128 DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS. 



preparation of illustrations, for artists' supplies, and for labor and 

 materials in distribution of documents: 



Pay of artists and preparation of illustrations $6, 400. 00 



Labor in distribution of documents . . ..- .31,739.(59 



Materials for document section . , ._ . .. 5,256.28 



Artists" supplies . - 568. 47 



Illustrations --- 495.49 



Miscellaneous - . . - . 369. 84 



Total 44,829.77 



Preparation of Farmers' Bulletins . 4, 023. 70 



Printing of Farmers" Bulletins 30,665.15 



Total , ... 34,688.85 



Grand total 79,518.63 



The above statement gives a summary of the expenditures from the 

 special appropriations of tlie Division, amounting altogether for the 

 year 1000 to $80,000, of which -135,000 was for the preparation and 

 printing of Farmers' Bulletins and $45,000 for artists and artists' mate- 

 rials and illustrations, distribution of documents, materials for docu- 

 ment section, and all other expenses whatever. 



BECOMMENDATTONS.' 



INSUFFICIENCY OP APPROPRIATION FOR DISTRIBUTION OF 



DOCUMENTS. 



From the foregoing, it will be seen that, aside from a few statutory 

 X)laces, the entire expense attending the care, handling, and distribu- 

 tion of our publications, and of disposing of the enormous balance of 

 correspondence already set forth in some detail, was 136,905.97, 

 against a total for jirinting and binding of $130,747.26, a proportion 

 which, in face of the details given of the work of distribution, must 

 certainl}^ impress one as evidencing the greatest economy in manage- 

 ment. That such economy in management exists is certainly true, 

 but the figures can not be taken alone as evidence on this point. 

 The fact is, it was found utterly impossible to adequately carry on 

 the work with the means at our command, and before the close of the 

 fiscal year help had to be obtained from several other Divisions to 

 enable the distribution work to go on. This is a most unreliable and 

 unsatisfactory dependence, and I earnestly recommend such an 

 increase in tlie appropriations as Avill make the Division practically 

 independent of such extraneous assistance. It is extremely important 

 to bear this in mind, and I may therefore be pardoned for reiterating 

 that the amount of work undertaken by this Division is not controlla- 

 ble in any way by its head. All the work which it actually performs 

 is work thrust upon it by other Divisions in the pursuit of their most 

 legitimate undertakings. To restrict the resources of this Division 

 while enlarging the scope and sphere of work of other branches is 

 like increasing the water supply of a cit}' without extending the dis- 

 tribution pipes. In the organic law creating this Department, the 

 injunction "to difi'use " is quite as emphatic as " to acquire" informa- 

 tion of benefit to agriculture, and this Division is the medium for such 

 difi'usion. Every authorization by Congress aiming at the acquisition 

 of information by this Department involves, therefore, an increase in 



