DIVISION OF PUBLICATIONS. 321 



lications and 377,127 orders for Farmers' Bulletins. More than 

 16,609 forms and postal cards were used in acknowledging requests, 

 and 32,940 requests were referred to proper offices for further atten- 

 tion. A ''correspondence unit" of 27 clerks was required to keep 

 this work up-to-date. During the year 26,800 entries were made 

 in an index of addresses to which the last edition of the Yearbook 

 were sent. In cooperating with other bureaus 22,283 addresses were 

 written. The correspondence work, as heretofore, is in charge of 

 Mr. John O. Riley, who by reason of his long experience with Govern- 

 ment publications is especially fitted for the work. 



WOBK OF THE MACHINE ROOM. 



The duplicating, addressing, receiving, folding, and shipping units 

 of the distribution work during the year were under the immediate 

 supervision of Mr. Clarence E. Bracey. During the year the work 

 of these various groups was exceedingly large. Tne duplicating 

 unit cooperated with 26 offices in the department, and completed 

 2,675 jobs, comprising 2,265,641 pages, of which 3,840,221 copies 

 were printed. Ihis great number of copies was printed from 18,031 

 pages of type. The number of copies was considerably greater than 

 m the preceding jear. 



At present mailmg lists are maintained for 16 bureaus and offices 

 of the department, aggregating 268,775 individual addresses. Main- 

 taining these lists involves the cutting; of stencils, the removal of 

 stencils containing addresses, the actual addressing of envelopes and 

 franks, and the cutting of congressional franks and paper for various 

 bureaus of the department, the making of memorandum pads, the 

 folding of circulars, and the assembing and stapling of matter du- 

 pHcated. 



RECEIPT AND DISPOSITION OP PRINTED MATTER. 



During the year accurate records have been kept of the publica- 

 tions and job work received and turned over to the proper distri- 

 buting offices. Deliveries made to this office aggregated 52,080, 

 comprising 19,758 packages of publications and 41,636 packages 

 of job work. The rcceivhif^, storing, and redespatching of this 

 matter was a task the magnitude of which can hardly be realized 

 by those not actually engaged in the work. This work was rapidly 

 and efficiently done without any serious error or mistake, although 

 the employee in charge of it was handicapped at times, owing to 

 the lack of storage space and platform facilities. 



MAILING LIST RECORD WORK. 



Closely related to the mailing and folding room work is the work 

 of maintaining a record of the various mailing lists of the department. 

 These mailing lists are separated broadly into two classes, those for 

 which the mechanical equipment is maintained in this office, and 

 those that are maintained at the office of the Superintendent of 

 Documents. The aggregate number of individual addresses is 

 approximately 496,450. This work involves the adding, dropping, 

 and changing of addresses on the mailing lists; the transmitting of 

 such additions and changes to the office of the Superintendent of 

 Documents; the distribution of proof cards from that official to the 

 different bureaus in the department; the maintenance of a general 

 index of addresses on all mailing lists ; the preparation of correspond- 



