BULLETIN OF THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS A COOPERATIVE CLEARING HOUSE SEVENTH ANNUAL CUMULATION EDITED BY ALICE L. JEWETT R LIBRARY NEW YORK PUBLIC AFFAIRS INFORMATION SERVICE 1921 на PREFACE Public Affairs Information Service in its seventh annual cumulation follows in general the plan of the previous volume. It incorporates the Digest of governors' messages, issued separately as Bulletin 16, and the Index to state legislation of 1921 which appeared as a Special bulletin under date of September 17. As announced in that bulletin, the index does not cover the legislation enacted in Colorado, Illinois, Montana, North Dakota, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia. Whatever progress has been made during the year may be attributed to the growing contact between the editorial office and the New York Public Library, which offers the P.A.I.S. staff prompt and constant access to the acquisitions and resources of a large reference library. To the P.A.I.S. from the financial standpoint, the economy in the arrangement is of no small consequence, saving as it does so much expense in the soliciting of material, but perhaps of even greater importance, as a nearer fulfilment of its obligation to subscribers, is the resultant gradual raising of the standard of value by which material is selected for listing. This is apparent in the Key to Periodical References, which is a shorter list. than last year's by some two hundred titles although it contains many not included in that list. This does not mean a corresponding reduction in the number of titles regularly examined, but rather the elimination of references to articles which are not of strictly reference value, such as summaries of addresses, résumés of investigations, of special reports, etc. The complete address and the report itself, with the more valuable discussions in the case are the objects of our search. New books are given an increasing prominence as are also documents, in spite of the fact that annual reports, unless of some special significance, have been consistently omitted. Notices of approaching conferences and the reports of their proceedings are being followed more closely. Trade directories, representing a hundred different trades and industries are listed, and more than two hundred industries have their place in the alphabetical list of headings. Increasing space is being given to business and financial subjects. Banks and banking, Credit, Finance, Foreign commerce, Foreign exchange, Foreign investments, Merchant marine, Ports, Public debts, Securities, Shipping, Tariff and Transportation are some of the important headings used. Commercial, financial and economic conditions in various countries are fully treated under geographical headings. Under countries and political subdivisions of the United States, the following subheads are regularly used: Army, Census, Commerce, Constitution, Diplomatic and consular service (U.S. only), Economic conditions, Finance, Foreign relations, Government and politics, Maps, Natural resources, Navy, Social conditions, Statistics. Material on all other subjects even though it relates to a specific country or political unit, is grouped under subject. Thus, a book on, the railroads of China will be found under Railroads, Foreign, without geo graphical subdivision. References are made from each country or political unit to all the subjects under which material relating to them is to be found. From first to last, in selection of material, form of entry, arrangement under carefully selected headings and subheads, by the use of cross references and by the inclusion of contents notes and occasional short descriptive notes, P. A. I. S. aims to meet the need of the research worker for a quick and efficient guide to the best sources of information. 11 West 40th Street New York City ALICE L. JEWETT |