inquired for than almost
any others. The surveying, engineering, geological, astronomical, and
other scientific reports published by the Government are in much
greater request, and bring the highest prices in old bookstores. The
explanation is, of course, that the scientific reports are useful to a
larger class than the others. They appeal to "bread-winners" in several
important professions, to students of pure science the world over, and
to the already large and increasing body of teachers. For the
"Smithsonian Contributions" one hundred and fifty dollars, or more than
first cost, is demanded, and the first volume brings twenty dollars, or
two and a half times its original price. The Mining Industry volume of
the Fortieth Parallel Report brought forty dollars in the shops
(whenever it could be found) even while the Engineer Corps was still
gingerly distributing its limited edition _gratis_. Many more examples
could be adduced, but these are sufficient to show that the Government
does bring out works that are sorely wanted. We wish its method of
distribution were better. At present the workers in a profession have
great difficulty in obtaining the most needed publications of
Government, while Congressmen, who are politicians and nothing else,
are flooded with books they cannot understand, and only sneer at. The
distribution of professional reports through members of Congress, who
are not professional men, has never produced anything but
dissatisfaction. There is no part of the country where Government
publications can be found. Even New York city cannot produce them. This
is all wrong. The Government should maintain a collection of all its
publications in at least four States. They could be established either
in connection with existing libraries or with the army headquarters
that are maintained permanently in such places as New York, Chicago,
San Francisco, and New Orleans. Such documentary libraries would not be
deserted, as some may suppose. The Patent Room of the Boston Public
Library was visited last year by 1,765 persons, and a collection of the
engineering, scientific, and official publications of the Government in
New York would be a centre for professional study, and be visited by
thousands yearly. To house the Government publications would require so
much space that an ordinary library could hardly be expected to
undertake the task without aid. The patent specifications alone of
three countries, Great Britain,