304 ANNUAL EEPOETS OF DEPAETMENT OF AGRICULTUEE. 



circulars and leaflets heretofore issued by the various bureaus, and 

 being numbered in a single series avoid the complexity of numbering 

 which formerly existed. The bulk of the department's informational 

 publications hereafter will be found in a few scries — Department 

 Bulletins, Farmers' Bulletins, Department Circulars, and the Year- 

 book. Pronouncements of an administrative nature will be included 

 in the circulars of the Office of the Secretary. The Service and Reg- 

 ulatory Announcements and the established periodicals, of course, 

 continue, such as the Weekly News Letter, the Monthly Crop 

 Reporter, Public Roads, the Journal of Agricultural Research, the 

 Monthly Weather Review, and the Experiment Station Record. 



A saving of about $7,000 and 14 tons of paper was made in the job 

 printing by standardizing sizes of blank forms, using economical 

 kinds of paper, and reducing the number of operations. Since many 

 of the forms are permanent, much of this saving will be perpetuated. 



During the year 26 reels of motion-picture films were completed 

 on 18 subjects, designed to aid in the campaign for increased produc- 

 tion of crops and conservation of food and fuel. Camera work was 

 completed for 17 other films. At the close of the year 244 reels of 

 film for 57 subjects were available for distribution. Between four and 

 five million people saw the department's educational films during the 



vear. 



FACILITATING PRINTING. 



The department's printing was more or less unavoidably delayed 

 during the year by the congestion of emergency war printing miposed 

 upon the Government Printing Office. Considering the conditions, 

 the most necessary printing was delivered with remarkable dispatch. 

 Since the cessation of hostilities the volume of the Government's 

 emergency work has decreased, yet the Printing Office is able to de- 

 liver the bulk of this department's printing with only fair promptness. 

 At all times the facilities of the Government Printing Office appear to 

 be fully taxed. In numerous instances a bulletin, report, pamphlet, 

 or administrative blank is needed at once, and the several serial pub- 

 lications should come out on time. It is not always possible, how- 

 ever, to get as prompt service as should be rendered this department 

 by the Government Printing Office. Every eflort is made in the de- 

 partment to reduce to the minimum the number of rush requisitions, 

 but they are often unavoidable. In such cases the department en- 

 deavors to cooperate with the Printing Office by furnishing perfect 

 copy, eliminating unimportant changes, and promptly returning the 

 proof. This department, of course, is the most competent judge as 

 to the necessity for haste in the printing of a particular job, and it is 

 hoped in the future the Government Printing Ollice will find it possi- 

 ble to use its great resources for speedy execution more to the ben- 

 efit of the department. 



PROMPT HANDLING OF PROOF. 



Some reduction in the time consumed in handling proofs in the de- 

 partment was apparent during the year, but further cooperation 

 on the part of issuing offices is necessary to speed up the printing. 

 Scarcely ever is the retention of proof for more than three days for 

 critical examination justified. The examination of proof should 

 be undertaken immediatel}^ upon its receipt and completed at the 

 earliest possible moment. Prompt return of proof will iir, ite prompt 



