FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS, 1885-1887. 985 



Alaska, by L, M. Turner, respectful^ report the same back to the 

 House, and recommend its passage. 



The value of the report recommended to be printed is evidenced by 

 an official communication from Prof. Spencer F. Baird, of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution. 



[See Senate proceedings, February 10, 1886.] 



The estimated cost of printing the 4,000 copies and illustrations is 

 $4,556. 



Committed to Committee of the Whole. 

 July 17, 1886— House. 



Mr. John M. Farquhar called up Senate concurrent resolution 

 (Report H. 3060) providing for the printing of the report on Alaska, 

 by L. M. Turner. 



Mr. S. J. Randall. 1 would like to know the cost of printing this 

 report. 



Mr. Farquhar. I ask that the report of the committee be read. 



The report (by Mr. Farquhar) was read. 



(See House proceedings, June 23, 1886.) 



Mr. Ri W. Dunham. I desire to inquire of the gentleman from New 

 York [Mr. Farquhar] why it is necessary to furnish the Signal Offioe 

 with 1,000 copies of this report. 



Mr. Farquhar. In cases of this kind there is a general distribution, 

 independently of the copies given to the Senate and House, to all these 

 scientific departments. Very often Members and Senators, after 

 exhausting their own reports, can only obtain copies by sending to 

 one of the Departments (as, for instance, in this case the Signal Office) 

 for any overplus copies that may be at command. Thife is the plan, I 

 understand, now adopted, in lieu of the old system of laying by vol- 

 umes for sale. The surplus copies are put at the disposal of the 

 bureau that is concerned in sending the report to Congress. 1 can not 

 give any special reason why there should be a greater or less number 

 given to these bureaus. 



Mr. Roger Q. Mills. They have to furnish copies of their reports 

 to a great many correspondents all over the world, from whom they 

 receive information of the same character. 1 have talked with some 

 officers of the Government in reference to this matter, and in many 

 cases these documents are distributed all over Europe, and documents 

 of similar character are received in return. 



Mr. Randall. Has the Signal Office been instrumental in getting 

 up this report? 



Mr. Farquhar. As the report of the committee states, it was 

 through the courtesy of the Signal Office that these two officers, Mr. 

 Turner and Mr. Nelson, gathered all the matter for these reports. It 

 is stated at the Signal Office, and also by Professor Baird, that the 

 reports of these two gentlemen are the most complete ever made on 



