Uncle Sam offers free, low-cost information

Let's hear it for the best paper-pushers in Washington - themembers of the Consumer Information Center.

The CIC was set up in 1970 to help Uncle Sam's vast bureaucracydevelop, promote and distribute helpful information to the public.Since then, it has mailed out millions of free or low-cost bookletspublished by more than 40 federal departments and agencies. Titlesand descriptions are listed in the Consumer Information Catalog,which is available free to anyone who writes or calls for it.

The catalog, updated quarterly, lists more than 200 publicationson an array of subjects including travel. About half of thepublications are free; others range in price from 50 …