Sales of Publications operations are then allocted to the Central Office operations and to the Bookstores. The actions taken near the end of the fiscal year 1981 to eliminate the publications that could not be sold had the effect of increasing costs and reducing profits for both Central Office operations and the Bookstores.

BOOKSTORES PERFORMANCE

Question. What is the performance of the bookstores So far in Fiscal Year 1982?

Answer. For the first seven months of fiscal year 1982, the bookstore operation has shown a profit of $871,181. The largest portion of this profit has been from the Laurel Distribution Center and Washington area bookstores. The remaining bookstores have shown

only marginal profits, or in many cases, losses to date. The revenue, expense, and profit or loss for Fiscal Year 1982 to date follows:

COMPARISON OF UNSALEABLE PUBLICATIONS

Question. How did the shredding of documents at the end of fiscal year 1981 compare in size with previous destructions of unsaleable material by the Superintendent?

Answer. The Unsaleable Publications Expense for fiscal year 1981 was significantly higher than in previous years. The inventory had been growing for a number of years and a substantial portion of this inventory was not saleable. This growth had caused an increase in the carrying costs and it did not appear prudent to continue warehousing publications that were not selling. The expense for publications destroyed for the past five years is as follows:

Question. Were the previous instances accounted for in the same way?

Answer. The method and techniques used to account for the unsaleable publications expense for fiscal year 1981 was consistant with procedures used in prior years.

QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY SENATOR DALE BUMPERS

Congressional Printing & Binding Congressional Record

Question.

In last year's justification you indicated that it would cost $6,364,000 to print 5,900 daily copies of the Congressional Record for Congressional use and 1,420 bound copies. This year you are requesting $37,000 more but you plan to print only 5,600 daily copies and 680 bound copies a cut of more than 50 percent in bound copies. Why are you printing fewer copies of the Record and why isn't there a corresponding decrease in cost?

Answer. The number of copies of the Record to be printed is determined by Congress, not the Government Printing Office. Public Law 95-391 restricted the number of copies of the Bound Record by requiring Members to request their copies in writing and had the effect of reducing the number ordered. Our estimate was based on a continuation of this restriction. In addition, more copies of the Bound Record are now being produced on microfiche which further reduces the number of hard copies being produced.

The total costs for the Record Program are a composite of the costs to print the Bound, Daily, and the Index. Each of these publications is estimated separately, based upon the number of pages and the rate per page. The total cost of each publication is then computed and divided between the two appropriations based upon the number of copies chargeable to each appropriation.

When a reduction is made in the number of copies, a corresponding cut is made in the costs, but at the rider rate basis and not the pro-rata basis because we are only eliminating the additional press and bindery running costs. A more important factor that impacts on costs is the total number of pages being produced in the Daily Record. Our estimates are based on historical trends, with large fluctuations in the number of pages each year, having a significant impact on the total costs incurred.

FLUCTUATION IN PAGE COST

Question. Why is the cost of printing a page in the Congressional Record fluctuating So widely? The table on page II-4 of your Justifications shows a drop of six percent in costs between 1981 and 1982 and an increase of 27 percent in costs between 1982 and 1983. What is this all about.

Answer. You are referring to the cost per page of the Congressional Record Program in the Congressional Printing and Binding Appropriation. As stated in the previous answer, the total cost of the program is computed and then divided between the two appropriations on the basis of the number of copies chargeable to each appropriation. This fluctuation Occurs because there is a material change in the number of copies of the Bound Record being charged to this Appropriation. Based on the estimated number of copies chargeable to this appropriation, 42 percent of the cost of the Bound record was allocated to it in 1982, whereas 57 percent of the cost of the Bound Record was allocated to it in 1983. The overall effect for the Congressional Record Program for both Appropriations is a decrease of $1.5 million.

PAGE COST OF SPECIFIC PUBLICATIONS

Question. I note some discrepencies between last year's and this year's Congressional Printing and Binding justification. Last year you told us it would cost $8.8 million for 126,000 Committee print pages. This year you say we can print 130,000 pages for the same amount. On the other hand you indicated last year that 69,000 pages of Miscellaneous Publications would cost $7 million. This year 71,000 pages, an increase of 3 percent, will cost $7.5 million, an increase of 7 percent. To confuse things even further your per-page cost summary set forth on page II-4 of your justification shows increased per-page costs for both Committee Prints and Miscellaneous Publications. Could you clarify the situation?

Answer. Your comparison is between the original estimate for fiscal year 1982 as included in the fiscal year 1982 request and the estimate for fiscal year 1983 as in the fiscal year 1983 request. The fiscal year 1982 data has been updated based on the latest information for the fiscal year 1983 request. The comparison should be made on the latest information. The following are the estimates for Committee Prints and Miscellaneous Publications as shown in our fiscal year 1983 justification.

The estimate shows a slight increase in pages for both categories of work as well as the anticipated rate increase.

the one

PRINTING AND BINDING APPROPRIATION SAVINGS

Question. You apparently have been able to achieve some very impressive savings in your regular Congressional Record program that prints copies of the Record for distribution off "The Hill." Last year you estimated it would cost $15.7 million to print 16,000 daily copies. This year it will cost, according to your justification, $13.6 million to print 15,300 copies. How have you managed to achieve such substantial cost savings in this one program? Answer. As stated in the previous question on the Congressional Record Program, costs are pro-rated between the two appropriations based on the number of copies chargeable to each. The number of copies of the Bound Record for the Printing and Binding Appropriation has materially dropped due to microfiching of copies for the Depository Program and, therefore, this appropriation is bearing a much smaller cost for the Bound Record which impacts on the total program costs.

Salaries and Expenses

Other Services Advertising

Question. For the first time you are requesting $450,000 for advertising. How will these funds be used?

10. Display cases and publications for:

Special Library Associations shows and conferences American Library Association shows and conferences Public Library Associations shows and conferences 11. Research Project (New England Library Network) 12. Posters

13. Research (Government Documents Roundtable) 14. Awareness Research (Pre & Post)

$150,000

$ 50,000

$ 15,000

$ 5,000

$ 15,000

$ 15,000

$ 25,000

$ 75,000

$ 10,000

$ 10,000

$ 15,000

$ 10,000

$ 5,000

$ 20,000

95-563 O 8217

Question. We are informed that the Drug Enforcement Administration has produced a best-seller, "Drug Agents Guide to Forfeiture of Assets." (GPO #027-004-00034-2). Apparently, this publication is now out of print and State and local drug enforcement agencies are clamoring to obtain copies. How much of this publication does the Superintendent of Documents have on hand for sale to interested parties?

Answer. The Superintendent of Documents currently has no copies of this publication available in the Sales inventory.

Question. Have there been any discussions between GPO and DEA regarding the printing of additional copies?

Answer. Yes. Unfortunately, there was a misunderstanding between personnel in the two agencies, and the Superintendent of Documents did not obtain additional copies when the Drug Enforcement Administration ordered the reprinting of the publication.

Question. Does GPO plan to print additional copies of this publication?

Answer. Yes. An additional 1,000 copies have been ordered for the Sales Program.