates a lack of homogeneity which wall not be regretted if each of these classes of readers finds help. While there is some repetition in the book, this has been thought excusable in a work that will be taken up for reference in sections, as the user seeks help on some special topic, and which will probably not find many who will read it through at a single sitting. The excess of detail in certain sections can be skipped by those to w^hom it is unwelcome. It is a popular notion that government publications are a class apart from every other kind of literature, to be placed all together in a group by themselves in a library ; that special codes of cataloging rules, and separate classi- fication systems, and dift'erent library practice generally must be devised for them ; and that they can be under- stood only by specialists. In the making of this little work this notion is regarded as an error that is to be counteracted by the spread of clear, accurate, and full in- formation concerning them. The keynote according to which it is written is that government publications should be given the same footing and treatment as any other Introduction 9 works; and that their pubHshing should be conducted on the same principles and methods as publishing busi- ness in private hands. It has been the aim to state the facts concerning them, to explain things misunderstood, to persuade convictions founded on lack of full knowl- edge to a change of view, and to provide a laboratory manual for all who use United States government pub- lications inside libraries and out. The terms, United States public documents, and United States government publications, are used interchangeably throughout the work to vary the monotony. But gov- ernment publications is the preferred term for several reasons. One is that, among archivists, the term, docu- ments, has the meaning of " pen-created '' papers, not of printed literature.^ Another is that in its non-special, general sense the word document is usually applied to material in literary form teaching (docens) the facts; it means source material, usually in history, economics, politics, law, and the like. But the scientific, technologi- cal, and descriptive material which makes such a large share of the national publications, the regulations, service manuals and handbooks, the current information in Com- merce Reports and their like, the bibliographies and in- dexes, etc., are anything but documents in that sense. Still another reason is that Documents is the title of one of the two series which the Senate and House each publish. This use of the same word to denote all of the publications of the United States government, and two particular series of them, creates confusion in discussion, whereas exactly defined terms are greatly needed. To ensure distinctiveness here, whenever the Senate or House series is meant, the word Documents is given an initial capital, as is done with the Reports and Journals also. 3 " Here in America we have become accustomed to considering as ' docu- ments ' the official printed publications of state and federal authority, which results in a confusion of terms that some day may prove vexatious." J. C. Fitzpatrick. Notes on the care ... of manuscripts. Wash. 1913. 45 p. 19 cm. (Library of Congress.) 10 Introduction But putting all this aside, the term government publi- cations is better from the viewpoint of this work because it aligns works issued by the government with works of any other source or kind. We speak of society publica- tions, church publications, of art, legal, educational, medi- cal publications, not documents, and government publi- cations range with these. The annual reports and other serials are now supplied to depository libraries — though unfortunately not to the libraries that get their copies from members of Congress — in plain title edition ; and the A. L. A. Council has ruled to class them by subject, not as part of the Congressional set. The Document Catalogue and the printed catalogue cards of the Library of Congress provide the inexpert with entries in which the cataloging rules are applied by experts to these troublesome works. It seemed to the writer that a simple admonition to follow these guides, and in all other questions of methods to apply to the various kinds of government material the same treat- ment given to like material non-governmental in origin, should suffice. However, on request, the section on " Library Practice " has been added. Though this " Guide " hopes to help and instruct, after all there is but one way to acquire a practical and thor- ough understanding of the nation's publications. That is to handle and use and work with them, to acquaint one- self with them individually and en masse, to know their bibliographical conditions and their subject contents. As the governmental organization is constantly under- going minor changes, nothing written about it and its publications can be exactly true in every detail even on the day of its publication. Every such work goes rapidly out of date. But it is thought that the bill here ex- pounded is a crystallization of reforms so extensive that when passed, it will stand without much modification for another decade or score of years. As has been said in the text, all criticisms and sugges- tions of betterments in the public printing, including some Introduction ii beyond what the pending bill provides, are drawn from the published reports and hearings on the subject, hav- ing been made by authorized investigating bodies, or by individuals summoned before them to give testimony and expert advice. A good deal in the right direction as to edition (num- ber of copies) regulation has been put in practice, espe- cially lately since the Printing Investigation Commission closed its work, by the Joint Committee on Printing through its efficient clerk, Mr. G. H. Carter. But, on the other hand, the present tendency seems to be to encour- age and enlarge Congressional free distribution, a retro- gression from the stand of the commission and of lead- ers in Congress and experts of a decade back. If the writer reads the records right, the stand of these men was that of this little book, against Congressional free distribution. Also, a steady increase in supervision and control over the Government Printing Office and over the publications by the Joint Committee on Printing is evident. It may well be, as the Government Printing Office speeds up with more highly technical workers and ma- chinery, and the publications diversify and increase, that the supervision and administration of it all must become closer and more exact than in the past. But the perma- nence indispensable for efficiency can never be found in a committee of Congress. Although all may go well while, for a time, one set of men remains in Washington, yet uncertainty and retrogression wait upon supervision by a politically shifting body and its officials. To work for laws that will secure a permanent non-political ad- ministration of the public printing, equally efficient and practical with the best private publishing, is one mission of this little book which, surely, every patriotic reader will wish to second. CONTENTS PAGE Foreword 5 Introduction 7 I. GENERAL Scope and Value ^7 Definition and Identification . 20 Authority for Printing 22 Government Printing Office 24 Before 1895 • Abuses and Reform 30 Documents Office 34 Catalogs and Bibliographies 38 Depository Libraries 43 Edition and Demand : " Usual Number : " " Up Number : " " Reserve " 48 Distribution 52 Why Bewildering : Bad Publishing Methods 63 Since 1895 : The Future 97 Government Organization and Terminology 108 Things to Be Noticed 115 II. LEGISLATIVE PUBLICATIONS General 119 The Serially Numbered Set 122 Journals 125 Congressional Record 126 Bills and Resolutions: Laws 133 Reports of Committees 140 Documents I44 III. EXECUTIVE PUBLICATIONS General I49 Publishing Bodies of the United States Government Classed by Their Specialties According to the Deci- mal Classification 154 14 Contents IV. LIBRARY PRACTICE p^^g Information and Selection igi General Practice 196 Check Record of Serials 199 Cataloging (Excluding Subject Cataloging) : 1. House and Senate Four Series 204 2. Corporate and Other Non-subject Entries .... 210 3. Serials 216 4. Printed Catalog Cards : Periodical Indexes . . . 224 5. Library of Congress and Document Catalog Diver- gences 225 Pamphlets 230 Maps 232 Classification 235 V. BIBLIOGRAPHY General Bibliography : Popular Articles 1 Archives J- 243 Aids as to Publishing Bodies J Aids as to the Publications 244 Government Printing Office"! Depository Libraries >- 245 Public Printing to 1905 J Lists 247 Catalogs and Indexes 248 Government Bodies Described by Themselves . . . 250 Government Bodies' Lists of Their Own Publications . 251 Government Bodies' Indexes to Their Own Publications 255 Bibliography of the Printing Investigation Commission, 1905-1913, and Official Publications Since . . . 259 Bibliography of Laws 272 Depositories 276 The Librarians on the National Publications : Articles In: Library Journal 279 American Library Association Proceedings .... 285 Public Libraries 286 Index 289 PART I General Scope and Value The publications of a government are the records of that nation's existence ; they are the source material of its history. Xo nation has ever advanced far in perma- nency and civilization but it has striven to leave a memo- rial of itself in arch or monument, in wall inscriptions, in clay tablets, or in some other medium for handing its records down to posterity. While the world was in the primitive stage, that is, while each people or each tribe was necessarily at war with every other, and, as it in- creased in numbers or power, moved on to larger terri- tory by the conquest of its weaker neighbors ; while gov- ernment was the might of the strongest to rule and his will was law ; so long history was but the annals of bloody strife for power and of the exploits of this or that leader or dynasty. Later, as nations have settled down within fixed territorial limits, and their ways of govern- ing themselves have crystallized into political systems and legal forms, civilization, taking root in these more stable conditions, has blossomed forth and borne fruit in many- sided activities. To each individual has been given a chance to bring his contribution, according to his gifts and capacity, to the material and spiritual life of his gen- eration. Arts, science, literature, commerce, industry, invention, discovery, have made way for themselves and flourish. History has become the record of progress and achievement in these things, rather than of exploits of arms, of wars and revolutions. Gradually, as reason has supplanted force as the basis of government, and the will of the majority as ex- pressed by party contest and the ballot box instead of by strife of arms has come to rule, each citizen sharing in 17 i8 Scope and Value the government and having his say as to its management, more and more there have been entrusted to the govern- ment, as a sort of cooperative agency, such matters as are of general pubhc interest and can best be done by one for all. Education, sanitation, intercommunication, the opening up of the country's resources, fostering its industries, encouraging the development of all the thought and effort and production that promise benefit, policing and protection within and without, together with the financing and administering these vast concerns, and the care of state properties — all these are now being car- ried on by the state for the individual. The functions of government are growing every day more numerous, more diversified, and are more intimately directing the citizen's daily life. As this goes on, the nation's publica- tions become more and more the original records of the national life. Government publications serve — the majority of them — as administrative records by means of which the thou- sands of government officials are kept informed and in touch and at work in cooperation; the projects of to- day are thus correlated with the work of tomorrow. They enable every citizen to know, and well informed to use his knowledge to share intelligently in the manage- ment of the public business. They tell what has been done and what is required or planned to be done ; what undertakings are on foot ; what measures are being taken. They record the laws that have been made, and tell of their interpretation and enforcement. In so far as government is made the agency for carrying on the affairs of the people, in so far the publications of the government are the first hand source material about their affairs. Not only for use by officials but for use by the people, these publications must be full, open, free, and accessible. But besides this large class of administrative publica- tions which are the information sources and records of government business, there is also another large class of Scope and Value 19 which the aim is popular instruction and help. The gov- ernment collects facts, institutes scientific researches, in- vestigates, explores, does pioneer work, blazes out a path ; or merely demonstrates and popularizes knowledge. This class of publications makes known the results, spreads the information among the people, and fosters intelligent industry among them. As to the subjects with which works published by the United States concern themselves, it will be seen, as one becomes familiar with them, that they furnish no mate- rial on belles lettres, philosophy, or religion — except in statistics of religious organizations ; only an infinitesimal amount on the fine arts ; on linguistics a little more ; that they contain a good deal on science, and on history, geog- raphy, and anthropology; that they are richest in the fields of industry and technology, and of political and social science, including education, commerce, finance, statistics, law, practical government; on philanthropy, crime, punishment, and reform; and like subjects. All this is of course with reference to needs, conditions, and facts in the United States, but includes much of universal interest, and much which goes beyond our national boundaries. II Definition and Identification A United States government publication is one that is " printed at government expense or published or dis- tributed by authority of Congress." ^ There are a few cases of works prepared by either a government body or official, or by a private body or individual, and printed outside of the Government Printing Office, but in whose publication the United States is an interested party, either buying a part or the whole of the edition, or other- wise sharing in the expense ; and these have equal right to be called government publications. Instances are the United States Postal Guide, and the United States Su- preme Court Reports. The author, if a person, is usually, but not necessarily, some one in the employ of the United States. But it is frequently the case that a document is made up in an office and includes contributions from many sources and by many hands, neither identified nor kept distinct, on much the same plan as a newspaper is. In 1861 the Government Printing Office began op- erations. Since that date all the United States publica- tions, except those described above and a few sporadic cases, bear the imprint of that office, and this is the dis- tinguishing mark to be looked for first of all when in doubt whether a work later than i860 is a United States publication or not. Of late years especially, government publications are dropping the painfully plain uniformity which used to brand them as such as far as they could be seen, and many now are as attractive in make-up as the issues of any private publisher, for example, the so- 1 See for fuller definition, Checklist, p. vii; also Monthly Catalog, Feb., 1908, p. 325-328. The quoted definition is from the new printing bill. 20 Definition and Identification 21 called " Jefferson's Bible," ^ and the publications of the Library of Congress among others. In these cases the Government Printing Office imprint is a helpful and en- tirely dependable resource for purposes of identification. This test will satisfy almost every case that is likely to reach the ordinary reader. But the absence of this im- print even since 1861 is not conclusive proof that the work is not a United States publication. The intent of the law is to require all federal printing to be done at the Government Printing Office, but outside printing has oc- curred. Prior to 1861 the government printing was let out on contract, and works published then do not have this im- print. These early outputs of the government present great difficulties because of their various and haphazard titles, binding, and publishing methods. Often, the Sen- ate and House having different printers, and there be- ing no scrutiny, as now required by law, of the orders to print passed independently by each house, identical material was printed in duplicate as a Senate Document and as a House Document. The government publishing methods were at that time at their worst, and have been in process of reform by degrees ever since. For these, and for any more recent works in which neither title nor any other part of the work give any indication of their being government publications, recourse will have to be made to the catalogs and bibliographies of United States publications, especially to the great storehouse of information for the period covered, the Checklist of United States Public Documents, 1789-1909. 3d edition, published 191 1. This is a bibliography which, for exact- ness and accuracy, admirable system, and completeness, is a model of its kind, a monument to the experts of the Documents Office where it was compiled, and with which no other nation in the world, so far as the writer's infor- mation goes, can show for its government publications anything to compare in excellence and value. ;; See Checklist, p. 877. Ill Authority for Printing Nothing is printed by the government except by au- thority of law; which means, of course, that the re- sponsibiHty for and organization of the pubHc printing Hes with Congress, This authority is of three kinds : ( i ) a special order to print; ^ (2) a general provision of law according to which, year after year, a department, for in- stance, issues certain authorized publications, its report and other works; and (3) a blanket permit, under wliich an official or a government body may print or reprint ac- cording to discretion within certain limits. In this latter form, it may be especially mentioned, authority is given for reprinting publications of which the editions are ex- hausted to the superintendent of documents, the Joint Committee on Printing, and to the secretary of the Sen- ate and the clerk of the House. The authority of the last two extends only to bills and resolutions, laws, and Re- ports of committees. ]\Iembers of Congress may have extra copies or re- prints of matter from the Congressional Record or other government publications, speeches and the like, struck off for their personal use and distribution, at their own ex- pense. As the cost of reprinting is slight, and under their franks * members may send any number of copies 3 " So-ca]led orders to print public documents are generally simple, con- current, or joint resolutions, but may be bills." — Document Catalog under " Printing Committee." 4 See H. Report 316, 62d Congress, 2d session (1911-12), p. 24, where the statement is made that Congress is using about 25,000,000 franked envelops a year, at a cost of about $60,000. A cheaper grade envelop, of manila, is provided by the new printing bill. See also Cong. Record, 64th Congress, 1st session, H. of R.; Apr. 20, 1916; v. 53:6506, where Mr. Barnhart says (speech on H. 8664), " During 1914 22,000,000 manila docu- ment envelops of various sizes were furnished to representatives and sen- ators, an average of 41,500 each." See also same, page 6512: 2,000,000 copies of a speech by a member for a special cause sent out in franked, envelops. 22 Authority for Printing 23 free by mail, advantage is taken of this privilege to se- cure the printing of speeches and other matter in the Congressional Record or elsewhere in the government publications, which they afterwards distribute among their constituents or as campaign literature throughout the country. The main body of law regulating the government print- ing and binding and distribution of United States gov- ernment publications is the statute of January 12, 1895, by which the Documents Office was created. This law has been much amended, either by separate enactment or by provisions in appropriation and other bills, so that the law is now so scattered as to be difficult to trace. A bill intended to gather up and unite in one statute, to take the place of that of 1895, the whole body of law on the subject, has been prepared by the Joint Committee on Printing.^ It has passed both Senate and House in dif- ferent Congresses, and has every prospect of becoming law sooner or later. Although the final form in which a bill will ultimately pass into law can never be predicted, yet the main provisions may reasonably be expected to go through without change. These will be mentioned as there are taken up the various topics to which they re- late. The law forbids any government publication from be- ing copyrighted. 5 See beyond, list of printing bills introduced, Bibliography: Printing Investigation Commission, p. 259. IV Government Printing Office The Government Printing Office is the largest pubHsh- ing estabHshment in the world, and employs above 4,000 men and women.*' The present building, built for its use and occupied since 1902, covers fourteen acres. The ma- chinery in use there has cost upward of $2,420,358.90. The cost of buildings and equipment is estimated as not less than $5,500,000. Its annual expenditure is approxi- mately $7,000,000. Especially during its busy season, while Congress is in session, the plant runs night and day. Its output of bound books alone in the fiscal year 1915/16 w^as 1,621,037. The first and foremost demands upon this office for printed matter are made, of course, by Congress and the administrative offices in Washington. These are served with a speed combined with excellence little short of phenomenal. In the tremendous rush and pressure for immediate book production of an incalculably vari- able amount, it is easily seen that the delay that the libraries occasionally sutler in receiving their supply is not without a reason, and is sometimes unavoidable, how- ever regrettable and inconvenient. The head of the Government Printing Office has the title of public printer. He is appointed by the President, subject to ratification by the Senate. His report is made to Congress. In the administration of the office under Congress the Joint Committee on Printing ^ acts as an advisory board to that body. This committee is made up of three sen- 6 See J. D. Whelpley, The nation's print shop and its methods. Rev. of Rev., 28: 556-563, 1903. Also W. S. Rossiter, The problem of the Federal printing. Atlantic, 96: 331-344, 1905. 7 See, for list of functions of this committee, under eighteen heads, Cong. Record, 63d Cong., ist sess., H. of R. ; June 26, 1913; v. 50:2213-2214. 24 Government Printing Office 25 ators and three representatives. The House members are the printing committee of the House. The Senate members are chosen from the eight members of the printing committee of the Senate by the committee itself. Appointment of the membership of the printing committees of the two houses is made by the respective houses. This joint committee, with its control over the public printing, exists according to statute law dating back as far as August 3, 1846, and it is not, like other Congressional committees, dependent on the will of either house. It has for years supervised the office's immense contracts for paper.** Its supervisory duties have been extended since 1905, when the Printing Investigation Commission began its work. In the new printing bill it is provided that the committee shall hold office continu- ously, including the periods when Congress is not in ses- sion. Under the present law, the secretary of the In- terior is deputed to fill the place of the committee when Congress is not sitting as to purchases of paper, machin- ery, etc., by the Printing Office. The recommendation has been made more than once that the Government Printing Office be placed under the control of one of the ten executive departments. The lat- est recommendation to this effect was made in its report on the public printing of January 2, 1906, by the Com- mittee on Department Methods, known as the Keep Com- mission, appointed by President Roosevelt to examine the total organization of the national administration, and Also U. S. Printing Joint Committee, Congressional printing handbook, 19 13. By the law of Mar. 2, 1895, when there is no Joint Committee on Printing its duties are to be performed by the committee in existence in either house. As by the Senate rules its committees hold office till their successors are appointed, while the House committees expire with the Congress, these duties devolve upon the Senate i>rinting committee in the odd numbered years between the 4th of March and the opening of the next Congress. But see exception as to paper, etc., purchases, of the Government Print ng Office, noted below. 8 Paper bought by the Government Printing Office for the government printing in 191 1 cost $1,342,853; materials and other supplies, $611,573; lithographing and engraving, $133,362. See speech by Senator Smoot, Cong. Record, 62d Cong., 2d sess., Senate: Mar. 12-13, 1912; v. 48: 3184- 3196; 3244-3254. Also speech by Mr. Barnhart, Cong. Record, 64th Cong., ist sess., H. of R.; Apr. 20, 1916; v. 53:6506. 26 Government Printing Office to suggest betterments. That leading members of Con- gress think this recommendation is based on sound rea- sons and that there is need of a radical change in the management is shown by the discussion, to quote only one such, that took place in the Senate in the 62d Congress, 2d session, March 12-13, 1912, when the new printing bill was under consideration. It was claimed that the Government Printing Office is an anomaly in the system of administration at Washington, That it is an admin- istrative bureau, on a par with the Census Bureau and the Pension Bureau of the Interior Department, and especially with the Bureau of Engraving and Printing of the Treasury Department. The head of each of these bureaus is accountable to the head of his department, the latter in turn to the President, ensuring a double super- vision, with full power of issuing commands and enforc- ing them by removal, if necessary. The public printer, on the other hand, is supervised only by a committee of Congress, and the powers of this committee are limited to those the statutes explicitly place in its hands. The committee does not report statedly to Congress on its administration, nor does that deliberative body hold a relation of administrative control toward its standing committees. The changing membership of a Congres- sional committee ; its varying political complexion ; the scattering of responsibility among its six members ; the paramount claims upon their attention of large national affairs and the interests of their home sections; the chance that they may know nothing of the publishing business ; these are patent arguments to those who claim that a committee of a deliberate law-making body can never satisfactorily carry the administration and respon- sibilities of a huge publishing office like this. The Print- ing Joint Committee would probably be represented be- tween sessions of Congress by its clerk, in whose hands would be lodged the powers of the six members scattered in various parts of the United States.^ 9 See, for protest of Public Printer Ford against executive control of the Government Printing Office 27 For these reasons the Government Printing Office was referred to, in the discussion quoted, as the " lost child " of our national administration, an administrative bureau astray from the executive branch of the government un- der which it properly belongs. During the more than half a century of its existence under Congress there has passed no ten-year period without its expensive investi- gation brought on by alleged waste, inefficiency, or abuses.^" During this period there have been as many public printers as Presidents, or more, while since 1802 there have been only eight librarians of Congress. There would seem to be no need, and only detriment to the service, in changing the public printer every time the administration of the government changes, as is neces- sary with the heads of the ten executive departments, who are the President's advisers. The public printing, originally concerned almost en- tirely with work for Congress alone, has developed till now two-thirds to three-quarters of it is book or pam- phlet publishing for the executive and judicial branches of the government.^^ The Government Printing Office at this period is a truly national publishing house. With the introduction, since 1900, of typesetting and other com- plicated machinery, the problems of cost of production in relation to this expensive equipment have also become complex. ^lore technically and specially expert workers and a vastly more difficult administrative control are now required in the Government Printing Office than in the old days of all hand labor. Government Printing Office by a Congressional committee, U. S. Senate. Printing Committee. Hearing, 63d Cong., 2d sess., Mar. 14 & 21, 1914, p. 25 and ff. 10 " There have been since 1840 seventeen Congressional investigations in relation to the public printing. ... In addition there have been at least four investigations by the executive branch of the government." U. S. Printing Investigation Commission. Report. Feb. 19, 1909. (S. Report 1044, 60th Cong., 2d sess., p. 4.) 11 ". . . The Government Printing Office does twice as much work each year for the executive departments, independent offices, and establishments of the government as is done for Congress." (Statement of Public Printer Ford in Hearing, Mar. 14 & 21, 1914-) Non-Congressional publications 28 Government Printing Office Those who compare the Government Printing Office with similar private pubhshing and printing plants say that placing the Government Printing Office under de- partment control would impair its responsiveness to the abnormally fluctuating and exacting demands of the work for Congress. The highest efficiency, they claim, can be secured only by putting the office under a board of di- rectors to be named by the President, made up of repre- sentatives of Congress and of the publishing departments, and of technical experts, all of whom should serve for a slight compensation. Accountability of the public printer to such a board should be secured by powers of investigation and of recommendation of removal. Re- port should be required from him of such data as the di- rectors of any manufacturing plant expect from its su- perintendent. With estimates and appropriations put on a business basis; with insubordination, intrigue, and " po- litical pull " inside the office put down ; and the public printer and all employes secured against political inter- ference from outside ; given a competent pul)lic printer, at an adequate salary, with permanent tenure of office for himself and all other employes, subject to removal for cause only, with full powers to organize the office and bring it to its greatest efficiency — given these conditions, and the administration of the Printing Office would be settled on a business basis once for all, and no further investigations be ever heard of. The intent of the law is to secure that all the printing of the national government shall be done at the Govern- ment Printing Office. Exception is made, where, in ter- ritory outside of Washington, as in the field services all over the country, or in " non-contiguous territory " — the insular possessions. Canal Zone, and other like localities — convenience requires that the work be done near at hand. There are in Washington at present three branch reprinted as House and Senate Dccunients are 7s7c in bulk, but only one fifth in number ct the whc^Ie teries. Government Printing Office 29 printing offices operated for the convenience of depart- ments in department buildings. These are in the Library of Congress, where the catalog cards distributed to libraries and other library printing and the library binding arc done ; in the Weather Bureau ; and in the State. War, and Navy building. Others have been pro- gressively abolished, three no longer ago than 1910. Of these all except that in the Weather Bureau are under the Government Printing Office. Prior to the opening of the Government Printing Of- fice in 1 861, while the public printing was given out on contract, the rule was in good repute and generally fol- lowed that work for a political party must be paid for by lucrative public office or perquisite, or that " to the victor belong the spoils." This pernicious spoils system held sway in the Printing Office for many years, causing much waste and incompetence. But in 1895 the office was put under the civil service law. It is perhaps the largest government employer of workmen of union grade, and the authorities have defined it as their policy that it is to be an open shop. Before 1895: Abuses and Reform The United States embarked in the book pubhshing business with no supervisory or expert directorship in charge. It happened, as things have a way of doing; and. h'ke Topsy, the business " jest growed.' Tiiere was pressure in the Printing Office itself to create as much work and make as many places for political appointees as possible. This delayed the use of typesetting and other labor-saving machinery till long after the date when every other large printing establishment had installed them; and caused long successful opposition to the sul)- stitution, in place of the expensive and non-durable, la- bor-consuming, full sheep bindings, of more practical buckram and other fabrics. As the number of publica- tions multiplied, the bad bibliographical methods, or lack of method, and the absence of system and supervision caused great waste and extravagance. Documents were ordered printed lavishly and in quantities not based on any calculation of the numbers needed for use.^- Confu- 12 Some statistics of publications lavishly printed and distributed may be interesting. Of the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion a statement made in 1905 IS as follows. (U. S. Printing Investigation Commission, Report, 1906, V. 1: 124. The plates were then being destroyed.) Set consists of 128 volumes (including index) and atlas. There were printed: Usual number (then) 1,850 sets cost $ 218,122.27 ' For W"ar Dept. 11,000 sets cost 1,479,447.49 Includes only To supply each mem- ■ printing, pa- her of the 53d, 54th, S5th. 56th and 57th T " *"* cost 234.251-74 - per, and bind- ing; not cost Congresses $1,931,821.50 of compilation. A partial statement (same date and reference) of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies follows. 19 volumes to date of state- ment. (Set IS still being published; series i, v. 2T, now out.) Usual number (now) 1,345 sets cost $ 23.579.59 For Navy Dept. 11,000 sets cost 181,735 25 $205,314.84 30 Before 1895 31 sion was added to waste by reprinting a report or paper, of which the first issue should have satisfied all demands, in a second, a third, or even a fourth, fifth, or sixth dif- ferent form, each with the same contents, but with differ- ent and misleading title-pages, binder's titles, and, pos- sibly, preliminary pages, as one of a series of volumes or as part of a larger report. Distribution was largely in the hands of members of Congress, among whom the copies of each publication were divided in quotas fixed by law. Finding their al- lotments of documents accumulating on their hands, members sent them out broadcast to their constituents without inquiry as to whether they were wanted, could be used, or had been already received. Valuable works that cost the state thousands of dollars to prepare and print came into the hands of people who never looked inside them. These persons deemed them worthless and dry-as-dust statistics, and felt only contempt for them. They regarded them as junk and disposed of them as such. Of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents, edited by Richardson, the following facts may be stated. Each set consists of lo volumes, ist and 2d editions (21,000 sets) were distributed by members of the 54th Congress (1895-97). The 3d edition, bringing the total to 36,000 sets, was distributed by the 55th Congress. (Documents Office, Report, 1897 '98.) Of the Yearbook of the Department of Agriculture, in one volume, an edition of 500,000 is printed annually. Cost is now 82 cents a copy. Elimi- nation of the report of the secretary as provided in the new bill will reduce cost to so cents. Distribution is as follows: Senate 1 10,000 copies House of Representatives 360,000 copies Agriculture Dept 30,000 copies Of the wall maps of the United States prepared by the General Land Office, 5x7 feet, backed with muslin and mounted on rollers, the legislative appropriation act annually provides for the following: Senate 7,200 copies House of Representatives 14,400 copies For General Land Office 500 copies For sale 1 5.000 copies Each senator has 72 maps, and each representative has 32 maps. Of Diseases of the Horse, one volume, there had been printed in 1905 (beginning of the 59th Congress) 96 editions, usually of 100.000 up to 250,000 copies each. Succeeding Congresses have also printed editions of the same size. Diseases of Cattle, also one volume, has been ordered printed in about the same number of editions, usually of 50,000 to 100,000 copies. 32 Before 1895 These reckless and prodigal methods were flagrant and an open scandal. Meanwhile students were seeking the l)ublications of the government more and more, as the country grew and the government constantly extended its field of economic and scientific activity, and as study of social economics and political administration became more detailed and universal. But the people who wanted these works either heard nothing or only vaguely of their existence ; or were at a loss how or where to get them ; or, when applying, found the supply exhausted by the indiscriminate giving. To the average man the gov- ernment body which issues a document is a riddle, and even the title of the work is often unknown. The only known agent to whom to apply is the member of Con- gress, who is himself often only one step ahead of the private citizen by virtue of being on the spot of publica- tion. Those who handled the government publications, the librarians and others, saw clearly that reform was needed not only in distributing but in publishing methods. They saw that order and method and supervision must be set up and that the abuse in indiscriminate free distribution should be stopped to ensure that the people who wanted the publications of the government should get them. Not only this, but also they were convinced beyond contro- versy that it was the lack of competent editorial super- vision and of bibliographical system, of which the chief ill result was the constant reprinting in different forms or editions, that created confusion and complexity and was at the bottom of the difficulties experienced by librarians and the public in the use of these publications. A cen- tral bureau of information and distribution was, it was thought, needed, also reform in methods, and proper cata- logs and indexes. A beginning in this direction had been made by Dr. John G. Ames, superintendent of documents under the Interior Department, the distributing agent of govern- ment publications under the laws of 1857-1861 then in Before 1895 33 force. He had corresponded with Hbrarians, giving in- formation about government pubUcations, had circu- lated checklists of sets of reports, had made his office a clearinghouse for return of duplicates and supply of volumes needed, and had prepared an index to works published by the United States between 1889 and 1893. This was published by the government in 1894, but has since been superseded by a later, fuller edition, also the work of Dr. Ames.^^ 13 See Checklist, p. 459, lis. 2:1m. VI Documents Office The agitation for reform thus finding response in Washington took shape in a law which was approved by the President January 12, 1895, '^^ith the title, An Act providing for the public printing and binding and the distribution of public documents. On this law and its many amendments is based the entire system according to which the Government Printing Office, the public printing, and the distribution of government publications are carried on today. By this law of 1895 the office of superintendent of documents of the Interior Department ^* was abolished, and there was created the office of the superintendent of documents (or Documents Office) subordinate to the Government Printing Office. Its functions are to have charge of government publications for storage, sale, and distribution, and domestic exchange (foreign exchange being continued, as heretofore, through the Smithsonian Institution, with the Library of Congress as intermedi- ary) ; and to prepare certain designated catalogs and in- dexes of them. The superintendent of documents, after passing a civil service examination, is appointed by the public printer, to whom he reports. According to the provisions of the new printing bill he will be appointed by the President. Francis A. Crandall, an experienced newspaper editor and publisher, was the first appointee under the new law. To him fell the interpretation of the law as to his own duties, and the entire organization of his office and its work. It was fortunate for the whole country that this 14 Continued as " clerk in charge of documents " with supervision of the publications of the Interior Department, till office was discontinued July i, 1907. 34 Documents Office 35 initial organization came into the hands of a man so progressive, of such broad outlook, such high and exact- ing standards and devotion to the public interests. The accumulations of government publications scattered in different places in Washington and elsewhere were now gathered under one roof. One copy of every publication was set aside to form a library. The library thus begun is now the most nearly complete collection of United States publications in existence, and numbered at the end of the fiscal year 191 5/ 16 210,224 documents and maps. It may be said that the library, when the office was organized, was set aside from the cataloging, so that the office of librarian carries with it no authority over nor supervision of the large cataloging staff". In its inception the oftice was planned to be the repre- sentative at Washington of libraries and the general pub- lic, to be the medium for voicing their claims and view- point, and for obtaining what they need. These needs and this view-point are often not understood in ofiicial Washington, or, it may be, are quietly thwarted behind the scenes by some individual office-holder or clique, to whose interests they run counter. By keeping in touch with this ofiice and cooperating with it, libraries and the public can make themselves heard and felt on the subject of the national publications. Officials of the Documents Office and of other branches of the executive service are working under a system and laws of which they are not expected to show up the defects or to undertake the reform. Call for reform often must issue from the peo- ple before the voice of the disinterested official pointing out the need for it can get a hearing. The Documents Office has its mechanical and business side in its storage and distribution functions. The Gov- ernment Printing Office, to which it is a subordinate bureau, though its mechanical work reaches a high grade, has only that kind of work, while the Documents Office, in addition to its mechanical work, conducts a library, does much reference work, and compiles catalogs and 36 Documents Office indexes which require the highest technical and Hterary skill. These bibliographical functions should be kept in view in the selection of the superintendent of documents, who should have comprehension and appreciation of this brancii of the work also. While librarianship and bibli- ographical work are rated at their true value in the Li- brary of Congress, so that Congress has provided perma- nence of tenure there, and the present librarian is only the eighth in succession since 1802, it is to be feared that the work identical in kind which the Documents Office does has not obtained recognition. The bibliographical staff of the office, 16 in number, are submerged among the 4,000 odd printers, binders, clerks and laborers of the whole establishment. If. as the new printing bill pro- vides, the President is vested with the appomtment of the supermtendent of documents, appeal may be made to him to prevent deterioration of bibliographical standards by making the appointment dependent upon qualifications such as the librarian of a large public library must have, or even by selecting the superintendent of documents from the ranks of the librarians themselves. Perma- nence of tenure must be ensured to attract a good man. Put on the level due it as cataloging and library work, and recognized as such, this office should be removed from the field of appointments made and unmade on political considerations and as parties rise and fall. The work of the Documents Office, especially of storage and distribution, has, since its organization, steadily grown in amount and been extended by legal enactment. During the fiscal year 1915/16 the cash sales of the office amounted to $185,712.01 for 5,298,380 pieces sold. The number of letters received totaled 304,341. Since October, 19 12, this office has done the " addressing, wrap- ping, and mailing " of all publications sent out on depart- mental mailing lists, and these totaled, during 191 5/ 16, 36,892,075. Its function, not mentioned in the law, as a bureau of expert advice and information on all matters Documents Office 37 pertaining to United States government publications and the public printing, is not the least service rendered by it. The office has had no small share in indicating needed reforms, and improved methods have resulted whenever legislation has followed the advice given by the experts of this office. VII Catalogs and Bibliographies For making the catalogs and indexes required by the law there were brought in at the organization of the office trained and experienced workers, and for the first time scientific methods of cataloging as taught in the library- schools were applied to the cataloging of a large body of government publications. The resulting catalogs showed a clearness and thoroughness and practical utility which were a revelation to those who had declared that govern- ment publications required principles and rules quite dif- ferent from those in use for other works. They were re- ceived with universal commendation and satisfaction by librarians, scholars, professional and business men, in short, by all who have occasion to use the United States publications, and they are now being issued practically the same in form as then begun. This continued adherence to a system which, as has been said, has met with a chorus of encomiums from its thousands of users, is good for two reasons. The first is that, while minor improvements might be made, espe- cially in the direction of uniformity with Library of Con- gress practice, yet a total overthrow of the present sys- tem would almost certainly be a change for the worse and not for the better. The second is that entries on cards for all the Document Catalogs issued to date are in the possession of the Documents Office, and from them can be made up a consolidated catalog covering a long term of years and many Congresses, if at any time de- sired. This could not be done if the system were changed. The catalogs and indexes which the law requires are three in number. First ; a " comprehensive index of pub' lie documents," to be published at the close of each 38 Catalogs and Bibliographies - 39 session of Congress and to include all the publications of the period. All since the early issues, however, have been published at the close and to cover the period of a whole Congress instead of a single session, as being less interrupted and more convenient. Such a change is given legal authority in the new printing bill. This, com- monly known as the Document Catalog,^^ is in full dic- tionary catalog form, and is the fullest and only com- plete alphabetical record of all United States govern- ment publications to be had. The Monthly Catalog is also as fully complete, but is not alphabetical. Atten- tion is called to the entry to be found in each Document Catalog, in its alphabetical place under the heading, " Congressional Documents List." Here is given a schedule or systematically arranged list of all the vol- umes of the Congressional series for the Congress which the catalog covers. Second ; the " consolidated index " is in title-a-line index form, and is restricted to the Congressional set alone. It was thought of as superseding the six sepa- rate indexes which had been heretofore made and bound in each volume of the six series, viz. : Senate Miscellane- ous Documents, Senate Executive Documents, Senate Re- ports ; and House Miscellaneous Documents, House Ex- ecutive Documents, and House Reports, respectively ; and as being a consolidation of all these six in one, in a sepa- rate volume by itself. This is known as the Document Index,^' and will be taken up more fully later with the Congressional publications. Third ; a " Monthly Catalog " ^' of all United States publications. This has taken on more the form of a bibliography or list, being a record of documents ar- ranged under the departments and their subordinate bu- reaus issuing them, with a curt index which refers to page only. The index has been variable, and is missing in some parts of the file. Indeed, this catalog has seen 15 See Checklist, p. 417. 16 See Checklist, p. 418. 17 See Checklist, p. 418-420. 40 Catalogs and Bibliographies more vicissitudes and changes of form and arrangement than the others. Notes at the beginning of each issue give helpful information and explanation and call atten- tion to noteworthy documents. This Monthly Catalog is the only one which gives price and directions where to apply to obtain a work. In addition to these regularly issued catalogs required by law, the Documents Office published in 1902 what is known as the " Tables and Index," ^^ including the Con- gressional set only, but including that set from the 15th to the 52d Congress, 1817-1893. It is in two parts, the first, a list of all the volumes published by the Congresses covered; the second, an alphabetical index to the same. As the alphabetical index part is only 113-753 P^g^s, and it covers 38 Congresses, it may be contrasted with the 1-2025 pages of alphabet in the eleventh volume of the Document Catalog, which covers only one Congress, the 62d. It is true the Document Catalog is not re- stricted to the Congressional set alone, as is the Tables and Index ; also the number of publications has multi- plied more than an hundredfold ; therefore as a test of the minuteness and completeness of the Tables and In- dex the comparison can not be said to be exact. Besides these catalogs the Documents Office has pub- lished its annual reports ; sundry bulletins of varying size and importance ; and a large number of priced sale lists.^^ These last have been distributed broadcast to bring home to the people knowledge of the subject matter and value of the federal publications, and to stimulate sales. But most important of all, the office issued in 191 1 the Checklist of United States Public Documents, 1789-1909, third edition, to the value of which, as a model bibliog- raphy, and as a treasury of facts about the various gov- ernment bodies and their publications, testimony has al- ready been given. Of the index to United States publications of all 18 See Checklist, p. 416. 19 See Checklist, p. 415-425. Catalogs and Bibliographies 41 branches of the government, prepared by J. G. Ames -'^ as superintendent of documents before that office was transferred from the Interior Department to the Gov- ernment Printing Office, mention has already been made. The first edition covered only 1889- 1893, and was in one volume. A second edition, published in 1905, superseded this and extended the years covered to embrace 1881- 1893. Dr. Ames's work is in form an index, which form precludes giving titles of works with uniformity and bibliographical exactness, and in so far fails occasionally in identification of the work recorded. But its construc- tion, with the Congressional series designations and num- ber of pages or volumes in the right margin, and the author, official or personal, in the left margin, is ingenious and space-saving; and, though necessarily incomplete, due to the compiler's scanty means for getting hold of what was published, it is a useful work. A catalog, also purporting to include all works of the government, had been issued in 1885, and is the work of Ben Perley Poore."^ It covers the period 1 774-1 881, and embraces a perhaps surprisingly large proportion of what had been published, although not much except what is in the Congressional set. Its construction is clumsy and time-consuming, namely, a chronological list of titles occupying most of the bulky large quarto volume, fol- lowed by an alphabetical index of subjects and authors which refers to page only. Thus the whole double- column page has to be searched to find the title to which reference is made. To assist the memory and guide in making quick and sure reference to the right book for each work or prob- lem sought, a summary of the seven available lists and catalogs is herewith given : — Bibliographies or lists.-'^ To all : Checklist; ist-6oth Congress; 1789-1909. 20 See Checklist, p. 459. 21 See Checklist, p. i6_'.3. 22 See, for account of bibliographies and lists, Checklist, pages vii-xiii. 42 Catalogs and Bibliographies Continued by Monthly Catalog; 54th Congress, near close of 3(1 session, to date; January, 1895 — date of latest issue. To Congressional set only : Checklist, tables in first part; ist-6oth Congress; 1789- 1909. Tables and Index, tables in first part; I5th-52d Con- gress; 1817-93. Document Catalog, under heading, " Congressional Documents List"; 53d Congress, 1893, to date of latest issue. Document Index, Schedule of Volumes at end: 54th Congress, 1895, to date of latest issue. Catalogs To all: Poore; 1 774-1 881. Ames ; 1881-1893. Document Catalog; 1893 — date of latest issue. Continued by Monthly Catalog, Index to ; 1895 — date of latest issue. To Congressional set only : Tables and Index, second part; I5th-52d Congress; 1817-1893. Continued by Document Index; 54th Congress, 1895 — date of latest issue. VIII Depository Libraries A library to which according to law all or certain pub- lications of the national government must be sent is called a depository library.-^ The practice of supplying documents to libraries dates from early in the history of the nation, but acts of 1857, 1858, 1859, and 1861 laid the foundation of the present system of designation by members of Congress of libraries in their home locali- ties as depositories. As the law now stands each repre- sentative may designate one library in his district and each senator and delegate one in his state or territory. Certain libraries additional to these have been made de- positories by special enactments from the early days on. In the new printing bill the list by special enactment is slightly enlarged, and that, being most likely the list of the future, is given here : — the libraries of all the execu- tive departments, at present ten in number ; of the United States Military and Xaval academies; of the Documents Office, and the Pan-American Union ; of the American Antiquarian Society — this having been continuously a depository from 1814, the first created by law; the libraries of the land-grant colleges, 67 in number; of each state and territory, of the District of Columbia, of Porto Rico, and of the Philippines; and of the Canal Zone, Isthmus of Panama, and the Historical Library and Museum of Alaska. At the end of the fiscal year 191 5/ 16, the existing de- 23 See list of depositories and references to laws concerning them in U. S. Documents Offiee, Official list of depository libraries ... to Jan. i, 1909, p. 3-6. (Bulletin ij.) Also, same infcrmaticn brought down to lattr date, but without list, in U. S. Documents Office, Depository libraries. [July 15, 1913] 4 P (Circular 22, 2d rev. ed.) See also, beyond, Bibliography of Laws: Depositories. Also U. S. Congress. Printing Joint Committee. Congressional printing handbook, 1913, p. 95-103. 43 44 Depository Libraries positorics to which the superintendent of documents was making regular shipments numbered 484. By the earher laws distribution to depositories was made through the Interior Department. When the print- ing law of 1895 abolished the office of superintendent of documents in that department, it transferred this distri- bution to the new Documents Ofifice under the Govern- ment Printing Office. Of course, the object of the Congressional designations of libraries to receive the national publications is to pro- vide complete collections of these at centers in every part of the United States. That these collections should be complete, and in fixed libraries whose designations should be permanent, and not partial collections scat- tered among many libraries whose designations should change as the membership of Congress changes, will not be questioned. Congress took a step to effect this, after redistricting had occurred in some states, by providing, in the act of March i, 1907, that existing designations in the redistricted area should be permanent. Again, the sundry civil appropriation act of June 2T), 1913, in view of a rearrangement of Congressional districts to follow a new reapportionment, took the precaution to enact the same for the whole country. But the new printing bill takes the designation of depositories away from the shifting membership of Congress and vests it in the su- perintendent of documents, as a decisive step for the permanency and completeness of these storehouses of the nation's publications, at the same time enacting that all existing designations shall stand permanently. Depositories are required to have a minimum of 1,000 volumes outside of the documents, and to be free to the public.^* They are expected to accept, preserve, and make accessible to the public all the nation's publications sent them. They may not sell, give away, destroy, nor 24 The new printing bill does not specify requirement of minimum size for depository libraries, but says they are to be designated " under such rules and regulations as shall be approved by the Joint Committee on Printing." It does require that all publications given them shall be made accessible to the public. Depository Libraries 45 reject anything except duplicates, and these they are ex- pected to frank back to the clearing house of the Docu- ments Office in Washington. The number of books, pamphlets, etc., sent to each depository during the fiscal year 1915/16 was 1,627,405, an average of over 3,362 to each one. The responsibility of providing shelf room and of caring for so much, including always some mate- rial that, in all probability, in some of them will never be used, has weighed heavily upon especially the smaller and poorer depositories. The new printing bill provides that each library be allowed to choose whether every- thing, or only certain publications shall be sent to it. To give relief to such libraries as wish it, the Superin- tendent of Documents has, since 19 14, with the approval of the Joint Committee on Printing, distributed to libra- ries on this selection basis, each depository selecting what it will receive.-^ That this possibility of rejection be- cause of lack of means to care for might result in there being no complete collection of documents within a wide area, especially in the newer states, where libraries are fewer and with smaller resources, is, perhaps, the only danger in this concession. The depository library has responsibilities, each in its own locality, for all future time, to the historian, the archivist, the delver into first hand sources of the past, and should govern itself by this consideration as well as by the current needs of its readers. The weakness of the depository system, which has been a sufficiently long time on trial, is that, while theo- retically a good one, it does not correspond to the actual situation in regard to libraries throughout the United States.-*^ Leaving out of the question the state libraries, there are not dotted all over the United States at equal intervals and for equal units of population such as the 25 See U. S. Documents Office. Depository libraries. [July 15, igu-l 4 I). (Circular 22, 2d rev. ed.) 2ti See, for criticism of the present system of designating depositories, Library Journa), 33: 150-151, Apr., 1908. Also Public Libraries, 12: 251- 254, 1907 (Hasse), or same, in American Library Association, Papers and proceedings, igt", p. 132-135. 46 Depository Libraries Congressional districts represent, libraries the support and accommodations of which are adequate to accepting and caring for the thousands of publications which a generous Uncle Sam has arranged to bestow upon them. On the other hand, there is a large and increasing num- ber of libraries which have use for certain publications selected according to the needs of each library. Neither the present law nor the proposed bill makes adequate pro- vision for these libraries, which, it would seem, siiould look for their supply to the one agency, the Documents Ofifice, rather than to the various publishing offices, and for the demands of which that ofhce should be given an ample quota of every work as it comes from the press. As has been said, when the new printing bill becomes law the designations of depositories will be legally vested in the Documents Office, and the selection plan will permit a depository to accept only one book a year — an ab- surdly improbable minimum — if that is all it can use and take care of. These concessions having been ob- tained, there should be initiated immediately movement for a further improvement in the depository system. The lists should be thrown open, so that any and all libraries may become depositories. The depository sys- tem should become more a system of registration of libraries, as the libraries of New York state register with the New York State Education Department and receive certain privileges. Any library that fulfils the conditions of registration should then be entitled to call upon the Documents Office as its legally appointed central agent for the supply free of any publication of the govern- ment — and that office, as said above, should have such control of editions that it shall not fail these demands. Should it be said that the government can not afford such universal free distribution to libraries, one needs only to point to the overprinting going on as evidenced by the sales to the junk man of tons of printed matter that no one wants, and the other waste through bad pub- lication methods described in these pages, to show that Depository Libraries 47 economy should be effected by cutting off what no one wants rather than what the hbraries want for their pub- lic.^^ For, one copy preserved and cataloged in a library saves providing a hundred copies to as many in- dividual readers. In addition to those of which we have been speaking, there are also, according to the law of 1895, the so- called geological depositories and the Patent Gazette de- positories, named by members of Congress to receive publications of the Geological Survey and the Official Gazette of the Patent Office respectively. Of the former libraries each of the 96 senators and the 440 representatives and delegates can name four, making a possible total, in 1917, of 2,144 geological depository libraries.-* Of the latter, each could designate eight, and the possible total becomes 4,288 Patent Gazette deposi- tory libraries. As not so many libraries were found wishing these publications as was expected, and other ways of obtaining them are open to such as do want them, both these classes of depositories are to be abolished by the new bill. Among documents which are exceptions to the gen- eral rule that one copy of everything published goes to the depository libraries may be mentioned the follow- ing: — such as are confidential or which are printed ex- clusively for the needs of the department of bureau ; the bills and resolutions of Congress ; the Senate and House Journals ; the reports and digests and other publications of the federal courts ; besides others, mostly minor in size or technical in nature, e.g. the Treasury decisions. 27 " Of such accumulated returns vve have recently destroyed, by permis- sion of the Joint Committee on Printing, nearly i,ooo tons of books which were absolutely worthless." Superintendent of Documents (Post) in Lib. Jour. 34: 44, Feb., 1909. See also reports of the Documents Office for i9i4/'5. 191 5/16, and other years. See also speech of Senator Smoot, Mar. 12 & 13, 1912, p. 43, under heading: Waste of Public Documents; same in Cong. Record, Mar. 12, 1912. 28 The first enactment of geological depositories was by joint resolution of Mar. 3, 1887, permitting two designations to each member of Congress. The law of 1895 granted two more. IX Edition and Demand: "Usual Number:" "Up Number:" "Reserve" The laws regulating United States government publi- cations under the present complicated system are very detailed and voluminous. -■' They undertake to settle for each publication just how many copies shall be printed and to whom each shall go. It is, of course, impossible to go into the subject of the number of copies of each work allowed by law to be printed, and their distribution. But the phrases " usual number," " up number," " re- serve," have been brought into discussions of printing regulations so often as to require explanation. The four series of the Reports and Documents of the Senate and House, and many other publications, are ordered printed in the " usual number." Of many publications the law provides that there shall be printed an extra number of copies " in addition to the usual number." The usual number was originally a fixed number in the statute. It is designed to be just so many copies as will supply all the regularly entitled recipients. By the law of 1895 i^ was set at 1,682. It has fluctuated.- It was stated be- fore the Printing Investigation Commission in 1905 as 1,850. The latest statement has named it as "approxi- mately 1,345 copies, varying with the number of deposi- tory libraries.'' ^° In the new bill it is not a fixed num- ber, but instead the recipients are designated, and it is 20 See, bej-ond. Bibliography: Laws. 30 See statement by Geo. H. Carter, clerk of the Joint Committee on Printing, Library Journal, Nov., 1914, p. 818. But see also U. S. Congress. Printing Joint Committee, Congressional printing handbook, 1913, p. 15> where number is stated as 1,316 copies, and the varying numbers of inter- national exchanges and foreign legations mentioned as factors in determin- ing the " usual number." Everhart, published 1910, gives the usual number as 2,474, including " up-number " i,-'77 and reserve 1,197. 48 Edition and Demand 49 ordered that a sufficient number of copies be printed to supply them. It is also specified whether their copies are to go to them bound or unbound. The bill makes the varying factors two in number : — the depository libraries ; and the press galleries, and the newspaper cor- respondents whose names are now listed in the Congres- sional Directory, these latter being newly added. This addition it is* estimated will bring the usual number up to about 1,800 copies. The recipients, not to give a com- plete list, include members of Congress and its officials, government offices generally, together with the legations in Washington (this being dependent on whether the favor is reciprocated in the legation's country), the in- ternational exchanges through the Library of Congress, and the depository libraries. Thus it will be seen that the depositories are sure to get all of which the usual number is printed. Other publications are provided for them by special clauses or acts. The " up number " was those given immediately to the recipients, mostly in Washington, and unbound. The " reserve " was put aside to be bound and distributed later to depositories, or on order to members of Con- gress. By law of June 25, 1910, the ** members' reserve," or that portion of the whole reserve which was put aside for two years subject to being bound and given in fixed quotas to members of Congress, on their orders, was abolished, and their need supplied from the Senate and House document rooms. ^^ This reduced the size of the usual number. The depositories are now supplied from the " up number." These details are not of spe- cial interest except to those who work the machinery in Washington, and are also largely gone by. The problem of the legislators is to adjust supply to demand, and the existing system of statutory regulation, applying a fixed rule to every case, does not, of course, accomplish this. The Printing Investigation Commis- sion perceived this, and caused to be passed public reso- 31 See S. Report 568, 6ist Congress, 2d session, Apr. 16, 1910, 4 p. 50 Edition and Demand lution 14 of March, 1906 (59th Congress, ist ses- sion). This requires that, prior to printing publications of more than trifling cost, an estimate of the numljcr of copies needed for use be made, and that only such num- ber of copies be first printed, this to be regarded as a first edition. When this edition is exhausted, another edition or editions may be printed to supply demands, till the aggregate equals the total authorized by law. The resolution applies to both Congressional and executive publications. Regulations under this statute were pro- mulgated by the Joint Committee on Printing on May 18, 1906, and revised January 13, 1909, the latest revi- sion being dated October 6, 1913.^" Included is a list of 129 publications which are ordinarily printed each year, giving for each the usual number, unbound and bound, and the extra copies, as authorized, with the distribution of each, and in each case the substituted number that is to be printed as a first edition. The edition plan would seem to have the effect of substituting another and lower fixed number for that in the printing laws, with an added element of flexibility in being able to reprint if demand arises. As to publications not on the list, those which are Congressional and not over one hundred pages have no estimate made of them, nor first edition printed. Those who make the edition estimates for the various classes of publications are, respectively, the publishing departments, the Joint Committee on Printing, the Docu- ments Office, and the document rooms and folding rooms of the Senate and House. There seems a growing tendency to substitute in the laws provisions which, instead of fixing the number of copies of a publication to be printed, delegate that re- sponsibility to the body or officers which are going to use or distribute it, giving them carte blanche to order such an edition as is needed. Why this could not be made the universal rule naturally comes up to question. In 32 For regulations of 1906 see U. S. Printing Investigation Commission, Report, 1906. V. 2, p. 672-691. Later revisions are printed as separate pamphlets. See, beyond, Bibliography: Printing Investigation Commission. Edition and Demand 51 the same way as a budget is made up, estimates of the number wanted could be handed in in advance of print- ing, by every ofifice or officer that will use or distribute a work, to whatever board or officer is appointed to have charge of the details of printing and distribution. Let- ting the total edition then be kept in some central store- house, all parties could draw upon it, according to their estimates, at their convenience, and the remainder be available for sale to individuals and free distribution to libraries on request. The obligation laid upon all offices in Washington handling government publications, execu- tive and Congressional, to return all surplus to the Docu- ments Office each year, would soon disclose whether a department had made its estimates recklessly and in ex- cess. The time-honored custom of delivering to stated recipients fixed quotas of publications for which they have expressed no desire, and for which they may have neither use nor storage room seems to operate to enrich the junk man at the expense of the United States gov- ernment. X Distribution ^' There are at present three overlapping agencies of dis- tribution: — (i) the publishing department; (2) the Documents Office; and (3) the members of Congress. The official source of information — outside of sales lists and the like — as to price and where to apply for a special publication or class of publications is the Monthly Catalog. It is to be marked, first and foremost, that the Docu- ments Office is the great storage and supply house of all the publications of past years. To the Documents Office, in its capacity as a clearing house, libraries, individuals, officers and departments of the United States may return, under franks furnished by the office, all superfluous and unused government publications. It is one of the functions of the Docu- ments Office to relieve the other government offices of the necessity of keeping a stock of back publications. From these incoming lots the office extracts what is usable and still in demand. It is a sad commentary on the waste going on that — so great has been the conges- tion of books pouring in upon the office from all parts of the country and all departments of the government, and so impossible the problem of storing them in numbers mounting up into the millions — the office has found itself forced to seek means of relief. At five different dates between 1908 and 1912, 3,039,342 copies of surplus and obsolete publications were condemned, cut up, and sold as waste at eight-tenths of a cent a pound."* The 33 Wm. S. Rossiter, What shall we do with public documents? Atlantic, 97: 560-565, 1907. See also W. L. Post in Library Journal, 34: 44, 48, Feb., 1909. 34 U. S. Congress. Printing Joint Comn^ittee, Congressional printing 52 Distribution 53 mere paper alone, before any of the labor of printing or binding was expended on it, had cost the country from three and one-half to seven cents a pound. Sale of junk paper goes on today to the amount of $125,000 a year. It is to be marked, secondly, that the Documents Of- fice is the almost exclusive agent for the selling of gov- ernment publications. The policy has been developed of requiring individuals to pay for government publications, the price, according to law, to be usually equal to the cost of printing from stereotype plates, including paper and binding. This is, of course, far below the actual cost, as it leaves out, in the process of manufacture, the composition or typeset- ting, and does not reckon in at all the preparation of manuscript or authorship value. An example is the Checklist . . . 1789- 1909, a work of 1.707 octavo pages, which is sold at $1.50. One hundred times this sum would not, perhaps, for the number of copies that will be sold, pay the salaries for the time spent on it of the ex- perts who compiled the work. And the expense of set- ting the type, if added to the cost as the government reckons it, would more than double the price. Although individuals are expected to pay, it is the policy of the government to give freely to libraries that are open to the public whatever they can use. It is as- sumed that the depository libraries will be supplied with everything intended for distribution. Mark, thirdly, that the Documents Office is the agent of supply to the deposi- tory libraries. But for the libraries of medium size also, now so rapidly increasing in number, the Documents Of- fice should become the authorized agent of free distribu- tion. It should be supplied with quotas of all publica- tions sought for by those libraries in order to give them out to the libraries on demand. This need will, it is hoped, before long be recognized and provided for by law. The depository system, which looks especially to handbook, 1913, p. 127. See also Cong. Record, 64th Cong., ist sess., H. of R.; Apr. 26, 1916; v. 33:6870; Barnhart. 54 Distribution the needs of the large library, fails of providing ade- quately for the libraries which will never be of more than moderate size. In the newer and less settled portions of our country, where there are few libraries able to burden themselves with everything that a multifarious govern- ment puts into print, the depository system breaks down ; and everywhere it needs to be supplemented by a more general system of giving to any and all free libraries. ^^ When a librarian wants to get a United States govern- ment publication, let him consider first whether it is a recent work or not. As has been explained, publications of past years are, as a rule, obtainable only through the Documents Of^ce. though some government offices may cling to the practice of supplying files of their own puljli- cations. Next let it be decided whether it is a Congres- sional publication, or whether it is non-Congressional in origin, i.e., issued by some body of the executive or ju- dicial branch of the government, a department, bureau, oflfice. division, a court, or a permanent commission or board. In the identification of the oi^cial author the Checklist . . . 1789-1809, and the pamphlet, Author Headings for United States Public Documents'*^ (three editions, 1903, 1907, and 191 5, each covering only its own period), or the list of government authors at the end of each Document Catalog, will be of service. If the publication be decided to be recent and non-Con- gressional, let the librarian then consult the "Monthly Catalog of the appropriate date to see if there are any special directions for applying for it. Although a price may be named there, it does not follow that a library will have to pay to get it. If the Monthly Catalog is not at hand, or if no special directions are given there, let the librarian ask the department or other body which pub- lishes it to give the library a copy, or, if an annual or other serial, to place the library on its mailing list so 35 See Documents Office, Annual report, 1915/16, p. 6. Also, Library Journal, ^4: 608, 1899. Also Clarke, Government publications as seen in. libraries; A. L. A. Papers and proceedings, 1916, C:3, p. 318. 36 See Checklist, p. 416. Distribution 55 that it may receive this and future issues. If the pub- lishing office can not supply what is wanted, it will most likely give a hint as to a source of supply. The publishing office is the preferable place for first application for a non-Congressional publication because of its permanence and first-handedness. Especially is this true for annuals and other serials which it is de- sired to receive regularly. The publishing office has as part of its mission to keep the public, and especially those citizens working in the same field, informed by means of its publications as to what it is doing. Many research bureaus have scientific workers collaborating with them, possibly contributing in their investigations, and these re- ceive the published results as their due. On the other hand, many departments, especially the War and Navy, put certain matter in print with a single eye to official use. The non-official public is only incidentally allowed to share in the distribution as a favor from the depart- ment. Examples are the Manuals of Surveying Instruc- tions of the General Land Office," the Manual for Army Cooks ^* of the Subsistence Department,^" and there are many others. Other publications, like the agricultural Year Book or the Smithsonian reports, are published with the sole purpose of spreading useful information. These considerations seem to justify some free distribu- tion by the publishing office, where it may be done with discrimination and an eye to results. By act of August 23, 1912, the " addressing, wrapping, mailing, and otherwise dispatching " of all publications sent out by publishing offices was directed to be done in the Documents Office, the mailing lists of each office be- ing put for this purpose in the hands of the superin- tendent of documents. In the year 191 5/16 the office reported that it distributed for the departments from 1,103 stenciled mailing key lists, containing 850,000 37 See Checklist, p. 509. 38 See Checklist, p. 1233. 39 The Subsistence Department is now a part of the office of the Quarter- master General of the Army. 56 Distribution names. Changes on these hsts were made to the num- ber of 274,611 new names and the cancellation of 142,- 444 old ones. Many departments make it their rule to strike from their mailing lists all depository libraries, which, as such, are supplied by the Documents Office, unless a specific request for a second copy has been made. Thus sending of duplicates where not needed is pre- vented, except that caused by Congressional distribution. Duplication has been a large cause of the piling back upon the Documents Office by libraries of documents sent to them but not wanted. It is evident that this duplication must be stopped, that the backward flow due to it must be checked, and the actual demand be given a chance to assert itself and become known. Only when this has been eflfected can those in charge at Washing- ton arrive at any rational estimates by which to adjust supply to demand. Duplication in distribution alone is considered here. Elsewhere the equally bad duplication by publishing many editions of one work is given atten- tion. But where it can be proved that there is genuine use of a work in more than one part of a library, say in the legislative reference section as well as in the docu- ments department, or in several branch libraries, it would seem that a government which has been lavish to waste- fulness would not stint the granting of a second, a third, or even more copies if asked for. These extra copies would, indeed, be saved many times over could only re- formed and systematized methods of distribution be fully enforced. Difficulty may arise as to publications of boards or commissions not permanent, which have passed out of existence after having performed the duties for which they were created, perhaps leaving a trail of documents which continue to appear after their decease. Such are the Industrial Commission of 1898-1902, the Immigration Commission of 1907-1910, and the Industrial Relations Commission, 1912-1916. Or a publishing office may not be able to supply a document, or may ask payment. Gen- Distribution 57 erally speaking, unless a library has book funds ample for all its needs, it should try every avenue of distribu- tion before it accedes to paying for a publication of the national government, although there are a few cases where payment is required even from a library. In the cases above mentioned recourse must be had, of course, to the other two sources of supply, the Documents Office, and the state senators or the representative of the dis- trict. The Documents Office's supply of recent publications for free distribution is generally only a remainder after the legal distribution has been carried out.*'' As the legally designated residuary legatee of every official body, however, copies are likely to drift in later from those sources. Congressional free distribution Congressional publications, i.e., such as have printed on them — and it is part of the binder's title as well — the title of one of the four series : — Senate Reports, Senate Documents, House Reports, House Documents — are to be asked for from members of Congress. Also from them is to be asked at present the Congressional Record, although by the new law the Documents Office will supply this to depositories. Centralization, whether for sales or gifts, is conceded to be desirable, and the establishment of the Documents Office was with the intent that it should serve as such a central agency. We have seen, however, that free dis- tribution by departments may and should exist in har- mony with this. For free distribution by members of Congress there would seem to be no such justification. Originally, when the publications which emanate from Senate and House were all there were published, no other means of giving them out to the public existed or was thought 40 The Documents Office's supply for distribution is stated by Senator Smoot as consisting solely of " remainders . . . reversions . . . and ex- changes . . ." See S. Report 731, 6ist Congress, 2d sess. May 23, 1910. 58 Distribution of. Now that two-thirds to three- fourths are non- Congressional, and the Documents Office has been created expressly to take care of the distribution, the old-time free distribution by members of Congress, like the free seed distribution, has lost its excuse for be- ing. As it can not fail to be on political lines, and with- out discrimination or knowledge as to use or interest, it has been in the past the main source of duplication and extravagance in the disposal of the government's print- ing. Sent by members of Congress to their constitutents, lightly prized as a compliment or a bonus, the volumes find their way to attic or cellar and are thrown out in the annual housecleaning, and dumped upon the local library or the second-hand man, and trickle back to the clearing- house at Washington. Great as is its direct wastefulness, it indirectly fosters even greater extravagance in its bad effect upon methods of publication. It fosters the overloaded Congressional set.^^ Not that a work published independently of the set is not just as free to the member of Congress if he asks for it as one published in the set, and the valua- tion plan described in the following paragraph should work out that way. But the officials who serve Con- gress in the care and use of the publications, changing from time to time, and untrained in dealing with book collections, cling to the series numbering as their only life line by means of which they can find and handle the books. Without it they are lost. The class mark given by the Documents Office to each work as soon as issued, being shorter and available for every department pub- lication, has proved in that office a thoroughly work- able substitute for the series numbers, and its use by the officials of the Senate and House libraries, document rooms, and folding rooms would remove their difficulties. For the senators' and representatives' personal use, as each may require, of course no restriction or stinting is thought of or should be made. 41 See, beyond, Why Bewildering: topic 6. Distribution 59 What is looked upon as a step toward transferring the distribution now lodged in members of Congress to the Documents Office is put forward in the new printing bill by the so-called valuation plan. According to this each senator is to have credit at the Documents Office to the amount of $2,200, and each representative to the amount of $1,800 annually. The office will send out publications free on his order till their sale prices exhaust the credit. Duplications of orders will be detected in the office and canceled. The Report on the bill has this to say on the subject:^- "It is believed that the proposition to sell all government pulilications at a minimum price should be worked out gradually. . . . The proposed distribu- tion of documents to members of Congress on a valuation basis, as provided for in section 68,*^ is another step in the progress towards the ultimate sale of government publications. ... It is believed that when the public is ready for the placing of all government publications upon a strict business basis the change can be . . . made . . . to the satisfaction of all concerned." This order credit should extend to anything pub- lished by the government that is subject to public distri- bution, and not, as drafted in the new printing bill, be again under rigid statutory provision and limited to fixed quotas of special publications printed for Congressional valuation, although provision is also made for obtaining others not on the valuation list. That the valuation plan will introduce incalculability into the demand that under the present system of edition fixed by statute will be al- most impracticable, only shows the faultiness of that system, and the need of replacing it by the editorial board on government publications recommended by the Com- mittee on Department Methods. This prospective cur- tailment of free distribution, let it once more be observed, is not intended to aiTect libraries. 42 Senate Report 438, 63d Congress, 2d session, p. 68-69; also identical House Report 564. 43 Sec. so in the 64th Congress bill. 6o Distribution Congressional free distribution has always included an item of expense little known to outsiders, namely, the maintenance by Senate and House separately of folding rooms, each with a number of employes engaged to do the wrapping and mailing of documents sent out by mem- bers. It has been openly stated on the floor of Congress, and the testimony at the hearings on the proposed bill has corroborated it, that any business firm could do this work at about one-half to three-fourths the expendi- ture.^* Although the service ofifered to Congress by the Library of Congress, with its immense resources and its stafif of experts, in its legislative reference library, its law library, and its documents division — where are kept two copies of every publication of the national govern- ment — fulfils now all the functions for which formerly the House and Senate libraries were needed ; and the experts of the Documents Ofifice do the distribution, as statistics show, with a much higher percentage of efficiency than the politically appointed officials of the folding rooms — yet Congress is slow to relinquish its earlier appointed agencies, even though their work is now done better by new ones. In its present form the pro- posed bill does not abolish these folding rooms, but, the sending out of publications on the members' valuation orders being transferred to the Documents Office, leaves to them the wrapping and mailing of speeches and other reprints for members. Objection to the valuation plan was voiced by mem- bers who stated that if their distribution was put on a money basis they would be swamped with requests for the more expensive w^orks up to a money value far be- yond the sum allotted them ; while on the quota basis they could take refuge in the reply that their quota of such a work was exhausted. The bill as offered in the 2d session of the 64th Congress (S. 7795 and H. 21021) 44 In the Hearings before the House printing committee. May 20-22, jgi2, p. 106, the annual cost of the folding rooms is estimated at $88,345, doing work that the superintendent of documents stated would cost, if done in his office, $19,965. Distribution 6i makes the use of the valuation plan or remaining on the old quota system optional with members. Before we leave the subject of free distribution by members of Congress there should be mentioned again the wholesale dumping out as waste and throwing away of these publications which have cost the United States so much to print and perhaps to bind. In folding rooms and document rooms of Congress by the officials there ; by senators and representatives as they receive them at their offices and homes ; by their constituents to whom they ship the documents as perhaps unwelcome gifts — among all these this disposal as waste goes on. Under the present Congressional quota system the publications go out, not in answ-er to the cry — I want information about immigration, national banks, the soils of my dis- trict, or what not. The cry seems to be rather — Here is this government document stufif piling in upon us ; how can we get rid of it? Suinmary To sum up ! After twenty years the Documents Of- fice, established expressly to centralize the handling of documents, has succeeded in making headway against privilege entrenched in habit only to the extent of cen- tralizing the stock of back publications. But as to cur- rent publications w^e are yet far from the simple system under which the man in the street and any library can apply to the Documents Office in every case, and obtain without fail by purchase or gift the desired publication. The printing laws are still burdened with undertaking to say for each publication just how many copies shall be printed, and to whom each copy shall go, instead of hand- ing over the minutise of regulation to the Documents Office and its bibliographical experts, or to a board repre- senting all parties concerned, with a budget system, mak- ing estimates of documents instead of dollars, to regulate the editions printed. Of a great many publications, be- sides all in the Congressional series, the entire edition is 62 Distribution handed over for distribution to members of Congress, or to the pubHshing department and Congress, the Docu- ments Office receiving only a few remainder copies,*'' and those which may later trickle back from recipients who got what they did not want. As to selling, the Docu- ments Office has competitors among a few of the publish- ing offices. Some of these still hold on to the sale o£ their own publications, which is denied to the Documents Office. And although between 450 and 500 libraries as designated depositories have a legally appointed central supply agent in the Documents Office, yet the great ma- jority of libraries which are outside this class are still floundering between three cross currents of supply. We are yet far from fulfilment of the prediction, " Some day it will come about that every library can have just what it wants, nothing more, nothing less, and all from one central office." *''' The tyro may be reminded that all government publi- cations are sent from government departments and by members of Congress free of mail charges. Also that no government office will accept postage stamps in payment. 45 See table of remainders received by the Documents Office from round numbers printed for Senate ami House, in U. S. Congress. Printing Joint Committtee. Congressional printing handbook, 1913, p. 102. 46 J. I. Wyer, U. S. government documents, 1906, p. 32. See also, be- fore, under Depository Libraries, p. 46, project for attaining to this desired status. XI Why Bewildering: Bad Publishing Methods What follows is descriptive of a century's output of our country's publications, irrespective of what reforms have been made in recent years. These, and some which still remain to be made, will be recounted later. The publications of our national government have been in the past very bewildering, an entanglement in the mass, and a hard nut to crack in the individual docu- ment. The difficulties in their use are various. Some of them can be remedied ; others inhere in the documents themselves. Their difficulty exists in, first, their subject matter, and in the ill-digested manner of its presenta- tion, i.e., lack of competent editing; second, in the bad and all but useless indexes which before 1895 were given them ; third, in their corporate authorship, as the cataloging phrase goes, that is, in the fact that their authors are not persons, but government or official bodies and in the fact that these bodies are in constant process of change ; fourth, in their involved titles with excessive verbiage, especially in the Reports and Documents of Congress ; fifth, in the way the publications of Con- gress are arranged and gathered into volumes, without grouping by subject or source (though now an effort in this direction is made), and formerly with no key to the volume in the way either of table of contents or of run- ning page headings ; sixth, in being reprinted and re- reprinted to make up various series, in which works al- ready separately published and dissimilar in subject and length are arbitrarily tied together by a uniform binding and lettering and consecutive numbering; seventh, in their being reprinted, also, as parts of larger works, an inferior officer's report being reprinted in that of the 63 64 Why Bewildering next higher officer, and so on till it reaches the top of the ladder; these reprints or editions being in most cases each the same in text as the original print, but, as ex- plained, being combined with other matter. All but the first of these difficulties is bibliographical. Many of them arise from the way documents are made up and their bad publication methods. Others can not be overcome, but exist in the publications themselves, and for this class it is doubtful whether any other method of dealing with the material with fewer difficulties could be devised. It is but fair to say also that, so far as the writer's experience goes, the publications of the United States are no more complicated than those of other countries. Many of the states of the Union, also, follow the unde- sirable pattern of the federal publications in a repub- lished uniform complete series of their publications. And when the great state of New York offers no index to its voluminous document set, it is obvious that to find the document wanted is not quickly possible. It is to be hoped that the reform which is being brought about in the federal publications may inspire the states to show their progressiveness by following suit. Let us con- sider each one of these difficulties more closely. J. Technical subjects-' poor editing First, difficulties in the subject matter and its frag- mentariness, and in poor editing. Government publica- tions, those, at least, which are administrative and of- ficial in matter, can not be made to have the clearness and interest of popular works. Exception must be made of the increasing number of valuable and authori- tative brochures and books prepared for popular in- struction by the scientific experts of our government. These, written in clear, terse, vigorous English, often attractively illustrated, well bound, of a high grade of excellence or even elegance in typographical style and Why Bewildering 65 execution, are the equals of any put out by private pub- lishers. But the ordinary run of official publications on ad- ministrative business is different. In the first place, this business is of as many kinds and as various as are the different sections of the United States and the affairs with which government concerns itself. Its subjects are largely technical, special, local, matters of law and administration which the average citizen finds hard to understand. In the second place, often the document in hand concerns only one phase or segment of a situa- tion or action whose beginning and end are in other docu- ments. Usually no word of explanation is oft'ered, though occasionally curt references to previously pub- lished material on the same subject are given in fore- word or text. It is like one instalment of a serial story without the usual synopsis of the preceding chapters. In the third place, many government publications lack in clear and systematic arrangement. Their prepara- tion has not been given the same thought, labor and skill, the digesting, arranging and boiling down, the molding into shape, pruning, and polishing, spent on private pub- lications that must commend themselves to the public in order to pay for the expense of their pul^Iishing. What editorial supervision they receive, especially the admin- istrative reports, is from hands often not experienced in book publishing, however highly versed in the subject treated and master of its details. 2. Poor indexing Second, lack of good indexes. The poor indexing of the past persists notably now only in the index to the Congressional Record. ^^ The indexing of the Statutes at Large, however, also has not escaped criticism.*^ The Congressional set, since 1895, has a well-made index, the 47 See, for criticisms, beyond, footnote under Legislative Publications: Congressional Kecord, p. 128. 48 See remarks of Mr. Mann, Cong. Record, 51: 15237. 66 Why Bewildering Document Index made in the office of the superintend- ent of documents. The six separate indexes which ex- isted before that date have only to be tried to prove their defects. J. Official authors Third, difificulties of corporate authorship. C. A. Cutter, in his Rules for a Dictionary Catalogue, says, "... Congress, Parliament, and other governmental bodies are authors of their journals, acts, minutes, laws, etc., and other departments of government of their re- ports, and of the works published by them or under their auspices." This principle is adopted by all the codes of rules which have been published in the United States since. A work written by John Smith on his own initiative, from his own resources, and of which he will be the sole and absolute owner, is very ditTerent from the one which the same John Smith compiles offi- cially in an office, in performance of his official duties, in time paid for by the government and with the facili- ties of the office, and which, when done, will be the property of the government. In the latter case the of- fice is the author, and he is only its agent. Moreover, Smith is that agent today, Jones may be tomorrow, and Robinson next year. The office stands throughout the years, carrying on its work, producing literature and results through a shadowy procession of human agencies which pass continually in and out its gates. That the production of the office, material, spiritual, or literary, should be recorded in the book of human events under the successive persons who are the actual producers would efifect a scattering and discontinuity of record. No, the institution endures and the individual passes. The corporate body, the legal entity that never dies, never intermits rights and action, that constantly rein- vigorates and readapts itself by drawing in fresh in- dividualities with a fresh stock of ideas, stands for all the personalities who at one time and another write in Why Bewildering 67 its name. The cord that binds together successive re- ports, decisions, orders, bulletins, etc., and gives them continuity in spite of the changing personnel of the of- fice, is the government body that issues them. There are cases where an individual, acting for the government as a special agent or in a special line or piece of work, may prepare material which retains a genuine personal authorship even after publication as a document. Scien- tific and technical publications are more likely than ad- ministrative publications to be of this class. Or some- thing written by a person unconnected with the govern- ment may be picked up and published by the govern- ment. This occurs oftenest among the Documents of Senate and House. It may be that the foregoing argument is not needed to convince the reader that the United States Treasury Department is the responsible author of the long file of annual reports from 1790 down, not Hamilton, Wolcott, Gallatin, Fessenden, Gage, or McAdoo ; that the only expression for the combined authorship of a collection of official papers of our Chief Executives, from Washing- ton down to Woodrow Wilson, is United States Presi- dent ; that Harvey Washington Wiley is personally the author of his Principles and Practice of Agricultural Analysis, 3 v. 1906-14, but of the long series of reports prepared by him as head of the Chemistry Bureau of the Agricultural Department the United States Chem- istry Bureau stands as author, as it does of those made by his predecessors and successors at the head of the bureau; that a dissenting opinion by a single judge of the United States Supreme Court, let us say Justice C. E. Hughes, is an opinion of the court and to be so quoted, although, at the same time, a brief on the case written by James Brown, non-government employed law- yer, cannot be quoted as anything else than the produc- tion of James Brown himself. The reader unversed in bibliographical intricacies, and who, if he thinks at all of the authors of the books he 68 Why Bewildering sees, pictures to himself always some person who has written each one, will by this argument realize what this is that is called corporate authorship. It includes, be- sides institutions and associations of all kinds, also gov- ernment bodies as a large and important group. He will realize, further, that in order to use public docu- ments with facility it is essential to learn to think in terms of government bodies, to know them by name, to distinguish between two bodies with names identical or differing only slightly, but which are distinct and in different departments, etc. ; to know the functions of each and its relations with other higher and lower units of the government organization. 4. Poorly made titles Fourth, difficulties of confused, verbose, and mis- representative titles. The involved titles loaded with verbiage mostly occur in the Reports and especially in the Documents of the Senate and House. Much im- provement has been made here within a few years. Most of the separate Senate and House Documents as well as the committee Reports now have title-pages and running titles at top of the pages. But in many cases improvement stops here, and the title-page displays as title a sample of the same kind of wordy caption which appeared on the old documents above the beginning of the text. One example of such a title will suffice. Senate Document 190 of the 626. Congress, 2d session, has for its title the following: 626. Congress 1 c . j Document 2d Session J 1 190 Fertilizer Resources of the United States Message from the President of the United States Transmitting A Letter from the Secretary of Why Bewildering 69 Agriculture, Together with a Pre- liminary Report by the Bureau of Soils, on the Fertilizer Resources of the United States December 18, 191 1 Read; Referred to the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry and ordered to be Printed with Accompanying Illustrations Washington 1912 Page 3 next to the title-page contains the " Message from the President," 7 lines ; pages 5-6 give the " Letter of Transmittal " from the secretary of Agriculture ; pages 7-8 give " Letter of Submittal " from the chief of the Bureau of Soils; page 9 is a half title-page for the work itself ; which is actually a preliminary report on the fertilizer resources of the United States by em- ployees of the United States Soils Bureau. Few will deny that much of this title would be better omitted. An example of a simpler title is that of House Document 1261, 6ist Congress, 3d session, as follows: "Special Report of J. M. Dickinson, Secretary of War, To the President, On the Philippines." 5. Publications diverse, linked by printing-sequence numbers, nozv discontinuous Fifth, difficulties in the way the publications of the Congressional set are numbered and gathered into vol- umes, without grouping by subject or source. This in- dictment applies especially to the set as it is found earlier than 1895. There has been progressive improve- ment ever since. The present stage of progress, how- ever, presents certain conditions that are puzzling until an explanation makes smooth sailing. Of the four series of the Congressional set : — namely. Senate Reports, Senate Documents, House Reports, and 70 Why Bewildering House Documents — each separate publication has its own number within its own series. This numbering is now continuous during the duration of a Congress, though in other times the numl)ering of some of the series ran through one session only. These numbers are assigned by the Government Printing Ofifice as each publication comes over from Senate or House to be printed. For instance, on De- cember 7 three House Documents may arrive ; they are numbered House Document i to 3. On December 8 seven more may come ; they will be numbered 4 to 10. The numbering efYects a chronological arrangement ac- cording to date of reception at the Printing Office. This may or may not exactly parallel their order according to the day, month, and year printed on them. This date of day, month, and year is that of action taken by Sen- ate or House directing them to be sent to the Printing Office, the so-called " order to print." This stringing on a numbered string as they come along does not, of course, bring together publications on one subject, or successive reports of one bureau, nor even the volumes of one work if there is any interval of time between their dates of publication. It is the way usually adopted for bulletins, circulars, and the like, and is regarded as the best and clearest way of treating a mass of publications which are mostly only one leaf to a few pages in extent. Applied to works forming each a full volume or set of volumes, it is ob- jectionable. When they come to be bound, such as are large or important enough are bound separately. Those of less size are bound together in numerical order into volumes. But as the numbers run regardless of size, a volume of small publications, say numbers 1-343, may show gaps where numbers 3, 142 and 275 ought to be, they being large and so bound separately. Thus, in the four series, as they stand in bound volumes on the shelf, the Report or Document numbers run irregularly and w'ith Why Bewildering 71 continual jumps over numbers lacking in their order. For the small undistinctive papers that hold the business of Congress there is no suggestion that this system of numbering and voluming is not the best that can be de- vised. For the large works that hold the business of the bureaus, departments, etc., it is the worst that can be devised. And until past 1900 all was so slipshod and careless and without aids, as to make difficulties for and often mislead the user. Now each volume containing more than one publication is provided with a table of contents giving their numbers and titles ; and each pub- lication has a running page heading. Grouping together into volumes by subject is also done so far as is possible. In 1895, Dr. Ames added to the Congressional set an additional and independent numbering known as the serial numbers, publishing them in the second edition of the Checklist prepared by him. Beginning with the 15th Congress, the four series with the House and Senate Journals added being arranged by volumes under Con- gress, session, and series or Journal title, to each volume was assigned a number consecutive as the volumes stood in order. As a brief and simple identification and arrangement mark this has proved of much convenience. By the resolution of March i, 1907, amended by reso- lution of January 15, 1908, the annual reports and other works of departments — which are the large volumes of the series of Documents of Senate and House — appear, just as before, as Documents and are so distributed to official Washington, to members of Congress, and to the Library of Congress for international exchange. But copies sent out to depository libraries are in plain title edition. Thus in the Congressional set in a deposi- tory library there is a gap wherever one of these vol- umes comes. That volume drops out from its House or Senate Document and from its serial number, the substituted plain title edition appearing elsewhere on the shelves in an orderly file with its companion reports of other years. Looking at the Schedule of Volumes at 72 Why Bewildering the back of the Document Index, the hght-faced typvi entries there show where these hiatuses come in the de- pository Congressional set.^" For this exclusion of the department publications from the Documents of Congress the Documents Of- fice, the Printing Investigation Commission, and the librarians were unanimous. The resistance to it on the part of the offtcials of the documents rooms and libraries of Senate and House — due to lack of acquaintance with modern methods of handling books in masses — is in line with the fact formerly freely stated that the State Department was the only office of its size in the coun- try that did not use typewriters ; and with the delay in installing modern machinery in the Government Printing Office, and in substituting the more durable buckram for the perishable and labor-making sheep bindings. The conservatism that rules in Washington is the cause that the Congressional set exists in dual form — a reduced and expurgated form in depository libraries ; in its old- time fulness and redundancy in Washington. Further gaps in the Congressional set as it comes now to depository libraries are the following. Since passage of the law of January 12, 1895, the Journals of House and Senate are no longer sent to all depositories, only three copies being given out in each state or territory. The new bill restores the Journals. By law of January 20, 1905, depository libraries are no longer supplied with reports of committees of Sen- ate and House on private bills and on simple and con- current resolutions, river and harbor projects being classed as private bills. These reports are now bound into volumes together, and lettered A, B, C, etc. But 49 But as the decision whether a publication is to be classed and treated as a publication of Congress or of a department is left to an official of the Government Printing Office, the so-called " jacket clerk." much that is departmental, or, at least, non-Congressional, is made a Document. The distinction between legislative and executive taught in the elementary text- books of civics does not seem to be applied. See also beyond, in this sec- tion, 6th topic, p. 75; p. 83. Why Bewildering 73 both these lettered volumes and the Journals — again on the insistence of the ofhcials who serve Congress in the care of the documents — are given serial numbers. In this case the library never sees the volume so numbered. These hiatuses in the sets on the depository shelves, although they are in the interests of economy and good methods, until understood, add to the dithculties of our fifth topic. 6. Reprinting as House and Senate Documents Sixth, difficulties in the same work appearing in vari- ous guises or editions by being reprinted in various series.^" The republication, as part of a series, of a work al- ready in print independently of the series in a plain title edition, is almost the greatest, and certainly the least ex- cusable, cause of confusion and waste in United States government publications. There have been three main series which have caused this waste. Of these one is now defunct, and another is to be abolished by the new printing bill. The first in importance and largest is the so-called Congressional set. To this we shall return and consider it fully. A second is the Alessage and Documents series, which has ceased to exist.^^ In regard to this it will suffice to quote the Checklist, page 1667. " The set had no value, because it was merely a duplication (except for binding) of some of the volumes which appeared in the 50 Edition as used in the sections " Edition and Demand " and " Why Bewildering ": topics 6 and 7, deals with two different sides of what the word means. In the former the discussion turns on how many copies of a work shall be printed at one time. Each of these copies is, of course, iden- tical with every other. In " Why Bewildering " the discussion is of the dis- tinction between all these identical copies and another lot of copies identical with each other but differing from the first lot in some detail, the text being the same. A changed date on the title-page; the addition of a note of its being numbered in the House or Senate Document series; its repetition as part of the pages of a larger work; different binding; or even — though this does not occur often in government publications — wider page margins, make a different edition in this latter sense. Bi See, for further description. Checklist, page 1667. 74 Why Bewildering Congressional set; yet it was published for nearly half a century, hcginnnig about 1842-43, or possibly a little earlier, antl ending with the Message and Documents Conmiunicated to Congress at the Beginning of the 2d Session of the 54th Congress, Being the Issues for 1896- 97. . . . There seems to have been no definite provision of law which justified the existence or the termination of the set." Another of the three series is the Abridgments of Message and Documents, made up of some of the same material as the preceding two, namely, the President's message and the department reports, the latter reprinted with omissions."^- When the Abridgment is issued, these reports have already been nearly a year in print and in the hands of the public. The law of 1895 ^^~ thorized an edition of 12,000 copies of this, and it is still being printed, but is now usually condensed in two volumes for each year. Reprinting in this series has cost about $23,000 annually. Librarians are not advised to try to keep these last two series, and it would be a remarkable case if a library could bring together a complete set of either. Volumes of the Message and Documents series may be used to fill in gaps in the files of the executive reports, but the text itself must be examined to make sure what year is covered, as the binding dates mislead. As the words, " Message and Documents," appear on the title- pages of early volumes of the Congressional set also, identification of this series is puzzling; but the binding is black cloth, and the words " Alessage and Documents " often are part of the binder's title. Leaving out of cons* deration the last two series as abolished or about to be, let us look at the first men- tioned, the Congressional set. This is a necessary series. Its abolishment is not to be thought of, but it needs to be expurgated and reduced to include only that material which properly belongs to it. The Congressional set as 52 See Checklist, pages 1621-1622; also note, page 1667. Why Bewildering 75 it existed prior to 1907, and exists today for Congres- sional and international distribution and official Wash- ington, but not for depository libraries, is what is meant here. It consists of four distinct series : — Senate Re- ports, Senate Documents, House Reports, House Docu- ments, all four series made up and bound in uniform style so as to give the appearance of being but one series." Of these four series the Senate Reports and the House Reports may be dismissed from considera- tion, as no charge is brought against them of contain- ing what does not l)elong under a Congressional classifi- cation. They contain nothing previously in print, noth- ing non-Congressional in origin. The Senate Documents and House Documents are alone in question. These two series consist of what we may call class A, genuine Congressional Documents, i.e., such as originate in Senate or House or on their order; and class B. or spurious Congressional Documents, which are non-Congressional in origin, originating in the execu- tive departments and bureaus, a few in the judicial branch of the government. These two classes, as before said, are designated since 1907 in the Schedule of Vol- umes at the end of the Document Indexes by heavy- faced and light-faced type respectively. The division as made there is very inexact, and includes among the gen- uinely Congressional a good many which are non-Con- gressional, instances of which may be seen by exam- ining any Schedule of Volumes since 1907. Class A, genuine Senate and House Documents, are reports of the officers and other business of either house ; their manuals or rules ; memorial addresses ; mes- sages from the President ; compilation of precedents of parliamentary practice ; contested election cases ; tables of estimates and appropriations and general gov- 53 The House and Senate Journals, one volume for each session, used to be considered part of the Congressional set, hut as the Congressional Record supersedes these in use and their distribution is now restricted (see under fifth topic), they are for simplicity's sake ignored in this section. See beyond: Legislative Publications: Journals. 76 Why Bewildering ernmcnt accounts ; responses from executive depart- ments to resolutions asking for information; and all the various papers presented on the floor of either house to elucidate its debates — roughly, nine groups.^* All these own Congress as their initiative source, and, with a few exceptions, are not reprints. All this material must be preserved in print, and printing it in the form of Sen- ate or House Documents is the original, proper, and only way of publishing it. Few of these are works of a size to be bound independently ; most are from one page to one hundred pages in length. Class B, spurious or non-Congressional Documents, originating in and dealing with the w^ork of the various bodies of the executive branch of the United States gov- ernment, or occasionally of the judicial branch, are al- most all of a size to bind independently, and vary from one hundred up to several hundred pages or a number of volumes in length. These have come out in print earlier in plain title edition ; or, in a few cases, will so come out later ; or, if not, would be better to come out as plain title editions than as House or Senate Documents, being of sufficient size, specialized subject, and of pri- mary interest each to its own department. The plain title edition, it may be explained, is the same as the department or bureau edition, and is often called by the latter name, being the form which the department or bureau insists on having for its own use as best adapted for a working copy. Between 1907 and 1913 the plain title edition sent to depositories was bound in khaki cloth similar to that used for the Congressional set, but this was the only way in which it differed from the de- partment edition. It is at present bound like the de- 64 The House and Senate Manuals might be issued in plain title without being numbered Documents, as has been done with the Congressional Di- rectory. So might also the memorial addresses, and the President's mes- sages, of both of which a plain title edition is printed. The same can be said of the compilations of precedents, Hinds's, for example, in eight vol- umes (H. Doc. 355, 59th Congress, 2d session), and of contested election cases. But it does not hold good for the other Documents in the enumera- tion given above. Why Bewildering 77 partment edition. The fact that it almost invariably comes out ahead of the Senate or House Document edi- tion gives it another desirable feature. The results of this reprinting are that these Senate or House Document reprints each receive now a title-page, a number, and a binding and binder's title for the series, which are more conspicuous than the title of the actual work. These give the impression that here is a differ- ent work from that contained in the plain title edition. Minute collation of the two texts is required to estab- lish the fact that in most cases the two editions are identical in contents. A typical instance is the follow- ing.^^ The plain title edition of a report of the Indian Bureau has on its title-page: Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, 1894. Washington, Government Printing Office, 1895. The binder's title is: Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. The reprint, which is a House Document, has on its first title- page : The Executive Documents of the House of Rep- resentatives for the Third Session of the Fifty-third Congress, 1894-1895. In 35 Volumes. Washington, Government Printing Office, 1895. Following this is an 18-page index to all the 35 volumes. Then comes a sec- ond title-page : 53d Congress, 3d Session, House of Rep- resentatives, Executive Document i, Part 5. Report of the Secretary of the Interior; Being Part of the ]\Ies- sage and Documents Communicated to the Two Houses of Congress at the Beginning of the 3d Session of the 53d Congress. In 5 Volumes. \'olume II. Washing- ton, Government Printing Office, 1894. The binder's title is : House Executive Documents, 3d Session, 53d Congress, 1893-95. Vol. 15. Report of the Secretary of the Interior. Vol. 2. 1894. Indian Affairs. The text of the two editions is identical. The series number and voluming which these reprints get brings them into the numbered chronological ar- rangement of the Senate or the House series of Docu- 55 Documents Office, Report, 1895/96, p. 11. 78 Why Bewildering nients — according as each is placed. This arrange- ment, so regardless of subject, source, extent, or impor- tance, is good for the mass of minor publications, as has been explained, but is not good for works large enough to become distinct volumes or a set of volumes; and when applied to a mixture of both minor publica- tions and bulky voluminous works it becomes very bad indeed. It works worst for the serials, because, in- stead of the annual reports or the bulletins of a depart- ment being in a file with all the issues together in order of year or number, it separates the annual or consecu- tively numbered issues, linking together in one group for the year all the single volumes of diverse reports or sets. Hearings and reports on the public printing are full of the evils of this publishing over again, in a series, works which exist already in book form answering ev- ery purpose.^"^ The Documents Office from its estab- lishment till today has steadily preached the doctrine that there should be one original edition of any gov- ernment publication and one only, and for department publications that should be the plain title edition.^" The 50 U. S. Printing Investigation Commission, Report, 1906, v. 1:4-5, 12-17 (Ricketts): 82-84 (superintendent of documents): v. 2:523 (librarian of Congress). Printing Investigation Commission, Supplemental report, 1907 (H. Doc. 736, and identical S. Report 6828, 59th Cong., 2d sess.), p. 8-10 (Presented resolution of March 1, 1907, abolishing reprinting department publications as House and Senate Documents. One of the strongest and most complete statements of the bad effects of the practice). S. Report i, 60th Cong., ist sess., p. 2 (This presented the compromise resolution of Jan. 15, 1908, restoring the reprinting, but providing that depository libra- ries shall receive the plain title edition). S. Report 1200. 6ist Cong., 3d sess., p. 16-17. S. Doc. 293, 62d Cong., 2d sess., p. 17 (Superintendent of documents before the Economy and EiBciency Commission). H. Report 816 (p. 25-26) and almost identical S. Report 201 (p. 21), 62d Cong., 2d sess. Reed Smoot, Speech in Senate, March 12-13, 1912, p. 12 (Claims economies efTected, especially by stopping reprinting, by resolution of March i, 1907). Hearings before H. committee on printing, 62d Cong., May 20, 22, 1912, p. 105 (Economies include: " Elimination of Document titles from annual and serial publications specified"). See also Public Libraries, 8:405-406, 1903 (M. Dewey against issue of publications of departments in collected Documents series as exemplified in government publications of New York state). 57 See Documents Office, Report, 1894/s. P- 16; same, 1895/6, p. 4-16; same, 1900/1, p. 8-10; same, 1901/2, p. 6-9 (Recommends "library edition" Why Bewildering 79 American Library Association urged the matter till it got in 1907 the plain title edition for depository libra- ries, which leaves, however, the confused, waste-pro- ducing system still rampant.^^ Reprinting should take place only when that original edition is exhausted, and should be like the original in form/^ While the three series mentioned were in existence an executive report could, and certain ones did, appear in four editions that were due solely to the series reprinting, besides other duplication due to causes that will be described later. The evils which result in the public administration, and the inconveniences which arise in library use and practice, especially in the college library and the aver- age public library, from the mixture of Congressional and non-Congressional in the Documents series of both houses, may be summed up under two heads : ( i ) the bibliographical; and (2) the economic. Reprinting hihliographicaUy had Bibliographically, as judged by standards of good publishing methods, these two series, House Documents and Senate Documents, are a hodge-podge, a heteroge- neous jumble, the like of which no private publisher nor any publishing society has ever issued. The most all- of annual reports and other department publications); same, 1903 4, p. 5; same, 1904 5, p. 5-7; same, 1909 10, p. 6-7. See also Monthly Catalog, Jan., 1908, p. 26^-272; same, Feb., 1910, p. 27i-i7^; same, July, 1913, p. 10. See also Document Index, 60th Cong., ist sess., 1907-8. preface. See also testimony of superintendents of documents as follows: — Cran- dall: Lib. Jour., 22: 160, 1897; same, 25:65-67, 1900. Ferrell: Lib. Jour., 26: 671-674, 1901. Donath: A. L. A. Papers and proceeds., 191-', p. 309. Wallace: A. L. .\. Papers and proceeds. , 1913. p. 3.S7-3.i8. 58 See among many expressions of this, more or less clearly thought out and stated. Lib. Jour., ;:7: C92-C96, 1902 (R. P. Falkner) : same. 28: C102- C106, 1903 (R. P, Falkner. Both the preceding ask for a "library edi- tion"); same, 32:207-208, 1907 (.W. S. Burns); same, 35:3-28, 1910 (\. L. A. Council adopts resolution against reprinting department [lublications as H. and S. Docs.). The non-depository libraries, in common with individuals, in short, every- body and all libraries who get their supply through members of Congress, receive the Document edition. 59 " Separates," of course, or the reprinting of part of a work for dis- tribution to those interested in that part only, as the chapter on clay products in Mineral Resources, are excepted, being necessary and useful. 8o Why Bewildering embracing series, like Bohn's or Everyman's libraries, usually make groups, such as classics, science, belles let- tres, etc. And the great national academics divide up into sections which issue their publications separately. By the chronological numbering, as has been explained, there are strung together Documents large and small, ephemeral and standard, highly technical and trivial — the report of the Immigration Commission in forty-one volumes, Hinds's Precedents in eight volumes, the Presi- dent's messages on vital national policies, alternately with the findings of the Court of Claims in the case of John Jones, or a report of examination of Fish River, Ala- bama, or horse claims rejected by the War Department. This heterogeneity exists, it is true, among the House and Senate Documents that are genuine Congressional papers, also among the Reports of the two houses. But for both of these, being mostly from one leaf to a few pages only, nothing better than the chronological sequence numbered arrangement can be devised. The non-Con- gressional publications bulk as 75% of the Senate and House Documents, though in number of titles they are only 20% ; they are mostly large works ; they are special- ized in subject, coming from publishing offices each of which has its definite and restricted field of action. The removal of these would simplify the two Documents series and reduce the evils charged against them from the bibliographical standpoint. To bring these series up to good publishing standards elimination should not stop with reprints of department editions only. Every work important in subject matter and large enough to be is- sued independently, reports of Congressional or mixed commissions especially, should be published as an inde- pendent work, leaving to the series only the minor pub- lications which have to have a number as a handle by which to keep track of them. If any one is inclined to make light of this mess, let there be urged further the effects of the mix-up in vari- ous directions. Why Bewildering 8i First, to the public it is genuinely confusing. The average citizen is not acquainted with the various bodies of the United States government, but he knows there is legislative, an executive, and a judicial branch. If, now, one could say to him — here are all the publica- tions of Congress in four series, contents as before enu- merated (see page 75), making all together what is called the Congressional set. Outside of these are the separate publications of the ten executive departments, and of the independent offices and establishments, and of their subordinate bureaus, and also of the various courts, also of all specially organized boards or commis- sions, only one edition of each publication — then clar- ity would reign and difificulties vanish. He would only have to ask whether the publishing body was of the legislative, the executive, or the judicial branch to know whether the work was in the Congressional set or not. Second, to the Documents Office the numerous edi- tions bring increased labor, as the office preserves and catalogs every edition. The monotonous repetition of " Same " in the Document Catalog is due to the multi- plication of editions. Third, when several editions are in existence, they may be mistaken for dififerent works, and an artificial demand is stimulated. The uninformed student will take pains to get each separate one, only to find in dis- gust that they are all the same. The librarian, fearing to reject something of value, as only collation of each with the others will prove them to be identical, perhaps resolves to keep every edition. But to cut off the sup- ply of duplicate copies has been one of the avowed ob- jects of the Printing Investigation Commission and its work. To reduce the supply to the working minimum, one copy or edition only to any recipient (except extra copies needed for actual use) is a necessary first step, so the commission has thought, toward learning what the demand actually is on which to base the size of edition to be ordered. 82 Why Bewildering Fourth, to pursue further the bad results to tlie libra- ries of reprinting in this series, they may be expounded as follows. Libraries in general keep their books in groups ac- cording to their subjects. Though this entails labor, the claim is made that it pays in economy and quickness of service, increased convenience, aid to the memory, saving of steps to the staff, and the display of the library's resources on any topic on a glance at the shelves. The subject arrangement is supposed to ac- quaint the reader with authorities which otherwise he might not find, and to stimulate the use of them. But the unexpurgated Congressional set can not be adjusted to any subject arrangement unless its volumes be scat- tered. Some librarians there are w'ho carefully exam- ine and identify the various editions in which the de- partmental publications come to them. They class in the subject place one edition, preferring the plain title edition, but, failing that, using a House or Senate Docu- ment edition. That its place in the Congressional set is left vacant they consider immaterial. They discard all other editions. This practice has the advantages that the subject group on the shelf does not lack the govern- ment published works that are among its most important material. It makes the government publications share all the benefits claimed for subject grouping. And it does away with duplicates except where extra copies are actually needed. When it is the House or Senate Document edition that must be used in the subject place, the disadvantages are that it has obtrusively on its binding a series title and numbering that mislead and hide the actual title of the work. And, in a depository library, the series of Senate and House Documents on the shelves will have great gaps in their numbers which may represent volumes lost or never received, or only removed to subject place. Some documents are there and others dispersed to various places to which their subjects took them, and Why Bewildering 83 no one knows where a desired voUime will be found till the dummy tells the tale or some index is consulted. The exclusion from these two series of all the spe- cialized department works, and of everything except the minor Documents which can be cared for only by numbering and gathering into volumes, would imme- diately remove these disadvantages. This end is at- tained by the issue to depository libraries since 1907 of department publications in plain title editions — since 19 13 in the department cloth binding. And it has reduced the asking for duplicates unless the use requires them. It is true the sorting out and separating of de- partmental from the Congressional has not been done with all the consistency desirable, but errors in placing individual works possibly would be corrected on peti- tion from the librarians. The advantages of subject placing and of the plain title edition were recognized in a decision of the council of the American Library Association of ]\Iay 31, 1910. By this the depository libraries are advised that all publica- tions listed in the Schedule of Volumes at the end of the Document Indexes in light- faced type should be classed in their subject places, while those in heavy-faced type may be left together to form the expurgated or genuine Congressional set. Owing to many inconsistencies,"" as above noted, in the Schedule of Volumes, the rule might be modified to read: class under subject all in light- faced type, and also those in heavy-faced type that are of sufficient size or importance to be so classed. If a depository chooses to follow a course contrary to the subject placing here described, and tries to keep its Congressional set intact — it will work out as follows. For every Document wanted an index or catalog will have to be consulted first to find its serial or Document number. Each annual report of a department up to 1907 60 One instance of this inconsistency is that the Index to the Reports of the chief of engineers, 1866-1912 (H. Doc. 740. 63d Cong.. 2d sess.), was sent to depository libraries in the Document edition, notwithstanding that they are receiving the set of reports in plain title edition. 84 Why Bewildering will be separated from its companion reports and must be found separately through the index. The reader using the shelves will miss seeing among the books on a subject the important government material, and becom- ing acquainted with it. And this material when wanted will have to be brought from another part of the collec- tion by an attendant or the reader must go there for it. Or perhaps the library may try to keep its Congressional set complete and together, and in addition a file of plain title duplicates in the subject place. This is no less wasteful of shelf room than it is of government print- ing. The economic arguments which follow should have weight with those, if any, who would make light of the preceding bibliographical ones. Economically, the se- ries printing and reprinting involve large waste of money in administering the public printing. Reprinting economically zvasteful Economic waste results because, first, it costs more, of course, to put a work to press again for a series edi- tion than to print the needed number of copies all at once in one edition.^^ This extra expense might be deemed negligible. But further bad results follow. Waste is caused, secondly, by the fact that every pub- lication included in the four series of Senate and House, if under loo pages, must have exactly the same number of copies printed, a fixed number regulated by the print- ing law or other statute, the so-called " usual number," no more and no less.*^^ The law provides for extra copies in some cases, mainly for works over the loo- 61 Here is not meant the economy of printing part of the total authorized by statute in a first edition estimated to meet the demand, followed by a second edition if called for. The reissue of a plain title work in a series edition is meant here. 62 " Under that law [of 1895] the public printer is compelled arbitrarily to print a stated number of certain documents (including such as have House or Senate Document numbers on them) without regard to their value or to the demand," — Printing Investigation Commission, Report, 1906,. V. I, p. 4 (Ricketts; Oct. 26, 190s)- Why Bewildering 85 page limit, these copies being usually plain title edition. Also, for those over 100 pages, the fixed statutory edi- tion has been modified by the provisions of public reso- lution 14 of March 30, 1906. According to this, the so- called " edition plan," a preliminary estimate may be made of the number of copies needed, and only so many struck ofif as a first print or edition, a second edition up to the total of the statute following if the call ex- ceeds the first number printed. Regulations established by the Joint Printing Committee May 18, 1906, and re- vised 1909 and 1913, prescribe for 129 publications the number of copies of each that shall be put to press as the first issue. This substitutes another rigid fixed number for the statutory one, but is withal a betterment. That the edition of the yearly report of the sergeant-at- arms of the Senate on receipts from sales of condemned property should be as numerous as the brief but weighty report of 191 1 of the Railroad Securities Commission;*^ or that there should be as many copies of the estimate for an appropriation to establish certain boundaries in New Mexico as of the report of the Federal Reserve Board, seems absurd. But, except as the order to print or the statute may specify extra copies, there is no help for it; by virtue of the series note, the indiscriminate fixed rule applies. The series is legislated for in a bunch, as a mob of books, and discrimination as to treat- ment between a folder and a 41-volume commission re- port, between a work for propaganda or popular in- struction and one for service use only, between one for scientific or technical workers and a popular illustrated work, is difficult and awkward to arrange. The " edi- tion plan " ; the reduction in issues of the Journals ; the curtailment of copies of reports on private bills and sim- ple and concurrent resolutions ; the shutting off of print- ing the " members' reserve " — all these are stopgaps to this unavoidable waste. The only efifectual remedy is 63 House Document 256, Sid Congress, 2d session. 44 pages. Also a plain title edition. 86 Why Bewildering that put through by the Printing Investigation Commis- sion by resolution of March i, 1907, so unfortunately nullified on January 15, 1908 — namely, the elimina- tion of all works of any size or importance from the series and its blanket rule. Waste occurs, thirdly (though this is only another phase of the blanket system of legislation just discussed) because the Congressional set is given out to recip- ients designated by statute — namely, officials and offices of the government, members of Congress, depository libraries, etc. — as a unit. Each gets every publication in the set. It is obvious that the intent in supplying these recipients with one or more complete sets of the Con- gressional series is to keep them informed of the pub- lic business. But it would seem that a report of in- vestigations on the mound builders made by the Eth- nology Bureau was hardly part of that business, and would not interest most of the department officials or members of Congress. The report of the Treasurer of the United States on the sinking fund of the District of Columbia, and the annual report of the assistant attorney in charge of Indian depredation claims are necessary for routine record, but do not seem of such interest that every member of Congress will want to preserve the an- nual issues. The reports of the tests of metals and other materials made at the Watertown Arsenal, the Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences, and the Bulletins of the Hygienic Laboratory are scientific and technical researches which the average non-scientific reader can hardly understand, much less read to his profit. Does the reprinting of these benefit either the member of Congress or his constituents? Or, if only re- ports are made Documents, would the report of the In- dian Afifairs Office or of the Reclamation Service touch the activities of the representative from a downtown dis- trict of New York city, or that of the Ordnance Bureau of the Navy those of the member from an agricultural district of Kansas? It is presumable that a member of Why Bewildering 87 Congress may wish to possess and have at hand the papers in vvhicli are printed the actual activities of Con- gress and of the sessions in which he has taken part. But to load upon him in addition numerous reports of administrative bodies or of scientific or technical bureaus to which he sustains only the remotest relations,®' by in- cluding them in the Documents of Congress sent to him, is to give him in the majority of cases what is not wanted, will not be used, and so is total waste. Any one of these reports is available to him at any time on request to the department that issues it. And the necessity of every senator and representative stocking up with everything the nation publishes in order to keep himself informed should not now be so necessary since the legislative branch of the Library of Congress has been established expressly to supply him with publications and informa- tion whenever he needs them. The fixed quota of publications assigned to each mem- ber of Congress for distribution, and the remedy for that provided in the new bill by the valuation plan have been previously discussed in the section on Congressional distribution. Also they do not belong solely to the Con- gressional set. Waste and abuses arise, fourthly, because in an over- loaded, encumbered Congressional set the individual work gets lost, it escapes attention. As there is no one re- sponsible for the editing of the set, almost anything is possible to happen in it, except economy and system. Besides accidental waste, there is always danger of some publication, useless and extravagant or serving special interests, being foisted upon the printing appropriations under cover of the series without its extent and expense being suspected. In a more simple, less comprehensive set these would not escape detection. It is the problem of the private publisher, on which de- pends his commercial success or failure, to ascertain the 64 See U. S. Congress. H. of R. List of reports to be made to Congress by public officers. Dec. 4, 1916. 28 p. (H. Doc. 1407. 64th Cong., 2d sess.) This list is now issued each session. 88 Why Bewildering actual demand for every publication, and to adjust the size of the edition to it. The plain title edition of a work can be printed in the number of copies estimated to satisfy the demand, and can be sent to only those of- ficials, libraries, and individuals who want it and will use it. Because it is not easy to make this adjustment ex- actly and simply, even under the edition plan, for any- thing that is a numbered Document of Senate or House, it follows that that form is not one in which to issue works of any size or specialization. The reader who wants the report of the Children's Bureau is liable to get it, if it comes in a Document edition, bound in one volume with a number of Documents he does not want. Siiminary To recapitulate : — The bad results from publishing department and other independent works in the Con- gressional Documents may be summed up as follows, (i) It is confusing and is the" cause of difficulty in understanding the publications. (2) It makes the set too jumbled and heterogeneous as to subjects and sizes. (3) It creates extra and useless labor for the government catalogers. (4) It makes an edition not suited to sub- ject arrangement in libraries nor to keeping files of annual reports and other serials together in order. (5) It is an edition which, further, is always later in coming out than the plain title edition. (6) It increases the demand for duplicates. (7) It increases expenses of publication. (8) It foils effectually efforts to learn the actual demand. (9) The Document edition does not adapt itself to or is likely to evade the attempt to vary the number of copies printed to suit the demand. (10) It is impossible to distribute the Documents according to their subject matter and the want, and dumps much that is not wanted, and for which the recipent has no use, upon both Congressmen and the public. If it be asked: how did the reprinting of publications Why Bewildering 8g of executive bodies among the Congressional Documents originate and what caused it? — it may be said that, like the distribution of the national publications by Congress, it grew up and dates from the earliest times. Then the little that Congress published was the total output, and the voluminously publishing departments and bureaus of the present day were many of them not even in existence. On the side of Congress there was the inducement to extend the Congressional dragnet over more and more publications because an elusive and unheard-of publication which a constituent might chance to claim from a busy representative was sure, if a Document, to be within reach. And, to the departments, until the law was recently changed, there was the inducement that getting a publication printed as a Document transferred the whole expense of its printing from the department's appropriation upon that for Congress. By public resolu- tion 13 of March 30, 1906, the department now pays from its own appropriation, for any work originating with it, the initial expenses of publication — that is, com- position, stereotyping, illustrations, and the like ; the bal- ance of the cost, however — for press\vork, paper, bind- ing, etc. — being shared by Congress in proportion to the number of copies it uses. What are the advantages of the system? Aside from precedent and habit, they are simply those of tying a number of things together with a string. The things are sure to be all there when you untie the bundle, none lost. And laws can be made as to how many bundles shall be printed, and how the bundles shall be distributed, with less trouble than to sort out all the things in the bundle and treat each on its merits. But now, as every publica- tion is listed by the Documents office and, if non-Con- gressional, within a few hours or a few days of its com- ing off the press is given its individual number accord- ing to the Document library classification system, this makeshift expedient is no longer needed. go Why Bewildering In how haphazard a way it is all managed, and of how little consequence to the lawmakers it is whether a publi- cation is reprinted as a Document or not is shown by numerous cases of works that have either never been in the Documents series, or have been some years in and other years out, without any one's noticing in either case.*^^ It has been the avowed object of Congress on certain recent occasions (the child labor law of the District of Columbia for instance) to pass a model law for territory where it has jurisdiction which the state legislatures might copy. Here among the official publications, which are such a huge item in the budget of every state and municipality, to set up an administration and methods Avhich will show how to secure economy and good busi- ness management among them, is a duty and an oppor- tunity which Congress should recognize and not shirk. If there be any who regret the passing of the dragnet Congressional series in its fullest redundancy, reprints and all, in spite of the evils in its train, to them this cold comfort may be offered. By withdrawals from the set in many cases and by stoppage of distribution in others, as described under our fifth topic, the set is irretrievably honeycombed and altered. By many elimi- nations its several consecutive numberings have now be- come inconsecutive and broken. The ever enlarging mass of United States official literature outside of the Congressional series makes more evident every day the 65 The report of the Supervising Architect since 1878 to date has never been printed either in the department report or as a Document. The report of the Life-Saving Service from 1872 down to its merger (1915) in the Coast Guard was never a part of the department report except once (1876) nor a Document except in that case and once again individually (1881). The Public Health Service report has been in the department report only by summary and is not there even in that form now, and from 1872 to 1903, when its present reprinting as a Document began, it was only once (1872) so printed. The American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac, tech- nical mathematical tables, was a Document in 1886-1889, and again in 1896-1902, but is no longer one. The report of the Immigration Bureau from its beginning m 1892 has been a Document only in 1903 and 1904, and since 1904 as a part of the department report, in abridged form. The Checklist will show many other like cases. Why Bewildering 91 insufficiency of the series to continue to fill its aforetime role — that of a representative gathering of the most important of the national publications. jVIore space has been given to this topic because Con- gress comes and goes, but the Documents problem goes on forever. Official Washington of today knows little of what its predecessors have threshed out and made plain for themselves. The idea has been to bring to- gether here for permanent reference the testimony and facts brought out in the most recent of the decennial printing investigations. Except the observations on library practice, all arguments and facts have been drawn from the government publications themselves. The ap- plications to library practice will, it is thought, appeal most strongly to those libraries which make the largest use of the scientific and technical and other specialized subject publications; not so much, doubtless, to the state library and the document department. 7. Reprinting bureau and sub-officials' reports Seventh, reprinting in an added edition, causing con- fusion and duplication, is done also in another way, this time in the administrative reports only. It arises thus : Official no. i, at the bottom of the ladder, sends a writ- ten report to official no. 2, his chief. Official no. 2 ap- pends said report to his own report made to official no. 3, his superior. No. 3, reporting to no. 4, his superior, includes reports of nos. i and 2. No. 4, if still a suljor- dinate, makes his report and sends along those of i, 2, and 3, as part of it. Examine the report of an executive department or of an important bureau of a date before 1906. There will be found, first, the few brief pages of the report of the chief officer — like the short, swift up- ward shoot of a skyrocket, expanding at its end into a fiery display that overspreads the whole heavens ; or, in the case of the report, into a concatenation of appended exhibits, tables, sub-reports, and sub-sub-reports that swell the whole to a bulky volume. As the total aggre- 92 Why Bewildering gation is paged continuously, it is difficult to discover the connection and relations between the parts ; or, espe- cially if bound with other documents, to know where one ends and another begins. A table of contents or index is often lacking, sometimes faulty. A few hints may help the tyro in public documents through any such tangle, now, happily, almost a thing of the past. The Government Printing Office uses the sign O at the end of a completed publication where in old books one sometimes reads Finis. The report of the chief is often paged with roman numerals, the appended papers and sub-reports being in arabic page numbers. This report of the chief discusses or summarizes the work of each sub-bureau in turn, and in the table of contents these paragraphs of the chief's report are often enu- merated in prominent type under the names of the bu- reaus. The beginner is cautioned not to mistake these references in the contents as meaning the report itself of the bureau. That will be found, probably, further on in arabic page numbers. It is sometimes helpful to look for the signature of the chief, as that will usually be at the end of the main report and immediately preceding the appended papers and sub-reports ; but sometimes the report is not made up in this way and this resource fails us. Incidentally, it is well to notice the address, which stands either at the beginning, or at the end of the chief's report to the left of his signature ; very infrequently at the end of the volume. This shows to what superior officer or body — Congress, the President, or a depart- ment head — the chief is required by law to make his report. But sometimes this also is lacking. Notice also the letter or letters of transmittal at the front. Note to whom the report is transmitted, by whom, and from whom as the original author or compil-er, and any other bits of information. Where the sub-reports are themselves of a size to make one or more volumes, the clumsiness and waste of reprinting them with the superior officer's report be- Why Bewildering 93 come more apparent. It is the policy of the federal ad- ministration to group all activities as subordinate bu- reaus under a few comprehensive departments, rather than to multiply small independent bodies. The de- partments of the Interior and the Treasury are the two on which have been saddled in the past the greatest num- ber of miscellaneous bureaus, although both departments have been greatly relieved since 1903 by the transfer of many such bureaus to the present departments of Com- merce and of Labor. It will be instructive to compare the methods of these two departments as to printing the sub-reports of bureaus under them. The report of the Interior Department of 1900 consisted of sixteen vol- umes, containing reports as follows : — V. I. Secretary of the Interior, and Land Office V. 2. Indian Office V. 3. Five Civilized Tribes Commission, etc. V. 4-5. Miscellaneous V. 6-14. Geological Survey V. 15-16. Education Bureau Of these volumes all except v. 3-5 are reprints of sep- arate plain title or bureau editions occupying one or more entire volumes. Of volume 3-5, smaller reports, each or most of them were also issued in a limited edi- tion in paper covers. Contrast the Treasury Department report for the same year. It is in one volume, and includes reports, summarized or without appendixes, of only five bureaus, the strictly financial ones.*^*^ Among bureaus omitted from it, to name only those now belonging to the depart- ment, are the reports of the Coast Guard, of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the Board of General Ap- praisers, the Public Health Service, the Supervising Architect, and others. These omitted reports all have due publication in separate form, and are distributed C6 These five included reports have also one or more bureau editions apiece, in addition to the two editions (plain title and House Document) as part of the department report, these last two in brief form without ap- pendixes, it is true. 94 Why Bewildering separately to the persons needing them, an entirely dif- ferent and distinct set of persons for each bureau. The Treasury Department report is one of the longest series among United States government publications, has been continuous since 1790, and has regularly been only one volume or less in size. The advantages, in simplicity, and in economy in dis- tribution, of the Treasury Department plan of detached publication of subordinate reports seem self-evident. There suggests itself the practicability as well as desir- ability of extending this method into every department report ; and of publishing and paging independently, in one edition only, each and every sub-report, no matter how brief. The small ones could all be bound together in order, in much the same way as the miscellaneous Documents of Senate and House are, or any set of bul- letins is, to make the combined and entire file of reports of the department and its bureaus. The report of the department head should, of course, contain a statement of the subordinate bureaus whose reports for the year have been printed to accompany its own. To make clear — according to this plan, in the set of Interior Department reports before described, not only would V. I, 2, and 6-16 be published detached and in the bureau edition only, but also v. 3-5 would be composed of separately published and paged reports bound into those volumes. As a fact, and as the Document Catalog will show, all, or nearly all of these bureau reports, even of only a few pages, are printed separately, with either separate page numbering or the page numbering of the department report. In the latter case the Document Catalog calls them " separates." In either form they are a necessity to the bureau for separate distribution to its officers and others interested. When the aggregation described above as the report of the Interior Department is again reprinted as v. 26-41 of the House Documents of the 56th Congress, 2d ses- Why Bewildering 95 sion, as is the case, the evil is flagrant. It may be added that the full department edition of the War Depart- ment report for 1900 filled twenty-eight volumes, and was reprinted as v, 2-2^ of the House Documents of the same Congress (serial numbers 4070-4097). In accordance with the executive order of President Roosevelt of January 20, 1906, and various laws to im- prove methods of publication put through by the Print- ing Investigation Commission of 1905-1913. and since, the reports of the executive departments and bureaus have been much compressed, shorn, and reduced in size, and the most complicated examples are before that time. But the plan of having only one edition of each sub- report, the bureau edition, separately paged, as outlined above, has not yet been tried. A greater number of reports of bureau grade have of late years come to be reprinted in the Documents series independently and outside of the report of the depart- ment. The result is an increase in duplicates or editions. The report of the Engineer Department is a bulky ex- ample. Editions printed are usually : — ( i ) the pamphlet report of the chief without appendixes; {2) same in the plain title edition of the department report; (3) same in the Document edition of the department report; (4) same with appendixes, separate plain title bureau edition; (5) same. Document edition. The entries in the Document Catalogue do not show (3). Of these there should be abolished (2), (3) and (5). To recapitulate : — the results of incorporating sub-re- ports in the report of the chief are (i) confusion — the reprinting of the text of each as many times and in as many combinations as there are official grades between it and Congress; (2) waste — the necessitated distribu- tion to those who want, let us say, the report of the gov- ernor of Alaska, of all other documents between the same covers and in continuous paging with that ; and (3) disorder — users of the publications would undoubtedly 96 Why Bewildering rather have all the annual reports of the governor of Alaska bound together in the order of years in one vol- ume, than the reports of all the territorial governors for one year together. XII Since 1895: The Future By the printing law of 1895 it was doubtless the aim to put the public printing on a sound and permanent basis of efficiency and economy ; to give the Government Printing Office effective administrative supervision; to establish good methods in the publishing of the national literary output; to provide that there should be preser- vation of the national publications to supply public needs in well-distributed, free depository libraries ; to central- ize distribution whether by sale or gift ; to provide the necessary catalogs and indexes to keep everybody in- formed of what is being published ; and to eliminate all that is useless and excessive. Under the various sections attention has been called to where the law in operation has fallen short of efifecting all these results; also to opinions of experts as to what remains to be done, and in what directions further steps should be taken. A brief review of the events of the twenty years' operation of the law and its amendments will enable the reader to judge whether these statements of shortcomings and these counsels are just and reasonable. In ten years from 1895 the expenditures of the Gov- ernment Printing Office more than doubled, increasing from $3,473,780.92 for the year ending June 30, 1895, to $7,080,906.73 for that ending June 30, 1904. President Roosevelt, in his annual messages for 1902, 1904, and 1905, called attention to this rising tide of cost, which appeared to be likely to continue mounting up. The Committee on Department Methods, otherwise known as the Keep Commission,*^' appointed by Presi- dent Roosevelt to study the entire administration of the 67 The members were: C. H. Keep, assistant secretary of the Treasury; V. H. Hitchcock, postmaster-general; Lawrence O. Murray, comptroller of the currency; James R. Garfield, secretary of the Interior; Gifford Pinchot, head of the Forestry Bureau. 97 98 Since 1895: The Future national government at Washington, made a report on the pubHc printing January 2, 1906, which included among its principal reconnnendations the following: — lirst, that the Government Printing Office be placed un- der one of the executive departments,®^ thus making the public printer, as an administrative officer, responsible to a member of the Cabinet, to whom, with the President, the country has entrusted the national administration. It has been shown that, owing to the phenomenal de- mands of the printing of Congress, which, during its sessions, must always be served first and with a rush, the loss by Congress of its close connection with and control over the Printing Office might work havoc ; and that a permanent board of directors, on which should be represented both Congress and the publishing offices, offers a better solution than either department or Con- gressional control exclusively. A second recommendation was that minor matters of " form, size, style, paper, type, make-up, and binding " be passed upon by a commission on bookmaking to con- sist of the librarian of Congress as chairman, the public printer (perhaps to be represented by the superintendent of documents?), a representative of the department which does the most printing, and two publishers of large experience in bookmaking and not in the employ of the government. At present, in the stage to which systematized control of the national publishing has ad- vanced, it is shared between, first, Congress — through the printing committees of both houses and the statutory powers of the Joint Committee on Printing; second, the publishing departments; and third, the Government Printing Office. The Joint Committee on Printing is a political body of changing make-up, whose members are immersed in the great American game of politics. Their own per- sonal and political fortunes, the interests of their home localities, and great national problems demand their at- 68 The Commerce Department was the one designed to take it. Since 1895: The Future 99 tention. Even if the clerk of that committee is long in office and acquires familiarity with the details of the printing, and is a wise and tactful executive, it still is not in accordance with our plan of government that a committee clerk should exercise control over a great government establishment like the Government Print- ing Office. As for the departments, each is pressed and overbur- dened with its own special work. The Government Printing Office itself is a manufacturing plant for books, not a publishing house. Each of these three bodies pulls for itself, without cooperation or adjust- ment of the system as a whole. Section 74 of the new printing bill provides that the public printer shall consult with the chiefs of the divi- sions of publications which the bill requires that the de- partments shall establish, and with the printing clerks of the two houses of Congress, " in the preparation of rules governing the forms and style of printing and binding at the Government Printing Office, which rules shall be subject to the approval of the Joint Committee on Print- ing." Even did this provision amount to more than securing that each body concerned should have its say as to " forms and style," we note in the board recommended by the Keep Commission, first, the expert trained in bib- liography and library methods, represented by the libra- rian of Congress ; next, the experienced publisher ; and, last but not least, the non-political management. It is to the lack of this kind of directorship that the faults in our national publishing are directly, it might almost be said wholly, due. To this proposed board, which should be a permanent body, there should be committed, besides matters of publishing methods and make-up, also the ordinary daily questions as to size of edition, reprints, etc., and as to distribution, with investigating, discretionary, and regu- lating powers — within limits — such as the public serv- ice commissions have. It should have authority to make 100 Since 1895: The Future rulings as the public service commissions do. The han- dling of these matters by a board or commission would relieve the statutes of a mass of detail, and would put an end to the practical absurdities which result from enactments rigid and the same for all kinds of publica- tions, for all circumstances and all time. It would suIj- stitute that elasticity in applying a system, and that adaptal>ility and exact adjustment which a private pub- lisher must use. In this connection there may be sug- gested the desirability of having the bibliographical staff of the Documents OfBce represented on any such board of editors, as they have more intimate acquaintance with the national publications than any other body in exist- ence. Of course it is understood that the board would have no authority over the contents of the works passed upon, and would not dictate to any branch of the gov- ernment what it should or should not publish. Third among the recommendations of the Keep Com- mission were various suggestions for condensing and shortening the annual administrative reports, such as printing in summary, not in full, sub-reports made to an office below the department rank; excluding text of laws, etc. ; and the like. This third recommendation was made efifective by President Roosevelt — who took a lively interest in reduc- ing the riot and extravagance which he believed existed in the government printing — in an executive order issued January 20, 1906. He cautioned against overloading re- ports, and formulated directions as to what was to be omitted, e.g., scientific treatises ; unnecessary illustra- tions ; non-ofiicial contributions ; reports of lower grade officers except in summary ; laws ; biographies and eulo- gies ; personnel ; tables ; specifications ; lists ; etc. The order also directed the establishment in each of the ex- ecutive departments of an " advisory committee on the subject of printing and publication " ; adding, *' And at least one member of the committee shall have had prac- tical experience in editing and printing." On June 25, Since 1895: The Future loi 1910, the Printing Investigation Commission '^" stated that " The order has fallen into almost disregard." True to precedent, no ten-year period to be without its investigation, in the deficiencies appropriation act of March 3, 1905 (58th Congress, 3d session), Congress gave to the Joint Committee on Printing the powers of a Printing Investigation Commission, to summon wit- nesses and make inquiry into the national publishing, and report " remedial legislation," if, in their judgment, needed. Later acts continued the life of the commis- sion and extended its field of investigations, so that for seven years it was actively at work, during the 59th, 60th, 61 st and 626. Congresses, expiring with the latter Congress on the 4th of March, 1913. According to Sen- ator Smoot, the expense of this investigation was some- thing under $35,000.'^ Its recommended " remedial legislation " is the print- ing bill so often referred to in these pages.'"^ This was framed by the commission and first introduced in the 60th Congress, and reported on in both houses in the 2d session, in February, 1909. It has been before Congress ever since, has been progressively much amplified, and has undergone much modification. At date of writing it has not become law. Further hearings on the bill have been held, since the commission expired, by the printing committees of House and Senate. This bill, as has already been said, is a codification of the laws ad- ministering the Government Printing Office and Docu- ments Office, and the printing, binding, and distribution of the national publications. It repeals the law of 1895, superseding that and the various enactments which cluster around it. It is greatly needed to bring together and so simplify the total body of law on the public print- ing, now much scattered. But, outside of this general bill, which includes some 69 See its report of that date, page 51. 70 See his speech in the Senate, March 12-13, 1912; or Congressional Record of same dates. 71 See, beyond, Bibliography: Printing Investigation Commission. 103 Since 1895: The Future new provisions, the conimission has secured at dilTcrent times legislation to effect urgent special economies and reforms. Among these are the two laws of March 30, 1906, requiring departments to pay main costs of their publications which are Documents of Congress (public resolution 13) ; ^- and for the " edition plan " of issuing publications (public resolution 14) ; "^ also the law of March i, 1907, for a number of details, none more far- reaching and important than the requirement that re- ports and other publications of departments shall not be printed as Documents of Congress.'^* This measure from the beginning was judged by the commission a reform most necessary of enactment. It became law without opposition on March i, 1907, 59th Congress. It was repealed on January 15, 1908, 60th Congress. The substitute measure restored the Con- gressional series as before for members and officials of Congress in Washington, but gave department publica- tions to depository libraries in a plain title edition. Non-depository libraries and persons deriving their sup- ply from members of Congress, of course, get the Docu- ment edition. This retrogression to the old plan for every one except the depository libraries was done on the urgent protest of the officials who handle the books for Congress that they knew of no way to handle de- partment publications if they did not have series num- bers on them. This is no doubt a genuine distress, but with the remedy near at hand, as the same difficulty has been met and solved in the Documents Office. Convinced as the commission was by overwhelming testimony of the mischief of reprinting department pub- lications as Documents, and having demonstrated by the law of March i, 1907, the approval of Congress of its stoppage — still, in framing the new bill, the commission felt under compulsion to concede something to these old- 72 Discussed also under "Why Bewildering": topic 6, p. 89. 73 Discussed also under Edition and Demand, p. 50, and under Why Bewildering: topic 6, p. 85. 74 Discussed also under "Why Bewildering": topic 5, p. 71. Since 1895: The Future 103 time employes. The new bill provides for changing the existing way of dealing with department publications, and will try an experiment with them. It may fairly be called an experiment, as it is a way never tried before, and it is quite uncertain as to how it will result. It is a purely compromise measure. It adopts first the principle so often and from so many quarters laid down as an axiom, namely, that each work shall be printed in one edition or form only. Then, as but a small proportion of the department publications, excluding the scientific, scholarly, and technical ones, are handled by the libraries, the document rooms, and the folding rooms of Senate and House, which these protest- ing officials represent — especially as now the Library of Congress and the Documents Office supply expert as- sistance — it was thought that these officials should be content with some, not all of the department works. The department reports are now restricted to adminis- trative business, all professional papers and technical matters being put into other publications of the depart- ment. Therefore the bill makes an arbitrary distinc- tion — in this class it puts the department reports ; in that, all other publications of the department. The re- ports are to be printed as Documents. All other depart- ment publications are to be printed in plain title form. This distinction is justly called arbitrary, because the ad- ministrative business of the report of the Coast and Geodetic Survey, of the Standards Bureau, of the Naval Observatory, the Ordnance Department, and of many other specialized bureaus, is highly technical ; and the classing by form — reports on this side, other works on that — is on a faulty basis, and does not efifect the divi- sion between governmental business material and tech- nical material that is sought. And although, in the let- ter, the bill states its adherence to the rule of one form only of such work, yet, as the Joint Committee on Print- ing announces that the library copies of the Document editions of annual reports will be bound like the plain 104 Since 1895: The Future title edition, there will still be two editions existing of them. And as to uncertainty of result — whether a protest will be made by the departments, following the discovery that they are being robbed of their department edition, and must accept the Document edition with the complications that hang upon anything entangled in the Documents series, that will effect a restoration of their department edition, remains to be seen. If the reports of " more than 400 " ^^ government bod- ies are to be made part of the Congressional series, with no department edition of them, there will be introduced into that series a variability as to size of edition needed, and as to distribution, far beyond the worst that was known in the days of pre-bibliographical reform, and staggering to contemplate. The public desiring reports of the Agriculture Department and the Education Bu- reau is far more numerous than, and not at all the same as that desiring the report of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, or of the Treasurer of the United States on the sinking fund of the District of Columbia; or of the Reclamation Service; or of the Gov- ernment Printing Office ; not to speak of the scientific bureaus, of mines and fisheries, the Geological Survey, etc. It is true that the edition plan can be applied to these as Documents. But as one main purpose of tying together in a series is to issue in a fixed number, and supply as a unit, at least this purpose can not be urged as an excuse for so publishing reports so diverse and unconnected. The conclusion to which the commission came on the subject of reprinting is well stated by Senator Smoot in Senate Report 414, 62d Congress, 2d session, on S. 4239 (page 23). "This is proposed to avoid the printing of the same report or document under two designations, which will operate to eliminate the distribution of the 75 See paper by G. H. Carter in American Library Association, Papers and proceedings, 191 6, p. 310. Since 1895 : The Future 105 same report twice to the same hbrary. At the present time this duphcation results in a shameful waste of gov- ernment publications, and is also very confusing to the recipients of the same." Senator Smoot's comprehen- sive and masterly speech in the Senate on March 12-13, 1912 (Congressional Record 48:3244-3254), under the heading, " Waste of Public Documents," '^ states the facts brought out by the investigations of the commission. The abolition of the " members' reserve " "' by law of June 25, 1910, is the last to be mentioned of important single reform measures prepared and passed by the Printing Investigation Commission. The pending general printing bill re-enacts all these separate measures of reform. Summary of reforms needed The fact that, throughout the whole history of the present system of administration of the public printing, within so short a period as ten years after an investiga- tion and its reform measures, similar bad conditions al- ways recur, forces upon us the question : does the " reme- dial legislation " go to the root of matters and really remedy ? Or, applying it to the draft of legislation as it stands today: does the proposed bill embody a full pro- gram of reorganization which will make impossible the recurrence of bad conditions in future? Such a pro- gram of reforms — to gather up the recommendations heretofore made and present them as a whole — should include the following : — Note. — Those double starred are provided for in the bill; those starred the bill provides imperfectly, perhaps in some cases taking the furthest step in the direction of reform that it is possible to eflfect at present. (i) The management of the Government Printing Office by a board of directors representing all interests, with continuity of service and freedom from political in- 76 Pages 43-46 of separately printed speech. 77 Discussed also under Edition and Demand, p. 49. io6 Since 1895: The Future terference for both board and pubHc printer, so that they may give it the same business management and efficiency that a private firm has. (2) The estabhshment under these directors of an editorial board or officer of bibhographical education and experience who shall have discretionary powers for each publication and in general to settle minor matters of style and materials, publishing methods, size of edi- tions, reprinting, and supply and demand, which de- tails shall then be omitted from the statutes. (3)* The selection, as a Presidential appointee, of the superintendent of documents from among the ranks of the librarians ; or the requirement in the appointee of the same literary and bibliographical acquirements com- bined with administrative capacity as the librarian of the large public library must possess.'^ Or else — the transference of the cataloging and bib- liographical work of the Documents Office to the Library of Congress. (4) The separation of the publications of the execu- tive and judicial branches of the national government from those of Congress. The publishing of each work of any size or importance independently of any series and in only one original form or edition. That to be the plain title department edition for everything orig- inating in the departments, the Congressional series edi- tion for such only as originate in the sessions of Con- gress.'^^ (5) The abolition of free distribution by members of Congress. ^° Free distribution to individuals to be re- stricted to that made for cause by the publishing office. 78 The bill makes the superintendent of documents a Presidential ap- pointee. He is now appointed by the public printer, and must take a civil service examination, which, as events show, does not prevent too frequent changes in the position. 79 Provisions for publication in one edition only are in various sections of the present bill, but the one edition for department reports is the Con- gressional Document edition. SO The bill provides the valuation system of distribution by members of Congress, as a step toward ceasing free distribution to individuals. The provision for valuation distribution should be thrown open to cover every- Since 1895: The Future 107 Libraries to receive publications free on application. Their supply to be through the Documents Office solely. Provision to be made that not depositories only, but ev- ery library open to the public may have " just what it wants, nothing more, nothing less, and all from one cen- tral office." All other distribution to be on a sales basis, and all sales to be centralized in the Documents Office. (6)** Depository libraries once designated to be per- manently such. Designation to be made by the Docu- ments Office. (7) Provision that the index to the Congressional Record be made by the trained indexers of the Docu- ments Office : or at least by some person who knows what scientific cataloging is.*^ (8)* Supply of the Congressional Record to libraries by the Documents Office. *- (9)* Supply of hearings and other publications of committees to libraries regularly or on request. ^■'' (10) Arrangements for a bill depository, preferably in the Documents Office, where pending public (not pri- vate) bills shall be kept for a certain length of time to supply demands from libraries, debating clubs, etc. thing published in which the public and Congress are allowed to share. See discussion under Distribution, p. 59. SI The bill provides that the daily Record shall have in future a table of contents. With good subject indexing a table of contents would be much less needed. »2 Now by Congressional distribution. The bill provides that depository libraries shall in future receive it from the Documents Office. This distri- bution should be extended to all libraries that request it. 83 The bill provides that depositories shall receive them from the Docu- ments Office. XIII Government Organization and Terminology In a preceding paragraph it has been said that to handle public documents one must think in terms of gov- ernment bodies. As a help towards this there are given here a few elementary remarks on the organization of the government of the United States and the titles of its various bodies. Lists of these bodies, showing their grades and relations and the departments to which at- tached, may be found at the end of the Document Cata- logs (restricted to those which have published some work during the period covered by the special volume) ; also a consolidated list is published separately,^* with title, Author Headings for United States Public Documents, with the same restrictions. Care should be taken to keep every edition of this list, as all together make a progressive table of the organization of the government. Lists may be found also in Everhart,®^ down to 1909, with, under each, a slight history and description of its functions and publications ; and in the Checklist, through 1909, with history and publications (but those now non- existent not separated from the present ones). Later lists are in the table of contents of the biennial Official Register,^'' a good bird's-eye view of the present organi- zation ; recent issues 2specially good for temporary com- missions and boards ; and, latest of all, in the Congres- sional Directory,*^ this being not exhaustive as a list, but giving also duties of each. The last two give also personnel. 84 See Checklist, p. 416; GP3.3:4 and GP3.3:g, « 85 E. Everhart, Handbook of United States public documents. Minne- apolis, Wilson, 19 10. 86 See Checklist, p. 321; C3.10. 87 See Checklist, p. 1616-1621. 108 Government Organization and Terminology 109 Of the three coordinate branches of our government, legislative, executive, and judicial, it may be remarked that the last includes the judges only. The executive officials of the courts — the attorneys, clerks, marshals, and commissioners — the administration of the prisons, etc., are under the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice, which is one of the ten executive departments. The publications of the federal courts, being strictly legal matter, and most of them not printed nor distrib- uted by the government, but published and sold pri- vately, are given no consideration in this work. In the Checklist and Document Catalog entry for all that are government publications will be found. In regard to lawsuits in which the government is a party, the prose- cutions of trusts, etc., it is well to remember that only the opinions of the court and the briefs, etc., of the at- torneys for the government are official, those prepared by the attorneys of the corporation being non-official and private. No further allusion will be made to the publications of the judicial branch. The legislative branch consists of Congress and its employes. Some bodies of the executive branch, the Treasury Department among others, report directly to Congress, although their heads are appointed by the chief of the executive branch, the President. Also, the three administrative establishments — the Botanic Garden, the Library of Congress, and the Government Printing Office — which are under Congress, are to be regarded, not as legislative, but as part of the executive machinery of the United States. Over the first two it exercises supervision through the Joint Committee on the Library, which differs from other standing committees by being a statutory body, that is, one whose existence is made ob- ligatory and its duties defined by statute. The adminis- tration of the latter, as has been said, is in the hands of the Joint Committee on Printing, which has similar status. no Government Organization and Terminology Congress handles its business by means of committees. We hear of standing, select, joint, and conference com- mittees, also of the Committee of the Whole House and the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union. A standing committee is one existing accord- ing to the standing rules of either house, and in perma- nent charge of certain specified subjects of proposed legislation. Most of the committees of Congress are of this class. A select committee is one specially appointed to consider some special question. A joint committee is one made up of members from both houses. A full list of standing and select committees of both houses may be found in the Congressional Directory. Changes may occur in either class, though the majority of the stand- ing committees runs on from Congress to Congress with- out change. A conference committee is always a select and a joint committee, and is appointed to adjust differ- ences between the two houses, going out of existence when it has reported — to each house separately through its members on the committee — the results of the confer- ence. The Committee of the Whole and the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union are not committees at all, but a parliamentary device by which a deliberative body changes its rules temporarily to facili- tate business. The usual phrase is, the House (or Sen- ate) goes into Committee of the Whole. There are also various bodies sometimes called com- mittees, more often called commissions, or occasionally boards, created by Congress for some special and tem- porary purpose, and including frequently among their members others than senators and representatives — ex- perts on the subject in hand, or representing the inter- ests of special classes of the public. The purpose of one of these may be of mixed nature, including some- thing of the judicial or administrative ; but most often it is one of investigation or inquiry into facts to lay before Congress, or the President, or other head. Such are the Naval Consulting Board, the Tariff Commission, Government Organization and Terminology iii the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the Railroad Securities Commission, the Printing Investiga- tion Commission, and many others. New bodies for war needs have been recently created, many with large executive functions, and among these are found other titles, as National Defense Council, Emergency Fleet Corporation, Food Administration, etc. But we need give these no special consideration. The status of each particular committee (non-Congressional), commission, or board, as to permanency, membership, to whom re- porting, etc., is a matter to be inquired into separately for each, as many bodies so entitled are fixed parts of the government. ^^ But this kind of a committee or commission does not usually speak by its chairman or other members on the floor of Congress ; nor are bills re- ferred to it for report, although it often shapes and recommends a bill or bills which are introduced into Congress through the usual channels. The report made by the commission ordinarily goes to Congress in the same way that an executive report does, and appears in the Congressional set as a House or Senate Document, not Report. The latest issue of the biennial Ofificial Register will give a convenient list of these commissions existing during the two years covered by the issue. When the Reports of Congress are spoken of, the re- ports of these commissions are not included. We come now to the executive or administrative branch of the government, organized into bodies over- whelmingly more numerous and diversified than any- thing the legislative branch has to show. In the flying notice that we are about to give to these bodies the first fact to be grasped is that they are not standardized ; variability is much in evidence and the terminology even of the statutes creating them is often not uniform; so that the most striking thing about any general statement is that it has numerous exceptions. 88 The General Supply Committee in the Treasury department, and the Philippine Committee on Geographical Names are instances of permanent committees equivalent to bureaus or boards. 112 Government Organization and Terminology This being premised, we may consider the terms: de- partment, bureau, office, division, section, board, com- mission, survey,. and service, which we meet constantly. Of these the first five are the usual terms in the order given for the successive grades of permanent botlies per- forming routine administrative work, bureau and office being regarded as of the same grade, and used inter- changeably. Thus, under any department may be many bureaus or offices. Under any bureau may be a divi- sion ; or sometimes a body directly under the depart- ment, but minor in function, may be termed a division. If a further specialization in organization under a divi- sion is needed it may be called a section. The War De- partment, however, stands alone in using the term de- partment for most of its important bureaus, e.g., the Ordnance Department, the Medical Department, etc. It gives the same title to the territorial divisions of the army, as the Eastern Department, the Hawaiian Depart- ment, etc. Commission and board and, less often, committee, are most often applied to more detached and independent, often temporary bodies, charged with special, sometimes expert work. Survey attaches to a body employed in geodetic, geographical, or hydrographic work, naviga- tion, exploration, or the like. Service denotes a body of employes in most cases distributed all over the coun- try, as the States Relations Service, formerly the Ex- periment Stations Office ; the Customs Service ; the For- estry Service, etc. System is used in the sole case of the Postal Savings System. The term report, as used in the executive, the legisla- tive, and the judicial branches of the government, desig- nates works entirely different from each other. A re- port from a body which has administrative functions, like the Department of Agriculture or the Bureau of Education, is an account of work done during the period covered, with recommendations for future activities. As Government Organization and Terminology 113 to render a concise statement requires care, it is due to the lack of it that some reports are overladen with ill- digested statistics and details, repeating in one place what is already in print in another, or even the same volume. Also, there tend constantly to creep in be- tween the covers of a report informational or research special papers. The temptation is strong to give the pubHc this helpful material under cover of the appropria- tion for printing the annual report. This, as said before, has been, for the present, at least, sternly ruled out, and research papers relegated to separate series of bulletins, monographs, and the like. A report from the legislative branch of the govern- ment is an entirely different kind of work. It comes, not from Congress as a whole, but from a committee to which that body has delegated responsibility for recom- mending legislation on a specific subject. It is not an account of work done, but of investigations and conclu- sions arrived at. Its subject matter is a constructive measure of legislation which it recommends to Con- gress for passage or rejection. The judicial report is again quite another thing. In- cidentally it may be remarked that it would be in the interests of definiteness in the use of terms if the reports of the Supreme Court, and of all other courts, state or federal, could have their title changed to " Opinions " or " Decisions " of the court. In this the Interstate Com- merce Commission has set a wise precedent. The judi- cial report consists namely of the opinion of the court with a brief statement of the case. So the reports of the national Court of Claims, of the United States Supreme Court, etc., are not like either of the former two, execu- tive or legislative. The dift'erence in the kind of work called indiscriminately a report, as published by these three different branches of the government, should be borne in mind as the United States publications are examined. 114 Government Organization and Terminology Of the so-called executive (Jei)artments*'''* there are since 1913 ten, namely, the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Interior, Justice, Labor, Xavy, Post-Office, State, Treasury, and War The head of each is called secretary, except of the Post-Office Department, headed by the postmaster-general, and the Department of Jus- tice, by the attorney-general. Together these heads of executive departments form the President's cabinet, or official advisers and agents for carrying out his policies, corresponding to the ministry in most Euro])ean coun- tries. The ten departments do not make the sum total of bodies of the executive branch. There are bodies in- dependent of them, some of the most important being the Interstate Commerce Commission, the Civil Service Commission, the Smithsonian Institution, the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Trade Commission, and others that will suggest themselves. It may be noted that many a subordinate bureau is better known and more important to the general public than the depart- ment it is under. 89 The new printing bill uses throughout the expression, " Departments, independent offices, and establishments"; also, when greater inclusiveness is intended, " Committee, commission, office, department, or establishment of the government." XIV Things to be Noticed Certain things which it is well to notice in a govern- ment publication have been already mentioned : — the mark O for finis; the signature at end of a report; the address at beginning or end ; the letter or letters of trans- mittal, etc. Sometimes the seal of the publishing body on the title-page gives information lacking in the words of the title. In the Congressional publications is occasion- ally seen an asterisk in the margin at the foot of the first page. This indicates a corrected print struck off to replace a first print in which an error occurred. Some publications have, usually on the reverse of the title-page, the words, " Treasury Department document number so-and-so," " War Department document num- ber so-and-so," or the same expression with the name of some other bureau or department substituted. This is often a help in ascertaining the administrative body which is the responsible author of the work, although it can not be depended on to fix the final decision. It should be included in the catalog entry, as it will be found occasion- ally a helpful item in identifying or correlating two or more documents. The words, " Whole number so-and- so," or some equivalent, or simply a detached number, usually in the hundreds, are seen on some bulletins, etc., at the extreme top of cover or title-page, or in another place. This is not so necessary to include in the catalog entry. Both this and the department or bureau docu- ment number serve a purpose, usually that of identifica- tion and consecutive file number in the office which issues the publication. But with neither set of numbers will it be advisable to try to check off or keep count of them to see if all are received; for one reason, because "5 ii6 Things to be Noticed the file may inchide confidential material or office blanks and forms, etc. Neither is a series entry needed under, e.g.. " U. S. Treasury Department document " or " U. S. Education Bureau. Whole number." PART II Legislative Publications I General Congress, the legislative branch of the government, is charged with giving, in the form of statute law, the orders which create and keep in motion the total machinery of the federal government. This excludes, of course, all matters regulated by the constitution of the United States, as well as all which are entrusted to the sovereign states to regulate for themselves according to their own state constitutions and the laws which the state legislatures make for them. Of the two bodies composing the Congress of the United States, members of the House of Representatives have a term of office of only two years. Senators hold office six years. But as every second year the freshly elected members of the House of Representatives take their seats, there is said to begin then a new Congress. These biennial Congresses have been numbered consecu- tively from the first in 1789 to the present 65th Congress whose members came into office March 4, 1917. Each senator, then, is elected for the period of three Con- gresses. But their terms of office have been arranged from the beginning so that they expire, not all at once, but in relays, one third of the membership every two years. Thus, while we have biennial Congresses, with annual sessions, the Senate is a continuous body down from the beginning of the government. The Senate, al- though the smaller body, yet — because each senator stands for a larger constituency than a representative, and is, indeed, often considered as standing for a sovereign state, not for a certain number of voters — is given precedence of the House of Representatives in all official matters. One hears them called the upper and 119 120 General lower house respectively. This extends even to the ar- rangement of their pubhcations, those of the Senate being placed first usually. A session is a meeting which is regarded in parliamen- tary law as continuous, but is actually broken by daily or more frequent adjournments, each one specifying a defi- nite time of reassembling. It may last over a number of months. An adjournment sine die, that is, without any fixed time for coming together again, terminates a session. The constitution of the United States directs that Con- gress shall meet at least once a year, beginning the first IMonday in December, unless Congress shall fix some other date, which it has not done. Congress has ordered, however, that, of its regular annual sessions, two for each biennial Congress, one session may run along to the very hour of opening of the succeeding session, unless ended sooner by its own vote ; but the other must terminate the fourth of March. Thus we have alternately a long session and a short one. It is convenient to recall that this end of the short session on the fourth of March comes always in the odd-numbered years, 1913, 1915, .etc. The fourth of March sees also, as each two biennial periods pass by, the inauguration of a President. At jioon of this day, as the 63d, 64th, or other biennial Con- gress expires, the members of the new Congress imme- diately come into office. The new representatives have been elected (in all but three of the states, in which elec- tion is earlier) on the Tuesday after the first Monday of (November of the preceding year, and have been repre- sentatives-elect all through the short session, of December to March, during which the Congress about to expire has been sitting and making laws. The representative who was elected in November and holds ofifice from the fourth of March, does not begin his lawmaking until the regular session opens the following December, unless urgent business demands immediate action. In that case an extra session may be called by the President at any time after March fourth. As the sessions are General 121 numbered continuously throughout a Congress, if an extra session is called, the regular sessions become the second and third, instead of first and second, in numbering. The Senate has, of course, its semi-executive func- tions as adjunct and advisory to the Chief Executive in the appro\»al of treaties and of nominations of officers. It is, therefore, for this purpose only, occasionally as- sembled in session alone, the House not sitting; but this does not affect the numbers of the sessions, which include only those held jointly, Senate and House both sitting. The printed proceedings and debates of these special sessions of the Senate, those, that is, not confidential and published in the Congressional Record, are usually so slight that they are not made a separate volume, but are bound in with the volume covering the session fol- lowing or preceding. And the same is done wnth the Reports and Documents, if any, of these special sessions of the Senate. A convenient table of dates of Con- gresses and their sessions and the Presidents in office during each may be found in the Checklist, pages 185- 188. Another list is in the Congressional Directory. The regular publications of the legislative branch of the government which will be taken up here in turn may be counted as five, viz: — (i) the Journals of each house; (2) the Congressional Record; (3) the bills and laws; (4) the committee Reports of each house; and (5) the Documents of each house. The laws are included here for convenience. Strictly, an engrossed copy of each goes from Congress to the State Department, where the Bureau of Rolls and Library preserves the engrossed copy, and prints and distributes all editions of the laws. II The Serially Numbered Set Three of these five publications, the Journals, Docu- ments, and committee Reports, have from the earliest times been connected together by a certain uniformity of treatment, including make-up, style, binding, laws as to printing and distribution, etc. This has caused them to be thought of together by the public, and shelved together in libraries, as one continuous series known as the Con- gressional set, or Congressional series, or — calling all by the title which belongs to only one of the series — the 'Congressional documents. It has also been dubbed the sheep-bound set or sheep set, other government publica- tions being mostly in cloth or paper, while these volumes till 1907 were always bound in full sheep. Also it has been called the serial set from the serial numbers spoken of beyond. The Congressional set actually consists of six separate and distinct series, or, before the consolidation of the Executive and Miscellaneous Documents into a single series with the title Documents, of eight series. These six series are the Journals, Reports, and Documents (Executive Documents, Miscellaneous Documents) of each house. ^ 1 It should be observed that in very early Congressional publications these series were not differentiated, nor were their titles always Documents or Reports. It is only beginning with the i6th Congress that the Reports were differentiated from the Documents, and then only by the House. With the first session of the 30th Congress, 1847-48, both the Senate and House publications began to be divided, besides Journals, into Reports and Ex- ecutive Documents and Miscellaneous Documents. The Executive Docu- ments were intended to include all communications from the President and the executive departments, the Miscellaneous Documents all other papers connected with the business of Congress outside of committee Reports. By the printing law of 1895 and beginning with the ist session of the 54th Congress, 1895-96, the Congressional set was simplified by consolidating the two series of Executive and Miscellaneous Documents for each house each into a single series with the title Documents. See Checklist, p. xix. 122 The Serially Numbered Set 123 The two Journals, of the Senate and House respect- ively, consist each of one volume only. But each of the four (or six) other series consist of many separate publi- cations, bound, separately or in collected lots, into numer- ous volumes. Within each series the publications and also the volumes are numbered consecutively and inde- pendently, making a dual system of numbering within each series. The order of arrangement of the six (or eight) series has not always been the same, but always a session to- gether, the Senate preceding the House, and the Journals foremost. At present the order is, first the Journals of both houses, then the Reports of both, then the Docu- ments. The Executive Documents preceded the Miscel- laneous Documents as long as these existed separately. Examination of the tables of the Congressional set in the Checklist will show how the order varied from time to time. Another set of numbers ties together these six (or eight) series with an additional bond. This is the so- called serial number assigned to every volume of Jour- nals, Reports, and Documents, beginning with the first of the 15th Congress and continuing without a break down to the latest volume issuing today from the govern- ment press. This was devised by Dr. John G. Ames, and the full scheme was first put into use in the second edition of the Checklist, 1895. In regard to the serial number- ing it may be allowable to repeat here what has been al- ready explained.- This is that, while it might seem that to add another to the already complicated sets of number- ings would only increase confusion, yet, with the Congres- sional set as it existed when Dr. Ames assigned them, these numbers were a great help. They provided an ab- solutely distinctive and short designation for each volume to substitute for the long statement of Congress, session, number, and volume. Besides quoting and calling for it by this short number, distinct and different for each vol- 2 See Why Bewildering: topic 5, p. 71. 124 The Serially Numbered Set ume, the set on the Hbrary shelves could be checked by these numbers to prove that nothing was lacking, and all were in order. Under the present semi-reformed and compromise system there are three classes of publications with serial numbers which are lacking in the depositories' sets. These are the Journals ; the Reports on simple and concurrent resolutions and on private bills; and the an- nuals and other serials originating in the executive bodies, as the depositories receive these in plain title edition. Gaps in the serial numbers on the depository library shelves show where these three classes of works are want- ing. The continuity of the numbers is now so ragged and broken as to impair their usefulness. To describe or refer with bibliographical exactness to any Document or Report of Congress, eight items or designations must be given, viz.: — (i) U. S. ; (2) num- ber of the Congress; (3) number of the session; (4) Senate or House; (5) title of the series, i.e., Document (Executive Document, ^Miscellaneous Document) or Re- port; (6) number in its series; (7) volume number; (8) serial number.^ The number of the session, (3), is superfluous for publications of a date since the Document and Report numbers began being continuous throughout a Congress. But as during nearly a century the num- bering began anew each session, to omit this item for any- thing earlier than the 2d session of the 60th Congress might leave the reader in doubt between two Documents of the same number but of different sessions, instead of guiding him straight to the right one.* Thus the correct reference or quotation will read, e.g., U. S. 54th Con- gress, I St session, House Document 430. In v. 88; 3455. The order, punctuation, etc., do not matter, provided all the items are given. But in any catalog, to adopt an order of items and use it uniformly is recommended, both for neatness, and to check forgetfulness. 3 See also, beyond. Cataloging: i. House and Senate four series, p. 207. 4 See Checklist, p. 156, footnote. Ill Journals The Journals of the Senate and of the House are pub- lished separately for each body, are royal octavo, and are one volume a session for each. They contain the bare minutes of the proceedings, excluding debates, speeches, etc. How: much that which is excluded is in bulk may be seen by comparing the two volumes of the Journals for preferably a long session with the several large quarto volumes of the Congressional Record for the same session. Although the Journals still have assigned to them a serial number as of old before the days of bibliographical reform, yet that number now represents always a gap on the shelves of the depository library. Since the passage of the law of January 12, 1895, the Journals have not been sent to all depository libraries. There are printed for libraries only 144 copies, sent to only three libraries in each state, one of which is the state library. The new printing bill restores the Journals to the depository libraries. The Journals of the executive sessions of the Sen- ate are confidential until, after due lapse of time, that body removes the injunction of secrecy and orders that they be printed.^ They are not a part of the Congres- sional set, but a distinct series of volumes by themselves, and will not be taken up here, except to say that the new bill provides for each volume, as it is printed and made public, the same distribution as for the Journals of the open sessions. An account of them will be found in the Checklist, page 1503. 5 See, for account of them, Monthly Catalog, May, 1910, p. 667. 125 IV Congressional Record ° The Journals are superfluous and unwanted in libra- ries because the Congressional Record contains every- thing found in them, with much more. The Record, however, gives the proceedings of each legislative day in both houses continuously, instead of segregating them in a separate volume for each body, as the Journals do. It gives a complete verbatim account, taken down on the floor of Senate and House by the official stenographers, the most expert in the country, of all that is said and done in Congress day by day. The Record began in 1873 ^t the opening of the 43d Congress, and its publication was the beginning of the government's official reporting and printing the pro- ceedings for itself. It has, how-ever, three predecessors, which, though not compiled by the government, were sanctioned by it and recognized as official, and which successively bring down these proceedings from the first Congress in 1789 to 1873. These are the An- nals of Congress, the Register of Debates, and the Con- gressional Globe.'^ The proceedings of Congress which the Record con- tains are not reprinted in any Report or Document of the Congressional set, the now undistributed Journals being left out of the question. Conversely, neither do 6 Interesting discussions of this publication will be found in Congressional Record, 62d Congress, 2d session, v. 48:2293 (illustrations in); 3936 (sub- scription price); 3254 (quotas of members); 4328 (average cost of printing); 4466 (1,000,000 copies proposed); 5824, 6497 (speeches in). Also in same, 63d Congress, 2d session, H. of R.; Jan. 24, 1914; v. 51:2266-2268 (Barn- hart; cost of Record). As to quotas of Records distributed through folding rooms in 56th, 5 7th, and 58th Congresses, see U. S. Printing Investigation Commission, Report, 1906, v. i: 123 (Brian); also, in S3d to s8th Con- gresses, same: 156-160. 7 See, for history and description of these series, Checklist, p. 1463-1475. 126 Congressional Record 127 the Reports and Documents of Congress appear reprinted in the Record except infrequently as some special reason may place one there. For instance, messages of the President, which are always in the Record, may or may not be found as Documents of Congress. Neither is the text of bills and resolutions, of laws and treaties to be found in the Record except as above stated. The print- ing there of simple resolutions and of other short resolu- tions may be an exception to this general rule. The bulk of the Record is swollen by the advantage taken by members of Congress of the so-called leave to print or to extend remarks. By this, on request, if no one objects, a member is permitted to print in the Record remarks, to present which on the floor of Senate or House time was not granted, or, scandal whispers, sometimes was not desired nor asked. And, coupled with this, is the privilege to have reprinted at cost and without restriction as to quantity any part of the Rec- ord, and, indeed, of any United States government pub- lication. These reprints, costing little and sent free un- der the member's frank, may be distributed broadcast over the country as campaign documents, or as tokens to the member's constituents of his activity and impor- tance in Congress, where, it might happen, he had not once been recognized to make a speech. The printing bill sets limitations to both these privileges. The Record is issued in an unbound part for each day that Congress or either house is in session. Index parts come out semi-monthly. Caution must be given that the paging of the final bound volumes differs from that of the dailies, being changed in consolidating the text as it appeared in the daily issues. So the semi- monthly indexes can not be used for the bound volume, nor will the index to the bound volumes verify if used for the unbound numbers. Reference made to the Con- gressional Record should be always to the pages of the bound volume ; or, if necessarily to the unbound issues, then statement to that effect should be made. The 128 Congressional Record daily issues should be thrown away as soon as the bound volume is received. They are no longer of any use, and are not wanted returned in Washington. The pro- ceedings of a session are called one volume of the Rec- ord, paged continuously, with an index to all of it at the end ; but this so-called volume is usually so large as to have to be bound in several parts, each part itself a large quarto volume with its own separate title-page. The index by itself makes one of these parts or separate volumes of good size. An appendix, bound often with the index, contains only speeches, those which did not appear in the daily Record of proper date, perhaps be- cause they were withheld by their authors for revision, or for other causes. The index of the Record under committees and mem- bers is satisfactory, so far as the writer's experience goes. But the indexing of subjects gives reason to wish that a person could be put at the task who, besides be- ing conversant with the business of Congress, might be in addition trained in catalogmg. Examples can be furnished by hundreds where the canons of subject cata- loging do not seem to be known, and are certainly not observed.^ The user thereby loses much time, and fre- quently loses some of the material also. One indispensable part of the index has given the writer efficient service on all occasions when used. This is the History of Bills and Resolutions at the end. This is a complete numerical list of, first the Senate bills and joint, concurrent, and simple resolutions, fol- lowed by the same of the House. It includes only those which have been introduced or on which action has 8 See, for criticism by R. P. Falkner, endorsed by the council of the American Library Association, Library Journal, 2-]: C93, C96, 1902; Library Journal, .:8: C103-C104, 1903; also same in A. L. A. Proceedings, 190J, 1903. Also, by the writer, in A. L. A. Papers and proceedings, 1916, p. 318. Also by Superintendent of Documents Ferrell, U. S. Printing Investi- gation Commission, Report, 1906, v. 1:77. The last complains that the index gives no clue under subjects to a speech made to a bill, but on a subject foreign to it, e.g., a speech on the tariff made while rivers and harbors appropriations have the floor. Congressional Record 129 been taken in the session covered by the volume in- dexed. Gaps between the numbers show bills of an- other session untouched in this session. Under each bill will be found stated every stage of its progress from its introduction down to — if it became a law — its return approved by the President ; and, in recent volumes, its number as a public or private law or resolution. The numbers of any Reports or Documents on it are also given. If none of these facts are given, then the bill had no history after being introduced and referred to a committee as the rules direct, that is, in the session cov- ered by the index being consulted. But the search must extend through all the indexes for all the sessions of a Congress, as the bill may have been introduced at the opening of the first session and not passed till near the close of the last session. If one particular bill failed to pass, this does not prove that the measure did not go through. Often several bills and resolutions to accomplish an identical purpose, or identical bills in both houses are introduced ; or a bill or bills are swallowed up by a committee, and the measure reported back in an entirely new bill with another num- ber. In recent volumes of the Record index, in the alphabetical part, an asterisk added to a bill number in- dicates that there was action on the bill. If the object be to find whether a measure passed or not and then to find the published text of the law. the pro- cedure is to look in the alphabetical part under subject and other entries, and note either all bills there recorded, or, in recent volumes, the one starred.** Then turn to those numbers or that number in the History of Bills and Resolutions at the end of the index. In the earlier case each number must be examined till the one is 9 The index is so faultily made that one can not be sure to find together under one subject all bill numbers, etc, but one must examine all pertinent and related subjects and also the committee and personal entries to make sure of getting all the material. If the index were properly made, with uniform system of subject headings, and consistency in entry under them, and in the cross references, this would not be necessary. 130 Congressional Record found the history of which comes down to its being passed and signed by the President. In later Records the asterisk gives reference direct to the one which became law, or to several on which action was taken, which must include the one that finally passed. The date when ap- proved; also, in the later volumes, the words, "Public no, ," or " Private no. " (these latter being the number of the law in slip form), will identify the law either in the separate slip form, or in the collected laws. Of both of these forms description will be given fur- ther on. In tracing, by use of the Congressional Record and its index, the passage of a bill into law, the following data should be gathered : — 1. Number of bill or resolution that passed. Describe by four designations. 2. Congress and session and years covered by the session in which passed. 3. By whom introduced. If prepared in committee, note it. 4. Committees of each house which considered it, including con- ference committees, if any. 5. Other bills or resolutions on the same subject which did not become law. 6. Any Reports printed. Describe by eight designations. 7. Any Documients printed. Describe by eight designations. 8. Notable debate and speeches. Names of speakers and refer- ence to pages of Record. 9. Date of signature. 10. Slip law number. 11. Volume and page of Statutes at Large where law is to be found. If Statutes are not yet out substitute reference to Session Laws. But if on the measure there are sought the total ac- tion and the debates of Congress, then there must be noted under the subject in the alphabetical index every entry and every bill and resolution, and, in the History, the action taken on all the latter, also the Documents and Reports printed ; and all page references must be looked up. Looking up the page references is a weary search which might be lessened, especially for the references in the History, were the indexing done by a person as Congressional Record 131 expert in indexing as the Record stenographers, say, are in stenography, as a system of defined or modified references to pages might be worked out.'*^ But the most enhghtening debate and the most important action may have been on a bill which did not pass finally, an- other bill number having gained the right of way. And speeches or debate on, for instance, the tarifif, or other subject of current politics, occur often quite irrespective of the measure before the house. The subject entries of the index should give a clue to these also. To find the total history of legislation which was long incubating, the Records of several sessions or Con- gresses must be searched. Government treatment of American merchant marine will occur to any one as a subject sporadic in Congress over many years. In its latest phase, government owned ships for the period of the European war, it presents an interesting exam- ple of how a measure, discussed in Congress after Con- gress without action thereon, may persist and finally in one form or another become law. Not until every stone has been upturned in searching the Record can one be sure one has not overlooked some vital facts in this orig- inal source of current political and legislative history — facts of which this is the storehouse, and which can be gleaned at first hand nowhere else. The inestimable value of a scientifically made index to the Record, with a system of uniform subject headings continuous through successive volumes, can be thus seen. Could such a one be once made and shown, it would be acclaimed by scho- lars, statesmen, in fact, by every one who has occasion to use the work. A comparison of the Congressional Record index and the Document Index as to what can be obtained from each may be helpful. The Record not only indexes its own contents — the debates and proceedings of Congres3 including its action on bills — but also supplies incident- 10 See Indexing, principles, rules, and examples, by M. T. Wheeler. 2d ed. rev. Albany, 1913. (N. Y. State Library. Library School IBuUetin] 33) 132 Congressional Record ally the numbers of bills and resolutions and of the Re- ports and Documents on them, and, begmnmg with the 57th Congress, 1901-3, the numbers of the slip laws. All of these are publications separate from the Record. The Document Index indexes only the Documents and Reports, and supplies incidentally only one thing, viz., in the entry of Reports the number of the bill or resolution on which made. The good workmanship of this latter index ensures finding, under the subject heading used, all the Reports and Documents that bear on it ; but no clue is supplied to bills not reported on, to the action of Con- gress on a bill, or to whether a bill became law or not. The Document Index is so much better an index than that of the Record, that it may sometimes expedite search to find from it the number of a bill, instead of from the alphabetical part of the Record index, thence turning direct to the History for the action on it and final dis- position of it. The Document Catalog, it may be mentioned, ap- pends to entries of Reports the page number of the Statutes at Large where the text of the bill that was reported and became a law is to be found. If the bill did not become law in that Congress, of course there is no reference. The abbreviations used by the Record index and the Document Index respectively are difterent. To avoid confusion, a table of them is appended : — Congressional Document Record Index- Senate bill S. S. Senate joint resolution S. J. Res. S. J. R. Senate concurrent resolution S. Con. Res. S. C. R. Senate resolution S. Res. S. R. House bill H. R. H. House joint resolution H. J. Res. H. J. R. House concurrent resolution .... H. Con. Res. H. C. R. House resolution H. Res. H. R. V Bills and Resolutions: Laws The business of Congress is to produce laws. A pro- posed law is either a bill or a resolution. " Facts, prin- ciples, and their own opinions and purposes, are ex- pressed in the form of resolutions.^^ There are three kinds of resolutions : joint ; concurrent ; and simple. As to form the difference between the four is in the enacting clause at the beginning. A bill begins : " Be it en- acted " ; a resolution, " Resolved," or " Be it resolved," the rest of the phrase varying with the kind of resolution it is.^- As to content, the simple and concurrent resolu- tion are of the same grade, and are not understood to embody legislation. The simple resolution concerns the business of one house only, and is not submitted to the other house, nor to the President, nor preserved in the laws. Frequently, being short, its text is printed in full in the Record as part of the proceedings. Concurrent resolutions concern the business and require the consent of both houses. They do not go to the President, but since the printing law of 1895 they have been printed in the Statutes at Large, beginning with volume 28 for the 53d Congress. " The joint resolution is a bill so far as the processes of Congress in relation to it are concerned . . . They are used for what may be called the incidental, unusual. n U. S. Congress. H. of R. Constitution, Jefferson's manual, and rules . . . 63d Congress, 3d session, sec. 388. 12 A simple resolution begins: "Resolved"; a concurrent resolution, ••Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring)"— the order is reversed if originating m the House; a joint resolution, " Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America m Congress assembled"; a bill, "Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of Anlenca ' in " Congress assembled." 133 134 Bills and Resolutions: Laws or inferior purposes of legislating."" The differences in content of bills and the various kinds of resolutions may be grasped by exammation of samples of them in the Statutes at Large. But to illustrate — if either house alone takes an adjournment for the allowed period, it does so by simple resolution. It also adjusts its business relations with its own ofticials in this form. But the two houses adjourn for more than the permitted three days or sine die by concurrent resolution. Orders to print may be by simple resolution up to a certain limit of cost, above that by concurrent resolution, or by joint resolution, or even by a bill.^* A bill or resolution is quoted by stating four items concerning it, namely : — ( i ) number of the Congress ; (2) the house in which it originated; (3) its title, i.e., bill or resolution of whatever kind; (4) its number. The description will read, for example, 64th Congress, Senate joint resolution 2y. At present a bill or resolution under consideration is printed, unless specifically ordered by either house, six times only, viz.: — when in the house of origin it is (i) referred to a committee; (2) favorably reported back; and (3) after its passage; the same processes duplicat- ing in the second house. No bill or resolution, unless in special reprint edition, is listed in the Checklist, or in the Monthly Catalog, nor is any indexed directly in the Document Index or in Poore, Ames, or the Document Catalog. They are indexed directly in the Congressional Record index only. But such as attain the dignity of having a Report made on them can be reached indirectly through the entries 13 U. S. Congress. H. of R. Constitution, Jefferson's manual, and rules . . . 63d Congress, .3d session, sec. 390. 14 " Resolutions of inquiry are usually simple rather than concurrent in form, and are never joint resolutions." U. S. Congress. H. of R. Con- stitution, Jefferson's manual, and rules . . . 63d Congress, 3d session, sec. 835. " Notice to a foreign government of the abrogation of a treaty is authorized by a joint resolution." Same, sec. 592. " Amendments to the Constitution are proposed in the form of joint resolutions . . but are not presented to the President for his approval." Same, sec. 223. Bills and Resolutions: Laws 135 for these Reports in the Monthly Catalog (under the name of the committee only), in the Document Catalog, and the Document Index, the bill number and title of the bill bemg included as part of the entry in the first two, the number only m the last. Bills and resolutions are not received by libraries, nor has the Documents Office any supply for distribution. Their number is legion, and the demand for them is infinitesimal in proportion to their number. But debaters who discuss live topics and those interested in pending legislation are frequently at a disadvantage because of not having before them the exact provisions of a measure which is being considered by Congress. Application to a senator or representative will usually, doubtless, procure a copy or copies. But if some depository of current bills, on public business only, could be created, to which application could be made at need, with certainty of prompt supply, it would be a boon to many. The burden of the overwhelming surplus of bills which would never be called for, but which would have to be kept so as to be ready to supply the few demands, could be relieved by requiring merely a four-years' or a two-years' preservation, and exclud- ing private bills. The procedure by which a bill or a joint resolution becomes law is the following : — ( i ) It is introduced into either house and referred to a committee, usually auto- matically and according as the rules direct. Many bills, in fact, the majority of the vast number with which Con- gress is annually flooded, stop here, and are said to die in committee. (2) It is reported back, either adversely, or favorably with or without amendments. It is seldom, in- deed, that a bill is passed over an adverse report. (3) It is voted on and passed by the house in which it originated. (4) It is introduced into the other house and referred to a committee. (5) It is reported back with or without amendments. (6) It is passed by the other house. If it is passed with amendments of course it has to go back to be considered again in the house from which it came. 136 Bills and Resolutions: Laws And if the two houses vote to disagree about the pro- visions of the bill, then members of each house are des- ignated to meet and confer with a view to settling points of diflference. This is called a conference committee, and the bill is said to " go to conference." Usually the conferees are appointed from the membership of the committee which reported the bill in each house. But this may be omitted from our count of processes as a little out of the ordinary. During all these stages it has retained its bill number as given it w^hen originally introduced, e.g., S. 19785, or H.J.R.25. (7) It is signed by the President. We may omit the veto procedure. It is now published in separate pamphlet form known as a slip law ^^ or a slip resolution, with a new number consec- utive through the Congress, as " Public no. ," or " Private no. ," " Public resolution no. ," or " Private resolution no. ." Although this ends the stages of the progress of a bill or resolution into full- fledged law, yet, to make the bibliographical record com- plete from start to finish, the various successive forms in which the laws are published and distributed may be added here. As a slip law it has gone into the hands of the State Department, which prints and distributes the laws. (8) All laws of a session are collected together and printed as the so-called Session or Pamphlet Laws.^*^ Appended to this volume are the collected treaties and conventions and the proclamations of the year, which, like the slip laws, have had previous publication in large oc- tavo broadside or pamphlet form. (9) All the laws of a Congress are collected together and republished as a volume of the Statutes at Large. ^' Appended are the treaties and conventions and the proclamations for the two years. (10) The final form is the Revised Stat- utes. ^^ This consists of all the laws in force at the time 15 See Checklist, p. 954-957. 16 See Checklist, p. 957-962. 17 See Checklist, p. 965-968. li See Checklist, p. 968-970. See also. Documents Office, Price list 10: Laws; 9th ed., March, 1917, from Which iiiforrhation abbut Codes given below is quoted. Bills and Resolutions: Laws 137 of revision, omitting everything repealed or made void by later legislation, rearranged under their subjects, and re- enacted en bloc to make the whole legally binding. No treaties nor proclamations are included. All treaties to which the United States is a party are pubHshed in a cumulated edition from time to time.^^ And proclama- tions can be found in the messages and papers of the Presidents, several cumulated editions of which have been successively published.-" No issue of the Revised Stat- utes has been made since the Supplement to volume 2, 1892-1901, 52d-56th Congresses, since when the Statutes at Large and Session Laws must be depended on. With this set should be used the Index Analysis of the Federal Statutes . . . 1789-1907, by G. W. Scott, M. G. Beaman and others, 2 volumes, published 191 1 and 1908 respec- tively, by the Library of Congress. " In 1897 a Commis- sion to Revise the Criminal Laws was created. Later its scope was enlarged to include all the Federal laws. Two chapters of the new revision have been thus far passed by Congress and made laws, namely, the Criminal Code [no pages, 191 1 ] and the Judicial Code [149 pages, 1913]." No. 7, the slip laws, are not sent to libraries, any more than the bills are, although they can be obtained on ap- plication as directed in the Monthly Catalog. No. 8, the Session Laws, are the first issue which the libra- ries receive. No. 9, the Statutes at Large, are the final form for a library to preserve. They contain all the laws of all the sessions of a single Congress, and so entirely duplicate the two or three volumes of the Ses- sion Laws, which should be thrown away when the Statutes at Large are received. The only use an old volume of Session Laws has is to fill in where a dupli- cate is needed, or to supply gaps where the Statutes are not obtainable, as may happen with early volumes. The case is dififerent as regards the Statutes at Large and the Revised Statutes. In the latter all acts superseded 19 See Checklist, p. 976-978. Also, an edition 1910-1913, in 3 volumes. 20 See Checklist, p. 874-875. 138 Bills and Resolutions: Laws or repealed arc omitted ; therefore, to have a copy of the laws in force at any given date the complete set of the Statutes must be permanently retained. The slip laws can be found in the Checklist,-^ and cur- rently in the Monthly Catalog and the Congressional Record index. Reference to the separate enactments in the Session Laws and the Statutes at Large can be made through their volume indexes ; also, as said be- fore, through the entries in the Document Catalog un- der Reports made on them. To a trained indexer the volume indexes to the volumes of the Statutes at Large seem unsatisfactory, matter bearing on the same sub- ject being indexed partly under one heading and partly under another.-- Whether the legal profession are sat- isfied with them is not known to the writer. The only exact way to quote a law is as " Pub- Cong. " j Cong. or • " Private law TTT".-; c' lie law date I date " Public resolution ~~z: Cong. or ; " Private resolution, date fc^^i— " or , It may also be quoted — giving its sub- date ject, as there might be more than one law of that date — by date alone ; the date given being, of course, that of ap- proval by the President. An example is : Public resolu- tion 13, of March 30, 1906; or, Public resolution 13, 59th Congress ; or, Public resolution approved March 30, 1906, requiring departments to pay main costs of their publica- tions printed as Documents of Congress — these three being dififerent ways of quoting the selfsame act. It is often spoken of less definitely as the law on such a sub- ject of such a year; or, by the name of some man who 21 Under State Department, S7 5. 22 For fault found with the indexing of the Statutes at Large by James R. Mann, Republican leader in the House, see Cong. Record, 51: 15237. Bills and Resolutions: Laws 139 was active in putting it through, as the McKinley tariff law, etc. ; but a law so described would be difficult to identify in the Statutes. If the distinction between public and private legisla- tion is not clearly grasped, the following may help : " The term, private bill, shall be construed to mean all bills for the relief of private parties, bills granting pen- sions, and bills removmg political disabilities," -•* It should be added that now, as the business of Congress is so volummous, the preparatory investigation and threshing out of all important legislation are done in the committee rooms. But what goes on there often is un- published, and what has been put into print has been inaccessible, unknown, and unregulated as to what may be printed and to whom distributed. Often valuable material known to have been put in print has vanished, leaving not a copy for later generations. Much of the total work done by Congress in the hearings and rec- ords of committees and in other papers printed to facili- tate their discussions, has been lost to the student of public events. Luckily, the new printing bill provides better regulation of committee publications, and enacts that the depository libraries shall receive them. 23 Present law includes bills for the survey cf rivers and harbors. The new printing bill excludes these from the definlticn of private bills, but provides that they shall have the distribution ot private bills. VI Reports of Committees ^* As has been seen, the subject of the activity of Con- gress is in the form of bills and resolutions. These bills and resolutions are in the hands of committees. For instance, to the committees on Indian affairs in Senate and House are referred all bills introduced touching that business. The committee examines each one and brings before its respective house those upon which it deems best to recommend action. The com- mittee itself, also, may frame a bill which it recom- mends to be made law. This recommendation is called a Report. So the Report of a committee is usually, but not invariably, on a bill or resolution which it sub- mits, or reports favorably, or favorably with amend- ments, or reports adversely. Committee Reports of the United States Congress, mostly from one to only a few pages in length, have al- ways been most unsatisfactorily treated as regards their titles. A catchword heading in prominent type runs across the top of the first page above the text of the Report. This catchword heading usually is inadequate to convey more than the merest inkling, if that, of the subject matter of the Report. Below this are the name of the member who presents the Report ; the name of the committee that makes it ; the word " Report " ; and the house and number, but not the title, of the bill that the Report " accompanies," as the phrase on the bill reads. Somewhere in the body of the Report one is told whether it amends, favors, or is adverse to the bill. Recently the larger Reports are provided with 24 See, before. Government organization and terminology, p. 113. 140 Reports of Committees 141 title-pages, but the titles on them are not yet framed ac- cording to any system. Now, the subject matter of a Report is that of the bill it accompanies. And the subject matter of a bill is stated in its title, which describes it according to the best judgment of its framers, or, perhaps, of the print- ing clerk. A satisfactory statement of what the Report is about will thus be best secured by quoting the title of the bill. If this title be inadequate to convey an idea of the subject matter of the bill, still, it is right here, by supplementing and defining the title according as an index-analysis of laws would require the purport of the bill to be stated, that adequacy of statement as to what the Report is about is most properly supplied. Here, by stating clearly in its title the purport of the bill, is the chance to secure a clear, adequate title for the Re- port itself. A Report title should include ( i ) the com- mitee making the Report; (2) the kind of recommenda- tion made; (3) house and number of the bill; (4) title of the bill (with addition of any explanatory words needed) ; (5) the member presenting the Report. Such a Re- port title would read : " Report from the committee sul^mitting favoring amending adverse to of Mrs. H. P. Porter; presented by H. A. Du Pont."" Or : " Report from the committee on the District of Columbia amending S.3813, to require street railroad companies in the District of Columbia to issue free transfers; presented by J. H. Gallinger." In both these examples the phrase following the bill number might be in quotation marks, as it is the title printed on the bill itself. Using the bill title gives system and certainty and uniformity to the titles of the Reports, and if the printing clerks of Senate and House could be induced to adopt a Report title on some such system as that outlined above, to include the title of the bill, it on pensions -< S.I 1 8, to increase pension 142 Reports of Committees would give us good riddance of the hastily patched up catchword heading title now used. The Documents Of- fice saw this when, under F. A. Crandall and the present writer, it made up its rules and system of cataloging; and the entry for Reports that we see in the Document Catalogs is, in fact, made up of these essential items. However, beginning December, 191 5, a change has been made in the Document Catalog, so that the entry now includes also the catchword heading. It thus approxi- mates more closely the title for Reports used by the Library of Congress on its printed cards, which copies faithfully Avhat is found printed on the Report itself. But this new form of Document Catalog title omits telling whether the Report favors, amends, or is ad- verse to the bill, and this information is important to persons depending on the catalogs for information. If the phra?e now printed on the Reports : " To ac- company r- ," could be changed to " Recommend- ^ •' bill no. ° ing pyi ," or " Recommending with amendments ," or " Adverse to t-ttj — — ," or some such phrase bill no. ' bill no. stating the action taken on the bill by the committee, it would, with the addition of the bill title above asked for, make a title for the Reports according to a system, de- pendable and satisfactory to catalogers and those who look in the catalog for knowledge, and simpler and quicker for the printing clerk to make up. Committee Reports are numbered consecutively as they arrive at the Printing Office, separately for each house, from beginning to end of a Congress. The essential items to identify or quote a Report with exact- ness are the eight designations ; ^^ or, as the Report num- bers have been continuous through all sessions of a Congress from the 47th down, the session may be omitted for Congresses later than the 47th.-^ An ex- ample is: U. S. 60th Congress, ist session, House Re- 25 See, before, Legislative Publications: Serially Numbered Set, p. 124. 26 See Checklist, p. xx. Reports of Committees 143 port 1351. In V. 2; 5226. The calendar number that is printed on Reports is a mere temporary item of rou- tine business and not essential. The importance of the name of the senator or representative who presents the Report is in proportion as he is a commanding and well known statesman, but dwindles in importance as time ad- vances. Since the act of January 20, 1905, committee Re- ports on private bills and on simple and concurrent resolutions are separ?.ted from those on public bills and joint resolutions, and treated differently. They are collected in volumes by themselves which are lettered volume A, B, and C, instead of volume i, 2, and 3. These lettered volumes are not sent to depository libraries, only 345 copies being printed. This makes two separate files of the volumes of Reports, the numbered file and the let- tered file, while the Reports themselves are numbered in one series chronologically. Thus the numerical order of the Reports is interrupted, so that there are gaps in the numbering inside both lettered and numbered volumes. The lettered volumes which no library receives are still assigned serial numbers. The disadvantages of this have been already explained. VII Documents The scries of Senate and House Documents form the great bulk of the Congressional set. For this reason the general consideration given to the set under General : \\'hy Bewildering: topic 6, and under Legislative Pub- lications : Serially Numbered Set, applies mostly to the Documents and has forestalled largely all that needs to be said about them. But the salient fact of the two series of Senate and House Documents is that more than three- fourths of them in bulk and a less proportion by number do not belong in the series at all, being publications, not of Congress, but of the executive branch of the govern- ment. The other significant fact is that almost all of these, if not every one. are already in print in a plain title edition before their republication as House or Sen- ate Documents. It is in this original form, in Part HI, Executive Publications, that information about these should be sought. Among the Documents that are genuine publications of Congress, of the nine groups before mentioned,-^ some are issued annually or occasionally. Such are the reports of its officers ; the Congressional Directory ; the manuals of rules ; the tables of estimates, of re- ceipts and expenditures, and other statements of ac- counts. Regularly recurring Documents are obituary addresses and Presidents' messages. Others due to ap- pear in fresh editions from time to time are compila- tions of contested election cases, and of precedents of parliamentary practice, of which Hinds,^^ in eight vol- 27 See Why Bewildering: topic C, p. 75. :i8 See Checklist, p. 1493. 144 Documents 145 umes, is the latest, and the Biographical Congressional Directory.-"-' ' But each session there are printed very many sepa- rate Documents, the majority of the length of a maga- zine article, but varying indefinitely in size, multiplex of topic as can be imagined, but these topics of live current interest, and the Documents most interesting and desirable to libraries and the public. These mostly make up, of the nine groups that have been before mentioned, " all the various papers presented on the floor of either house to elucidate its debates." A glance over the con- tents of one of the volumes entitled, " Documents of a Public Nature," makes one suspect that Congress in its printing has in mind also its distribution privileges, and prints for a benevolent propaganda of right think- ing and popular instruction. Large editions of such Documents as Professor Irving Fisher's " National Vi- tality, its Waste and Conservation," ^° articles or speeches by leading statesmen and experts, even reprints of agricultural bulletins and those of the Education Bu- reau, seem to have this excuse for being issued as Docu- ments. The so-called " Jefferson's Bible," ^^ of which Congress printed and distributed 9,000 copies in 1904, is an extreme instance of this kind. But to these one can only call the attention of readers as a treasury which it is hoped they will not fail to use. It is of course as impossible to give any account in detail of what is or will be printed among this class of Documents as of the contents of next month's magazines. Of valuable publications of Congress in the past may be mentioned the Journals of the Continental Con- gress ; ^- Elliott's Debates of the Constitutional Conven- tion of 1787 ; ^^ and the chain of four successive publi- cations of which the Congressional Record ^* forms the latest link. 29 See Checklist, p. 1491. 32 See Checklist, p. 1673. 30 See Checklist, p. 1624. 33 See Checklist, p. 1668. 31 See Checklist, p. 877. 34 See Checklist, p. 1463. 146 Documents Publications of commissions and boards of mixed Congressional and non-Congressional personnel are, as has been said, grouped here with executive publications. The aim of this little work, it may be said finally, is other than to provide a descriptive list of government pub- lications. The Checklist supplies that, authoritative and complete, and the Monthly and other catalogs continue it. Other works given in the appended bibliography may also be used. PART III Executive Publications I General The early days of our republic saw a jealously re- stricted central government. Development of each state as an isolated, self-sufficient commonwealth was re- garded as the bulwark of a free country against concen- tration of autocratic power. In those days almost the sole national body on which all eyes were fixed was the Congress. The publications of the national government were few in number, and it was taken for granted that everything published emanated from Congress. The nineteenth century saw — and the movement goes steadily forward in the twentieth century — what has been almost a revolution in economic conditions, which has profoundly modified political institutions. Economically, it has seen a vast extension of territory ; undreamed of expansion of transportation facilities ; the breaking down of state lines in the growth of popula- tion and business ; and the merging of state interests in broad problems requiring national care and control. Politically, it has witnessed an enormous extension in the field of what is entrusted to government agencies to carry on. With this increase in governmental func- tions there has come into existence in our federal gov- ernment, in total reversal of the ideals of early years, a vast centralized administrative organization having no connection with nor dependence upon Congress except for its legal existence and appropriations. This or- ganization is carried out in a scientific and expert de- tail which would surprise those who have never given it a thought.^ It embraces an intricate framework of 1 Pamphlets prepared by different departments or bureaus specially for the public, sometimes as part of an exposition exhibit, describing their work, 149 150 General bureaus, divisions, sections, and individual officials, each with a specialized task of investigation or action, of which the minutiae can only be hinted at here, and which is only sketched out broadly in the subjoined taljle. The best example of this specialized organization is per- haps the Department of Agriculture, the most wholly scientific and technical of any of the ten departments, or, as the encyclopedia states it, of any government de- partment in the world. As the publications of the government are simply one phase of its activities, the result is that today the output of the Government Printing Office for the administra- tive bodies is twice or three times the amount of that done for Congress, even with that body's lavish print- ing. And this preponderance is constantly increasing. As to subject, the literary output of the executive bodies reflects the multifarious activities of the bodies themselves, activities which enter into the private as well as the public life of every citizen. The works issued run the gamut from breadmaking and infant nursing to world politics and stellar physics. As to form and size, they range from the leaflet of a single paragraph or a few pages — such as are the slip laws, single orders of the Interstate Commerce Commission, or the service and regulatory announcements of the Federal Horti- cultural Board and other such bodies — to long sets of elaborate works like the Harriman Alaska expedition, or voluminous reports of commissions, like the Immi- gration Commission, so often before mentioned as typi- cal. They may take the form of a scientific periodica', like the Journal of Agricultural Research ; or of the often give organization and functions more in detail than can be found elsewhere. A good example is U. S. Chemistry Bureau, Circular 14; Or- ganization and work of the Chemistry Bureau. Rev. to July i, 1909. Others are given in Bibliography: General: Publishing bodies' lists of their own publications. The Congressional Directory also describes the official duties and enumer- ates the personnel of the executive bodies, though not always without omissions and lapses. For a good skeleton outline of the bodies and their subordination see the Official Register published by the Census Bureau, table of contents. General 151 light illustrated folders advertising the nation's play- grounds, the national parks ; or of such series of circu- lars or bulletins as the daily Commerce Reports or the Farmers' Bulletins. The impossibility that such an aggregation of litera- ture, of which the variety is here but faintly described, can be satisfactorily used or handled en bloc is now al- most universally recognized. It must be studied and known just as English drama or modern fiction in Eng- lish are known. One must acquaint oneself not only with each individual publishing body, but more, with each set or series of reports, of bulletins or circulars,, with each periodical, each single leaflet or work. As well shelve and use Everyman's Library as a special de- partment of the library as try to place all this diversi- fied literature of the United States publishing bodies in one group and know the works as so many " pub. docs." In reality, this latter would be a much greater offense against the principle of subject arrangement and show a grosser ignorance than the former. How may one acquire this intimate individual ac- quaintance with the government publications? As is true in every department of bibliographical knowledge, nothing w'ill take the place of first hand examination of the publications themselves. The difficulties put in the way of gaining clear and exact ideas of many executive publications by their being printed in the Documents series of Senate and House, confusing the non-Congressional with the Congressional, have been shown. When this, a trouble-making practice that has been partly abolished, is wholly done away with, many difficulties will vanish. It has already been explained that it is beyond the scope of this little book to provide a bibliographical ref- erence list of publications, or to serve as a manual sup- plying exact detailed information concerning each. Specific descriptive lists may be found in other works than this. The Checklist especially may be regarded as the continuation work to take up after and in connec- 152 General tion with this work in the study of the national publica- tions. That the Checklist breaks off at the end of 1909 becomes more and more a disadvanatge as we leave that date more in the background, although the Monthly Catalog serves, in segments, as its continuation. Ever- hart, Handbook of United States Public Documents, will help, though it describes the publications only in a general way, and requires verification or correction in every statement because of changes in administrative organization since its printing. The series of Docu- ment Catalogs is, of course, the complete and rapid reference guide to everything printed. Also, the Price Lists of the Documents Office, which are alphabetical by subjects, analytical, and include back pubHcations, give valuable first aid to one who would find subject material in the documents. Sixty-eight of these have been issued to date of writing. Attention is called to the four groups of publications used by the CheckHst under each publishing body. These are : — (i) annual reports; (2) bulletin series; ^3) circular series, the circulars being generally smaller than the bulletins; and (4) general publications, namely, everything not belonging in one of the first three groups, most of them separate, distinct works. Generally speaking, every administrative body is re- quired by law to make report to the office next above it in rank at the end of each governmental or so-called fiscal year, the year running from July ist to the follow- ing June 30th. Minor reports may, in the discretion of the superior office, not go into print. These annual re- ports are on the administrative work done.- One nota- ble exception is the State Department, whose annual report on foreign relations contains nothing but the diplomatic correspondence of the year. The treaties, it must be remembered, are not in these volumes, but are published with the laws, as told under that head. 2 See, for list. Reports to be made to Congress. (H. Doc. 1407, 64th. Cong., 2d sess.) This list is now printed each session. General 153 The following list includes only " executive depart- ments, independent offices and establishments," and does not mention all of these, as it omits some which be- long in that grade, but which are of slight general in- terest, for example, the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. The table is given as a base exer- cise, a key list of twenty-two executive bodies of inde- pendent rank. Many bodies of secondary and subordi- nate rank, and therefore not included, e.g., the Educa- tion Bureau, are of more general interest than some of those that are included in this list because of being of the highest and independent rank. But if this list is committed to memory it will serve as a skeleton struc- ture, a sort of spinal column for the memory, so to speak, into which may be fitted the subordinate bodies as they are learned, according as they belong under each on the list. * Agriculture department II Library of Congress t Civil service commission II National academy of sciences * Commerce department * Navy department t District of Columbia t Pan American union t Federal reserve board * Post-office department t Federal trade commission t Postal savings system II Government printing office II Smithsonian institution * Interior department * State department t Interstate commerce commis- t Tariflf commission sion * Treasury department * Justice department * War department * Labor department * One of the lo executive departments, t Independent offices. II Establishments. Publishing Bodies of the United States Government Classed by their Specialties according to the Decimal Classification The subjoined table ^ is a bird's-eye view or sample list of the fields in which the various government bodies are publishing. It is given on the chance that it may help some persons, and because there is nothing in print that provides a survey of the publications from this viewpoint. On the plan of the " Sponsors for knowl- edge " which Mr. G. W. Lee has provided for us in the Library Journal, it gives, under various class numbers of the Decimal classification, the government bodies which may be expected to be publishing material in that field, such being within the scope of their legalized ac- tivities. Except that it is intended to omit none, this table is admittedly sketchy, tentative, and inexact. It is so unavoidably open to criticism that all fault found with it is cheerfully accepted in advance as probably having good reason. It is also liable to the errors, in- evitable in everything written about government bodies and their publications, which arise from the changes con- stantly going on among them. As a conspectus of present-day publishing activities it is debarred from giving credit to any government body for work done in the past, as, for instance, to the Signal Office for its pioneer work in meteorology, which now the Weather Bureau has been created to perform. It sets its face toward the future, and may be called a table of probabilities or expectations in government 3 It has been a question how far to make an effort to include the various war boards and committees now being so rapidly created, of which as yet even the accepted name is uncertain; most of which have not published and possibly never will publish anything. But some of these have been included. Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification 155 publications. No body not now existent is admitted; nor any merely temporary, thus excluding the special commissions which expire when their work is done. It rules out all sporadic works, not likely to be reissued, such as the " Jefferson's Bible " ; nor is material form- ing parts of works taken into account. As a list of standing and permanent sources of knowledge only, it cannot take in the diversified Documents and Reports, nor bills and laws, nor the debates of Congress, al- though on many live topics, such as the agitation for national prohibition and national woman's suffrage, these are the only and prolific government sources of mate- rial. Some attempt has been made to state the com- mittees in Senate and House which have in charge spe- cial kinds of business. A government body is listed in the table under a specific subject either (i) because of some particular work that it issues at consecutive periods, or (2) be- cause its publications in general deal with the topic. For instance, the Foreign and Domestic Commerce Bu- reau issues the annual Statistical Abstract of the United States, and is therefore listed under 317.3. The pub- lications of the Animal Industry Bureau are in general concerned with domestic animals, and the bureau there- fore appears under 636. In most cases the department also, in its own publications, provides material on the special work of its different bureaus. Especially is this true of the Agriculture Department in its series of Bulle- tins, Yearbooks, etc. The department therefore is also listed, together with the bureau, under the special topic covered by the bureau. Within such a large field as, e.g., 660, Chemical tech- nology, the minor topic, 664.8, Foods : Preservation, etc., is brought out in order to mention bodies not before mentioned that publish in this division of the field. Other minor topics, such as 665.7, Illuminating gas, are not brought out, as they would bring to the table only repetition of the list of publishing bodies already 156 Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification named under the main class, Chemical technology. Under Foods: Preservation, etc., there is repetition of the bodies named under the main class, so as to make the list of bodies publishing on the subject complete under that number, as it is meant to be under every class number. There is under each subject an attempt at arrange- ment according to the amount and importance of the printed output, putting first those bodies that make the greatest contributions. Under what higher body each body on tlie Hst belongs is indicated (in curves follow- ing) only in cases where the name is duplicated, to dis- tinguish between two of the same name. These higher bodies can be easily found in the Author Headings for United States Government Documents, or in the tables at the end of the Document Catalogs. Finally, as in this table no notice is taken of parts of books, e.g., a section on infantile paralysis in the report of the Public Health Service, it can not fill the place of the Document Catalogs, which give detailed entry of everything the government has published on a specific subject during a given period; nor of the Price Lists, which give subject references less detailed, but covering everything in print. If it enlarges its readers' concep- tions of the vast field that the publications of the execu- tive branch of the United States government cover, it will have served one worthy purpose. Whether it will in any way aid classifiers in libraries to sort out these publications and put them where they will be most useful, is for the individual classifier to decide. 010. Bibliography. Library of Congress. 013. Bibliography of American doctoral dissertations. Catalog division (Library of Congress). 016. Subject bibliographies. > Bibliography division (Library of Congress). Note. — Publishes bibliographies on all sorts of sub- jects. Most of the other bodies listed here publish bibliographical material on the subjects in which Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification 157 they specialize, e. g., educational bibliography by the Education bureau, etc. No mention other than this note will be made of such material. oiCo? I Bibliography of periodicals and newspapers. Periodical division (Library of Congress). 016.353. Bibliography of United States government publications. Documents office. See also 655.59, Government printing. 016.3539. Bibliography of state official publications. Documents division (Library of Congress). 016.355. Bibliography of military information. War college division. 016.61. Bibliography of medicine. Medical department (Army). 016.63. Bibliography of agriculture. Library (Agriculture dept.). Publications division (Agriculture dept.). 016.912. Bibliography of maps and charts. Maps and charts division (Library of Congress). 020. Library science. Library of Congress. 027. Libraries. Education bureau. 027.5. Library of Congress. Library joint committee (Congress). 028. Book selection and reading courses. Education bureau. Library of Congress. 029.6. Preparation of manuscript for publication. Geological survey. See also 655.53, Typographical style. 070.14. News censorship. Public information committee. 09c. Book rarities. Library of Congress. 091. Manuscripts. Manuscripts division (Library of Congress). 3.32. , .Mental diseases. Saint Elizabeth's hospital [Formerly Government hospital for the insane]. Public health service. Children's bureau. Medical department (Army). • Census bureau. ■ . 136.7. Child study. Education bureau. Children's bureau. 158 Publishing Bodies by Decimal Class>l..w_ 172.4. International arbitration. Peace. Permanent court of arbitration, The Hague. Education bureau. 178.4. Liquor traffic. Kducation bureau (Temperance instruction). Internal revenue commisijioncr. Labor statistics bureau. Alcoholic liquor traffic committee (H. of R.). See also 336.27, Special taxes ; 663, Beverages, Fer- mented and distilled. 178.8. Stimulants and narcotics. See 615.9, Poisons and habit-forming drugs. 280. Religious bodies in the United States. Census bureau. 299.7. North American Indians : Religious customs. Ethnology bureau. 317.3. Statistics of the United States. Census bureau. Foreign and domestic commerce bureau. Census committee (Senate). Census committee (H. of R.). Note. — Statistics of special subjects are also sup- plied by each government body in its special field. 324.3. Woman su ft rage. Woman suffrage committee (Senate). 325.1. Immigration. Immigration bureau. Labor statistics bureau. Foreign and domestic commerce bureau. Immigration committee (Senate). Immigration and naturalization committee (H. of R.). 325.1. Naturalization. Naturalization bureau. Immigration committee (Senate). Immigration and naturalization committee (H. of R.). See also 371.98, Education of the foreign-born. 327. Foreign relations. Diplomatic and consular service. State department. President. Foreign relations committee (Senate). Canadian relations committee (Senate). Foreign affairs committee (H. of R.). See also 341, International law; 9^.3, United States : Boundaries. 328.1. Parliamentary law. Rules committee (Senate). Rules committee (H. of R.). 328.73. Legislative proceedings of the United_ States, Congress. 331. Labor. Labor statistics bureau. Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification 159 Labor department. Education and labor committee (Senate). Labor committee (H. of R.). 331. 1. Capital and labor. Mediation and conciliation board. 331.2. Wages. Eight-hour commission. 331.25. Industrial insurance. Workmen's compensation. Employees' compensation commission. Labor statistics bureau. Labor department. Solicitor of Labor department. Public health service. See also 339, Poor relief; 368, Insurance. 331.3. Child labor. Children's bureau. Labor statistics bureau. Education bureau. See also 362.7, Children : Charities. Delinquents. 331.5. Convict labor. United States penitentiaries commission (or Commis- sion on equipping United States penitentiaries for manufacturing articles used by government). 332. Banking. Federal reserve board. Comptroller of the currency. Federal farm loan bureau. Banking and currency committee (Senate). National banks committee (Senate). Banking and currency committee (H. of R.). See also 332.2, Savings banks. 332. Money. Treasury department. Loans and currency division. Public moneys division. Treasurer of the United States. Register of the Treasury. See also 332.4, Coin money; 332.5, Paper money. 332.2. Savings banks. Postal savings system. Postal savings division. See also 332, Banking. 332.32. Building and loan associations. Labor statistics bureau. 332.4. Coin money. Mint bureau. Assay commission. Treasury department. Comptroller of the currency. Finance committee (Senate). Coinage, w^eights, and measures committee (H. of R.). i6o Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification 332.5. Paper money. Comptroller of the currency. Engraving and printnig bureau. 232.7, Agricultural credits. Federal farm loan bureau. Agriculture department. Rural credits joint committee (Congress). 233. Conservation of natural resources. States relations service. Conservation of national resources committee (Sen- ate). Council of national defense. National research committee. 334. Cooperative undertakings. Labor statistics bureau. Agriculture department. 336.1. Public lands. General land office. Geological survey. Justice department. Public lands committee (Senate). Public lands committee (H. of R.). See also 338.2, Mineral products: 613.75, National parks and reservations: 634.9, Forestry; 913.7, Antiquities of North Ainerica. 336.2. Taxation. Customs. Revenue. Finance committee (Senate). Ways and means committee (H. of R.). 336.26. Import duties. See 337, Import duties. 236.27. Special taxes (e. g., income, liquor, stamp, etc.). Internal revenue commissioner. Treasury department. Solicitor of internal revenue. See also 178.4, Liquor traffic; 663, Beverages, Fer- mented and distilled. 336.3. Bonds. Public debt, etc. Treasury department. Loans and currency division. Treasurer of the United States. Register of the treasury. Government actuary. 336.73. Finances of the United States. Treasury department. Census bureau. Appropriations committee (Senate). Appropriations committee (H. of R.). See also 336.3, Bonds. Public debt, etc. 237. Import duties. Tariff commission. Customs division. Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification i6i Appraisers. Court of customs appeals. Treasury department. Foreign and domestic commerce bureau (Foreign tariffs). Finance committee (Senate). Ways and means committee (H. of R.). 338. Production. Manufactures. Prices. Federal trade commission. Foreign and domestic commerce bureau. Commercial economy board. Census bureau. Manufactures committee (Senate). See also 380, Commerce. Transportation. Com- munication. 338.1. Agricultural products. Crop estimates bureau. Markets bureau. Agriculture department. Federal horticultural board. Federal farm loan bureau. Foreign and domestic commerce bureau. Plant industry bureau. Chemistry bureau. Census bureau. Agriculture and forestry committee (Senate). Agriculture committee (H. of R.). 338.1. Lumber and forest products (e. g., turpentine, tan bark,, etc.). Foreign and domestic commerce bureau. Forest service. General land office (Almost exclusively on the public domain). Census bureau. - Pan American union. Agriculture and forestry committee (Senate). See also 634.9, Forestry; 674, Manufactures of wood ; 676, Paper making. 338.1 Meat supply. Animal industry bureau. Agriculture department. Crop estimates bureau. Foreign and domestic commerce bureau. Census bureau. States relations service. Transportation and sale of meat products committee (Senate). 338.2. Mineral products (Includes stones, mineral earths, min- eral oils, etc.). Mines bureau. Geological survey. Foreign and domestic commerce bureau. General land office. Interior department. i62 Publishing Bodies by Decimal ClassiRcation Mines and mining committee (Senate). Mines and mining committee (11. of R.). See also 662.6, Coal. Peat. Coke. Natural gas. Denatured alcohol; 665.4-5, Mineral oils. As- phaltum. 338.3. Water products (Fisheries, Sponges). Fisheries bureau. Fisheries committee (Senate). Merchant marine and lisheries committee (11. of R.). See also 581.92, Marine plants; 639, Fisheries. 338.4. Manufactured articles. Foreign and domestic commerce bureau. Census bureau. Manufactures committee (Senate). Industrial arts and expositions committee (H. of R.). See also 660, Chemical technology ; 670, Manufac- tures ; 664.8, Foods : Preservation ; Canning ; Cold storage. 338.5. Prices. Cost of living. Labor statistics bureau. Foreign and domestic commerce bureau. 338.8. Monopolies. Trusts. Federal trade commission. Justice department. Labor statistics bureau. Labor department. Manufactures committee (Senate). 339. Poor relief. Mothers' and old age pensions. Labor statistics bureau. Children's bureau. Census bureau. See also 331.25, Industrial insurance. Workmen's compensation. 340. Law. Law library (Library of Congress). 341. International law. State department. Naval war college. Permanent court of arbitration, The Hague. International commission of jurists [on private and public international law]. See also 2)^"], Foreign relations. Diplomatic and consular service. 341.2. Treaties. President. State department. Senate. 341.6. International arbitration. State department. Permanent court of arbitration. The Hague. See also 917.3, United States : Boundaries. Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification 163 341.7. Diplomatic service. State department. See also 2)2"/, Foreign relations. Diplomatic and consular service. 341.8. Consular service. Consular bureau. State department. See also z^T, Foreign relations. Diplomatic and consular service ; 382, Foreign commerce. 342. Constitutional law and history. American historical association. Manuscripts division (Library of Congress). Rolls and library bureau. State department. Supreme court 34373' Criminal law^ and administration. Justice department. Secret service division. Criminal identification bureau. Investigation bureau. Pardon attorney. Parole boards. See also 364-365, Reformatories. Prisons. Crimi- nology. 344. Courts-martial. See 355, Military regulations. Military law. Courts-martial. 345. United States statutes and cases. Rolls and library bureau. Joint committee on revision of the laws of the United States (Congress). Justice department. Solicitor of the Department of agriculture. Solicitor of the Department of commerce. Solicitor for the Department of the interior. Solicitor for the Department of labor. Solicitor for the Post-office department. Solicitor for the Department of state. Solicitor of the Treasury. Supreme court. District courts. Circuit courts of appeals. Court if claims. Court of customs appeals. Judiciary committee (Senate). Judiciary committee (H. of R.). 351.1. Civil service. Efficiency bureau. Civil service and retrenchment committee (Senate). Committee to examine the several branches of the civil service (Senate). Civil service reform committee (H. of R.). 351.2. Civil service lists. Census bureau. 164 Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification 351.3. Civil service examinations. Civil service commission, 351.5. Pensions, Military, naval, and civil service. Pension bureau. Interior department. Pensions committee (Senate), * Pensions committee (H. of R.). Invalid pensions committee (H. of R.). See also 331.25, Industrial insurance. Workmen's compensation; 339, Poor relief. Mothers' and old age pensions. 352.073. Cities in the United States. Census bureau. 352.1. City finance and accounting. Census bureau. • 352.6. City water supply accounting. Census bureau. 353.6. United States army : Personnel and stations. Adjutant general's department. Note. — Also, certain branches of the service pub- lish each its own list, e. g., Medical department (Army). See' also 355, Military science. Army. Military administration of the United States. 353-7- United States navy : Personnel and stations. Navigation bureau (Navy dept. ). See also 359, Naval science. Navy. Naval admin- istration of the United States. • , 355. Military science. Army. Military administi'ation of the United States. War department. • War college division. General staff corps. Army and navy jomt board. Council of national defense. Marine corps. Military affairs committee (Senate). Military affairs committee (H, of R.). 355, Military regulations. Military law. Courts-martial. •Judge advocate general's department (Army). General staff corps. War department. Note. — Also, certain branches of the service pub- lish each its own regulations, e. g., Signal office; Quartermaster general of the army. 355.07. Military science : Study and teaching. Miltary academy (West Point). Army war college (D. C). Army service schools (Ft. Leavenworth. Six schools are enumerated in Author Headings for U. S. Public Documents, 191 5. Several of these, also others existing elsewhere, are listed separately here under their special subjects). Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification 165 35S-I5- Colors and standards. • • . See 929.9, Flags. 355.2. Militia. Militia bureau (War dept). Naval militia affairs division. ' See also 359, Naval science. Navy. Naval admin- istration of the United States. 355.5. Drill manuals. General staff corps. Note. — Also, certain branches of the service istue each its own drill manuals, e. g., Medical depart- ment (Army) ; Signal office. 355.7. Military establishments and reservations (Includes forts, barracks, military parks, military cemeteries, and other buildings and grounds used for military purposes). Judge advocate general's department (Army). War department. Special commissions for special national military parks. 357. Cavalry. Mounted service school (Ft. Riley). 359. , Naval science. Navy. Naval administration of the United States. Navy department. Naval war college (Newport). Naval intelligence office. General board. Army and navy joint board. Naval operations office. Navigation bureau (Navy dept.) Judge advocate general (Navy). Naval consulting board. Naval militia affairs division. Navy yards and naval stations commission. Naval aft'afrs. committee (Senate). Naval affairs committee (H. of R.). 361. Charitable institutions. • American national Red Cross. Census bureau. Freedman's savings and trust company. 362.1. Hospitals. Army general hospital (Fort Bayard). Freednien's hospital (D. C). Naval hospital (D. C). Public health service. Hospital corps (Army). Hospital corps (Navy). 362.2. Insane. St. Elizabeth's hospital (D. C. Formerly Government hospital for the insane). 362.4. "Deaf. • Columbia institution for the deaf (D. C). Education bureau. i66 Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification 362.^. Pauperism. Census bureau. Labor statistics bureau. 362.6. Homes for the needy. National home for disabled volunteer soldiers. Soldiers' home (D. C). Naval home. 362.7, Children : Charities. Delinquents, Children's bureau. ■ . Labor statistics bureau. Education bureau. See also 331.3, Child labor. 364. 365. >- Reformatories. Prisons. Criminology. Justice department. International prison commission. United States penitentiaries commission (or Commis- sion on equipping L^nited States penitentiaries for manufacturing articles used by the government). Education bureau. Smithsonian institution. See also 343.73, Criminal law and administration. 368. Insurance. Census bureau. Foreign and domestic commerce bureau. See also 331.25, Industrial insurance. Workmen's compensation, 368.2. Marine insurance. See 386-7, Transportation : Water. 369.135. National society of Daughters of the American revolu- tion. 369.151. Grand army of the republic, 370, Education. Education bureau. Census bureau. Education and labor committee (Senate). Education committee (H, of R.). 371.3. Methods of instruction, Indian affairs office. 371.7. School hygiene. Public health service. Education bureau. See also 379.173, Rural schools. 371.74, School games, dances, songs, etc. Indian affairs office. 371.912. Education of the deaf. See 362.4, Deaf. 371.95. Education of the Indian. See 970.1, Indians. Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification 167 371.974. Education of the negro. Education bureau. Howard university. 371.98. Education of the foreign-born. Education bureau. Naturalization bureau. Information division (Immigration bureau). 378. Colleges. See 607 and 630.7, Colleges of agriculture and me- chanic arts. 379-'^73- Rural schools. Education bureau. Agriculture department. States relations service. Markets bureau. See also 371.7, School hygiene. 380. Commerce. Transportation. Communication. Federal trade commission. Foreign and domestic commerce bureau. Commerce department. Commercial economy board. Markets bureau. Census bureau. Interstate and foreign commerce committee (H. of R.). See also 338, Production. Manufactures. Prices. 381. Domestic commerce. Federal trade commission. Foreign and domestic commerce bureau. Markets bureau. Interstate commerce committee (Senate). Interstate and foreign commerce committee (H. of R.). See also 385 and 386 and 387, Transportation. 381. Commercial organizations. Foreign and domestic commerce bureau. Interstate commerce commission. 382. Foreign commerce. War trade board. Foreign and domestic commerce bureau. Markets bureau. Pan American union. Commerce committee (Senate). Interstate and foreign commerce committee (H. of R.). 383. Post office. Post office department. Post offices and post roads committee (Senate). Post office and post roads committee (H. of R.). 384. Telegraph. Telephone. Cable. Interstate commerce commission. Radio service (Navigation bureau, Commerce dept.). Naval communication service. i68 Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification Census bureau. Post offices aud post roads committee (Senate). Post office and post roads committee (H. of R.). See also 621.38, Telegraphy; 623.7, Military sig- naling. 385] 386 Y Transportation. 387 1 Quartermaster general of the army. 385. Transportation: Railroads (Railroad management). Interstate commerce commission. Valuation division. Eight-hour commission. Interstate commerce committee (Senate). Railroads committee (Senate). Interstate and foreign commerce committee (H. of R.). Railways and canals committee (H. of R.). See also 625, Railroads (Railroad building). 385. Express. Interstate commerce commi>sion. Interstate commerce committee (Senate). Interstate and foreign commerce committee (H. of R.). 386 ") Transportation: Water (Canal, river, ocean). Ships. 387 J Shipping board. Emergency fleet corporation. Interstate commerce commission. Foreign and domestic commerce bureau. Commerce department. Foreign mails division. Navigation bureau (Commerce dept.). Coast guard. Steamboat-inspection service. War risk insurance bureau. Commerce committee (Senate). Merchant marine and fisheries committee (H. of R.). Railways and canals committee (H. of R.). Interstate and foreign commerce committee (H. of R.). See also 626.9, Ship canals. 386. Highways. See 625.7, Roads. 388. City transit. Street railways. Census bureau. 389. ' Weights and measures. Standards bureau. Standards, weights and measures committee (Senate). Coinage, weights and measures committee (H. of R.). 390. Customs. Folk lore. National museum. Ethnology bureau. 497. Indian languages. Ethnology bureau. Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification 169 500. Science. Smithsonian institution. National academy of sciences. National research committee. Education bureau (Science teaching). Science bureau (P. I.). 510.8. Mathematical, physical, etc., tables. Nautical almanac office. Smithsonian institution. 520. Astronomy. Naval observatory. Smithsonian institution. 521. Theoretical astronomy. Astrophysical observatory. 525.6. Tides. Coast and geodetic survey. Weather bureau. 526. Geodesy. Coast and geodetic survey. 526.9. Surveying. General land office. Engineer department. 526.99. Hydrographic surveys and charts. Hydrographic office. See also 551.46-7, Oceanography. Currents, etc.; 551.57, Rainfall. Flow of streams. Floods. 527. Navigation. Navigation bureau (Commerce dept). Navigation bureau (Navy dept.). Hydrographic office. Naval observatory. Nautical almanac office. 528. Ephemerides. Nautical almanac office. 529.78. Instruments for measuring time. Standards bureau. 530. Physics. Standards bureau. 538.7. Terrestrial magnetism. Coast and geodetic survey. Smithsonian institution. 540. Chemistry. Standards bureau. See also 543.5, Analjtical chemistry; 631, Soils. Fertilizers; 660, Chemical technology. 543.5. Analytical chemistry. Chemistry bureau. See also 614.3. Food and drug analysis; 631, Soils. Fertilizers ; 660, Chemical technology. 170 Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification 549. Mineralogy. Geological survey. National museum. See also 553, Economic geology. 549.8. Coal, etc. See 662.6. Coal. Peat. Coke. Natural gas. De- natured alcohol. 550. Geology. Geological survey. Geological survey committee (Senate). 551. Physical geography. Geological survey. 551.2. Seismology. Weather bureau. Geological survey. Smithsonian institution. 551-46 1 Oceanography. Currents, etc. 551.47 j Coast and geodetic survey. Hydrographic office. International council for study of the sea. See also 526.99, Hydrographic surveys and charts. 551.5. Meteorology. Weather bureau. Smithsonian institution. 551.57. Rainfall. Flow of streams. Floods. W^eather bureau. Geological survey. Agriculture department. Flood control committee (H. of R.). See also 627, Rivers. Harbors. Hydraulic engi- neering. 553. Economic geology. Geological survey. See also 338.2, Mineral products ; 549, Mineralogy. 553.2. Coal, petroleum, etc. See 662.6, Coal. Peat. Coke. Natural gas. De- natured alcohol; 665.4-5, Mineral oils. As- phaltum. 553.7. Mineral waters. See 615.79, Mineral waters. 560. Paleontology. Geological survey. National museum. 571 1 Prehistoric archeology. Anthropology. Ethnology. 572 Y Ethnology bureau. 573 I National museum. 572.998. Eskimos. Ethnology bureau. National museum. Education bureau. Public health service. Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification 171 579. Collectors' manuals. Taxidermy, etc. National museum. Biological survey burea 580. Botany. Plant industry bureau. National museum. United States national herbarium. Agriculture department. 581.2. Diseases of plants. Plant industry bureau. Federal horticultural board. Agriculture department. See also 632, Insects. Blights, etc. 581.92. Marine plants. Plant industry bureau. Fisheries bureau. See also 338.3. Water products. 582. Trees. See 634.9. Forestry. 590, Zoology. Biological survey bureau. National museum. International commission on zoological nomenclature (Smithsonian institution). National zoological park. 591.65. Noxious animal life (Mostly insects and more minute organisms). Public health service. Entomology bureau. Agriculture department. Insecticide and fungicide board. Medical department (Army). Canal Zone. Health department. See also 632, Insects. Blights, etc. 591.92. Marine animals. Fisheries bureau. See also 338.3, Water products. 595.7. Insects. See 591.65, Noxious animal life; 632, Insects. Blights, etc. 597. Fishes. Fisheries bureau. National museum. See also 338.3, Water products; 639, Fisheries. 598.2. Birds. Biological survey bureau. National museum. Agriculture department. Smithsonian institution. 599.7. Seal. See 639.2. Seal fisheries. 172 Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification 60a Useful arts. Smithsonian institution. 606. Industrial expositions. United States commissioners to expositions in United States or foreign countries. State department. Education bureau (Educational exhibits described). Industrial expositions committee (Senate). Industrial arts and expositions committee (H. of R.). 607. Industrial education. Education bureau. Labor department. Federal board for vocational education. 607. Colleges of agriculture and mechanic arts. Education bureau. States relations service. Agriculture department. 608. Patents and trade marks. Patent office. Pan American imion. Patents committee (Senate). Patents committee (H. of R.). 610. Medicine. Public health service. Hygienic laboratory. Medical department (Army). Medicine and surgery bureau. Education bureau. Lighthouses bureau. Smithsonian institution. National academy of sciences. Agriculture department. Entomology bureau. Biological survey. Animal industry bureau. Plant industry bureau. Canal Zone. Health department, 610.7. Medical study and research. Army medical school (D. C). Naval medical school (D. C). Hygienic laboratory. 610,73, Training of nurses. Education bureau. Medical department (Army). Medicine and surgery bureau, 612.39. Foods: Nutrition: Metabolism. States relations service. Agriculture department. Smithsonian institution. See also 614.3, Food and drug analysis; 641, Foods. Cookery. Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification 173 613. Personal hygiene. Markets bureau. Public health service. Qiildren's bureau. 613. IZ Health resorts. See 613.75, National parks and reservations. 613.6. Hygiene of employment. Labor statistics bureau. Labor department. Public health service. Internal revenue commissioner. Medicine and surgery bureau. See also 622, Mines and mining. 613.71. Physical training. General staff corps. Education bureau. 613.75. National parks and reservations. National park service. Interior department. 613.8. Hygiene of the nervous system. See 615.9, Poisons and habit-forming drugs. 614. Public health. Public health service. Hygienic laboratory. Labor statistics bureau, ^ledicine and surgery bureau. Animal industry bureau, Agriculture department. Indian affairs office. Smithsonian institution. Foreign and domestic commerce bureau. Government printing office. International office of public hygiene (Paris). Public health and national quarantine committee (Senate). 614. 1. Vital statistics. Census bureau. 614,3, Food and drug analysis. Chemistry bureau. Reference board of consulting scientific expert Agriculture department. Solicitor of the Department of agriculture. Animal industry bureau. Fisheries bureau. Hygienic laboratory. Forest service. See also 338.1, Agricultural products; 543-5. An- alytical chemistry; 612.39, Foods: Nutrition; Me- tabolism; 641, Foods. Cookery. 614.32. Pure milk. Public health service. Hygienic laboratory. Animal industry bureau. 174 Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification States relations service. Agriculture department. Chemistry bureau. See also 637, Dairying. 614.4 1 . . 614.5. J Contagious diseases. Public health service. Hygienic laboratory. 614.7. Hygiene of the air and ground. Labor department. Chemistry bureau. 614.81. Rescue from drowning. Coast guard. 614.82. Suffocation in mines, etc. See 622, Mines and mining. 614.83. Explosions and explosives. See 622, Mines and mining; 662.2, Explosives. 614.837. Steam explosions. Locomotive boiler inspection division (Interstate com- merce commission). Steamboat-inspection service. 614.86. Protection of travelers. Interstate commerce commission. 614.865. Lighthouses. See 627.9, Lighthouses. 614.9. Hygiene of animals. Animal industry bureau. States relations service. Agriculture department. Public health service. See also 619, Veterinary medicine. 614.96. Transportation of animals. Engineer department. 615. Materia medica. Drugs. Hygienic laboratory. Chemistry bureau. Public health service. State department. Agriculture department. Plant industry bureau. 615.78. Drugs acting on the nervous system. See 615.9, Poisons and habit-forming drugs. 615.79. Mineral waters. Chemistry bureau. Geological survey. Interior department. Foreign and domestic commerce bureau. 615.9. Poisons and habit-forming drugs. Public health service. Hygienic laboratory. Internal revenue commissioner. Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification 175 Treasury department. Labor department. Insular affairs bureau. 618. Childbearing. Children's bureau. 618.9. Diseases of children. See 649, Nursery. Children. 619. Veterinary medicine. Animal industry bureau. States relations service. Agriculture department. See also 614.9, Hygiene of animals. 619.1. Horse. Mounted service school (Fort Riley). Animal industry bureau. Militia bureau (War dept.). 620. Engineering. Engineer department. Engineer school (Washington barracks). States relations service. Public roads and rural engineering office. Yards and docks bureau. Civil engineer corps (Navy). Mines l)ureau. Geological survey. Target practice and engineering competitions office. 620.1. Tests of materials. Watertown arsenal. Standards bureau. Chemistry bureau. 620.12. Timber tests. Forest service. Agriculture department. See also 674, Manuiactures of wood. 621. 1. Steam engineering. Steam engineering bureau. 621.18. Steam generation. Boilers. Furnaces. Standards bureau. Mines bureau. Steam engineering bureau. See also 614.837, Steam explosions. ? 621.182. Fuels. See 662.6, Coal. Peat. Coke. Natural gas. De- natured alcohol ; 665.4-5, Mineral oils. As- phaltum. 621.1941. Smoke prevention. Alines bureau. 621.2. Hydraulic motors and machinery. Geological survey. 176 Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification 621.3. Electric engineering. Standards bureau. Census bureau. Signal office. Steam engineering bureau. 621.33. Electric railways. See 388, City transit. Street railways. 621.38. Telegraphy. Radio service (Navigation bureau, Commerce dept.). Naval communication service. Signal office. Navigation bureau (Commerce dept.). See also 623.7, Military signaling. 621.43. Gasoline engines. Coast guard. 621.56. Refrigeration. See 664.8, Foods : Preservation. Canning. Cold storage. 622. Mines and mining (Includes mining laws and decisions, safety devices, etc.). Mines bureau. Geological survey. Standards bureau. General land office. , Labor department. „ California debris commission. Mines and mining committee (Senate). Mines and mining committee (H. of R.). See also 662.2, Explosives. 622.33. Coal mining. See 622, Mines and mining; also 338.2, Mineral products ; 662.6, Coal. Peat. Coke. Natural gas. Denatured alcohol. 623. Military engineering. Firearms. Fortifications. Gun- nery. General staff corps. War industries board. Engineer department. Engineer school (Washington barracks). Army field engineer school (Ft. Leavenworth). Ordnance department. Ordnance and fortification board. Coast artillery office. Coast artillery school (Ft. Monroe). National board for promotion of rifle practice. Target practice and engineering competitions office (War dept.) Adjutant general's office. War department. Ordnance bureau (Navy). Naval gun factory. Gunnery exercises and engineering performances office (Navy dept.). Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification 177 Navigation bureau (Navy dept.). Coast defenses committee (Senate). See also 355, Military science. Army. Military ad- ministration of the United States ; 359, Naval sci- ence. Navy. Naval administration of the United States. 623.6. Military roads. Engineer department. Alaska road commissioners board. 623.7. Military signaling. Signal office. Army signal school (Ft. Leavenworth). See also 621.38, Telegraphy. 623.8. Naval architecture. Construction and repair bureau. See also 699, Ship building. 624. Bridges. Engineer department. Public roads and rural engineering office. Commerce committee (Senate). Interstate and foreign commerce committee (H. of R.). 625. Railroads (Railroad building). Alaskan engineering commission (Interior depart- ment). Engineer department. See also 385, Railroads (Railroad management) ; 614.837, Steam explosions ; 614.8(3, Protection of travelers. 625.7. Roads. Public roads and rural engineering office. States relations service. Agriculture department. Post offices and post roads committee (Senate). Roads committee ( H. of R.). See also 623.5, Military roads. 626.8. Irrigation engineering. Reclamation service. Geological survey. States relations service. Agriculture department. Smithsonian institution. Census bureau. International commission for the equitable distribu- tion of the waters of the Rio Grande, U. S. and Me.xico. Irrigation and reclamation of arid lands committee (Senate ). Irrigation of arid lands committee (H. of R.). See also 627, Rivers. Harbors. Hydraulic engi- neering; 627.5, Soil drainage. 626.9. Ship canals. Panama canal. 178 Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification Maritime canal company of Nicaragua (Interior dcpt.). War department. State department. President. Pan American union. Naval war college. American historical association. Smithsonian institution. Labor statistics bureau. Weather bureau. Interoceanic canals committee (Senate). See also 386 and 387, Transportation : Water. 627. Rivers. Harbors. Hydraulic engineering. Engineer department. International joint commission on boundary waters between U. S. and Canada. Rivers and harbors engineers board. Mississippi river commission. Commerce committee (Senate). Rivers and harbors committee (H. of R.). See also 551.57, Rainfall. Flow of streams. Floods; 626.8, Irrigation engineering. 627.5. Soil drainage. See 631, Soil drainage. 627.9. Lighthouses. Lighthouses bureau. Hydrographic office. 628. Sanitary engineering. Public roads and rural engineering office. Agriculture department. See also 696, Plumbing. 628.1. Water supply (Potable water and water power). Geological survey. Public health service. Hygienic laboratory. Agriculture department. Plant industry bureau. National academy of sciences. Federal trade commission. 628.3. Sewage disposal. Geological survey. Public health service. Hygienic laboratory. Agriculture department. Plant industry bureau. Census bureau. See also 628.4, Town sanitation. 628.4. Town sanitation. Public health service. Agriculture department. Census bureau. Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification 179 628.5. Industrial sanitation. See 621.1941, Smoke prevention. 629.13. Aviation. Signal office. Smithsonian institution. National advisory board for aeronautics. Aircraft production board. 630. Agriculture. Agriculture department. International institute of agriculture (Rome). Agriculture and forestry commmittee (Senate). Agriculture committee (H. of R.). 630. Farming as a business. Farm life. Farm management office. Markets bureau. Agriculture department. Federal farm loan bureau. Rural credits joint committee (Congress). See also 112.^, Agricultural creditr. 630.6. Agricultural associations. Interstate commerce commission. 630.7. Agricultural study and experimentation. States relations service. Agriculture department. Plant industry bureau. Reclamation service. Education bureau. 630.7. Colleges and schools of agriculture. States relations service. Agriculture department. Education bureau. 631. Soils. Soils bureau. Agriculture department. States relations service. Plant industry bureau. 631. Fertilizers. Soils bureau. Agriculture department. States relations service. Plant industry bureau. Geological survey. 631. Soil drainage. States relations service. Agriculture department. (i2)2: Insects. Blights, etc. Entomology bureau. Insecticide and fungicide board. Agriculture department. Federal horticultural board. Plant industry bureau. See also 581.2. Diseases of plants; 591.65, Noxious i8o Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification animal life; for pests afTccting animals see 636, Domestic animals. 634.9. Forestry. Forest service. National forest reservation commission. Geological survey. Agriculture department. Solicitor of the Department of agriculture. Census bureau. Agriculture and forestry committee (Senate). Forest reservations and protection of game committee (Senate). Agriculture committee (H. of R.). See also 338.1, Lumber and forest products; 620.12, Timber tests; 674, Manufactures of wood; 676, Paper making. 636. Domestic animals. Animal industry bureau. States relations service. Agriculture department. Public health service. Census bureau. See also 338.1. Agricultural products; 614.9, Hy- giene of animals; 619, Veterinary medicine. 637. Dairying. Animal industry bureau. States relations service. Agriculture department. See also 614.32, Pure milk. 638. Bees. Entomology bureau. 639. Fisheries. Fisheries bureau. International fisheries commission. Fisheries committee (Senate). Merchant marine and fisheries committee (H. of R.). See also 33ii.3, Water products ; 597, Fishes. 639.2. Seal fisheries. Fisheries bureau. State department. Finance committee (Senate). Ways and means committee (H. of R.). 640. Home economics. Agriculture department. Indian aft'airs oflice. Education bureau (Teaching methods). 641. Foods. Cookery. Agriculture department. Quartermaster general of the army. States relations service. Chemistry bureau. Animal industry bureau. Plant industry bureau. Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification i8i Fisheries bureau. Education bureau, Indian attains office. Interior department. See also 612 39. Foods : Nutrition ; Metabolism. 641.4. Foods : Preservation ; Markets. See 338.1, Agricultural products; 338.1, Meat sup- ply; 33S.4, Manufactured articles; 664.8, Foods: Preservation ; Canning ; Cold storage. 649. Nursery. Children. Children's bureau. Public health service. 654. Telegraph. See 621.38. Telegraphy. 655. Printing and publishing. Census bureau. 655-53- Typographical style. Government printing office. See also 029.6, Writing for publication. 655.59. Government printing Government printing office. Publications divisions. Note. — It is intended that there shall be a publica- tions division in each executive department and independent office. International exchange service. Printing joint committee (Congress). Printing committee (Senate). Printing committee ( H. of R.). See also 016.353, Bibliography of U. S. government publications. 656. Transportation. See 385, Transportation : Railroads ; 386 and 387, Transportation: Water; 388, City transit. 657. Accounting. See 352.1, Ctiy finance and accounting; 352.6, City water supply accounting. 660. Chemical technology. Chemistry bureau. Agriculture department. Standards bureau. Census bureau. Foreign and domestic commerce bureau. See also 338.4, Manufactured articles. 662.2. Explosives. Mines bureau. Ordnance bureau (Navy dept.). Adjutant general's office. 662.6. Coal. Peat. Coke. Natural gas. Denatured alcohol. Mines bureau. Geological survey. i82 Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification Quartermaster general cif tlic army. See also 33S.2, Mineral products; 665.4 and 665.5, Ahneral oils. Asphaltum. 663. Beverages, Fermented and distilled. Internal revenue commissioner. See also 178.4, Liquor traffic; 336.27, Special taxes. 664. Foods : Chemical technology. See 614.3, Food and drug analysis ; 664.8, Foods : Preservation; Canning; Cold storage. 664.8. Foods: Preservation; Canning; Cold storage. Markets bureau. Foreign and domestic commerce bureau. Chemistry bureau. See also 338.1, Agricultural products; 338.4, Manu- factured articles. f.(.l"t' \ Mineral oils. Asphaltum. ^■^' ■' Mines bureau. Steam engineering bureau. Geological survey. Standards bureau. Interstate commerce commission. Census bureau. See also 338.2, Mineral products ; 662.6, Coal, etc. 666. Clay industries. Mines bureau. Geological survey. 669. Metallurgy. Mines bureau. Geological survey. Foreign and domestic commerce bureau. Standards bureau. Census bureau. See also 553, Economic geology. 670. Manufactures. Federal trade commission. Foreign and domestic commerce bureau. Census bureau. Pan American union. Manufactures committee (Senate). See also 338.4, Manufactured articles. 674. Manufactures of wood. Forest service. Agriculture department. See also 620.12, Timber tests. 676. Paper making. Chemistry bureau. Forest service. Agriculture department. Plant industry bureau. Labor statistics bureau. See also 338.4, Manufactured articles. Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification 183 682.1. Horseshoeing. Mounted service school (Fort Riley, Kans.). General staff corps. Militia bureau (War dept). 696. Plumbing. Public roads and rural engineering office. Supervising architect. Agriculture department. See also 628, Sanitary engineering. 699. Ship building. Construction and repair bureau. See also 623.8, Naval architecture. 700. Fine arts. Fine arts commission. National gallery of art (National museum). Library joint committee (Congress). 711. Public parks. National park service. 725. Public buildings. Supervising architect. Fine arts commission. Office of public buildings and grounds and Washing- ton monument (For D. C. only). Public buildings and grounds committee (Senate). Public buildings and grounds committee (H. of R.). 727. Schoolhouses. Education bureau. 769. Collections of engravings. Prints division (Library of Congress). 770. Photography. Signal office. 780. Music. Music division (Library of Congress). Education bureau (Music teaching). 790. Amusements. See 371.74, School games, dances, songs, etc. 797, Yachting. Navigation bureau (Navy dept.). 798, Horsemanship. War college division. Militia bureau (War dept.). 799, Hunting. Fishing. Game. Biological survey bureau. Agriculture department. Alaska. Governor. Forest reservations and protection of game committee (Senate). 900. History. American historical association. See also 973, History of the United States. 184 Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification 910. Geography. Geographic board. PhiUppine committee on geographical names. See also 917.3, Geography of the United States. 912. Maps and charts. Geological survey. General land office. Topography division (P. O. dept.). Coast and geodetic survey (Coasts of United States and waters adjacent). Hydrographic office (Foreign waters and coasts). State department. Reclamation service. Forest service. Engineer department. * Mississippi river commission. Northern and northwestern lakes survey. General staff corps. War college division. Geographic board (Advisory). Maps and charts division (Library of Congress. Bibliography). See also, for statistical weather, and soil maps, 317.3. Statistics of the U. S. ; 551.5, Meteorology; 631, Soils. Note. — Here are not included maps bound in and illustrating books, but maps issued separately only. 01^8 [ Antiquities of America. ^ ^' ■ •' Ethnology bureau. National museum. Mesa Verde national park Casa Grande ruin. Interior department. 917.2. Mexico. Central America. West Indies. Pan American union. 917.293. Dominican Republic. Insular affairs bureau. Dominican customs receivership. 917.295. Porto Rico. Porto Rico. Governor. Agricultural experiment station. Education bureau. Census office (And other government depart- ments of Porto Rico. They report to the United States War department). Insular affairs bureau. Census bureau. Foreign and domestic commerce bureau. Labor statistics bureau. .. • Geological survey. Ethnology bureau. Education bureau. Agriculture department. Animal industry bureau. Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification 185 Forest service. Plant industry bureau. Weather bureau. Public health service. Pacific islands and Porto Rico committee (Senate). Insular affairs committee (H. of R.). 917.3. Geography and description of the United States. Geological survey. Coast and geodetic survey (Coasts and waters). See also 910, Geography; 912, Maps and charts. 917.3. United States : Boundaries. International joint commission on boundary waters between United States and Canada. International boundary commissions, United States and Canada (3 in number). State department. Geological survey. International boundary commission, United States and Mexico. St. John river joint commission. 917.53. District of Columbia. District of Columbia. Commissioners. District of Columbia committee (Senate). District of Columbia committee (H. of R.). See also 725, Public buildings. 917.7. Mississippi river. Mississippi river commission. Mississippi river and its tributaries committee (Sen- ate) Flood control committee (H. of R.). 917.98. Alaska. Alaska. Governor. Agricultural experiment station. Interio'r department. Smithsonian institution. Geological survey. Coast guard. Coast and geodetic survey. Census bureau. Alaskan engineering commission. Alaska road commissioners board. War department. Education bureau (By means of the Alaska school service; the Alaska division; and the Alaska rein- deer service). Agriculture department. States relations service. Plant industry bureau. General land office. Labor statistics bureau. Foreign and domestic commerce bureau. Topography division (P. O. depL ; Map). Territories committee (Senate). Territories committee (H. of R.). And other government bureaus, all under the commission. 186 Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification See also 57-'. 998, Eskimos; 590, Zoology; 622, Mines and nnning , O34.9, Forestry; 639, Fisheries; O39.2, Seal hslienes; 970.1, Indians. 918. South America. Pan American union. Internationa] high commission. 9]8.6. Canal Zone (Isthmus of Panama). 919.14. Philippine islands. Philippine commission, 1900-date. Science bureau. Census bureau. Forestry bureau. Weather bureau. Lands bureau. Public instruction department. Insular affairs bureau. Foreign and domestic commerce bureau. Geological survey. Coast and geodetic survey (Atlas). Labor statistics bureau. Agriculture department. Education bureau. Public health service. Philippine committee on geographical names. Philippines committee (Senate). Insular affairs committee (H, of R.). 919.61. American Samoa. Navy department. Pacific islands and Porto Rico committee (Senate). Insular affairs committee (H. of R.). 919.67. Guam island. Navy department. Guam. Agricultural experiment station. Pacific islands and Porto Rico committee (Senate). Insular affairs committee (H. of R.). 919.69. Hawaii. Hawaii. Governor. Agricultural experiment station. Interior department. Education bureau. Census bureau. Foreign and domestic commerce bureau. Labor statistics bureau. Geological survey. Coast and geodetic survey. General land office (Map). Ethnology bureau. Agriculture department. States relations service. Biological survey bureau. Entomology bureau. Forest service. Plant industry bureau. Weather bureau. Publishing Bodies by Decimal Classification 187 Fisheries bureau. Territories committee (Senate). Territories committee (.H. of R.). 919.8. Arctic regions. Smithsonian institution. 919.9. Antarctic regions. Smithsonian institution. 920.073. Biography: United States. Congress (Memorial addresses and other publica- cations). Joint printing committee (Congress). National academy of sciences. Adjutant general's office. 929.9. Flags. Navy department. Quartermaster general of the army. Library of Congress. 970.1. Indians. Ethnology bureau. Indian affairs office. Indian commissioners board. Five civilized tribes superintendent. National museum. Smithsonian institution. Interior department. Census bureau. Indian affairs committee (Senate). Five civilized tribes of Indians committee (Senate).' Indian affairs committee (H. of R.). 973. United States: History. American historical association. Manuscripts division (Library of Congress). Rolls and library bureau. Library and naval war records office. Library joint committee (Congress). PART IV Library Practice I Information and Selection Especially for the small library and the non-deposi- tory, where the Monthly Catalog, if received, is not read regularly, the following hints as to means of informa- tion about the national publications and their selection, are given. In the first place, every library, even the smallest, should own and use the Checklist. It is in itself a lib- eral education for both librarians and readers. But this gives publications only through 1909. Also, J. I. Wyer, United States Government Documents In Small Libra- ries,^ should be owned by every small library, and the publications there recommended be the first procured. It will doubtless be not allowed to fall too far behind in date. Further, even the small library will be helped by the Author Headings For United States Public Docu- ments As Used in the Official Catalogues of the Super- intendent of Documents,^ because the learning from this list that there is at Washington, for example, a Children's Bureau, will suggest that its publications may be of use to a reader interested in child welfare. Of great help will be the Price Lists issued by the Docu- ments Office from time to time, pamphlets, each giving references to where material may be found in a spe- cial field of knowledge. Parts of works are given, and back as well as current publications are included. Some of the subjects on which Hsts have been issued are: — United States history, poultry, forestry, fishes, military and naval literature, labor questions, foods and cooking, 1 4th edition revised. Chicago, A. L. A., 1914. (.\. L. A. Publishing Board, Library handbook 7.) 2 3d edition, March 4, 1915. (Documents Office. Bulletin 18.) For two earlier editions see Checklist, p. 416. 191 192 Information and Selection insect pests, oenieiit. engineering mechanics, international law. etc. New editions replace old ones as new mate- rial is printed. Many government offices issue yearly or occasionally a prmted list each of its own publications,^ and it is entirely proper for any library to write, for in- stance, to the Children's Bureau to ask if it publishes such a list, and to request the gift of it. The list of publications of the Agriculture Department is printed monthly, and is sent to all who ask for it. Aside from these, the same helps in selecting as used for other kinds of literature will be used. The selected United States publications given in the A. L. A. Book List are all good. Notes of new publications in maga- zines, newspapers, in lists of other libraries and in special bibliographies, etc., will be helpful. The librarian of a small or medium sized library must not be misled by the statements made of the value of the national publications into accepting and keeping blindly everything which may descend upon the library from an undiscriminating Congressman, or any other source. Each publication should be looked into, its scope and value be ascertained. The criterion, with this as with other material, is in the answer to the ques- tion: Does this fit into an interest felt by my readers, or any interest which I can develop among them? As anything can be sent back to the Documents Office free under franks which that office will provide on request, such disposal should be made of any which do not sur- vive the application of this test. But discarding should not be done without due deliberation, and expert ap- praisal should be secured, if possible. To keep half a dozen back volumes of an annual re- port of which it is not thought worth while to get the other issues to complete the file, does not seem sensible. Odd volumes of miscellaneous House and Senate Docu- ments and Reports should not be kept unless some pub- 3 See Bibliography: General: Publishing bodies' lists of their own pub- lications. Information and Selection 193 lication in any volume is wanted for its subject's sake. This does not negative the keeping of the latest issue only of any report or statistical publication, and ship- ping last year's report back to Washington as this year's is received, or retiring it to basement or attic. If an odd volume is kept because of the value of only one of several publications in it, it should be classed according to that one, and that alone be cataloged. It is allow- able to ignore other publications in the volume if they would be discarded except for being included. In cata- loging the one valuable publication, if the volume is of the four series of House or Senate, the catalog en- try will end with the note of the series, e.g. : (U. S. 54th Congress, 26. session. House Document 134. In volume 29; 3505). But no entry under U. S. Congress, House Documents, need be made for it. The most troublesome question constantly recurring is : In what other form or forms does this material appear, and which one, or how many, of those obtain- able shall the library keep? To the cost of storage and care must be added, be it remembered, that of the cleri- cal labor of all records, the labeling, perhaps binding, etc. The writer once bound for use the three quarto volumes of the Documentary History of the Constitu- tion of the United States, 1786-1870,^ extracting them from the Bulletins of the Rolls and Library Bureau, w^here they were originally published as a series of ap- pendixes. Later there came to the library an edition in beautiful binding bearing the seal of the State De- partment. A third edition came out later in the form of a sheep bound House Document. Many things come out unbound earlier, and later form part of a bound volume which may or may not agree with the earlier issue. The cases differ. An ex- ample of one case is the Bulletins of the Geological Sur- vey, which have first publication each unbound. Later the depository libraries receive them bound in volumes. 4 See Checklist, p. 972. 194 Information and Selection The Experiment Station Record and the Congressional Record replace the separate issues with a bound edi- tion of the completed volume. The Session or Pam- phlet Laws, indispensable as the early first issue at the end of each session, are superseded at the end of the Congress by the Statutes at Large, which contain, bound and also rearranged, all that is in the previously pub- lished two or three volumes of Pamphlet Laws. Of course each Senate and House Report and Document appears in Washington, first and promptly, separate and unbound, and they are later made into volumes, as be- fore described.^ But the depository libraries get them at a later date, after they are bound. On the other hand, of some publications, the Monthly Catalog, for instance, each issue must be preserved with care, as copies can not be obtained from Washington to replace any lost. Some unbound material is extracted from larger works, and may bear the paging of the publication from •which it is taken, or be independently paged. The separate and advance print without appendixes of the report of the head, which is issued by most depart- ments and important bureaus, and which, when it strays into a library, is likely to puzzle a tyro, is the most fa- miliar instance of this. The " separates '" of very many scientific, technical, statistical, or other such publica- tions — for example, the Mineral Resources, the Year Book of the Agriculture Department, the Proceedings of the National Museum, etc. — entries for which crowd the Monthly Catalog, the Document Catalog, and the Checklist, usually bear the inclusive paging of the larger work. This will help to identify them as " separates," for it is not easily recognizable that they are such, or whence they come. Separates do not come under the ban as wasteful reprint editions. They are issued for convenience of advance distribution, or for the use of those who have need for one part of the work but not for 5 See Why Bewildering: topic 5. Information and Selection 195 the whole; and for those purposes are indispensable. The question whether a library, when it has the complete work, should keep any separates that may chance to come should generally be answered in the negative. Only when the demand for this special material in its place among the works on its special subject, justifies it, should a separate be kept. II General Practice As has been said, library practice should be identical whether applied to government or to non-government material, be it books, serials, pamphlets, ephemeral mat- ter for temporary keeping, or anything else. But the great variety of depository material, and the difficulty of assorting each item so as to assign to each its appro- priate treatment, invite discussion. Therefore certain recommendations, taken from the experience of the writer, are offered here, on the chance that one or an- other of them may help the inexperienced librarian. Most of these suggestions apply equally to non-govern- mental and governmental material of the class desig- nated, and the library that has a well thought out sys- tem in operation will have no use for them. No at- tempt IS made at giving complete instructions under any topic. What is outlined here is not put forward as the system, but as a system which will be found workable. That a system must be adopted as a whole, and that to take one segment from one system and another segment from another system will often block the running, must be remembered. What IS meant by system? Each kind of material that comes to a library has to be " processed," as it is called in the arts. Efficiency principles apply here the same as in manufacturing or office work. Even the arrangement of the work rooms enters into the result. From raw material to finish it should pass as if on a gravity railroad, without ever retracing a step, each find- ing the process adapted to its class without question as to which that is — nothing done twice, every non-essential eliminated, every essential adequately, well, and perma- 196 General Practice 197 nently done. For the library does not, like the factory or business house, make a complete turnover and clear- ance once in so often. It consumes its own finished product, and its own errors of judgment and execution disarrange its shelves and clutter up its records. Sys- tem does not consist in picking up one part of the pro- cess here and another there, and installing a patch- work routine in which details jangle with each other and with facilities and conditions, but in perceiving the indispensable, and securing it in the fewest steps' possi- ble. The very large libraries, which are building up huge aggregations of government publications of all the coun- tries on the globe in document departments, are not in view here. The state libraries also have problems and use which differ from those of the public and college library, and will find nothing to help them here. The publications as they are and have been are here treated. With better bibliographical methods in publishing this material, much said here would become unnecessary. The United States publications as they come to a de- pository library are a very heterogeneous lot of mate- rial, besides the problems of various editions which they present. Different ones will call for about as many di- verse processes of treatment as the library has in use, with, possibly, a few extra ones expressly devised for the government publications. The opening, checking, and disposal of the shipments as they come to the library should not be confided to a mere clerk. If there is a reference librarian specially deputed to care for the gov- ernment publications, he may supervise the unpacking. But it would seem to fall naturally to the chief of the cataloging and classification to say in what way each kind of material shall be disposed of, how recorded, and its manner of preparation for the shelves ; also to declare what may be discarded and when. Constant consultation and dovetailing of system will be necessary between the head of the cataloging and classification and the keeper of igS General Practice the serial check record. As all library records and meth- ods have for their object to serve the library staff — espe- cially tiie reference stafif — and the readers in getting hold of the books and the material in them, so here also this mnst be held in view as the end and object. For purposes of discussion we may treat this material under the three classes : — books, bound or unbound ; ° pamphlets; and serial publications; though this is like making the divisions of men, women, and government olificials, for the serial publications will include both books and pamphlets. The treatment of each of these classes will follow the system of the library for non- governmental publications of the same class, and the government publications will be entered in check record, accession book, catalog, and shelf list side by side with and sandwiched in between non-governmental books, pamphlets, and serials. The exceptional case of the four series of Senate and House Documents and Re- ports, the so-called Congressional set, will be spoken of in the section on cataloging. Pamphlets also, and maps, will be given separate attention later. 6 An important work which comes unbound may be bound: or. if the library is not likely to use it much, and the material on the shelves is well taken care of, and the binding fund is overdrawn, it may be protected by outside covers, and accessioned, cataloged, and used as if bound. This is at the discretion of the librarian. Ill Check Record of Serials After unpacking, all separate publications of the rank of books, whether bound or unbound, will be sent on to be accessioned and cataloged. All publications which have a numbering continuous with others in a series ^ will be entered previously to this or other disposition of them, in the serial check record. The four series of Senate and House Documents and Reports need not be entered in the serial check record, except in case the separate unbound publications of the series are issued to the libraries as printed. This was done for a few years just preceding 1910, but has been discontinued. That the library should make record of every serial issue under the serial title immediately upon its coming to the library, is very essential. This record will pref- erably be on cards, a separate card for each title. The purposes accomplished by this record are three. First, it provides the library with a " tickler," by which it can ensure the getting regularly every issue of the serials on the list, without lapses or delay. A device by which this " tickler " automatically corrects itself annually has been used at the library of the University of Illinois. A box or tray is used for holding the cards which is slightly wider than the cards. At the beginning of the year the cards are all pushed to one side of the box. After the last issue for the year is entered on each card, it is shoved to the other side of the box. All card rec- ords not so moved at the end of the year receive atten- tion. Without some such check a lapse in coming, espe- cially of an annual, might not be noticed till a reader's 7 Such series as the -American Statesmen or English Men of Letters series are not meant here. 199 200 Check Record of Serials application called attention to the lack of late issues. Second, it provides the library with a statement up to the minute of what it possesses of each serial. Those se- rial issues that are complete, independent works of a size to be shelved without delay, will be accessioned and cata- loged like other books, after being recorded. The others — by far the majority — which we may call the minor serials, will not appear in accession book or cata- log until after a period of delay that may be a year or a term of years. For it must be remembered that the catalog is not the place to record, ordinarily, what is bibliographically incomplete, or not in its final shape for preservation ; and a minor serial may wait for years to complete a volume or to accumulate enough to be bound. And all during this period the check record will be the only place which provides information con- cerning late issues of each serial. This will be more fully discussed in the section on cataloging. It will be shown there that the catalog will refer to the check rec- ord for information which it will not give itself. For this reason the form of entry in this record should be the same as that used in the catalog; and, generally, all records thoughout the library, especially those filed al- phabetically, should use a standardized, uniform en- try. And because it is an adjunct to the catalog, the head of the cataloging should have the right of revision of the serial record, and to have included in that record whatever details are required by him. Third, it provides the most convenient place for as- sembling all the other items about these serials needed for ordering them. The following are details that will in general be found worth while to give on the check record card: — f i) place of publication; (2) frequency; (3) number of volumes a year; (4) period of complet- ing volumes; (5) source; (6) on what terms; (7) list price; (8) net price; (9) date of order; (10) date of bill; (11) period when subscription expires; (12) what has been received to date; and (13) call number Check Record of Serials 201 in library. Of course not every one of these is used for every serial, and when (6) is iilled out with *' gift," as in the entry for all United States government serials, (7)-(ii) are blanks. When a new serial begins to come, the head of the cataloging will supply a classi- fication and book number in advance, together with form of entry, if the latter is in doubt. In such a case it is not always possible to ascertain all items in advance, nor. if publication is only just now started, to forecast how it is going to develop. Record can be made and details filled in as they become known. In the case of series of bulletins, circulars, etc., each issue of which is a short but distinct work, complete in itself, with its separate author and title, like the bulle- tins of the Education Bureau, it will be desirable, as explained later, to make the briefest note possible of the author, the title, and the date of each issue along with its number. This may be put on a supplementary card or cards, if more convenient. A substitute, usually an unsatisfactory one, is to check the issues on a printed list. In cataloging a serial there are four items concerning it which must in all cases be stated if they exist in the serial in hand. These are: — (i) the volume number or issue number, or both; (2) dates covered by the con- tents of the issues; (3) number of volumes; (4) first and last publication dates, connected by dash. Of these catalog items, the first two belong in the check record. If, as in the case of most administrative reports, there is no consecutive numbering, item (i) drops out. Sim- ilarly, where, the serial being neither statistical nor ad- ministrative, the period covered has no significance, as in the Farmers' Bulletins, item (2) vanishes. But when, like the Congressional Record, the serial supplies both items, it will ensure accuracy and often save time to give both, not only in the serial record, but also in lists of wanting parts, in orders — in fact, every time serial issues are quoted. The use of the oblique dash 202 Check Record of Serials between dates in (2) adds definiteness to the initiated, though it means nothing to the outside pubHc. The entry: ist-5th report, 1894/5- 1898/9, is clearer by its use. The check record of serials may be on cards made in the following form.® Check record. A. no_" Publishing office Title Place of pub. Frequency No. of vols, a yr. Vols, begin and end when Source Terms List price Net price Order date Bill date Sub'n expires Vol. Yr. Ian. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June luJy Aug. Sept Oct Nov. Dec. Extra Tpj Check record. B. Call no_ Publishing office Title Place of pub. Frequency No. of vols, a yr. Vols, begin and end when Source Terms List price Net price Order date Bill date Vol. Year Date rec'd Vol. Year Date rec'd Sub'n expires On the reverse of the cards the whole space can be ruled and utilized for recording. Cards for recording weeklies and dailies will be ruled as these periodicities 8 See also Public Libraries, 15: 181, 1910 (by Tilton). Check Record of Serials 203 require. In case of serials not monthly, weekly, nor of other regular periodicity, as the Farmers' Bulletins, their consecutive numbers, e.g., i, 2, 3, etc., may be, on form A, entered in the space for the month in which re- ceived. Such bulletins are often so inconsecutive that the memorandum of the approximate date of receipt is helpful. It will probably be found convenient to keep the cards in two separate files, one for annuals, another for serials appearing more frequently, and possibly a third file for such as are temporarily unsettled in status, or those of which only an occasional number floats in upon the library. But this is a matter of choice. IV Cataloging (Excluding Subject Cataloging) I. House and Senate four series The bound volumes of the four series of Documents and Reports of Senate and House, or so-called Con- gressional set, it has been said, are not to be entered in the serial record, although each separate Document and Report, if the series were supplied in the unbound form, would be. Only one record of the whole bound set is, according to the writer's experience, necessar}^ This record is the shelf list. The entry there will be under the title of each series, each volume being entered sepa- rately under its volume number, e.g., Senate Docu- ments, volume so. In the shelf list for the Congres- sional set there will be a column for the serial number, i.e., the consecutive numbers which come down from the 15th Congress. These serial numbers, distinct for each volume, will be added to the class and book number, identical for every volume of the set, to make the full call number for the volume (e.g., 328.73 Un3 6122, accord- ing to the Decimal classification and the Cutter book num- ber table). There will be another column for the short title on the back of the volume indicating its con- tents, e.g., " Documents of a public nature " ; or " De- ficiency estimates." A sample of shelf list entries is appended. (See Shelf list, A.) The numbers of the Reports or Documents included in a volume can, ob- viously, not be given when there are several of them. Those transferred to other classes will receive full en- try in the shelf list where transferred. If preferred, class and book number as transferred may be put in the accession number column. This will eliminate the 204 Cataloging 205 " Classed " column. The contents title may or may not be omitted for these. (See Shelf list, B.) Shelf list. A. 3-'8.73 Un3 L . S. 62d Congre SS, 2( session Serial no. Ace. no. Series title Vol. Contents title Classed 6122 Senate Reports 3 .... Miscellaneous, III 697. Approps. for rivers & har. 6123 " " 4 6129 House Reports 1 .... Miscellaneous, I Miscellaneous, II 6130 « ' of Congrress. Card Section, Bulletin 16-19 (in one), 1914' List of series of publications for which cards are in stock. Cataloging 225 cation Bureau, the Agriculture Department, and, it is likely, other government bodies, have published on cards complete catalogs, including analyticals, of all their pub- lications, kept up to date. That of the Agriculture De- partment is sent free to United States agricultural col- leges. As has been said, its government author entries are made on a different system from those of the Li- brary of Congress. Poole's Index and other indexes to periodicals and col- lections include entries for separate issues or separate articles of many government serials. Entries in the catalog for such serials should bear the note, e.g., " In- dexed in the A. L. A. Index " ; and sometimes the exact years indexed must be specified. Xot every consecutive series numbering seen on United States government publications merits the dig- nity of an entry in the catalog. " Treasury Depart- ment Document " ; " War Department Document " : " Education Bureau Bulletin whole number," are ex- amples of some that serve a useful purpose in the rec- ords of the publishing office, and may be included as part of the title in cataloging the work. But as these sets of numbers may include office blanks and memoranda, or confidential publications, it is wise not to try to check up the numbers with a view to getting a complete file, and not to make a series entry for them in the catalog. 5. Library of Congress and Document Catalog divergences The Document Catalog, begun in 1895, some years before the Library of Congress began its present cata- log and the sale of its printed cards, catalogs United States government publications exclusively. It there- fore lacks the complications and problems that would arise did it include publications not only of the na- tional government, but also of state and foreign gov- ernments, besides a vastly greater number not of gov- ernment origin at all. The Library of Congress has the 226 Cataloging requirements of all these to consult in devising its li- brary system, including its cataloging rules. In the lat- ter library, technicalities mvolving the relations of each part to the whole of the work, of each entry to all the others in the catalog, arise on every side. The Docu- ment Catalog, on the other hand, is untrammeled by considerations such as these, can be simple, can make concessions to its special purpose and clientele, etc., im- possible to the Library of Congress. The divergence between these two catalogs which is the most noticeable and affects the greatest number of entries, and has been the most widely discussed, is the inverted as against the direct form of names of gov- ernment bodies. In common parlance, some of the gov- ernment authors are always named with the distinctive word first, as Post-Office Department, War Department, Interstate Commerce Commission. Others place the distinctive word after the non-distinctive word, e.g., de- partment, bureau, commission ; and in some cases sev- eral insignificant parts of speech intervene before the distinctive word is arrived at. e.g., Department of the Interior, Bureau of the Census. Commission to Investi- gate the Title of the United States to Lands in the Dis- trict of Columbia, etc. In catalog entries the correct name of a government body must be sought, of course, in the law creating it, just as the name of an incor- porated body is in its act of incorporation, and of a non- incorporated society is in its constitution. But the law frequently gives no definite name, or speaks of the body in two or three different wordings.-® On this account the Documents Office thinks itself justified in its practice of invariably, in its entry of each government author, putting the distinctive word first, as Education Bureau, instead of Bureau of Education. This creates, its critics say, in many instances, an in- verted form of the name, and one not authorized by the statute creating the body. The Library of Congress 28 See statement of this by F. A. Crandall, Library Journal, 28: 69, 1903- Cataloging 227 uses the direct form as the statute gives it, not changing, to be sure, Post-Office Department, but using Bureau of Education, Department of the Interior, etc. This divergence, be it noted, is one of form only, not of principle. Its only result is a rearrangement of alphabetical sequence of one catalog as compared with the other ; a highly practical result, it is true, as the only key to unlocking the resources of the library through the dictionary catalog is its alphabetical arrangement. In an exhaustive discussion of inverted versus direct form at an A. L. A. meeting,-" of a number of argu- ments advanced, two seem to be decisive ones. Ad- vocates of the inverted form urged the inestimably great convenience to the reader to be able to find a gov- ernment author by means of the one word in its title that sticks in the memory, as Interior, Agriculture, Cen- sus, etc. The Library of Congress urged per contra that the names of government authors in foreign lan- guages could not be inverted, and it would be of no help to the reader if they were. The use of inverted form in English only, and direct form for all in for- eign languages, the Library of Congress was not will- ing to accept. The Library of Congress printed cards, therefore, read thus : " U. S. Department of the Interior " ; " U. S. Bureau of the Census." ^" If any library adopts this direct form for its catalog and uses it without change, there should be made in every instance a reference to it from the inverted or Document Catalog form. The cards of the Library of Congress bearing direct form headings may have the distinctive word underlined and then they may be alphabetized by it, producing inverted arrange- 29 See Proceedings of the Catalog Section of the American Library Asso- ciation, Niagara Falls meeting, 1903, in Library Journal, 28: C:76-Ci89. As the writer is reviewing her own decisions as compiler of the first two Document Catalogs under Mr. Crandall, she can not be accused of being biased against or unappreciative of the advantages of the inverted form of name. 30 Notice that both examples of direct headings given, alphabet (after " of ") under " the." while " Department of Agriculture " follows " of " by the distinctive word. 228 Cataloging ment. A guide card with note of explanation must pre- cede. This has its risks of confusing readers, especially in the sub-alphabeting under the subject according to the underlined word of the government author. Care must be taken that the same body be not allowed to appear in two different places in the catalog, under the direct form and again under the inverted form of name. Another point of difference between these two cata- logs is that the Document Catalog makes entry direct under each body, no matter what its grade, extending this to the two houses of Congress. The Library of Congress, on the contrary, enters every body below the grade of a bureau as a subhead of its higher body. Thus we have : — Document Catalog Library of Congress U. S. Publications Division U. S. Dept. of Commerce, Pub- ( Commerce Dept.). lications Division. U.S. Senate (Congress). U.S. Congress. Senate. U. S. House of Representatives U. S. Congress. House. (Congress). U. S. Finance Committee (Sen- U. S. Congress. Senate. Com- ate, Congress). mittee on Finance. These are the noteworthy divergences as to govern- ment authors. The subject headings of the Document Catalog are being gradually brought into uniformity with those used by the Library of Congress. The very great difference between the Document Catalog and the Library of Congress in their method of making up the titles to Reports of committees of Con- gress, has already been fully described.^^ It has already been explained ^- how it happens that on the cards sold by the Library of Congress headings are found that are contrary to that library's own rules; such as follows : " U. S. Department of Agriculture. Bu- reau of Plant Industry." It may be of interest to de- 31 See Legislative Publications: VI. Reports of Committees, p. 140; also Library Practice: IV. Cataloging: i, pp. 207, 209. 32 See Library Practice: IV. Cataloging: 2, p. 216. Cataloging 229 scribe here the most numerous of these divergent head- ings — those m.ade up in the hbrary of the Agricuhure Department, and used in that hbrary's own card catalog. The Agriculture Department library rule is to make ev- ery government body below the highest grade a sub- head under the higher body or bodies to which it is at- tached. It uses the direct form of name. Anything of division or section grade would be entered like the fol- lowing example : " U. S. Department of Agriculture. Weather Bureau. Library." V Pamphlets There will be among the material received by deposi- tory libraries many pieces not linked with others by a series title, and not even issued periodically in revised editions ; but single, detached publications, paper bound, and on some minor or very specific topic. These are the pamphlets. Examples are the publications of the Interior Department descriptive of various national parks ; of the Indian Affairs Office outlining work for the Indian schools ; ^^ occasional " separates " that one may want to keep, etc. Not every paper bound publica- tion is a pamphlet. When such a publication is important enough to catalog and classify it should be regarded and treated as an unbound book. The following is a defi- nition of a pamphlet which will serve the purpose here. A pamphlet is a small separate publication, usually (but not necessarily) paper bound, which — partly because small and in paper covers, but still more because its sub- ject matter is ephemeral, minor, or on minutiae — it is not deemed advisable or necessary to make pass through all the processes given to a book. Thus the border line between book and pamphlet is seen to be as imaginary as the equator. And a referendum vote of readers insistently calling for something originally rele- gated to this lower class occasionally brings a quasi pamphlet up into the treatment of the book class ; while if the recall could be used over many a so-called book, much dead timber on which labor has been wasted might be dumped back among the pamphlets. A good system with pamphlets is the following.^* 33 See Checklist, p. 497-498. 34 These directions are largely copied, with slight variations drawn from the writer's own experience, from a very practical article by Zaidee Brown 230 Pamphlets 231 Classify each as it comes, writing the class number on its upper left corner. Then put in manila envelop or pamphlet box, also marked with the class number, and file on the shelves after the books of that class. The box or envelop for economy may have on it several con- secutive class numbers to hold a bunch of pamphlets, even if their classes differ slightly. To be useful the classification should be close ; a pamphlet on a special breed of the domestic hen should be numbered, e.g., by the Decimal classification, not 630, nor 636, but 636.5, the proper subdivision. Number each consecutive pamphlet of a class as it comes, i, 2, 3, etc., and write 636.5 this on it under the class number, e.^r., , ^^ ' ^ ' Pam. I On the outside of the box or envelop write a numbered list of the pamphlets within, giving author, brief title, and date of each. Subject entry or entries will be made in the catalog, the card reading something like this : 639 Poultry. See also on shelves the parrvphlets on poultry, at the end of the books on the subject. These subject entries made for the pamphlets will be traced inconspicuously on each envelop or box. The card will be filed at the end of the entries on the sub- ject. On the shelf list also there will be, at the end of the books of the class, the entry, e.g.. Pamphlets i-io. When enough pamphlets on a subject have accumu- lated to bind, this should be done, and each can then be cataloged, or the same method of referring to them, under subject only, be continued. But in the mean- time, some pamphlets will have been superseded by fuller information in book form or will have become obsolete. To discard such will be easy, no separate rec- ord for any one having been made except that on the box or envelop. in Library Journal, 32:358-360, Aug., 1907, which the reader is recom- mended to read. yi Maps A map separately published should be treated like a book.^^ It may be classified according to its locality, or in a class designating a collection of maps, number 912 in the Decimal classification. The Library of Congress, according to whose printed model cards library cataloging is becoming standard- ized all over the United States, has as yet issued no cards for maps. The rules it follows have, however, been published.^" The quotations are from this guide. " The cataloging of maps and atlases differs very little from the cataloging of ordinary books." Briefly, the catalog entry of a map dift'ers from that of a book in two points: — (i) the scale must be added; and (2) the actual measurement, in two dimensions, must be given, from top to bottom always first. " The general items contained on these [catalog] cards are, for sheet maps, (a) author, with full name, (b) title of map, (c) scale, (d) edition, (e) measurement in inches within the bor- ders of the map from top to bottom and from side to side (the top of the map is determined by placing the map in proper position to read the title as printed), (f) 35 Documents Office, Price list 53: Maps, is a very complete and full bibliography of everything the United States is doing or has done in the line of map publishing. It is recommended that libraries, even small libra- ries, get and use the following: — the large wall map of the United States published by the General Land Office (ask from your senator or representa- tive); the topographic sheets for your state or your section published by the Geological Survey (ask from the Survey) ; and the postal rural delivery map of your county (ask from Third Assistant Postmaster General, Finance Division, Post-Office Department). 36 U. S. Library of Congress. Notes on the cataloging, care, and classi- fication of maps and atlases ... by P. Lee Phillips. 1915- 20 P- lar. i6mo. See also Library Journal, 25: 15-16, Jan., 1900. Also U. S. Library of Congress. Report . , year ending June 30, 1901, pt. II (Manual . . .), p. 263-266, 344-350. 232 Maps 233 place of publication, (g) publisher, (h) date of publi- cation," Note that " within the borders " means exclu- sive of margin. The author of a government map will be the publishing office.^' If there is any text printed on margin, back, or else- where, this must be properly described in a note. If a map is in more than one sheet or section, it is still one map, but the fact should be stated in a note; the same if backed, or on rollers, or folded into covers or a port- folio. In the last case, the dimensions of both map and covers should be given: e.g., 35x25 cm. folded into covers 15 x 10 cm. Maps inset on larger maps should be mentioned in a note and receive any separate entry, subject or other, that they may be deemed worth. A necessary equipment to be provided in building a library which it seems to the writer is not so generally emphasized and provided as it should be, is map draw- ers built in, or a map room. Failing this, as a make- shift maps may be kept inside pasteboard rolls such as are used for mailing certificates, broadsides, or paper sheets of any kind. Some other ways of disposing of maps are the following : — they may be laid in drawers or on shelves ; put in large manila envelops specially made ; bound after mounting on guards ; backed and attached to rollers for hanging; or framed under glass in wall cases or wing frames for exhibit. If too large, maps may be cut into sections, but they should always lie flat or be rolled, never be folded, as they will wear out and the text become obliterated in the folds. As they are liable to be scattered in the library, wherever a place can be found for them, it is well to state location on the shelf list in a pencil note. An oversize atlas accompanying a work will have to be shelved apart from it. Accession and call number should be plainly marked on it. and its location pen- 37 The man who makes the survey for and draws the map is really the author, but, as is explained in General: Why Bewildering: topic 3, the author in government publications merges his identity in the government body whose work he is carrying on. 234 M^ps ciled on the shelf Hst and, if desired, on the catalog card. Of a set of loose maps or plates of any kind ac- companying a work each should be stamped with the library stamp, the accession number put on the con- tainer, and the call number written on each map, also the title of the work, if it is not printed on it. Then none can be lost. These items should be put near the title on the map, so that one may quickly find them, and not have to search all over a big map surface to make sure no memorandum recorded there is lost. VII Classification If, as is the principle of this work, a government pub- lication is not to be discriminated against because of its origin, but is to be given equal chance with any other kind of literature for making itself known and for demonstrating either its capacity for usefulness, or the lack of it — then each must be classified according to the system used for other books. If this is carried out, the four series of House and Senate, with the Congres- sional Record, will find their place in that section of the classification reserved for the " Proceedings of legisla- tive bodies " {i28.y^ according to the Decimal system).^^ Laws will be classed with other laws ; treaties with in- ternational law ; Presidents' messages, like those of governors and mayors, in the class number for adminis- tration, national, state, or municipal, as fits the case. Hearings of committees, reports of special committees or commissions, and any other publications emanating from Congress, but which have escaped being clamped down by note and numbering of the Congressional series, will be put where their subject entitles them to be placed. The reports, bulletins, and miscellaneous works of each executive or judicial body will find each its subject place. So that a work on cooking will be classed in that branch of domestic science, regardless of whether it comes from the Quartermaster General of the Army, or from the Indian Aft'airs Office for the use of Indian schools. 38 If the Congressional set were to be reconstituted on the basis of the early days before attempts at reform, and were to be made up and sent out with the intent of its being a systematically inclusive and complete col- lected edition of all important national publications from every branch of the government, a better class number according to the Decimal system would be, It seems to the writer, 353. or 353o8. 235 236 Classification Classing of the Congressional set in the class, " Pro- ceedings of legislative bodies," does not, be it noted, pre- clude the removal of this bulky set from among the other works of that class and their place in the main used part of the library to less used shelves on a higher or lower floor, leaving a shelf dummy to tell the tale. This can always be done with any little used group out of a class, like an accumulation of old school and college catalogs from class Education, etc. The foregoing recommendations for subject placing are from the standpoint of the supply, as at present, to depository libraries of the majority of the department publications in plain title edition. Subject classifica- tion has already been discussed at considerable length ; ^'•' and the reader is asked to read the discussion again in this connection. But because of its practical impor- tance, attention may again be called to the fact that even now many works are still being sent to libraries as House or Senate Documents that are needed on the li- brary shelves among the other works of like subject. And recommendation is again made not to let the fact that a work is a House or Senate Document have the slightest weight against its being placed on the library shelves wherever it will be most used. This advice is specially commended to non-depository libraries. An, increasing number of large libraries w^ith trained man- agement is in practice ignoring the House or Senate Doc- uments series note and ntfmber in the treatment of gov- ernment publications, and treating each work on its merits like a non-government printed work. They re- gard as a fetish the effort to keep the four series of Congress intact, and make inroads upon the complete- ness of the set continually and with no compunctions. The other extreme — that of rigidly keeping together everything to which a serial number has been assigned — , as explained in the previous discussion, puts a heavy handicap on the use of the works. The serial numbers 39 See Why Bewildering: topic 6, p. 8:1-83. Classification 237 will show gaps where certain publications not sent to libraries should be. The arrangement will reflect every inconsistency and change in the laws which, as we have seen, put a serial number on the issues of a continued work during certain years and withdraw it other years. Should the efforts succeed that are now being made, to check waste by refusing to libraries duplicates wanted only to keep the rows of serially numbered vol- umes unbroken, these libraries may in the end find them- selves obliged, when a second copy is wanted, to show that the applicant knows what the work is and to prove that the use justifies giving a second copy. A policy directed toward bringing about such management of the public printing as will secure printing just the number of extra copies needed for those that need them, is better than the fostering of wasteful duplication methods that produce duplicates of twenty works not used or wanted to one that is: Taking the stand : get everything lest you lack something — leads to abuses that are likely to defeat the purpose sought. And arranging by the se- rial numbers will ultimately break down, as better pub- lishing methods are applied to the national publications. The Checklist classification Another alternative, besides placing according to se- rial number or placing according to the subject of the work, is the classifying according to the system used in the library of the Documents Office. This is given in the Checklist, and in the invoices sent with the publi- cations to the depository libraries. The usefulness of the Checklist classification for the Documents library, which is composed of United States government publications exclusively, and used only by the office staff, is indisputable. Indeed, the whole work of the office is now organized upon this classifica- tion. It was originated by Miss A. R. Hasse first for the publications of the Department of Agriculture, and has been expanded by the experts of the Documents Office so 238 Classification that now it provides a place for every publication of the United States government, a number being assigned to each new publication as it comes out. It is not a classification by subject. Its arrangement is that of the United States government itself. If a change occurs in the organization of the government, a break follows necessarily on the shelves ; a new subdivision comes into the system, and sometimes a contmuous series must be broken ofi at one place on the shelves and transferred to another location. A file of bulletins or reports is split up into sections by the system, and put in as many sepa- rate places on the shelves as the number of times the body publishing it has changed. By the Documents Of- fice classification the set of Consular Reports is broken up into three sections in three places.**" The Labor re- ports, annual and special, are m three parts in three dif- ferent places.*^ When, in 1903, the newly created De- partment of Commerce and Labor took over the Census Bureau, the Light-House Board,"*- the Steamboat-Inspec- tion Service, the Navigation Bureau, the Coast and Geo- detic Survey, the Labor Bureau,"*^ the Immigration and Naturalization Bureau.** and others, the set of reports of each of these bureaus in its old place on the shelves was broken ofif short with 1902. For 1903 and all later re- ports one must go to another place quite far removed. W^ith the establishment in 19 13 of the Labor Department separate from the Commerce Department there were fur- ther dislocations. As time goes on the breaks multiply. The classification tables were started with an alphabetical arrangement of departments and of bureaus under them ; but as new bureaus come into existence the plan fails to provide for their insertion in alphabetical order. Not very long hence, especially if the multiplication of war bureaus continues at the present rate, the order of gov- 40 S4.7; C14.8; C10.6. 41 Lai.i; C8.1; Li.i. 42 Became in 1910 the Lighthouses Bureau. 43 Became in 1913 the Labor Statistics Bureau. 44 Sejiarated in 1913 and became two, the Immigration Bureau and the Naturalization Bureau. Classification 239 ernment bodies will be much more difficult to follow than at present. Among the publications of the Department of Agri- culture on forestry some are from the secretary's office, Others from the Forest Service ; and material on the subject may l)e published l)y other bodies, as the Plant Industry Bureau or the Geological Survey. But this clas- sification can not bring them together. This lack of subject grouping and dislocation of continued files do not trouble the staff of the Documents Office. They have their attention claimed by no other subject than the national publications, and can know their collection from A to Z. It is a huge saving in time and brain work for a depository library to simply copy upon the national publi- cations as they come to it the class numl^ers of the Docu- ments Office library as given in the Checklist and the document invoices. It creates within the library a sepa- rate group or special collection of the national publica- tions, which duplicates, so far as it goes, the Documents library in Washington. Looking at this fact by itself, there come into question the effects upon the everyday working of a library which is arranged by subject groups, of thus harboring another and very large group which contains material supplementing nearly every one of the library's subject groups, and not even in parallel sub- ject arrangement with that other material. It is an axiom among librarians that if a gift be proffered of a collection of books on miscellaneous subjects, upon con- dition that the collection be kept by itself, that it be not scattered so that each work is put with those on the same subject already in the library — then the rejection of the gift is justifiable. That the Checklist classification does not bring subject material together in one place, e.xcept roughly as a bureau specializes in its publications in a prescribed field, is a defect in it for general library use. The breaking oft' and separation of serial sets into 240 Classification sections would, as it seems, cause uncertainty in which section the issue for a certain year would be found. If, for economy of labor or temporarily only, the Checklist classification is used, it will be found fully worth the trouble to transfer the full set to the latest class number, leaving the earlier class numbers unused, thereby keep- ing the file all together. Finally, this classification segregates the publications of the United States government in an arrangement and with a marking exclusively their own. But it gives no analogy by which those of state governments or foreign governments may be treated. Shall the publications of each state and each foreign government make each a separate group too? PART V Bibliography General Bibliography ^ Popular articles Spofford, A. R. Government as a great publisher. Forum, 19: 338, 1895. Fine presentation of the printing activities of the federal govern- ment. Especially good description of early exploration publications. Rossiter, W. S. Problem of the federal printing. Atlantic, 96 : 33^-334, Sept., 1905. On cost and progressively rising expenditure. What shall we do with public documents. Atlantic, 97 : 56a- 565, April, 1906. On distribution methods. Abstract in Lib. Jour., 31: 188. Earle, M. T. A disinterested publisher. Lamp, 38 (series 2, v. 28) : 461-466, July, 1904. Describes valuable material contained in government publications which the catalogs of libraries do not set forth. Summarized in Li- brary Journal, 29: 394. Whelpley, J. D. The nation's print shop and its methods. Rev. of Revs., 28: 556-563, 1903. Archives Van Tyne, C. H., and W. G. Leland. Guide to the archives of the government of the United States in Washington. 2d ed. 1907. (Carnegie Institution. Publication 14.) Does not deal with material in print and so not helpfui here. In connection with description of archives of each government body gives sketch of its duties and work. Hasse, A. R. The nation's records. Forum, 25 : 598-602, 1898. Comparison of treatment of archives in U. S. and foreign countries. Not helpful as to material in print. Aids as to publishing bodies U. S. Documents Office. Author headings for United States pub- 1 It is understood that place of publication is Washington, usually at the Government Printing Office, and size is octavo, unless otherwise stated. The variety of size notation in this bibliography could not be avoided with the conditions under which the work was done. The scope of this work does not admit of including bibliographies on mis- cellaneous subjects contained in the United States government publications, though this is a fertile field that would yield a rich harvest and is calling for a husbandman. 243 244 General Bibliography lie documents [as used in the official catalogues of the superintendent of documents]. 1903. 21 leaves. (Bulle- tin 4-) Same. 2d ed. July i, 1907. 1907. iii p. 32 leaves. (Bulletin 9.) Same. 3d ed. Mar. 4, 1915. 1915. ii p. 2;^ leaves. (Bulletin 18.) Each edition gives bodies in existence during period covered; but only those which have published something during the time. Census Bureau. Official register. 4°, Biennial. Sometimes called the Blue Book. Now one volume. Contents and table of departments mainly useful. Use latest issue. Congress. Official Congressional directory. Two or three editions a session. Use latest issue. Everhart, E. Handbook of United States public documents. Minneapolis. Wilson, 1910. 5 leaves, 320 p. Gives useful material, but now not up to present date. Reviewed by Wyer, Lib. Jour., 35: 221. Note. — The four foregoing and two following are sources of in- formation on the organization of the United States government into departments, bureaus, etc. The first three give no publications. The fourth describes publications, but not so thoroughly and exactly as the Checklist. The second and third give personnel. The third and fourth give duties and scope of each body. A preliminary consultation of these may help to find a body and its publications in the Checklist. Haskin, F. J. American government. Phil. Lippincott, 1912. xvii, 398 p. illus. Townsend, Malcolm. Handbook of United States political his- tory. Boston, Lothrop, C1910. p. 133-148. U. S. Congress. Senate. Senate manual, containing standing rules and orders of the Senate . . . Jefiferson's Manual, etc. Both plain title and Senate Document editions. Reprinted nearly every Congress or session. Use late issue. House of Representatives. Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and rules of the House of Representatives. Always a House Document and sometimes a plain title edition. Usually reprinted each session. Use late issue. Both the foregoing are of frequent help in using the United States government publica- tions, especially those of Congress. Aids as to the publications Wyer, J. I. United States government documents. Albany, 1906. 78 p. (N. Y. State Library. Bulletin 102; Library School 21.) Covers the subject ably and completely for that date. Reviewed in Lib. Jour., 31 : 233. — ^ United States government documents in small libraries. 4th General Bibliography 245 ed. rev. Chicago, 1914. 31 p. igK; cm. (A. L. A. Pub- lishing Board. Library handbook 7.) Gives selected list. Hasse, A. R. United States government publications, pt. 1-2. Boston, 1902-3. No more published. Reviewed in Lib. Jour., 27:340. Reeder, C. W. Government documents in small libraries. Springfield, O., 1910. 9 p. Reprinted from report of Ohio Board of Library Commissioners for year ending Nov. 15, 1909. Gives list of 20 serial publications. Wroth, L. C. A description of federal public documents. White Plains, N. Y., Wilson, 1915. 22 p. ig'/i cm. Government Printing Office Kerr, R. W^ History of the Government Printing Office at Washington, D. C., with brief record of the public printing, 1789-1881. Lancaster, Pa., 1881. 196 p. Contains list of the most valuable publications. Pan American Union. Monthly bulletin, Nov., 1910, p. 737-755, illus. Where the Bulletin is printed. Description of the Government Printing Office. Post, W. L. Address before Association of American Agricul- tural Colleges and Experiment Stations on work of Office of Superintendent of Documents. (In Experiment Sta- tions Office. Bulletin 212, July 10, 1909, p. 32-35.) Also in Monthly Catalog, Nov., 1908, p. 177. Depository libraries Note. — See also, beyond, Bibliography: IIL Laws: Depositories. U. S. Documents Office. Relation of the Office of the Superin- tendent of Documents to the organized libraries of the United States. 1907. 12 p. (Bulletin 8.) Official list of depository libraries. Corrected to Jan. i, 1909. 1909. 504 p. p. 3-6, history, legislation, etc. ; p. 7-564, list of depositories. (Bulletin 12.) Depository libraries. [July 15, 1913.] 4 p. (Circular 22, 2d rev. ed. ) About the same information as in Bulletin 12, but no list of libraries. Documents due depositories. [1907.] 39 p. [Cover title is. Public documents supplied to designated depository libraries, 1907.] (Bulletin 7.) Ptiblic printing to iQOj Ames, J. G., A. R. Spofford, and S. F. Baird. Report regarding the publication and distribution of public documents. 1882. 66 p. (H. Mis. Doc. 12, 47th Cong., 2d sess. In v. i; 2115.) 246 General Bibliography Includes table showing as to each publication of the 46th Congress and 47th Congress, ist session, the number printed, cost, quota for each member, and remainder; also compilation of laws in detail lor each government publication; also proposed bill and resolutions for the printing and distribution of public documents. U. S. State Department. Communication relative to the estab- lishment of an international bureau of exchanges [ot gov- ernment publications]. Apr. 14, 1882. 113 p. (H. Ex. Doc. 172, 47th Cong., I St sess. In v. 22; 2030.) p. S-SP. report of Smithsonian Institution on its work in interna- tional exchanges of scientific and literary productions since iS^io; p. 60-113. List of official publications issued by Congress and the re- spective executive departments from 1867-1881. Documents Division (Interior Dept."). Report regarding the receipt, distribution, and sale of public documents on behalf of the government by the Department of the Interior, 1878, 1883-1907- For full description see Checklist: 459. This division, of which Dr. John G. Ames was for many years head with title of super- intendent of documents, was the distributing agency before the es- tablishment of the Documents Office in 1S95, It then limited itself to publications of the Interior Department, and Dr. Ames became " clerk in charge of documents." This office was finally abolished by the secretary of the Interior, July i, 1907. — — Congress. Senate. Printing Committee. Report favoring S.1549, providing for the public printing and binding and distribution of public documents. Jan. 13, 1892. 483 p. (S. Report 18, 52d Cong., ist sess. In v. i; 2911.) By Senator Manderson. Of all the Reports, bills, debates, etc., in which were voiced the long agitation and discussion whose final suc- cessful outcome was the printing law of Jan. 12, 1895, this specimen only is given. Contents. — p. 5-8. Epitomized history of the public printing. — p. 9-258. Hearings. — p. 259-384. Answers of departments to ques- tions. — p. 385-404. List of public documents of 48th-5ist Congresses. — p. 405-427. Number of copies, cost, and distribution of Congres- sional Record, 47th-5ist Congresses. Suggestions. — p. 428-463. Let- ter of commissioner of patents about his printing. Text of bill annotated. — p. 464-483. Statement of superintendent of Senate fold- ing room. Documents Division (Interior Dept"). Special report rela- tive to public documents ; by John G. Ames. 1894. 19 p. Same. (In Interior Department. Annual report, 1894, V. 3) Complete, clear and vigorous statement of then existing condi- tions and plea for needed reforms. Reviewed in Lib. Jour. 20: 26-27, 1895- Government Printing Oflfice. Annual report, 1862-date. Also a Congressional Document edition. Includes report of super- intendent of documents. General Bibliography 247 Documents Office. Annual report, 1895-date. Separate edition, except 1897. Lists Note. — See also, beyond. Bibliography: General: Publishing bodies' lists of their own publications. Ford, P. L. Some materials for a bibliography of the official publications of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789. Brooklyn. 1888. 57 p. Reprinted from the Bulletin of the Boston Public Library. Friedenwald, Herbert. Journals and papers of the Continental Congress. (In American Historical Association. Annual report, 1896. v. i, p. 83-135.) An exhaustive bibliography. Greely, A. W. Public documents of the early Congresses. (In American Historical Association. Annual report, 1896, v. I. p. 1 109-1248.) Essay with bibliographical lists appended, including list of indexes of public documents. Same, separate. 1897. Public documents of the first fourteen Congresses, 1789-1817; papers relating to early Congressional documents. 1900. 903 p. (S. Doc. 428, 56th Cong., 1st sess. In v. 37; 3879.) Public documents of the first fourteen Congresses. (In American Historical Association. Annual report, 1903- V. I, p. 343-406.) Supplements the preceding list. Hickcox, J. H. United States government publications ; a monthly catalog, 1885-1894. 1885-1894. 10 v. Privately published. Stopped when Documents Office opened in July. 1895, where Mr. Hickcox was the first chief of cataloging. See Checklist, p. x-xi. U. S. Documents Office. Checklist of United States public docu- ments, 1789-1909. Congressional: to close of 6oth Con- gress. Departmental : to end of calendar year 1909. 3d ed. V. I, Lists. 1911. xxi, 1707 p. Quote: " Checklist, 3d ed." Reviewed by Wyer in Lib. Jour., 37: 630. hor earlier editions see Checklist, p. 415, 421-424, 460. American catalogue. 1876 '84-1890 95. N. Y. 3 v. 4°. At end of each volume are lists of United States publications, ar- ranged by departments, compiled by R. R. Bowker. Lists cover Jan. I, 1881-June 20, 1895. Checklist and other later catalogs supersede these, but these are useful if others are wanting. N. Y. State Library. Selection of cataloguers' reference books. Albany, 1903. (Bibliography bulletin 36,) p. 290-296: Documents ; United States. Selected list. 248 General Bibliography Kroeger, A. B. Guide to the study and use of reference books. 3d edition revised throughout and much enlarged by I. G. Mudge. Chicago, American Library Association Publish- ing Board, 1917. The second edition (1908) of this valuable and authoritative work has been continued by annual supplements in the Library Journal, also two separately published cumulations of these, covering re- spectively 1909-1910 and 1911-1913. Each, as well as the complete work, contains a section giving a selected list of United States government documents. Many other United States government publications also are included in other sections devoted to the special subject of the publication. U. S. Documents Oflfice. Tables of public documents printed an- nually or at regular intervals as provided by law, showing extra and usual number printed and distribution of the same. 1901. 12 p. (Bulletin 3.) Index and review, all about government publications, v. 1-2, Mar., 1901-Apr., 1903. Wash, iqoi-1903. Private publication. No more publisheil. U. S. Congress. Senate. Finding list to important serial docu- ments published by the government in the library of the United States Senate ; prepared by James M. Baker. 1901. 281 p. CS. Doc. 27,8. 56th Cong., 2d sess. In v. 15; 4043.) A list of this kind was originally prepared by T. G. Ames, and published in 1892. This is given because accessible in the Congres- sional set, though superseded by the next following entry. Catalogue of the library of the United States Sen- ate. 1908. 600 p. il. p. 157-373: Finding list.. No Document edition. The catalog portion of this work is made as the average intelligent person without training does it. Catalogs and indexes Note. — See, for early indexes to the Congressional set, Checklist:— Yi.2:In2; Y4.Ac2.M19; and for comment, same, p. viii-x. See also entries for these, with notes, in Wyer, United States Government Documents. 1906, p. 60-61. No entry is made of these here. See also, beyond. Bibliography: General: Publishing bodies' indexes to their own publications. Ordway, Albert. General index of the Journals of Congress from the ist to the i6th Congress inclusive, being a synop- tical subject-index of the proceedings of Congress on all public business from 1789 to 1821, with references to the debates, documents and statutes connected therewith, 1880-1883. '2 V. 4°. (H. Report 1776, 46th Cong., 2d sess. In V. 6; 1939; and H. Report 1559, 47th Cong., 1st sess. In V. 7; 2071.) Noted in Lib. Jour., 5: 87. Valuable; includes only public business. General personal index of the Journals of Congress from the 1st to the i6th Congress inclusive, being an index of the General Bibliography 249 personal record of members of Congress from 1789 to 1821, 1885-18S7. 2 V. 4°. (H. Report 2692, 48th Cong., 2d sess. In V. 4; 2331 ; and H. Report 3475, 49th Cong., ist sess. In V. 12; 2446.) " Only fairly satisfactory, and far from complete." Church, A. \V., and H. H. Smith. Tables showing the contents of the several volumes comprising the Annals of Congress, Congressional Debates, Congressional Globe, Congressional Record, Statutes-at-Large, United States Supreme Court Reports and succession of the Supreme Court justices, ar- ranged by years and Congresses. 1892. 29 p. Documents Office Price List 49 duplicates this for the first four pub- lications, bringing the tables down to date Poore, B. P. Descriptive catalogue of the government publica- tions of the United States. Sept. 5. 1774-Mar. 4, 1881. 1885. 1392 p. 4°. (S. Mis. Doc. (i-j, 48th Cong., 2d sess. In v. 4; 2268.) Quote: " I'oore." Also a plain title edition. Reviewed by Bowker in Lib. Jour., 11:4-.=;. See for description of this and following cata- logs Checklist: x-xi; also Wyer, United States Government Docu- ments, p 62. Ames, J. G. Comprehensive index to the publications of the United States Government, 1881-1893. 1905. 2 v. 4°. (H. Doc. 754, 58th Cong., 2d sess. In v. 1 19-120; 4745-4746.) Also a plain title edition. Quote: "Ames, 2 v. edition." Super- sedes an earlier edition in one volume, published in 1894, and covering only 1889-1893. U. S. Documents Office. Tables of and annotated inde.x to the Congressional series of United States public documents [i5th-S2d Congress]. 1902. 769 p. 4°. Quote: "Tables and Index." Not in the Congressional Documents. Reviewed by Ilasse, in Lib. Jour., 27: 291-293. Catalogue of the public documents of the 53d [-62d Congress], and of all departments of the government. Mar. 4, 1893 [-June 30. 1913]. No. i [-11]. 1896 [-1916]. 4". Quote: "Document Catalog." Both plain title and Congressional Document editions, v. 1-3, a volume each session; v. 4-date, a volume each Congress. Monthly catalogue, United States public documents, No. I [-269] ; Jan.. 1895 [-May, 1917] ; 54th Congress [-65th Congress, ist sess.]. Quote: " Monthly Catalog." - Index to the Reports and Documents of the 54th Con- gress, 1st session [-63d Congress. 3d session] ; Dec. 2, 1895 [-Mar. 4, igiSl- ^'o. i \-22\. 1895 [-1915]- Quote: " Document Index." Schedule of volumes at end is usually issued ahead of appearance of index. 250 General Bibliography Price lists. 1898-datc. 8" and narrow i2mo. I'ree to everybody. Lists showing wliere material can be found in United States government publications have been issued to date on 68 subjects, and new editions with latest material are constantly being printed. Willoiighby, W. F. Statistical publications of the United States government. (In Amer. Acad, of Polit. and Soc. Science. Annals, v. 2, 1891-1892, p. 92-104.) Critical and excellent for that date, though not entirely compre- hensive. Lane, L. P. Aids in the use of United States government publi- cations. (In Amer. Statistical Assoc. Publications 7:40- S7: Alar.-June, 1900. Gives list of indexes. Reviewed in Lib. Jour., 25: 598. Falkner, R. P. List of bibliographies published in official docu- ments of the United States, May, igo2. to Apr., 1903, in- clusive. (In Lib. Jour., 28:775-776, 1003.) Part of his report as chairman of the documents committee of the A. L. A. Hasse, A. R. List of bibliographies contained in United States public documents, June, 1903-May, 1904. (In Lib. Jour., 30:287-288, May, 1905.) Part of her report as chairman of the documents committee of the A. L. A. U. S. Education Bureau. Teaching material in government pub- lications. 1913. 61 p. (Bulletin, 1913, no. 47.) Valuable aid to finding reference material. Government bodies described by themselves Note. — The small publications that some bodies have occasionally published, descriptive each of its own functions, acomplishments, and projects, are the best possible source of information about them. The list of such works given below makes no attempt at completeness, even for the present moment. It is given more as a line of samples of what is being put out, aided by which one may keep daily outlook for such publications as they come out. U. S. Chemistry Bureau. Organization of the Chemistry Bureau [with list of publications of bureau] ; rev. to July I, 1909. Oct. II, 1909. 29 p. (Circular 14.) Exhibit of the bureau at the Pan-American exposition, Bufifalo, N. Y., 1901. 1901. 29 p. 4 pi. (Bulletin 63.) Children's Bureau. Children's Bureau, establishment [etc.]. 1912. 5 p. (Bureau publication i.) Coast and Geodetic Survey. Work of the survey. 2d ed. 1909. 47 p. 6 pi. map. Printed for distribution at the Alaska- Yukon-Pacific Exposition, Seattle, Wash., 1909. General Bibliography 251 Commerce Department. Printing and Publications Division (Commerce Dept.). Condensed history, duties, and practical operation of the Department of Commerce, and its several bureaus and offices, writh laws relating specifically thereto ; July • I, 1913. 1913. 211 p. Fisheries Bureau. United States Bureau of Fisheries, its establishment, functions, organization, resources, oper- ations, and achievements. 1908. 80 p. il. i pi. large 8°. ([Bureau of Fisheries doc. 641.]) Printed for distribution at the International Fisheries Congress, WashiHErton, I). C, 1908. Interior Department. General information regarding the Department of the Interior, Dec, 1916. 1917. 24 p. Library of Congress. Library of Congress and its work. [Rev. ed.] 1907. 21 p. 16°. Prepared for distribution at the Lewis and Clark Exposition, Port- land, Ores;., 1905. Markets Bureau. Work of the Office of Markets and Rural Organization, with list of publications. Rev. ed. Nov. 2^, 1915. 16 p. (Markets doc. i.) Name changed to Markets Bureau, July, 19 17. Weather Bureau. Weather Bureau [history and work]. 1915. 58 p. il. 16°. Plant Industry Bureau. Bureau of Plant Industry, its func- tions and efficiency. Mar. 15, 1913. 25 p. il. (Cir- cular 117.) .\nother paper included in these pages. Papers not issued separately. Government bodies' lists of their oun publications Note. — Almost every publishing body of the government issues more or less often lists of its own publications, either complete, or showing what is available for distribution. These lists are usually given freely to all who desire them. Lists that include only works prior to the end of 1909 are omitted here — except a few that coii- tain titles of JJulletins and of other such works in series, while the Checklist gives them only by number — as they duplicate the Check- list. Lists of jjublications " available for distribution " are usually omitted, unless quite comprehensive, or unless there is nothing else to be had. The Price Lists published by the Documents Office are, many of them, lists of publications of special bodies, and should be borne in mind to supplement the lists given here. They usually ex- clude all works out of print. U. S. Agriculture Department. Publications Division (Agriculture Dept.). List by titles of the publications of the Department of Agricul- ture, 1840-June, 1901. 1902. 216 p. (Publications Div, Bull. 6.) 252 General Bibliography Monthly list of publications of the Department of Agriculture. Jan., ii32- Economy and Efficiency Commission. Economy and effi- ciency in the government service . . . reports. Apr. 4, 1912. 56s p. (H. Doc. 670, 62d Cong., 2d sess. In v. 116; 6298.) Recommends practicable economies in all departments. Apx. 8, p. 535-558, is: Centralization of distribution of government publications. Refers to and again recommends plan outlined in report of commission to President, Dec. 4, 191 1, by him sent to Congress Feb. S, 1912. Plan is to have all distribution from de- partments done through Documents Office. Congressional distri- bution this time not touched on. Discussed in House hearings of May 20-22, 1 912. Congress. H. of R. Printing Committee. Hearings on S.4239. May 20-22, 1912. 161 p. Report amending S.4239, to amend, revise, and codify the laws relating to the public printing and bind- ing and distribution of government publications. June I, 1912. 60 p. (H. Report 816, 62d Cong., 2d sess. In V. 4; 6132.) This and Senate Report 201 of Jan. 16, 1912, are very similar but not identical. See Cong. Record, 62d Cong., 2d sess., H. of R.; June 18, 1912; V. 48: 8336-8344. Discussion of appropriations for Printing Investigation Com- mission; on increase of salary of public printer; and on printing speeches of members for distribution, and waste in public printing in general. Commerce and Labor Department. Draft of bill to author- ize secretary of commerce and labor to sell such tech- nical, scientific, statistical, and other publications, issued by department, as he may deem best for the public in- terest. Feb. 4, 1913. 2 p. (H. Doc, 1338, 62d Cong., 3d sess. In V. 138; 6504.) Congress. Printing Joint Committee. Congressional print- ing handbook : laws, orders, rules, and regulations relat- Bibliography of Printing Investigation 269 ing to printing and binding and the distribution of gov- ernment publications for Congress, and to the Joint Com- mittee on Printing. 1913. 168 p. 24mo. II. of R. Printing Committee. Public printing and binding; hearings on H. R. 15902, a bill to amend, re- vise and codify the laws relating to the public printing and binding and distribution of government publications. Mar. 9, Apr. 2, 9, and 21, 1914 [63d Cong., 2d sess.]. 1914. 78 p. H.I 5902, S.82S, and S.S340 are identical bills, and same as S.4J39 of the 62d Congress. Senate. Printing Committee. Public printing and bind- ing; hearing ... on S.825, a bill to amend, revise, and codify the laws relating to the public printing and bind- ing and distribution of government publications; Mar. 14 and 21, 1914 [63d Cong., 2d sess.]. 1914. 75 p. Revision of printing laws: report to accom- pany S.5340. Apr. 22, 1914. 119 p. (S. Report 438, 63d Cong., 2d sess. In v. i ; 6552.) H. of R. Printing Committee. Revision of printing laws; report to accompany H. 15902. Apr. 22, 1914. 119 p. (H. Report 564, 63d Cong.. 2d sess. In v. 2 ; 6559.) Identical with preceding report and on identical bill. % See Cong. Record, 63d Cong., id sess., H. of R.; 1914; v. 51:13988-97 (Aug. 19), 14290. 14296-7, 14298, 14299-311 (Aug. 26), 14614-25, 14627-37 (Sept. 2), 14869-88 (Sept. 9), 15224-49 (Sept. 16), 15595-610 (Sept. 2->,'), 15963-66, 15969-81 (Sept. 30), 16677-94 (Oct. 15). Also Same, 63d Cong., 3d sess., H. of R.; Dec. 9, 1914; v. 52: 56-62. No particular debate in Senate. Senate. Printing Committee. Revision of printing laws; report to accompany H. 15902. Jan. 13, 1915. 12 p. (S. Report 904, 63d Cong., 3d sess. In v. i ; 6762.) Touches on various points, but p. 6-12 is on postal stamped envelops. H. of R. Printing Committee. Report to accompany H. J. R. 393, to discontinue the printing of certain publi- cations [— i. e.. Ethnology Bulletins, Geological Survey Bulletins, Professional Papers, and Water-supply Pa- pers — for Congressional distribution]. March 2, 1915. I p. (H. Report 1484, 63d Cong., 3d sess. In v. I ; 6766.) Printing Joint Committee. Revised edition regulations of the Joint Committee on Printing, making effective pub- lic resolution 14, ist session. 59th Congress . . . approved March 30, 1906, and superseding regulations promulgated 270 Bibliography of Printing Investigation May 18, 1906, and January 13, 1909 (corrected to Octo- ber 6, 1914). [1914] 13 P- f'- Valuation plan for distribution of government pub- lications to members of Congressi as proposed in H.8664 and S.I 107, with itemized statements showing value of documents distributed through folding rooms of House and Senate during fiscal years 1905-1915. 1916. 63 p. 4°. H.8664 and S.I 107 are identical bills. See also Documents Office, Report, 1910/n: Notes; also p. yz of next entry. H. of R. Printing Committee. Revision of printing laws; report to accompany H. R. 8664 [to amend, revise, and codify the laws relating to tlie public printing and binding and distribution of government publications]. Jan. II, 1916. 132 p. (H. Report z^, 64th Cong., ist sess.) Identical with Senate Report 183 following, except for some slight additions to the latter. See Cong. Record, 64th Cong., ist sess., H. of R. ; Apr. 20, 26, 1916; V. 53:6505-6529, 6864-6885. P. 6505-6529 is largely discussion of the valuation plan. Senate. Printing Committee. Revision of printing laws; report to accompany S.1107 [to amend, revise, and codify the laws relating to the public printing and bind- ing and distribution of government publications]. Feb. 25, 1916. 134 p. (S. Report 183, 64th Cong., ist sess.) identical with House Report Z2 preceding, except for some slight additions, and on identical bill. Rate of pay for compositors and bookbinders in the Government Printing Office ; report to accompany S.6626. July 19, 1916. 2 p. (S. Report 690, 64th Cong., 1st sess.) H. of R. Printing Committee. Rate of pay for com- positors and bookbinders, Government Printing Office ; report to accompany S.6626. Aug. 15, 19 16. i p. (H. Report 1116, 64th Cong., ist sess.) See Cong. Record, 64th Cong., 2d sess., Senate; Dec. 15, 1916; V. 54: [unbound] p. 395. Discusses S. res. 290, 64th Cong., 2d sess., requesting commit- tee on printing to investigate the subject and report within thirty days as to what bulletins or publications issued by the govern- ment may be suspended, temporarily at least, and as to what economies may be practiced in the use of print paper by the government in the various departments. Passed Dec. 15, 1916. Text of resolution is given. S.7795 and identical H.21021 were offered in response to this resolution. Senate. Printing Committee. Economies in govern- ment printing and use of print paper ; report pursuant Bibliography of Printing Investigation 271 to S. res. 290 and to accompany S.7795 [to amend and revise the laws relating to the printing and binding and distribution of publications for Congress]. Jan. 11, 1917. 45 p. (S. Report 910, 64th Cong., 2d sess.) See Cong. Record, 64tli Cong., 2d sess., Senate; Feb. 6, ^917; V. 54: [unbound] p. 2879, 298J. Text of bill given [unbound] p. 2880. Identical House bill is II. 21021. Ill Bibliography of Laws Note. — This list is given as an attempt at a historical record. For legal use the laws in force at date will be found in the two standard compilations, the Federal Statutes Annotated; and the United States Cominled Statutes. See, for compilations in print of all laws to end of 1909, Checklist; GP1.2: L44; also GP3.2: P93. The report by Ames, SpofTord, and Baird, 188.2, p. 35-57, gives laws in detail for eacli publication. Other printed com- pilations for limited periods will be found in the successive Document Cata- logs. Bibliographies of laws were given as part of the report of the A. L. A. documents committee in 1905 (Lib. Jour., 30: C92-C93) and 1906 (Lib. Jour., 31 : 141). Omitted are statutes affecting only one publication, single or series, and any purely temporary in character. See also, beyond, laws relating to depository libraries. Jan. 12, 1895. 53d Congress. Stat. L. 28:601-624. General law which established Documents Ofifice and present sys- tem. Summarized m Library Journal, 20: 13-20, 1895. Mar. 2, 1895. 53d Congress. Stat. L. 28:962. Sundry civil ap- propriation act. Restricts printing of hearings and other publications of committees to $500. When no Joint Committee on Printing is in existence its duties are to be performed by the committee then in existence of either house. Note. — The Senate rules continue the members of its printing committee in office till their successors are appointed. The House committe expires with the Congress. U. S. Documents Office. First draft of proposed bill to . . . simplify the methods of publication of public documents. 1896. Printed and distributed by the first superintendent of documents, F. A. Crandall, to arouse interest in and support for proposed re- forms. Many of the reforms have been adopted, but this bill never became a law. Summarized in Lib. Jour., 21: 102-105. Feb. 6, 1896. 54th Congress. Stat. L. 29:463. Gives State Department 20 copies of each Congressional Document and Report, and 10 copies of every bill and resolution. Feb. 26, 1896. 54th Congress. Stat. L. 29 : 465. Extends provisions of sec. 79 of printing act for distribution to geological depository libraries so as to include also future publications. Mar. 19, 1896. 54th Congress. Stat. L. 29 : 468. Increases by 10 each the number of copies of Congressional Record to Senate and House libraries. June II, 1896. 54th Congress. Stat. L. 29:454. Sundry civil appropriation act. 272 Bibliography of Laws 273 Repeals par. 46, sec. 73, of printing act, furnishing Congressional Record to 8 public or school libraries. Feb. 17, 1897. 54th Congress. Stat. L. 29 : 700. To furnish daily Congressional Record to newspaper correspondents in Washington. Feb. 18, 1897. 54th Congress. Stat. L. 29:701. The Geological survey to give 500 copies of geological and topo- graphical maps and atlases to foreign and national government bodies, learned associations and libraries; one copy of each to be sent to each senator and representative, and a second copy be at his disposal. Mar. IS, 1898. 55th Congress. Stat. L. 30:316. Secretary of state to deliver to superintendent of documents Re- vised Statutes and its supplements, Session Laws, and Statutes at Large, to be sold by him. Jan. 28, 1899. 55th Congress. Stat. L. 30: 1388. To furnish 6 copies of Congressional Record to Library of Con- gress. Mar. 26, 1900. 56th Congress. Stat. L. 31 : 713. Amends law of Feb. 17, 1897, by providing also bound Congressional Record to press correspondents. Mar. 2, 1901. 56th Congress. Stat. L. 31 : 1464. Regulates number of copies to Library of Congress of government publications for its own use and international exchanges. Mar. 7, 1902. 57th Congress. Stat. L. ^2: 1765. The superintendent of documents to issue to the secretary of the Senate and the clerk of the House of Representatives government pub- lications needed by them. June 30, 1902. S7th Congress. Stat. L. ^2 : 746. Documents reserved for binding on orders of senators, representa- tives, and officers of Congress, as provided by sec. 54, par. 6, of printing act, not called for after two years to be bound and deliv- ered to superintendent of documents for distribution to libraries. July I, 1902. S7th Congress. Stat. L. 32 : 631. Each senator and representative to receive one copy of the Revised Statutes and supplements. Jan. 30, 1903. 57th Congress. Stat. L. 2>2'- 786. Doubles number of copies of Congressional Record to members and officials of Senate and House and adds Labor Department and Civil Service Commission to bodies receiving it. Mar. 3, 1903. 57th Congress. Stat. L. 32: 1146. Geological Survey surplus publications for sale in stock after five years in excess of a reserve of 200 copies may be distributed to public libraries. Mar. 28, 1904. 58th Congress. Stat. L. :i2 '■ 584- Authorizes superintendent of documents to reprint publications of any department needed for sale, if approved by publishing department. Apr. 6, 1904. 58th Congress. Stat. L. 33 : 159-160. To amend Stat. L. 28, chap. 23, sec. 68, to include sergeant at arms of House to receive quota of documents. Apr. 28, 1904. 58th Congress. Stat. L. ^^ : 542. Amends printing act as to allotment of laws and Official Register. 274 Bibliography of Laws Jan. JO, 1905. 58th Congress. Stat. L. 33:610-611. Amends printing act, sec. 54-55. Discontinues printing " usual number " of Keports on private bills and on simple and concurrent resolutions, and reduces edition of private bills and resolutions and of simple and concurrent resolutions.! " Bills and resolutions . . . unless specially ordered . . . shall only be printed when referred to a committee, when favorably reported back, and after their passage by either house." Mar. 3, 1905. 58th Congress. Stat. L. 33: 1249. Deficiencies ap- propriation act. I'rohibits any department from printing any matter not germane to its business without authorization by Congress. Illustrations not to be included in order to print unless certified as necessary or spe- cifically ordered. Creates Printing Investigation Commission. Mar. 30, 1906. S9th Congress. Stat. L. 34 : 825-826. Public res. 13- Original costs, i. e., composition, stereotyping, illustrations, etc., of publications to be charged to government body issuing them; other costs, for such publications as are included in the Documents of Congress, to be charged pro rata to issuing body and to Congress, according to number of copies used by each. Introduced by the Printing Investigation Commission. Mar. 30, 1906. 59th Congress. Stat. L. 34 : 826. Public res. 14. Publications of Congress and of other government bodies may be printed in two or more editions up to authorized limit in number under regulations to be established by Printing Joint Committee. Introduced by the Printing Investigation Commission. June 30, 1906. 59th Congress. Stat. L. 34:762. Sundry civil appropriation act. Annual estimates for printing and binding for each government body to be submitted and no other appropriation to be used for such purpose. Continues Printing Investigation Commission. Mar. I, 1907. 59th Congress. Stat. L. 34: 1012-1015. Permits secretary of Senate and clerk of House to order reprints of bills, resolutions, laws, or Reports of committees or commissions. Hearings or other publications of committees restricted to i,ooo copies. Copies extra to " usual number " and other printing, how ordered and charged. As to stationery, blank books, binding, etc., for members of Congress. [Amendments and additions to sec. 2 of printing act] Department publications not to be included in Documents or Reports series of either house. How publications for depository libraries shall be made into volumes and bound. Number of copies printed for depositories to be according to number of depositories. Docu- ments Office to be specifically appropriated for. Authority to print, except as authorized by Joint Committee on Printing, to lapse after two years. [Amendments and additions to sec. 81 of printing act.] Sec. 59, 81, and 99 of printing act, and amendment of Mar. 2, 1895, repealed. Introduced by the Printing Investigation Commission. Mar. 4, 1907. 59th Congress. Stat. L. 34 : 1394. Deficiencies ap- propriation act. Continues Printing Investigation Commission and enlarges its scope. 1 See, for table showing printing and distribution under this act, U. S. Printing investigation commission, Report, 1906, v. i: 100. Bibliography of Laws 275 Jan. 15, 1908. 60th Congress. Stat. L. 35 : 565-566. Department annuals and serials, required, by law of Mar. i, 1907, not to be included in Documents or Reports series of eitner bouse, to be, in copies delivered to members and officials of Congress, in- cluded in these series. A " library edition " to be sent to depository libraries, which shall be arranged in volumes and bound as directed by the Joint Committee on Printing. The departmental edition to be printed concurrently with the " usual number." Hearings of com- mittees to be printed as Congressional Documents only when spe- cifically ordered. See Monthly Catalog, Jan., 1908: Notes. May 27, 1908. 60th Congress. Stat. L. 35 : 384. Sundry civil ap- propriation act. Repeals sec. 3 of act of Mar. i, 1907, requiring the Documents Office to be specifically appropriated for. Mar. 2, 1909. 60th Congress. Stat. L. 35: 1168. Members of 6oth Congress to receive all publications ordered printed by that Congress and published prior to Dec. 6, 1909. Mar. 4, 1909. 60th Congress. Stat. L. 35 : 937, Deficiencies ap- propriation act. Continues Printing Investigation Commission during 6ist Congress. Mar. 4, 1909. 60th Congress. Stat. L. 35 : 1067. Congressional Record and bills, resolutions, and other documents to be furnished to governor general of the Philippine Islands. Apr. 23, 1909. 6ist Congress. Stat. L. 36: 182. Repeals resolution of Mar. 2, 1909. June 25, 1910. 6ist Congress. Stat. L. 36:868. Repeals part of sec. 54 of printing act, as amended by resolution of Tune 30, 1902, so that document reserve for members and of- ficials of Congress shall not be printed. Each senator and repre- sentative may have one copy bound of every public document to which he is entitled. Recommended by the Printing Investigation Commission. See Monthly Catalog, Apr., 1910, Notes; also Lib. Jour., 28:Ci02. Mar. 3, 1911. 6ist Congress. Stat. L. 36:1153-1156. Judiciary act. Regulates distribution of Supreme Court reports. Federal Reporter and its digests. Mar. 4, 191 1. 61 St Congress. Stat. L. 36: 1444. Sundry civil ap- propriation act. Continues Printing Investigation Commission until end of 62d Congress [Mar. 4, 1913^- Mar. 4, 191 1. 6ist Congress. Stat. L. 36: 1446. Sundry civil ap- propriation act. Unpaid bills for printing speeches, etc., to be deducted from sala- ries of senators and representatives. Aug. 23, 1912. 62d Congress. Stat. L. Z7 '• 4I4- Legislative, etc., appropriation act. Provides that " addressing, wrapping, mailing, and otherwise dis- patching publications for the departments " shall be done in the Documents Office. 276 Bibliography of Laws Aug. 24, 1912. 62d Congress. Stat. L. ^y. Sundry civil appro- priation act. Requires submission to Congress, with estimates of appropriations needed, of detailed statement of employes, salaries, and of other ex- penditures under appropriations Lp. 487]. Printing of bonds, etc., in the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, to be on power presses [p. 430]. Abolishes collected form of Speciiications and Drawings of Patents [p. 481]. June 22,, 1913. 63d Congress. Stat. L. 38:73. Sundry civil ap- propriation act. Printing committee of either house, when it recommends printing and binding for Congress, shall submit estimate of cost and estimated cost of printing previously ordered in that fiscal year. July I, 1916. 64th Congress. Stat. L. 39:83. Sundry civil ap- propriation act. Sets dates when copy, revised proof, and printed copies of annual reports and accompanying documents shall be furnished, or printing appropriations may not be used. Three reports specifically excepted. U. S. Cong. Printing Joint Committee. Printing bill; compara- tive print shov^fing H. R. 8664, as reported to the House Jan. II, 1916, with H. R. 15902, as passed the House and reported to the Senate in the 63d Congress, and the present printing laws. Printed for the Joint Committee on Print- ing. 1916. 11,121 leaves, oblong large 8°. (64th Cong., 1st sess. Comparative print.) Cover title. H.8664, H. 15902, and present laws respectively in three parallel columns. Leaves I-II: "Corresponding sections in old bill (H. R. 15902, 63d Cong.) and in new bill (H. R. 8664, 64th Cong.)." Depositories U. S. Revised Statutes, Chapter 7, sec. 497-511, p. 82-85; also supplements. Contain all the unrepealed laws to dates of volumes. Also these can be obtained in the Federal Statutes Annotated, and in the United States Compiled Statutes. Documents Office. Report, 1907, p. 38-44. Gives resume of laws relating to depositories, with discussion. Official list of depository libraries ... to Jan. i, 1909. (Bulletin 12.) Gives resume of legislation for depository libraries. Depository libraries. July 15, 1913. 4 p. (Circular 22; 2d rev. ed.) General facts about depository libraries, with summary of legis- lation. Dec. 27, 1813. 13th Congress. Stat. L. 3: 140-141. Makes operative " for every future Congress " free distribution of Journals of Congress and various other publications to executives and each branch of legislatures of states and territories; to colleges and 7 P' Bibliography of Laws 277 incorporated historical societies; as provided in various separate prior acts. 200 copies in addition to the usual number to be printed for distribution. Dec. I, 1814. 13th Congress. Stat. L. 3 : 248. Gives to American Antiijuarian Society at Worcester Senate and House Journals and Documents " which have been or shall be pub- lished." July 20, 1840. 26th Congress. Stat. L. 5 : 409. Apr. 30, 1844. 28th Congress. Stat. L. 5:717. Increase to 300 the number of extra copies to be printed for distribution. Jan. 28, 1857. 34th Congress. Stat. L. 11:253. Mar. 20, 1858. 35th Congress. Stat. L. 11:368. Amends pre- ceding. These acts are " real basis of the institution of depositories." The publications which heretofore had been distributed by the Library of Congress and Department of State, are now to be distributed by the Interior Department to institutions to be designated by repre- sentatives and delegates for their several districts. Feb. 5, 1859. 35th Congress. Stat. L. 11:380. Gives to Interior Department the receiving, keeping, and distributing of all publications, including accumulations, except those given to Congress or departments direct. Amends act of 1857 by adding senators to designate depositories. Mar. 2, 1861. 36th Congress. Stat. L. 12:244. Long act summarizing laws in force. Permits Interior Department to make selection of libraries to receive publications of which the edition would not supply all libraries. State and territorial libraries are not named in any law prior to 1895, and distribution to them presumably began many years previously under this power. Deposi- tories can not be changed except at beginning of a Congress or for failure to meet requirements. Mar. 3, 1887. 49th Congress. Stat. L. 24 : 647. Establishes geological survey depositories. T7 Jan. 12, 1895. 53d Congress. Stat. L. 28:601-624. Main law on which is based the present system of depositories. Creates special depositories to receive the Official Gazette of the Patent Office [sec. 7i\. Creates duplicate set of geological depository libraries to receive publications prior to 1894 [p. 621]. Feb. 26, 1896. 54th Congress. Stat. L. 29 : 465. Makes permanent, and to receive publications of 1894 and after, duplicate set of geological depository libraries. June 6, 1900. s6th Congress. Stat. L. 31 : ZiZ- Alaska civil gov- ernment act. Makes Historical Library and Museum of Alaska a depository. Jan. 18, 1907. 59th Congress. Stat. L. 34:850. Makes library of Philippine Islands government at Manila a de- pository. Mar. I, 1907. 59th Congress. Stat. L. 34: 1014. Adds land grant colleges to depository libraries. Assigns certain 278 Bibliography of Laws depositories, found, after rcdistricting, in other than original district, to new district. June 23, 1913. 63d Congress. Stat. L. 38:80. Sundry civil ap- propriation act. Makes all existing designations of depositories permanent. IV The Librarians on the National Publications: Articles in the Library Journal, the A. L. A. Proceedings, and Public Libraries Note. — Reviews of individual works are noted with the works, not here. The report of the documents committee of the American Library Association, if any, is put first in the contents analysis of each volume below. An asterisk calls attention to certain articles of special interest in regard to points emphasized in this work or otherwise helpful. Library journal Library Journal i, 1876/7 : lo-ii (Dewey; value, wasteful distri- tion, etc.) : 177 (editorial; reform in distribution and indexes needed). 2, 1877/8 : *26-28 (Spofford; distribution evils; discussion). 3, 1878 : II (editorial; notice of bill) -.32 (Hoar's bill; dis- tribution through Interior Dept.). 4, 1879 : 195, 291 (Green, Spofford, Homes, committee, to draft bill for distribution) : 81-83 (Axon; Distribu- tion of British documents as example for United States) :84-85 (editorial comment on Axon). First committee report on government publications. 5.1880 187 (note on index to Journals of Congress being' prepared by Alb. Ordway; discussion of indexing). 6.1881 : 86-89 (Green, chmn. ; report; presents two bills) : *I30-I3i (discussion; Dewey, resolution covering re- forms wanted) : 313 (editorial ; describes bills) : 314 (exec, board approves bills). 7. 1882 : 195, 226-228 (Green, chmn.; report). 8.1883 1257-260, 291 (Green, chmn.; report, includes petition to Congress) : 107 (Ames; binding reform urged) : 150-15 1 (progress on Poore's cat.) 1250-251 (Ed- mands; plan for shelf numbering of Congressional set). 9. 1884 : No committee report : 140 (Boston Literary World; Plea for index to govt, publications, federal, etc.). 10,1885 : *335-336 (Green, chmn.; progress report; asks for everything published for large libraries, selected publi- cations for smaller libraries) : *236-24i (Bowker; historical and descriptive, includes lists and indexes and 279 28o Articles in the Library Journal touches on distribution) : 241-244 (McKee; explains numbering and methods of publication). 11,1886:377-378 (Green, chmn. ; report) : 482 (resolution and letter by committee to Senate printing committee) : 19 (Nation on Interior Dept. becoming clearing house) : 20-24 (Singleton bill nearly in full) 130 (Cutter; catalog entry) 178 (Henderson bill to dis- tribute Congressional Record and Statutes to libraries, etc.) 1376 (resolution of thanks to J. G. Ames) : 3, 35, 99 (editorials, the last on Hickcox's catalogs). 12,1887 1445-447 (Green, chmn.; report, incl. letters from J. G. Ames) : 135 (summary of Ames's report) : 161 (Hickcox's catalog) : 447-448 (indexes, especially on patents). 13,1888: No report. : 131-132 (editorial: progress and Ames's report) : 143-144 (summary of Ames's report dated Mar. 27, '88). 14,1889:267-269 (Green, chmn.; report) : 275-276 (Beer; bibliography needed) : *432 (Schwartz; bad publica- tion methods) : 431 (editorial corroborating Schwartz) : 487 (Cornell Univ. Bull., Nov., '89; gives arrangement under countries in card catalog). 15, 1890: C95-C100 (Green; Fletcher; committee report) : C104-C105, C116 (discussion) : *I2 (Dunn) : 12-14 (Ames) : 209 (distribution). l6>i89i : C70-C73, C118-C120 (Bowker, chmn.; *special re- port); C73-C74 (discussion) : 107 (Merrill; catalog- ing). 17.1892 : C38-C39, C7S-C80 (Bowker, chmn.; report) : C57, C77-C80 (discussion) :8-i7 (text of bill) : 46-47 (Dunn; protest) 153-54 (amendments) : 84 (bill for free mailing) C61-C62 (Cheney; shelf notation in San Francisco library) : 107 (Merrill; same at Miami uni- versity) : 123-124 (circular urging support for bill) : 124 (bill for supply to libraries) : 165 (progress of bill) :3, 43, 477 (editorials). 18. 1893 : C52-C53 (Dunn, chmn. ; reports disagreement) : C72-C74 (Ames) : 86-87 (resolution) : 507-508 (summary; letter of Dunn on amendments) : 3, 35, 497 (editorials on progress of bill) : 228 (editorial on Hickcox's catalog). 19. 1894 : C126-C128 (Bowker, chmn.; report of progress) : C128-C134 (discussion; letter from Ames) : C164- C165 (resolution) : 95 (Minn, library association) Articles in the Library Journal 281 1263-264 (Morse on distribution; from Pop. Sci. Mo., Aug., '94) :4i, 119, 255, 288 (editorials). 20, 1895 : C53-CS4 (Bovvker, chmn. ; report) : 26-27, 5^-57 (review of Ames's index, and of 2 reports, 1894) • ^3~ 20 (summary of bill, i. e., law of Jan. 20, 1895) : C78- C79 (Ames on bill) : 3, 43, 75 (editorials) 1197 (editorial on Crandall's beginning work) : 301 (edi- torial ; first Monthly Catalog). 21, 1896 : C79-C80 (Bowker, chmn. ; report, cooperation with Crandain : C20-C25 (Crandall; address) :4ii-4i2 (proceedings when report and address were made) : 19-20 (Docs. Office, annual report, reviewed) : 74 (Checklist, 2d edition, reviewed) *: 102-105 (sum- mary of Crandall's proposed bill ; reprints Bowker's special report, 1891) *: 217-218 (Cutter; ideal is that any library shall have any document free) : 225 (para- graph on progress) '■ 2;i,7 (Hasse; instance of bad methods) : 91, 215 (editorials). 22, 1897 : C97-C98 (Bowker, chmn.; report) : 4-5 (edito- rial) : 16-17 (Hickcox; 104 serial, technical, and sci- entific publications of the government not Congres- sional Documents) : 43 (Doc. Cat, 1893/95, reviewed) : 75 (editorial; Crandall's bill, and bill to extend Ames's index) : 91 (Documents Office, report, 1895/96, re- viewed) : 143 (progress) : *i6o (Washington Post, Feb. 23, 1897, against, and Crandall's reply, Feb. 25, sup- porting bill " taking the executive reports and serial works out of the numbered series of the Congressional Documents") : 270 (Doc. Index, 54th, ist, reviewed) : C154 (resolution endorsing work of Docs. Office under Crandall) : 735-736 (editorial on demotion of Crandall) : 747 (resolution against demotion of Cran- dall) : 770 (Doc. Index, 54th, 2d, reviewed). 23, 1898 : C117-C120 (Bowker, chmn.; Lodge's resolution for transfer of Docs. Office to Library of Congress de- feated; demotion of Crandall, etc.) : C121, C127-C128 (resolution favoring transfer; discussion; Ferrell's ad- dress) : 3-4 (editorial; touches on transfer) : 21 (progress of Lodge's and Crandall's bills) : 47-48 (editorial; Lodge's bill) : 64 (resolution favoring transfer) : 197 (examination for supt. of docs, an- nounced) : 214 (Oberlin college; cataloging of execu- tive reports in serial set) : 562, 669-670 (editorial, and article from Nation on private reprint for sale of 282 Articles in the Library Journal Messages of the Presidents) : 564-566 (Fuller; U. S., state, and town docs, in small libraries). 24.1899 : Cicx)-Cio2 (Bowker, chmn. ; report; only Cioo on U. S. documents) 14 (editorial) : 16-17 (Docs. Of- fice, report, 1897/98, reviewed) : 197 (plea for cata- loging) : 608 (bad distribution) : 659 (editorial on bill). 25.1900 : C91-C92 (Bowker, chmn.; resume of events; reso- lution) : 56 (suggests reprinting early docs.) 1*65- 67 (summary of bill, wbicji takes executive pul)lications out from Congressional set) : 293 (resolution ap- proved) : 55, 103 (editorials on bill). 26, 1901 : C118-C119 (Bowker, chmn.; report) :Cii9-Ci20 (discussion) 14, 21 (editorials on bill) *:8-i3 (Hasse; before Nat. Assoc, of State Librarians) : 20- 21 (Docs. Office, report, 1899/1900, reviewed) : 62 (name nide.x to pub. docs, wanted) : *I52-I54 (Mann; Univ. of Illinois library school course in govt, docs.) ■359 ("Index and review," notice) * : 397 (Chapin; Decimal classification in cataloging pub. docs.) : C119- C120 (work of Ferrell reviewed) : 671-674 (Ferrell; The pub. docs. ; descriptive ; plea against inclusion of department publications in Congressional set) 1689- 690 (Post; "Tables and Index" announced) : 820 (course in pub. docs, at Wise, summer school an- nounced) : 849-850 (editorial on legislation needed). 27.1902 ; C92-C96 (Falkner, chmn.; report; asks for a "library edition" of dept. publications) : C130 (dis- cussion) : 21-22 (Docs. Office, report, 1900/01, re- viewed ; plea for exclusion of department publications from Congressional set) : 107 (Fichtenkam, catalog- ing pub. docs., from "Index and Review," noticed) : 120 (Gerould; wants Library of Congress to catalog pub. docs.) : 149 (Wise, course in pub. docs., 1902) : 207 (care of pub. docs., Wisconsin) *: 815-818, 825 (Hasse; Vexed question of pub. docs.; discussion) 1832 (Wyer, chmn. docs, committee. Western library assoc, 4 requests) : 893 (betterments wanted by N. Y. Library Assoc.) : 936-938 (Ferrell's answer to 4 re- quests) *: 938-939 (Crandall; Catalog entry of govt, authors) : 1013 (Roosevelt; pub. docs., from message, 1902). 28.1903 : C102-C106, C133 (Falkner. chmn.; report; resolu- tion calls for " library edition " of dept. publications) * : 69 (catalog entry of government authors; Jones vs. Articles in the Library Journal 283 Crandall) * : C176-C189 (same; discussion; paper by Hasse; decision favoring inverted form) : 117-118, 832-833 (Docs. Office, reports, 1901/02, 1902/03, re- viewed) : 774-776 (Falkner, list of bibliographies pub- lished in official documents of the United States, May, 1902-Apr., 1903). 29. 1904 : C168-C169 (Falkner, chmn. ; report; resume of legislation and bibliographical material) *:ii6-i20 (Hasse; on a bibliography of pub. docs.) : 207 (de- scription of Docs. Office printed catalog cards) * : 475 (Bliss; catalog entry for govt, authors) .-597 (list of publications of Docs. Office). 30.1905 : C92-C101 (Hasse, chmn.; report; includes legisla- lation, instruction in library schools, new docs., bibli- ographies, and foreign docs.) : 182, 200 (Watson and Koch ; want more than one card per title from Docs. Office) 1291, 864 (foreign docs, committee consoli- dated with pub. docs, committee ; functions of commit- tee) : C86-C91 (Ambrose; Uses of govt. docs, in the university library) : 930-931 (Daniels; agricultural bulletins, indexes and value) : 951-952 (Kansas City public library arranges department reports by subject; etc.; : 174, 954-955 (Docs. Office, reports, 1903/04, 1904/05, reviewed). 31, 1906: C140-C145 (Hasse, chmn.; report; mostly about state and foreign documents) : C219-C220, C279, C281 (wanted, opportunity for discussion) : 661- 665 (Hasse; building up a pub. doc. collection) : 317- 318 (Clarke; protest against change in Monthly Catalog to be alphabetical). Page 661-665 same as in Public Libraries, 12:48-51, except sample cards omitted in latter. Note. — Beginning 1907 Papers and proceedings of A. L. A. are published complete in separate form, and reports of docs, committee no longer appear in the Library Journal except as special contributions. ^2, 1907 : 97 ( Hasse ; cataloging ; geographical and political divisions of different territory but same name) : 120 (pub. docs, committee invites questions) : 194 (edi- torial on methods) : 195-198 (C. W. Smith; pub. docs, as a library resource) *: 203-206 (Crandall; library of Docs. Office described) *: 207-208 (Burns; law of Mar. I, 1907, takes department publications out from Congressional set. " a reform sought for many years ") 1245-246, 269 (pub. docs, at A. L. A. meeting) : 350 (editorial) : 361 (Merrill; utilizing govt, docs.) 284 Articles in the Library Journal : 473-474 (Monthly Cat., July, 1907, alplialjctical form and past issues reviewed). 33,1908:98 (Docs. Office, report, 1906/07, reviewed) : 150- 151 (libraries of a certain grade sliould be depositories, not such as are designated by members of Congress) * : 200 (VVyer; Docs. Office, Author Headings, ed. 2, change to "Education Bureau" disapproved) * : 227 (Post; reply) : 302 (restriction on loaning modified). 34,1909 : 43-48 (Post; "most essential reform is decrease in distributing agencies ") : 91 (Ballard ; verses) * : 538- 545 (Post; outline for a working collection and aids to its use). Post's address abridged, and Ballard's verses in Public Li- braries, 14: 49-51. 35, 1910: 283 (Des Moines library segregates, but indexes pub. docs.) * : 328 (Godard, chmn. ; pub. docs, commit- tee; resolution for exclusion of department publications from Congressional set) : 503-505 (Macdonald; use in small libraries). 36.1911 : 270, 384 (summaries of bill) : 385 (Economy and Efficiency Commission on distribution; etc.) : 425-426 (Godard, chmn.; docs, round table meeting). 37.1912 -.y], 442 (resolutions favoring bill) : 270 (Harris; describes printing bill) *: 370-376 CMattern; national and international cooperation in . . . analytical catalog- ing [incl. national publications]) 1384 (analysis of bill) : 385 (Economy and Efficiency Commission; re- port on centralization of distribution) : 446 (Godard, chmn.; docs, round table meeting) : 455 (pub. docs, committee, its work [one paragraph]) -.504-506 (Rei- nick; trials of a document librarian). Resolutions favoring bill same as in A. L. A. Papers and proceedings, 1912, p. 200-201. 38,1913:8-9 (Walter; pub. docs, as reference material) : 402-403 (Luard; use in small library) : 523-524 (Godard, chmn.; docs, round table meeting). 39, 1914 : 129-130 (resolution for contents table to Cong. Record) 1207-209 (Reinick; pub. docs, as commer- cial factor) : 297-298 (Godard, chmn.; docs, round table meeting) : 305 (Steiner; asks to have sold by book dealers) :ZZ^ (Pomona college library; treat- ment in non-depository libraries) : 577, 802 (editorials on bill) *: 815-823 (Carter: resume of bill) : 936 (pub. docs, in a small library; from Iowa Library Quarterly). Articles in the A. L. A. Proceedings 285 40,1915 -.421 (Docs. Office, report, 1913/14, reviewed) 1493 (.resolutions) 1595 (Godard, chmn. ; docs, round ta- ble meeting). Documents round table meeting same as in A. L. A. Papers and proceedings. 41,1916:401-402 (Hasse; course on United States foreign relations and government docs.) : 601-602 (Godard, chmn. ; docs, round table meeting ; "^ Clarke ; better- ments needed) : 632 (editorial on printing bill) * 1664-674 (Carter; printing bill) -.675 (Bowker; re- print of report of 1891 showing progress). American Library Association Proceedings Note. — Down to and including 1906 the proceedings of the American Library Association and papers read at the meetings were printed in full in the Library Journal. The references to the Library Journal previously given duplicate in page numbers and text all the references that could be given to the separately published proceedings. Such references are, there- fore, omitted here. Beginning with 1907 the papers, reports of committees, etc., of the asso- ciation are not generally to be found in the Library Journal, though an account or abstract of proceedings may be given. A. L. A. Papers and proceedings, 1907:132-135 (Hasse, chmn.; report) : 135-139 (Post; address) : 139-145 (discus- sion) : 146-149 (Reinick; use in the public library) : 149-153 (Gill ; obstacles to use by depository libra- ries) *: 153-156 (Austen; Congressional bills and Re- ports in libraries) : 156-157 (C. H. Brown; pub. docs, in technical libraries) : 303 (resolution for com- mittee on federal legislation). Page 132-135 same as Public Libraries, 12:251-254, 1907. 1908:178 (Hasse; suggestion) : 382-406 (Wyer, chmn.; re- port; Post speaks; Everhart, paper; docs, course at three schools described). 1909:227 (Godard, chmn.; report) : 277-278 (resolutions on removal of Post) : 313-329 (papers by Montgom- ery, Tilton, and Post; largely state docs.). Post's paper in Library Journal, 34: 538-545. 1910:759-760, 674 (Godard, chmn.; docs, round table meet- ing; resolutions). Resolutions in Library Journal, 35:328. 1911:90-91 (Godard, chmn.; report) : 194 (resolution) 272-272 (docs, round table meeting). Docs, round table meeting in Library Journal, 36:425-426. 1912:115-116 (Godard, chmn.; report) :200-20i (resolu- tions favoring bill) : 307-311 (docs, round table meet- ing; paper by Donath). Resolutions in Library Journal, 37: 442. 286 Articles in Public Libraries 1913:256 (resolutions) : 352-362 (Godard, chmn. ; docs, round table meeting ; * paper by Wallace ; * Crandall on an executive gazette). Kound table meeting, without papers, in Library Journal, 38: 523-524- 1914: 109-110 (invitation to round table) : 255-270 (Godard, chmn. ; docs, round table meeting ; paper by Carter ; Hegemann on Monthly Cat.; Hartwell on census) : 207-208 (Silliman; catalogs of Docs. Office). Round table meeting, almost identical, in Library Journal, 39: -'97-298. 1915:248 (resolutions) : 257-260 (Hartwell; on Checklist classification; abstract; : 288-289 (Godard, chmn.; docs, round table meeting). Round table meeting duplicated in Library Journal; abridged in Public Libraries. 1916: *30i-3i2 (Carter; printing bill) *: 312-319 (Clarke; library needs, and betterments in system and service needed) : 444-447 (Godard, chmn.; docs, round table meeting). Carter's paper in Library Journal, 41:664-674; and Clarke, only "Betterments needed," in same, 41:602. Public Libraries Public Libraries, i, 1896 : *222-224 (Crandall; work of Docs. Of- fice and needed legislation) : 263-264 ("Library Primer"; apx. F: Pub. docs., by Hasse). 2, 1897: 15 (editorial on Doc. Cat., v. l) : 183; 310-311 ; 358; 399 (resolutions, etc., against demotion of Crandall). 3,1898:46, 84, 85 (editorials favoring transfer of Docs. Of- fice; urging bill) : 86 (summary of Crandall's pro- posed bill) : 295, 302 (A. L. A. action on transfer of Docs. Office, etc.). 4, 1899: 145 (examination for position in Docs. Office) : 248 (Voge; classification for Congressional set) : 257 (resolutions) *: 405-407 (Mann; govt, docs., descrip- tive, etc.) : 455 (arrangement in series or by subject, especially state docs.). 5, 1900 : 83-87 (Reinick : arrangement and cataloging) : 297 (pub. docs, committee report noticed) : 433-434 (Ohio Library Assoc; report, abstract) : 449 (Indiana Li- brary Assoc; conference, notice). 6, 1901 : *28-34 (Hasse; before Nat. Assoc, of State Libra- rians) : 625 (course at Wise summer school an- nounced). Articles in Public Libraries 287 Miss Hasse's article differs in phraseology only from same in Library Journal, 26:8-13. 7,1902:32 (Mann; course at University of Illinois school) : 33-35 (Falkner; Library of Congress policy in col- lection of official publications) : 66 (editorial against library's selling) *: 266-267 (Nebraska university li- brary; arrangement by subject) : 289-290 (pub. docs, committee report noticed) *: 355-359 (Hasse; vexed question of pub. docs.) : 372 (Western library meet- ing; discussion; : 387 (course at Wisconsin school described) * : 492 (Parsons; pub. docs, in a non-de- pository library, at Nebraska meeting, abstract). Miss Hasse's paper differs very slightly from same in Library Journal, 27: 815-818. 8, 1903:405-406 (Dewey; against issue of department reports in collected documents series, especially as in N. Y. state docs.). 9,1904:182 (description of Docs. Office printed catalog cards). 10, 1905 : 19 (Watson wants more tlian one card per title from Docs. Office). Same in Library Journal, 30: 182. 11,1906:51-53 (Reinick; classifying and cataloging) : 106 (Merrill; leaflet publications of Agric. Dept. ; these not intended to be sent to libraries) : 115 (shall Cat. of Title Entries of Copyright Office be continued?) :5ii-5i3; 514 (Hasse; and Jessie G. Smith; pub. docs, in small libraries). 12,1907:48-51 (Hasse; Building up a doc. dept.) : 129 (pub. docs, committee meeting announced) : 230-231 (editorial; how to get) : 251-254 (Hasse; distribu- tion historically and practically considered) : 345-347 (Evans; pub. docs, in small libraries; nine ways to get). Page 48-51 identical, except sample cards omitted, with that in Library Journal, 31:661, 1906. Page 251-254 same as A. L. A. Papers and proceedings, 1907, P- I32-I35- 13,1908:25 (Stuckey: public documents in small libra- ries, at Kansas meeting) : 29-30, 107-108, 179-180 (Hasse; cataloging puzzles, individual publications) : 153-154 (Docs. Office, report, 1906/7, reviewed) 270-271 (Wyer, chmn. ; docs, round table meeting; Post speaks) : 408 (Roberts; this is "The day of the doc"). 14,1909:30-31 (H. H. Ballard and Carlton before Conn. Library Assoc.) : 49-51 (Post; "Most essential re- 288 Articles in Public Libraries form is decrease in distributing agencies ") : 52-53 (Hasbroiick ; small libraries use few pub. docs.; sug- gestions) : 84-86 (Ballard: verses) : 126; 126-127 (Paddock and Buynitzky; "Make room for the docu- ment" in the small library) : 316 (Nat. Assoc, of State Librarians will discuss docs.). I'ost's address, here much abridged, and P.allard, verses, same as in Library Journal, 34: 43-48, 91. 15,1910:38 (M. G. Wyer: pub. docs, in the small lil)rary, abstract) *:i8i-i84 (Tilton; Printed serial entry cards). 16,1911. Xo material. 17,1912:230 (Economy and Efficiency Commission; list of reports to date). 18, 1913: *II9-I2i (Mass. Library Club; J. L Wyer; also treatment at Haverhill, Milton, and Worcester pub. libraries) ^ 334-335 (Godard. chmn. ; docs, round table meeting). Round table meeting without resolutions and abridged from that in Library Journal, 38: 523-524. 19,1914:355 (Godard, chmn.; docs, round table meeting). .Abridged from that in Library Journal, 39:297-298. 20, igi5:*io5 (Billingsley : pub. docs, as Christmas gifts) : 219 ("Uncle Sam's cook book." list) *: 262-265 (Clarke; printing bill) -.2,17 (Godard, chmn.; docs, round table meeting). p. 377 is shorter account than that in Library Journal, 40: 595, and in A. L. \. Papers and proceedings. 21,1916:318 ("The walk-out of the docs.," verses, by G. S. C). INDEX Note. This index does not make entry for each item in the classified list of publishing bodies beginning page 156, nor for those in Part V, Bibliography, under headmgs as follows : — "Government bodies described by themselves"; "Government bodies' lists of their own publications " ; Government bodies" in- dexes to their own publications " ; " Bibliography of laws " "Bibliography of laws: Depositories"; "Articles in the Library Journal, the A. L. A. Proceedings, and Public Libraries." A. L. A. Book List helps in se- lecting publications, 192 A. L. A. Cataloging Rules, fol- low for corporate bodies, 211; call for personal name references for official heads, 213; main entry defined, 215. See also Cataloging United States government publica- tions Abridgments of Message and Documents series, account of, 74 Agricultural Year Book, see U. S. Agriculture Depart- ment, Year Book Aldrich, Nelson W., reference from, to his report must find his name in entry, 224 Alphabetization in catalog, main entry determines, 215 American Catalogue, 247 American Library Association, Council against reprinting executive publications in Congressional series, 79; Council advises subject class- ification of government pub- lications, 83 ; majority favors inverted government author headings, 227 ; Proceedings, analysis of, 285 Ames, John G., superintendent of documents, 2>2 ; Index, 23' 40, 249 ; _ serial numbers of Congressional series devised by, 71, 123. 5"^^ also U. S. Documents Division (Inte- rior Dept. ) Ames, John G., A. R. SpoflFord, and S. F. Baird, Report re- garding . . . public docu- ments, 245 Analytical cataloging of United States government publica- tions, brings in many per- sonal authors, 214; do how much, 214; substitutes for, 214 ; printed catalog cards for, 224 Annals of Congress gives early proceedings of Congress, 126 Asterisk with bill number in Congressional Record index denotes bill was acted on, 129 Attorney-general is head of Justice Department, 114 Author Headings for United States Public Documents, 243 ; helps m selecting publi- cations. 54. 191 ; tells for each body under what higher body, 156 Author number, see Book num- ber Authors, official, see Govern- ment bodies as authors Authors, personal, occur how, 67 ; entry for not all, but those specially needed, 213; analytical cataloging brings in many, 214. See also Gov- ernment bodies as authors Baird, S. F., see Ames, John G., A. R. Spofiford, and S. F. Baird Beaman, M. G., see also, as editor, Index-Analysis of the Federal Statutes 289 290 Index Bibliographies in United States government publications, many worthy catalogmg, 243 Bibliographies of United States government publications, list of, 41 ; Checklist and Month- ly Catalog as, 146; this work not a bibliography, 146, 151 ; executive bodies' lists of their own publications given free, 192. See also Catalogs and indexes of United States government publications ; Checklist of United States Public Documents ; Govern- ment bodies' lists of their own publications; Greely, A. W. ; Monthly Catalog Bibliography, 241 Bills and resolutions of Con- gress. 133 ; data from Con- gressional Record on passage of, 7, 130; supply of, should be kept to fill demands, 107 ; tracing passage of, in Con- gressional Record, 129; ab- breviations for, in Congres- sional Record index and Document Index, 132; begin how, 133 ; used respectively for what, 133; quote by four designations, 134; printed how often, 134; indexed where. 134; number vast, how procured, 135 ; bills and joint resolutions, procedure to become laws, 135: private bill defined, 139; Congres- sional Report title should in- clude bill title, 141- See also Resolutions of Congress Bills and resolutions of Con- gress, History of, see Con- gressional Record Binders, loose-leaf, supplied by Government Printing Office, hearing, 267 Bindings, substitutes for sheep opposed, 30; for depository libraries, 103 ; for depository libraries, publication on, 263 Biographical Congressional Di- rectory, new editions recur, MS Board, term how used, 112. Sec also Commission Book number determines shelf arrangement, 215 Book selection, see Selecting United States government publications Bookbinders in Government Printing Office, pay for, re- ports on, 270 Books in paper covers, see Pa- per-covered books Bowker, R. R., 247 Brown, Zaidee, on treatment of pamphlets, 230 Bulletin series, shelve together by number, and catalog im- portant single issues, 222 Bureau, term used how. 112 Bureau edition, see Edition, plain title Burns, W. S., on stopping re- printing executive publica- tions in Congressional Docu- ments, quoted, 79 Calendar number on Congres- sional Reports, non-essential in catalogmg, 143 Call number, sec Book number Carter, George H., thanks to, 5 Catalog cards, printed, various issues, 224 Catalog entry standardized should be used in every rec- ord of library, 200 Cataloging, chief of. mav dis- pose of depository shipments. 197 ; should supervise serial check record. 197, 200 Cataloging main entry deter- mines arrangement in cata- log and on shelves, 215 Cataloging United States gov- ernment publications. 204 ; government author not to be omitted. 211 ; make every en- try likely to be looked for, 212; follow Library of Con- gress entries. 216: beware entries supplied to Library of Congress by other depart- ments, 216; Library of Con- gress and Document Catalog divergences, 225 ; govern- ment author heading, direct or inverted, 226; govern- ment author below bureau i grade, direct heading or sub- Index 2gi head. 228. See also A. L. A. Catalog Rules ; Authors, Personal ; Book number ; Shelves, Library Cataloging United States gov- ernment publications : Con- gressional Documents and Reports, how treat only one of publications in volume, 19.3 ; entries for, 205 : series note, 207; author of each, 207 : grouping by catchword subhead. 208; catalog not all, but which. 208; when call number of each is that of series. 20Q; plain title and se- ries editions, combined entry, 2og; titles, especially of Re- ports, how abridge, 209 Cataloging United States gov- ernment publications : maps, directions for, 2,^,2 Cataloging United States gov- ernment publications : pam- phlets, catalog by reference only before binding, 2.SI Cataloging United States gov- ernment publications ; serials, catalog only collected vol- umes, and refer to check record for parts. 200. 221 ; four items and other details, 201. 2ig. bring parts to- gether in one entry, 218: "li- brary has " statement, three forms, 21Q; bulletin series, shelve together and catalog singly, 222 ; small annual re- ports may be cataloged be- fore they make a volume, 22;^ : editions often recurring, catalog like serials, 22;^ ; changed title or government author, 22;^, ; show connection of reference with entry, 224; printed catalog cards for. various issues. 224: serials indexed in periodical in- dexes, note in entry, 225 ; document and whole number of department, no series en- trv for, 225 ; make title brief, 218 Catalogs and indexes of United States government publications, description. .-^8 ; list, 41. See also Ames, John G. ; Document Catalog ; Document Index ; Indexes to their own publications by go\ ernment bodies ; Monthly- Catalog ; Poore, B. P.; Ta- bles and Index Cattle, Diseases of, see Dis- eases of Cattle Check record of serials, see Serial check record Checklist classification, classifi- cation marks are substitute for numbers of Congres- sional series, 58, 89, 102 ; dis- advantages of, for library- use. 238 Checklist of United States Public Documents, 247 ; a model bibliography. 21, 40; cost of, 5,3; use of, 54; se- rial numbers in second edi- tion, 71 ; list of sessions of Congress and Presidents in, 121 ; gives list of publica- tions. 151 ; four groupings of publications in, 132; fountain head of information about publications, 191 Church, A. W., and H. H. Smith, Tables . . of the . . . Annals of Congress, Con- gressional Debates fete], 249 Clarke. E. E.. more liberal dis- tribution to libraries needed, 54 ; for uniformity favors di- rect form of government au- thor heading, 22J Classed list of government publishing bodies. 156 Classification marks assigned by Documents Office to each non-Congressional publica- tion, see Checklist classifica- tion Classification of government publications, 233 : by subject advised, 83 ; see also Govern- ment bodies as authors ; of pamphlets. 231; of maps. 232. See also Checklist classifica- tion : Decimal classification Gassification of state and for- eign government publica- tions, to be segregated if those of the United States are. 240 Classifiers in libraries, classed 292 Index list of publishing bodies may help. 150 Commerce Reports, see Consu- lar Reports, .Monthly Commissions, non-permanent, publications of, 56; non-per- manent, described, iio; term how used, 112; publications of, treated with executive publications, 14^ Committee, sec Commission Committee Reports, see U. S. Congress: Reports of com- mittees Committees of Congress, term of appointment. 2.^ ; libraries by pending bill to receive publications of: 107, 139; de- scribed, no; publications in- accessible, i.^g. See also U. S. Congress : Reports of committees Compositors in Go\ernment Printing Office, Reports on pay for. 270 Concurrent resolutions. see Resolutions of Congress Congressional Directory, plain title edition justified, 76; list of sessions of Congress in, 121, 244 Congressional Documents, see U. S. Congress : Documents ; Congressional series Congressional Globe gives early proceedings of Con- gress, 126 Congressional Record, 126; data from, on passage of bill into law, 7, 130: reprints from. 22 . distribution of, S7 ; should be supplied to libra- ries by Documents Office, 57, 107; supersedes for use Jour- nals of Senate and House, 75, 126 ; pending bill requires daily table of contents, 107; description and use. 126; three predecessors named, 126; debates in Congress about, references, 126; what material not in it, 127-. leave to print in. 127: History of Bills and Resolutions de- scribed, 128: action in Con- gress, how traced in. i.^o; Record and predecessors, genuine Congressional publi- cations, 145; editions un- bound and bound, 194 : class where, 2SS '■ exchange for Canadian Hansard, Report, 268; cost of edition tor pub- lic sale, reference, 260, 267 Congressional Record . index, subject references faulty. 65. 128, 130, requires trained in- dexer, 107 ; to daily issues will not verify for bound vol- umes, 127; indexes and sup- plies what, lu ; abbreviations for bills and resolutions. 132 Congressional series, free dis- tribution by members of Congress fosters, 58: class marks of Documents Office substitute for numbering of. 58: number arrangement re- gardless of subiect, source or size. 6g ; numbered how. 70; bound how, 70; gaps in, as sent to libraries. 72 : ex- clusion of executive publica- tions, opposition to. 72 : con- sists of four series and Jour- nals. 75. 122; nine groups of genuine Congressional Docu- ments. 75, 144; Congressional and non-Congressional, dis- tinction inconsistently ap- plied. 75. 83 ; library to keep intact, disadvantages, 83. 236; law of Mar. i. 1907, excludes executive publications from, 86: law of Jan. 1.5, IQ08. re- stores executive publications to, 86; distribution as unit an absurdity, 86; affords cover for undesirable pub- lishing, 87 ; advantages of numbering and voluming, 89; charges for non-Con- gressional publications in. how shared. 89; publications now in series, now out. 90; now broken and unrepresen- tative. 90; early, no differen- tiation in, 122; order of ar- rangement of series and Journals in. 123; shelf list sole record of. 204; catalog entries for volumes. 205 : class where, 235 : shelve in remote part of library, 236. Index 293 See also Serial numbers of the Congressional series : U. S. Congress : Documents ; U. S. Congress: Memorial ad- dresses. U. S. Congress: Publications Consular Reports, Monthly, changes in title and govern- ment author, 22,? ; Checklist classification shelves in three places, 2^8 Contested Congressional elec- tion cases are genuinely Con- gressional Documents. 75 Contributions from the United States National Herbarium, change in government au- thor. 22;^ Cornell University library, thanks to. 5 Corporate authors, see Govern- ment bodies as authors Court decisions, who is author, 67 Court reports, defined, 113: "Decisions" better title, 113 Crandall, F. A., first head of Documents Office, 34: against reprinting executive publica- tions in Congressional series. 79; arguments for inverting government author, refer- ence, 226 Criminal Code. 137 Dash, oblique, indicates inclu- sive years covered by one publication, 201 Decimal classification, govern- ment publishing bodies classed by, 154 Demand and supply, see Edi- tions, size of Department, term used how, 112 Department edition, see Edi- tion, plain title Department Methods Commit- tee, see U. S. Department Methods Committee Department publications, see Executive bodies : publica- tions Departments, executive, see Executive departments Depositorv libraries, 43: desig- nation bv Documents Office, 44, 107: designations should be permanent, 44, 107: selec- tion of pubhcations allowed to, by pending bill, 45, 46; publications not sent to, 47; Documents Office supplies, .t3 : shipments to, disposal of, 197; laws on. 276 See also Geological depository libra- ries . Patent Gazette deposi- tory libraries Descriptive Catalogue of the Government Publications of the United States, 1774-1881, see Poo re. B. P. Dewey, Melvil, against New York state documents in col- lected series, reference. 78 Diplomatic correspondence in State Department report. 152 Diseases of Cattle, edition and distribution. 31 Diseases of the Horse, edition and distribution. 31 Distriliution. free, of govern- ment publications, to all li- braries a necessary reform. 53. 54. 57. 107: by publishing office its riglit. 55, 106; by members of Congress. 57: by members of Congress, valu- ation plan, 59. 270; by mem- bers of Congress, abolish- ment of. needed. 106: to be only by publishing office, a necessarv reform. 106: due to all libraries. 107 . valua- tion plan should embrace every publication, 106 Distribution of government publications, 52 ; for pub- lishing bodies is done through Documents Office. 55 ; Documents Office's stock of current publications, whence derived, 57 ; ulti- mately to be on sales basis, 59; centralization of. not yet reached, 61 : separately, im- possible if bound in volumes of Congressional Documents. 88: editorial board needed, 99: to individuals bv sale and from Documents Office only, a necessary reform, 107. cen- tralization of. recommended by Economy and Efficiency 294 Index Commission, 267 ; valuation plan, statements of distribu- tion. 270. Sec also Dupli- cates; International exchange of goverinnent publications; Reserve, members' ; Reserve number ; Valuation plan District of Columbia smking fund, see U. S. Treasurer Division, term how used, 112; in cataloging, as direct head- ing or bubbead. 228 Document Catalog, 249; de- scribed, 38: change in system would be disastrous, 7,8; list of government authors in, 54: refers to Statutes at Large under committee Re- ports, 1,^8; title in entries for committee Reports. 142. 210: complete and quick guide to all publications, 152; gives higher body under which each government author be- longs. 1-6; makes personal name references. 2r.^: usage differs from Library of Con- gress. 22^ : inverts govern- ment author headings, 226 : makes body below bureau grade direct heading, 228. See also Catalogs and indexes of United States government publications Document departments in libra- ries, this work not adapted for. 8; directions for library practice not addressed to, 197 Document Index, 249; de scribed, 39: well made, 66; indexes and supplies what, 1,1,2 : abbreviations used for bills and resolutions. 1.^2 : use to hnd subject material in Congressional series. 206. See also Catalogs and in- dexes of L'nited States g9v- ernment publications Document Index : Schedule of Volumes, type distinguishes Congressional from non- Congressional Documents, 72, 7S, 83 : library must note in, call number of Congressional ser-es volume shelved by sub- ject. 207 Document librarian may dis- pose of depositorv shipments, 197 Document numbering given by publislimg body, its purpose and iiow to treat. 115; make no series entry for, 116, 225 Documentary History of the Constitution of tlie United States, editions of, 19;? Documents, use of term by archivist, 9 Documents library, see U. S. Documents Office Documents of Senate and House, see U. S. Congress : Documents Documents of the United States, see U. .S. govern- ment publications Donatli. August, against re- printing executive pulilica- tions in Congressional series, 7Q Duplicates, free, unless use re- quires, should be refused to libraries, 56. 2;^7 Earle, M. T., A disinterested publisher, reference. 243 Economic changes have muiti plied goxernment functions and publications. 149 Economy and Efficiency Com- mission, see U. S. Economy and Efficiency Commission Edition, plain title, defined, 76; sent to depository libraries, how bound, 76: report on providing, for libraries, 260 " Edition plan." see Editions according to estimate Edition reprinting, see Reprint- ing plain title edition in series edition Editions, two meanings of, 73, 84 : knowing about, and se- lection of, 193; frequently recurring, catalog like seri- als, 22^ Editions according to estimate, explained. 50. 85 : law for. 102; committee Report on, 261 ; regulations for, 1906, 261 ; same, 1909, 264 ; same, 19 1 4, 269 Editions; size of. l^ws for. 48; editions, distribution and ex- Index =^95 tra copies of publications, reference, 50, 260; incalcula- ble for valuation plan, 59 ; now fixed by statutes, 61 ; for works in series not adjust- able to demand, S8, 104; edi- torial board on, needed. 99. Elections, Congressional, sec Contested Congressional elec- tion cases Elliott's Debates a genuinely Congressional publication, 145 Envelopes, franked, see U. S. Congress : Members, frank- ing privileges of Everbart, E., Handbook of United States public docu- ments, 244 ; cliaracterizes publications in a general way, requires verilication, 152 Exchange, international, of government publications, see International exchange of government publications Executive bodies, terminology and grades, 112; intricate or- ganization and work of, where described, 149; twenty- two of independent grade named, 153. See also Gov- ernment bodies as authors Executive bodies : publications, 147 ; law of Mar. i, 1907. sends plain title edition to libraries, 71, 8j!, 102; same, committee Report on, refer- ence, 262; opposition to ex- clusion from Congressional series, 72; as Documents of Senate and House, titles, numbering, etc., 76, 77 : as sent to libraries, how bound, 76 ; as Documents, number ratio to genuine Congres- sional publications, 27, 80, 144, 150: as Documents, charges for, adjustment of, 89, 102 ; same, Report on, 261 ; examples of, intermit- tently or never Congres- sional Documents, 90; ad- visory committees on, or- dered, 100; same, reference. 260; not to be Congressional Documents, law passed. 102 ; to be again Congressional Documents, law passed, 102 ; not to be Congressional Doc- uments, a necessary reform, 106; terminology, etc., of, III ; variety in size and sub- jects, 150; first hand ac- quaintance with each work necessary. 151 ; reprinting as Documents confuses, 151 ; lists of, found where, 151. See also Editions : size of ; Printing, charges for ; Re- printing plain title edition in series edition Executive bodies : reports, re- printing subreports in iiigher reports, bad effects of. 91 ; same, summary. 95 ; helps for users of. 92; reprinting subreports, usage of dift'er- ent departments compared, 9,^ ; subreports should be printed detached from, 94; swollen by subreports, exam- ples of, 94; order to reduce size of. 95, 100. 2(X); subre- ports made Congressional Documents increase duplica- tion, 95 ; Document edition sent to libraries to be bound as plain title edition, 103 ; pending bill prints as Con- gressional Documents only, 103 : certain bodies report to Congress, 109; contents ad- missible, 113; reports to be made to Congress, list where, 152 : separate edition of report of chief, how treat, 194; run July i to June 30, 217; small annual, catalog before issues make volume, 223. See also Reports ; Re- printing subreports in higher reports Executive departments, ten named, 113. See also Execu- tive bodies : Government bodies as authors Executive Documents, see U. S. Congress : Documents Experiment Station Record, editions bound and unbound, 194 Falkner, R. P.. asks for " librarv edition " of execu- 296 Index tive publications, "q: list of bibliographies, reference. 230 Ferrell, L. C. against reprintmg executive piil)lications as Congressional Uocuinents. 79 Finding List to Important Serial Documents, locates an- nual reports in Congressional series, reference. 2^ 54- 57. 107; to be ultimately on sales basis to individuals, 59 ; sent free of postage. 62; 7 diffi- culties presented by. 63 ; tech- nical in subject and poorly edited. 64 ; indexes poor, 65 : should be distinct according to three coordinate branches of government, 81. 106: sub- ject classification of, advised, Si ; series numbers of what use, 89; administration of. should be model for states, 90; editorial board on. rec- ommended, 98, 106 ; forms and style of, how agreed upon, 99; summary of re- forms needed, 105 ; each should appear in one edition only. 106 ; early, all originated in Congress, 149; multiplied as government functions en- larged, 149; helps in f elec- tion, 191 : depository ship- ments of, heterogeneous. 197 ; how keep up with currently, 206: Tables of. printed at in- tervals, showing extra and usual number and distribu- tions, reference, 248. See also Bibliographies of United States government publica- tions : Catalogs and indexes of United States government publications ; Executive bod- ies : publications ; Executive bodies: reports: Greely, A. W. : International exchange of government publications: Legal publications of the United States government ; Maps and atlases, United States government ; Pam- phlets: Printing. charges for: Printing of the United States government: admin- istration ; Reports ; Selecting United States government publications : Serial govern- ment publications: Titles of government publications ; U. S. Congress: publications U. S. Government Publications, a Monthly Catalog, see Hick- cox, J. H. U. _ S. House of Representa- tives, see U. S. Congress. House of Representatives U. S. Hygienic Laboratory, bulletins, general distribution not warranted, 86 U. S. Immigration Commission, report, better in plain title than Document edition, 80 U. S. Indian Affairs Office, re- port. 1894. confusing title of Document edition, yy ; dis- tribution of report should be to those interested only, 86 U. S. Interior Department, re- port, printing of subreports in, 93 U. S. Justice Department, in executive branch of govern- ment, 109 : attorney general is head, 114 U. S. Keep Commission, see U. S. Department Methods Committee U. S. Labor Bureau, separated by Checklist classification. 238 U. S. Land Office. General, wall map of United States, dis- tribution of. 31 U. S. Library of Congress, su- persedes Senate and House libraries, 60: supplies refer- ence use of government pub- Index 307 lications, 87 ; librarian of, to be on editorial board on gov- ernment publications, 98; transfer to, of Documents Office cataloging, 106; under Congress, 109; catalog title for Congressional Reports, 142, 210; follow in catalog- ing, 216; beware catalog en- tries supplied to, by other departments, 216 : Handbook of Card Distribution of, gives departments supplying catalog entries to, 216; use printed catalog cards of, 224; for printed catalog cards for anaiyticals, see List of Series of Publications for Which Cards Are in Stock by, 224; catalog entries of, how differ from Document Catalog, 225 ; uses direct form of govern- ment author heading, 22"] ; makes subhead of govern- ment author below bureau grade, 22S ; Notes on the Cataloguing ... of Maps and Atlases by, 232. See also Index-Analysis of the Fed- eral Statutes ; International exchange of government pub- lications U. S. National Academy of Sciences, memoirs, distribu- tion should be to those inter- ested onlJ^ 86 U. S. National Herbarium, see Contributions from the United States National Her- barium U. S. National Home for Dis- abled Volunteer Soldiers, re- port of, small edition de- manded, 104 ; independent in rank but of slight interest, U. S. Naval Observatory, re- port is on technical business, 103 U. S. Office of Superintendent of Documents, see U. S. Doc- uments Office U. S. Ordnance Bureau (Navy), report should go to those interested only. 86 U. S. Ordnance Department, report is on technical busi- ness, 103. See also Tests of Metals U. S. Philippine Committee on Geographical Names is per- manent body, III U. S. Postal Savings Sys- tem only government body termed system, 112 U. S. President, Messages and papers, editions of, 31 ; mes- sages of, to Congress are genuine Congressional Doc- uments, 75 : better in plain title than Document edition. 76, 80; messages of, where printed, 127 ; proclamations of, where printed, 136; mes- sages of, class where, 235 ( Roosevelt j, order to re- duce size of department re- ports. 95, 100; against extrav- agance in the public printing, 97, 260; order for advisory committees on printing in de- partments, TOO U. S. printing administration, see Printing of the United States government: adminis- tration U. S. Printing and Publications Division (Commerce Dept.), report on printing costs for departments, 263 U. S Printing Investigation Commission, appointment and term, loi ; laws secured by, 102: laws creating and con- tinuing, references, 25.9; re- ports by, 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 266; hearings, etc., by, 260, 263, 265 U. S. public documents, see U. S. government publications U. S. Reclamation Service, re- port, edition should suit de- mand from those interested only, 86, 104 U. S. Rolls and Library Bureau prints and distributes laws, 121. See also Documentary History of the Constitution of the United States U. S. Senate, see U. S. Con- gress : Senate U. S. Standards Bureau, report 3o8 Index IS on technical business, 103 U. S. State Department, report contains only diplomatic cor- respondence, 152; communi- cation relative to . . . inter- national bureau of exchanj^es (of government publications], 246 U. S. Superintendent of docu- ments (Government Printmg Oflice), qualifications needed by, 36, 106; apponitment of, how made, 36. See also Crandall, F. A. ; Donath, Au- gust ; Ferreli, L. C. : Post, W. L. ; U. S. Documents Office : Wallace, F. C. U. S. Superintendent of docu- ments (Interior Dept.), office abolished when Documents Office was established, 34. See also Ames, John G. U. S. Treasurer, report on sinking fund of District of Columbia, general distribu- tion not warranted, 86; small edition demanded, 104 U. S. Treasury Department, reports, department, not per- son, is author of, 67 ; reprint- ing subreports in reports, 93 ; report is made to Congress, 109 U. S. War Department, reports swollen by reprinting subre- ports, 95 ; terms its larger branches departments, 112 Up number explained. 49 Usual number explained, 48; obligatory for every publica- tion of Congressional series under 100 pages, 84 Valuation plan of giving gov- ernment publications to mem- bers of Congress, 54; hear- ings on, 265 ; statements on, reference, 270 Van Tyne, C. H., and W. G. Leland, Guide to the archives of the government, 243 Wallace, F. C, against re- printing executive publica- tions as Congressional Docu- ments, 79 Waste paper, government pub- lications as, statistics, 47, 52, 61. See also U. S. Congress, House of Representatives: Useless Papers and Docu- ments. Select Committee on Whelpley, J. D., Nation's print shop, 24, 243 " Whole number " given by publishing body, its purpose and how to treat, 115: make no series entry for, in cata- log. 116, 22t Wiley. H. W'., chief of U. S. Chemistry Bureau, as author, 67 Willoughby. W. F., Statistical publications of the United States government. 250 Wroth. L. C., Description of federal public documents, 245 Wyer, J. I., United States gov- ernment documents in small libraries, 244; use same in selecting publications, 191, against dictum of, to omit government author in cata- loging, 211; United States government documents, 244 Year Book of the Agriculture Department, see U. S. Agri- culture Department Year, fiscal, of the United States government, runs July I to June 30, 217 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY Los Angeles This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. iij J UN ML 15 mi I/' 91980 NOV 2 1984 Form L9-75ni-7,'61(C1437s4)444 1223 Clarke - Z7C$ Guide to the use of U#S» government public a tiona 3 1158 00596 6311 UC SOUTHf -p;,-,WA'"".''f^ /VA 000 976 535 5 Z 1223 Z7C5 CL£S.