CENTRALIZATION OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS.

[Supplemental statement submitted by the Commission on Economy and Efficiency, Feb. 29, 1912.]

It is the opinion of the commission that if the plan outlined in its report to the President dated December 4, 1911, recommending the centralization of the distribution of publications at the Government Printing Office, which was transmitted to Congress with the message of the President, dated February 5, 1912, is carried out, that the appropriations for the various departments and establishments for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1912, could be reduced as follows:

[Under the head of "Material, supplies and special services," is included the cost of conveying matter by truck, team, or otherwise, from the Government Printing Office to the various departments and establishments and from the departments and establishments to the Post Office, and from the Post Office to the Union Station.]

In preparing the foregoing figures no consideration has been given to the saving which might result from the more direct handling of publications now mailed from the Capitol, the Senate and House Office Buildings, and the Congressional Library. No attempt has been made to estimate this saving. That it is large is shown by the fact that actual weights taken at the Post Office at Washington during 31 days in the months of February and March, 1911, of all mail matter received from the Capitol and the House and Senate Office Buildings, showed an average of 21 tons handled per day.

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In order that the Government Printing Office may carry on this entire work, it will be necessary to increase the annual expenditures at the Government Printing Office as follows:

It is recommended that the necessary legislation be enacted to place the entire work of distributing documents under the direction of the Public Printer beginning July 1, 1912.

Appendix No. 9

THE USE OF THE OUTLINE OF ORGANIZATION OF THE
GOVERNMENT PREPARED BY THE COMMISSION AS
A MEANS FOR SHOWING CURRENTLY ORGANIZA-
TION CONDITIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT

37542°-H. Doc. 670, 62-2-36

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COPY OF LETTER SENT TO HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS AND INDEPENDENT ESTABLISHMENTS OF THE GOVERNMENT.

MY DEAR MR. SECRETARY: I am transmitting herewith (a) a copy of House Document No. 458, Sixty-second Congress, second session, containing my message to Congress of January 17, 1912, and the report of the Commission on Economy and Efficiency on the organization of the Government as it existed July 1, 1911; and (b) a supplemental report by the commission, recommending that certain steps be taken for the purpose of providing that the outline of organization of the Government prepared by it be made the basis of a system by which full and detailed information will at all times be available regarding the manner in which the Government is organized for conducting its work.

These recommendations have my full approval, and it is my desire that the departments and establishments immediately enter upon the work of carrying them into execution.

It is probable that some difficulties will be encountered in putting this comprehensive plan into effect. It is of the utmost importance that the work be done along uniform lines by all the departments and establishments. This can be secured only by joint action. To this end will you please designate a representative of your department who, with similar representatives of other departments and establishments, will confer with the Commission on Economy and Efficiency in respect to the prosecution of the work. I have asked the commission to render all aid in its power in carrying out this undertaking. WM. H. TAFT.

Sincerely, yours,

THE WHITE HOUSE, March 28, 1912.

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