68th Congress, 2d Session Senate Document No. 173

ANNUAL REPORT

OF THE . PUBLIC PRINTER

FOR THE FISCAL YEAR

ENDED JUNE 30

1924

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON

D. C.
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

Public Printer.—GEORGE H. CARTER, Iowa

Deputy Public Printer.—Jobn Greene, Massachusetts. Production Manaflrer.—Ellwood S. Moorhead, Pennsylvania. Assistant to Public Printer.—Miss Mary A. Tate, Tennessee. Chief Clerk.—Henry H. Wright, New York. Assistant Chief Clerk.—J. Thomas Ford, New York. Superintendent of Accounts and Budget Officer.—

J

amks K. Wallace, Ohio Assistant Superintendent of Accounts.—Frank E. Buckland, Indiana Purchasing Agent.—Ernest E. Emerson, Maryland.

Assistant Purchasing Agent.—William J. Oassiday, District of Columbia. Superintendent of Documents.—Alton P. Tisdel, Ohio. Asst. Supt. of Documents.—Mias Josephine G. Adams, District of Columbia. Superintendent of Planning.—William A. Mitchell, North Carolina. Assistant Superintendent of Planning.—Robert W. Summers, New York. Storekeeper and Traffic Manager.—William H. Kervin, New York. Assistant Storekeeper.—Qeorge Lamb, Pennsylvania. Medical and Sanitary Officer.—Dr. Daniel P. Bush, Nebraska. Assistant Medical and Sanitary Officer.—Dr. John F. Atkinson, Indiana. Chief of rests.—Edward O. Reed, District of Columbia. Disbursing Clerk.—Edward J. Wilver, Pennsylvania. Instructor of Apprentices.—BvRR G. Williams, Iowa. Congressional Record Clerk.—William A. Smith, District of Columbia. Superintendent of Printing.—Henry W. Weber, Indiana. Assistant Superintendent of Printing.—James H. Heslet, Kansas. Foreman Linotype Section.—William D. Skeen, Pennsylvania. Foreman Monotype Section.—Harry L. Murray, Pennsylvania Foreman Proof Section.—Marion E. Bullock, Maryland. Foreman Hand Section.—Hugh Reid, Wisconsin. Foreman Job Section.—Allan C. Clough, New Hampshire. Foreman Library Printing Branch.—John L. GetmaN, New York. Chief Type Machinist.—Daniel L. Liddle, Michigan.

Superintendent of Binding.—Martin R. Speelman, Missouri. Assistant Superintendent of Binding.—John A. Patterson, New York. Foreman Pamphlet Binding Section.—James F. Fitzpatrick, New York. Foreman Ruling and Sewing Section.—Charles Meier, Pennsylvania. Foreman Library Binding Branch.—Charles F. Weston, Massachusetts. Superintendent of Presswork.—Bert E. Bair, Michigan. Assistant Superintendent of Presswork.—Daniel Beckwith, New Hampshire Foreman Main Pressroom.—Daniel I. Leane, New York. Foreman Job Pressroom.—James E. Veatch, New York. Foreman Postal Card Section.—Josevb. A. Fenton, Michigan. Foreman Money Order Section.—John A. Massey, Jr., Georgia. Superintendent of Platemaking.—Edward G. Whall, Massachusetts. Assistant Superintendent of Platemaking.—Edward A. Kerr, Massachusetts. Foreman Molding Section.—James H. Babcock, Jr., Rhode Island. Foreman Photo-engraving Section.—William H. Meyer, Maryland.

Night Assistant Production Manager.—Bdward A. HUSE, Massachusetts. Assistant Superintendent Presswork, night.—Jobn D. Meyers, Ohio. Foreman Monotype Section, night.—William A. Morris, Missouri. Foreman Linotype Section, night.—Edward M. Nevils, Tennessee. Foreman Proof Section, night.—Hermann B. Barnhart, Indiana. Assistant Foreman Job Section, night.—JouN A. Skeen, Oklahoma.

Assistant Foreman Hand Section, night.—Qeorge O. Atkinson, Massachusetts. Assistant Foreman Molding and Finishing, night.—H. C. Groth, Pennsylvania. Assistant Foreman Pamphlet Binding, night.—Charles C. Covert, New York. Superintendent of Buildings.—Alfred E. Hanson, Massachusetts. Chief Draftsman.—Henry A. LUDWIG, Maryland. Chief Carpenter.—Abraam B. Batton, Maryland. Chief Machinist.—MicnAEL J. McInerney, New York. Chief Electrician.—Edward H. Brian, District of Columbia. Chief Engineer.—Walter A. Browne, New Hampshire. Chief Pipefitter.—OvTLVP H. George, New York. Foreman Sanitary Section.—Josefs L. May, Virginia. Chief of Delivery.—Walter G. Copp, District of Columbia. Captain of Guards.—Cuarles H. Warner, District of Columbia II
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PUBLIC PRINTER

Government Printing Office,

Office of the Public Printer,

Washington, D. C, December 31, 192^.

To the Congress of the United States: In submitting the report of the Public Printer for the fiscal year

ended June 30, 1924, it seems fitting to make a comparison of the

operation of the Government Printing Office imder the four years

(1921-1924) of the present administration with the last four years

(1917-1920) of the preceding administration. The comparison shows

that the cost of printing and binding executed by the Public

Printer durmg the four years (1921-1924) has decreased $2,873,683

from the expenditures for that purpose in the four years 1917-1920, an average decrease of more than $700,000 per annum. The total cost of work done by the Government Printing Office during the

four years 1921-1924 was $42,849,909, as compared with $45,723,592

for the four years 1917-1920.

Not only was a substantial economy effected in the expenditures

for printing and binding, but the Treasury of the United States was

also benefited by the large unexpended balances credited to the

savings of the Government Printing Office during the four years of the

present administration. The unexpended balances for the four years

1921-1924 amounted to $4,650,218.45, which were turned back into the

pubHc funds out of the total available resources of $50,321,621.44.

For the last four years (1917-1920) of the preceding administration

the reported unexpended balances were $2,900,164.35 out of resources

totaling $51,455,078.39. Although the preceding administration had

available resources amounting to $1,133,356.95 more than were credited

to the present administration, its savings in appropriations were

$1,750,054.10 less than for the four years 1921-1924.

saving of $5,734,075 IN 4-YEAR PERIOD

In addition to the credit of $4,650,218.45 as unexpended balances

for the four years 1921-1924, the Public Printer deposited $1,083,-

857.31 in the Treasury during the same period as miscellaneous

receipts from the sale of waste paper, useless equipment, and surplus

Government pubhcations. Thus the Treasury of the United States

has been aided to the extent of $5,734,075.76 by the economical

management of the Government Printing Office during the last four

years. This sum would not build a battleship, but it is far more

than sufficient to erect a much-needed new building for the Government Printing Office, which, hj increasing efficiency of operation,

would repay for the investment in a reasonable time.

During the four years 1921-1924 the Government Printing Office

has been operated with an average of 559 fewer employees per year

1
2 Annual Report of the Public Printer

than were on the rolls during the last four years of the preceding

administration (1917-1920). The average number of employees for

the four years 1921-1924 was 4,201, as compared with 4,760 for the

four years 1917-1920. In October, 1919, nearly a year after the war,

the 'Government Printing Office still had 5,204 employees. The

force was reduced to the low mark of 3,871 employees on June 2,

1923, and on July 1, 1924, the number of employees totaled 4,098.

The 559 more employees for each year of the four-year period

1917-1920 would equal the product of 2,236 employees for one year, or more than half of the entire force now employed in the Government

Printing Office. Furthermore, the greater force employed during

the four years "(1917-1920) worked a vast amount of overtime,

especially during the war period when the office had two regular 9

to 10 hour shifts most of the time.

Notwithstanding the much greater number of employees and the

longer hours of work during the four years 1917-1920, their output

does not compare favorably with the production records made in

the four years 1921-1924. For instance, in the four years 1921-1924

the office printed 287,444,631 more blanks, cards, letterheads, and

small jobs than were printed by the larger force of the preceding

four years. The number of type pages also increased during the

last four years by 646,453 pages over the preceding four years. The increase in number of postal cards alone was 1,509,521,692

during the four years 1921-1924, and the increase in money orders for

the same period was 694,548 books, or 138,909,600 forms.

HIGHER EFFICIENCY OF MACHINE OPERATORS

While the amount of type set by the larger emergency force employed during the war period was considerably in excess of the

output of machine composition during the last four years, the average

production per operator was higher during the 1921-1924 period than

from 1917 to 1920. The average for linotype operators was 107 more ems per hour and the average for monotype keyboard operators was 203 more ems per hour the last four years than during the 1917-

1920 period.

The hand section of the printing division showed a remarkable

increase in work during the four years 1921-1924, with a total of 93,-

212,400 ems, or nearly a third more than were credited to hand composition in the four years 1917-1920. The increase does not, however,

mean that a greater quantity of type was set by hand, but simply

indicates more cooperation by the hand section in handling the type

of the office. The better production of the last four years was accompanied by

even more gratifying economies in the expenditures for prmting and

binding. The cost of printing annual reports was reduced from

$360,436.65 for 1920 to $191,197.85 for 1923 and approximately the same amount for 1924. The cost of printing the annual reports of the Public Printer for the four years 1917-1920 was $22,162, as compared with a total of only $1,839 for the four years 1921-1924.

Another item of substantial economy was in the cost of author's

alterations, which was reduced from $240,058.30 for 1920 to $165,-

816.67 for 1924. The requisitions review board, which was organized

by the present Pubfic Printer in 1921, has also taken an active part
Annual Report of the Public Printer 3

in effecting actual economies in printing and binding to the extent

of $222,938.33 for the three years without any impairment of the

service.

SHOP WASTES REDUCED TO MINIMUM

A persistent effort has been made during the last four years to prevent wasteful methods of production and put an end to numerous

extravagant operations or practices that had added greatly to the

cost of printing and binding. According to a careful study of the

work by the production manager, who is chairman of the committee

on prevention of shop wastes, the savings that have been put into

effect by the various work divisions amount to approximately $184,-

000 annually. The savings are shown in detail in the accompanying

report of the production Qianager. An additional saving of $61,329.90 was made during the year by the remelting of old plates as authorized by the various departments and the Joint Committee on

Printing. By this means 627,801 pounds of metal were released for

fiu"ther use of the typesetting machines and plate-making division.

The progress of the ofiice as a business establishment is further

reflected by the tremendous growth in the sale of Government

publications, which of itself has effected a saving of public funds

formerly wasted by extravagant free distribution. The receipts from

the sale of Government publications in the last four years amounted

to $1,461,326.88, which was an increase of $545,017.29 over the

preceding four-year period. Orders for publications increased from

796,270 in the four years 1917-1920 to 1,253,235 for the last four

years. In all, 25,928,834 copies were sold during the four years

1921-1924, an increase of 1,592,617 copies over the preceding

four ^^'iars. The great growth in the sale of Government publications has fully

demonstrated the practicality and success of this imderta'king and

prompts a renewal of the recommendation made in the Public Printer's

report for 1923 that wasteful free distribution be discontinued

and that substantially all Government publications be placed on

a sales basis. As pointed out in the report for last year, fully

25,000,000 copies of publications have been wasted in free distribution by Congress and the departments in 10 years at a loss of not less than $600,000 per annum. It is respectfully suggested that Congress

could set an excellent example by ending the free distribution of the motley array of publications, other than the Congressional Record

and Directory, that are now allotted to all Members alike without

regard to the interests of their respective States or districts. At the last session Congress enacted into law the Public Printer's

recommendation for authority to sell to the public copies of all approved Government blank forms. This law has already saved

several thousand dollars in the cost of forms, such as immigration

manifest forms, heretofore furnished free of charge by the various

departments. Of immigration manifest forms alone 282,357 copies

have been sold since the law became effective on July 1, 1924.

IMPKOVED MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT

To continue the comparison of the preceding and present administrations of this office, more and better equipment and machinery

have been added to the plant in the last four years than during the
4 Annual Report of the Public Printer

entire eight years of the preceding administration. This is especially true as to labor-saving devices such as automatic feeders, improved

cutting, folding, and sewing machines, more efficient monotype

keyboards, and 24 of the latest model of linotype machines.

The workrooms, especially in the bindery, have been rearranged

so as to handle the product from one operation to the next with the

least possible lost motion. In the orderly and systematic progress

of a job from type to bound book the Government Printing Office

now compares favorably with the enviable standard set by the great

Ford automobile plant. As to the details of these improvements,

attention is invited to the accompanying reports of the principal

officers. It has been said that the buildings of the Government Printing

Office have been so completely altered during the last four years that

only the walls remain to tell the tale of the preceding years. That

is almost literally true, and even the walls of the main building were

heightened to form a top story for the cafeteria, Harding Hall, the

new photo-engraving plant, and the school of apprentices. In all, more than 65,000 square feet of much-needed floor space have been

.added to the building.

Aside from converting an unused attic into the eighth floor of the

main building, the most important alteration was the dismantling of the old power plant, the construction of a tunnel 2,750 feet in length

to connect at the Senate Office Building with the Capitol power plant

tunnel, and the installation of entirely new equipment to obtain heat,

light, and power from the central plant which supplies the Capitol and

a number of other large Government buildings.

The greater part of the old power plant has been converted into a paper warehouse, which, with the construction of a second floor over

the old boiler room and part of the engine house, has added 20,000

square feet of storage space. Even the 200-foot brick chimney that

had been a landmark for many years was razed during the year to make way for these improvements.

The power-plant changes and consolidation with the Capitol plant

have effected an economy of approximately $20,000 annually in the

cost of heat, light, and power for the Government Printing Office. There wifl be an annual saving of more than 400,000,000 gaUons of

filtered water, which was formerly obtained from the city mains. The

hauling of 15,000 tons of coal annually from the Government fuel yards to this office has also come to an end.

URGENT NEED FOR NEW BUILDING

Notwithstanding all these improvements, there still exists the constant fire menace of the old building and the increasing need for additional and safe housing for the immense stores of paper and materials

costing more than $2,000,000 and the invaluable stock of pubhcations

for which the building occupied by the Superintendent of Documents

is utterly inadequate. The need of replacing the old building with

a suitable fireproof structure, not only for the protection of the entire

plant but also to provide adequate space for the efficient operation

of the printing office and the office of the Superintendent of Documents, is so urgent that it ought to receive the immediate attention

of Congress. The PubHc Printer has called attention to this serious
Annvjol Report of the Public Printer 5

situation in his annual reports for 1922 and 1923, and again urges that

Congress no longer delay in safeguarding this establishment which

is so essential to the work of Congress itself. As a preliminary step toward replacing the old building, the

Pubhc Printer asked and obtained authority from Congress at the

last session to close the pubhc alleyway between the main and old

buildings. With this additional space, there is no need to purchase

additional land for the erection of any new buildings for the Government Printing Office. The alleyway and the ground now occupied

by the old buildings ought to afford sufficient space for the requirements of this office for many years to come, unless it shall be deemed

advisable to construct a warehouse near trackage, which now is unfortunately at a considerable distance from the office. All of the changes and improvements in the plant have hel]3ed

make possible the mcreased production of the year, notwithstanding

the serious labor turnover which has handicapped the office. With

a- reduced force and newer personnel, particularly in the printing

division, the office pushed forward in numerous branches of its work. The typesettmg sections, machine and hand, showed an

increase of 81,000,000 ems, or 4 per cent more than were set in the

preceding year. The apprentices alone set 6,136,100 ems of type

in 5 months. The number of pages of type increased 11,808 over the

preceding year.BINDERY WORK SHOWS GOOD INCREASE

The bound publications increased to the extent of 165,897 copies.

Sheets folded by machine increased 33,655,507. The bindery also

made 329,288 more cases (covers for books), 284,424 more tablets,

stitched 3,630,249 more copies, and perforated 639,460 more sheets

than in the preceding year. The photo-engraving section, which was installed in 1922, also got into its stride with an increase of 492,592 square inches in

completed product for the year. This section now has four cameras and is the largest and best-equipped photo-engraving plant in Washington. It turns out more than 1,100 line cuts weekly for the Patent

Gazette alone, besides producing all the cuts and halftones used

by this office. The work is superior to that heretofore obtained

by contract, and the better service rendered is of great aid in expediting

many publications.

More money-order forms were printed during the year ended

June 30, 1924, than in any one year since the Government Printing

Office took over this work 17 years ago. The number of forms

printed was 189,692,000, an increase of 8,210,800 over the preceding

year. Notwithstanding the immense growth of the money-order

business for the fiscal year 1924, the printing of these forms in the

six months since July 1 increased 23,576,000 or 243/2 per cent over the

record for the first six months of the preceding year. The output for

December of this year exceeded that of December last year by 84

per cent. The demand for money orders has always been considered by this

office as one of the best and surest barometers of business conditions

throughout the country. The record-breaking output of money

orders, therefore, shows that the country is safely on the way to
6 Annual Report of the Public Printer

general prosperity and it is significant that this assurance has been

redoubled by the remarkable increase in money-order requirements

since last November.

RECORD-BREAKING OUTPUT OF POSTAL CARDS

Another big job undertaken for the Post Office Department was the

printing of 1,253,073,180 postal cards in the fiscal year 1924. This was an increase of 72,082,180 cards over the preceding year and

marks the largest output for any single year except in 1921, when

a total of 1,272,345,782 postal cards was printed. Two big web

presses are kept running from 8 to 16 hours every working day to turn out such an enormous quantity of postal cards at the rate of

8,500 cards printed, cut, and counted in packs of 50 each every

minute of the day. The requirements for postal cards are increasing

so rapidly that it has been necessary to order three new presses for

this work.

Among other large orders executed for the Post Office Department

during the year were 322,944,000 money-order application forms,

181,151,000 registered, insured, and C. O. D. mail notices, 30,000,000

registry receipt cards, 34,000,000 return receipt cards, 80,000,000

special delivery receipts, 21,959,000 change of address slips, 5,000,000

remittance letters, and 10,000,000 folders. These jobs kept a large

number of presses busy throughout the entire year. PRINTING OF 40,240,000 BONUS FORMS

A task of special urgency and importance was the printing of 40,240,000 forms required to put the soldiers' adjusted compensation act into operation as soon as possible after it became a

law. The order from the War Department included the printing

of 15,000,000 application blanks, 15,000,000 instruction sheets,

5,500,000 double post cards, and 4,500,000 certificates, requiring in

all 14 carloads of paper. Complying with the schedule set by The

Adjutant General of the Army, 50 per cent of the forms were printed,

wrapped, and mailed from this office in 10 days and the remainder of

the order was completed in 30 days. The work cost $82,682.54, but

a saving of $25,396.37 was effected in the use of paper stock as recom- mended by this office. The following letter to the Public Printer from The Adjutant General of the Army, Maj. Gen. Robert C. Davis, tells, under date of June 28, 1924, how the bonus printing emergency was successfully met

by the Government Printing Office:

I desire to express my appreciation of the cooperation extended by the per- sonnel of the Government Printing Office to the personnel of my office in the shipment of blanks pertaining to the bonus which was completed according to schedule on Friday, 27th instant. In all over 10,000,090 each of the application blanks, instructions, and return envelopes were shipped to the four corners of the country and to foreign agencies.

The fact that the program of the War Department was carried out as planned

is ^ matter of great satisfaction to all concerned.

It was not an ordinary job. It was unusual because of the mass of physical labor involved, the large*^ quantity of material to be handled, and the time limit

set for accomplishment of the shipment.

In every way you, personally, and all of your personnel concerned demonstrated the high state of efficiency of your plant by its cooperation in cheerfully

,

willingly, and satisfactorily printing, assembling, and wrapping the material for shipment.
Annital Report of the Public Printer 7

For the Department of Agriculture, 9,838,027 Farmers' Bulletins were printed during the year, four-fifths of which were distributed by

Members of Congress to their respective constituents.

The Civil Service Commission had 3,043,000 examination announce- ments printed to arouse interest in Government jobs. The Department of Labor ordered 1,000,000 immigration identification cards

and 600,000 ship manifests as an indication that the tide of immigration is still flowing toward American shores. The Veterans'

Bureau had 2,000,000 premium receipts printed to show that its insurance department is still functioning.

CONGRESS KEPT THE PRESSES HUMMING

Congress was not backward with its printing requirements, either.

The printing of the Record and Journal for both Houses exceeded

aD former volumes of annual oratory with a total of 19,475 pages.

If these pages were converted into ordinary newspaper form they

would furnish copy for the publication of a 10-page newspaper of

solid reading matter for 300 days. To keep the wheels of legislation

grinding, 17,547 bills were printed during the year, one of these bills alone making a volume of 400 pages.

The printing of committee hearings in the fiscal year 1924 cost $226,530.24 for the 52,619 pages of testimony on one subject or another which congressional investigators had preserved in the

archives of the Capitol. The hearings on the investigation of Attorney General Daugherty made 3,418 printed pages and cost 812,605.44 for the thousand^ copies ordered. The Tea Pot Dome

hearings, entitled '^Leases upon naval oil reserves," filled 3,579 pages

and cost 814,181.26 for the printing of 1,700 copies.

To help raise funds for all this printing, the Treasury Department

ordered 94,129,000 income tax blanks, the usual annual quota, and,

to encourage the taxpayers to be thrifty, the Secretary of the Treasury

had 16,882,000 savings leaflets printed for distribution last year. This oflace adopted the thrift idea in a saving of $13,613.30 by using

cheaper paper for the income tax blanks.

Along with these orders came requisitions from the Department

of Commerce for 3,750,000 birth and death certificates. All of which

demonstrates the fact that the Government Printing Office is ready

to meet any emergency from the cradle to the grave, not overlooking

the needs of the tax collector en route. BLANK PAPER SUPPLIED BY PUBLIC PRINTER

By the act of June 7, 1924 (Public, 225), the Public Printer was

given the additional duty of purchasing and supplying paper and

envelopes, except envelopes printed in the course of manufacture, for

the common use of two or more departments, establishments, or

services of the Government in the District of Columbia. Congress

thus consolidated practically all of the blank-paper business of the

Government under the supervision of the Public Printer. Heretofore

this office has handled only the paper required in its work of printing

and binding and blank paper purchased by Members of Congress.

The supply of departmental blank paper will add approximately

5,000,000 pounds to the 40,000,000 pounds of paper purchased

20818—25t 2
8 Annual Report of the Public Printer

annually by this office and will greatly increase the work of cutting

and packing blank stock for the various departments.

As soon as the new plan is fully in operation there undoubtedly will be a substantial saving and better service through the consolidation

of paper and envelope purchases, standardization, tests, and inspection. Already a good showing has been made in the savings that

have come from the larger quantity purchased at lower prices.

The undertaking has resulted in the establishment of a single set

of standards for all Government paper and has assured that dehveries

will be thoroughly and impartially tested so as to make certain that

the contractor has furnished material conforming to his agreement

and the Government specifications.

The centralization of paper purchased under the Government

Printing Office was proposed by the permanent conference on printing, recommended in the Annual Report of the Public Printer for

1923, and promptly approved by Congress.

STANDARDIZATION AND GRADING OF PAPER

In furtherance of the Public Printer's proposal to aid the printing

industry in the standardization and grading of paper for commerci^

use, a cooperative investigation of mill brands of paper was undertaken by the testing section of the Government Printing Office and

the United Typothetse of America. Paper manufacturers have

been especially helpful in this work and have generously furnished

samples of their product for the thousands of tests made by experts

in the Government Printing Office laboratory.

As an immediate result of this investigational work a number of changes were made in the Government paper specifications as fixed

upon by the Joint Committee on Printing for the coming ^gslt so that

the Government standards will conform more nearly to suitable trade

grades of paper.

A tentative plan for the grading of bond and ledger papers according to definite specifications was also prepared and submitted by the

Public Printer and chief of tests to the annual convention of the

United Typothetse of America in Chicago last October. The plan met

with general approval. The convention of the foremost employing

printers of the United States and Canada adopted the following

resolution in support of the standardization and testing work of the

Government Printing Office and invited the Public Printer to act

as a member of its standardization committee:

Whereas the United Typothetse of America has declared itself in favor of the standardization and simplification of sizes, weights, and grades of paper, the

chief raw material of the printshop; and

Whereas we have labored constantly to achieve our ends (a) by offering and

inspiring cooperation with related associations of paper consumers; (6) by joining

in the cooperation of paper manufacturers, distributors, and users as brought

together by the Bureau of Standards, particularly for the development and

adoption of a set of standards for size; (c) by accepting the generous and constructive offer of assistance and leadership from the Public Printer, Hon. George H. Carter; (d) by conferences with the paper manufacturers and merchants in which we were able to explain the urgency of our need in this direction and to secure cooperation; and

Whereas the technical background necessary for the establishing of a set of standard grades in certain types of paper, notably bonds and ledgers, has been

suggested by the work of the experts of both the Public Printer's staff and our own: Therefore, be it
Annual Report of the Public Printer 9

Resolved, That we hereby instruct our committee on standardization and the

general headquarters staff to issue at tlie earliest possible date the actual specifi- cations for the grades of each of the classes of paper. We recommend, under

the direction of this committee, that ample opportunity^, without the possibility

of causing undue delay, be allowed to manufacturers, distributors, converters, and consumers of paper, to show where, if at all, our standards would do injustice

and to suggest modifications. DETECTION OF WHISKY PERMIT FRAUDS

An odd angle of the work of the paper-testing laboratory was its cooperation with the Bureau of Internal Revenue in the detection of counterfeit whisky-withdrawal permits. Material assistance was

rendered in the conviction of several violators of the Federal prohibition law. The Government Printing Office was consulted in

these cases on account of having printed the whisky-withdrawal

permits several years ago. In preparing for the trial of the Government's case against the distillery of A. Guckenheimer Bros. Co. and 13 individual defendants charged with the illegal withdrawal of

vast quantities of whisky from bonded warehouses near Pittsburgh

by the use of counterfeit and forged permits, representatives of the

Department of Justice and the Bureau of Internal Eevenue appealed

to the Public Printer for assistance in identifying the fraudulent

permits.

More than 300 suspected permits, which constituted the material

evidence in the case, were carefully examined by printing experts and

most of them were found to be counterfeits of the genuine permits as formerly printed by this office. However, a number of the permits

had been so cleverly reproduced by photo-engraving process as to defy detection by any ordinary examination. In fact, the defendants

strenuously contended that many of the permits were genuine and

had been issued to them by Government officials. There seemed to be no way of proving these permits to be counterfeit until the Public Printer suggested that a test be made of the paper on which the permits were printed. The records of the Government

Printing Office showed that the genuine permits had been printed on

50 per cent rag paper with the Government watermark running lengthwise of the sheet. The suspected permits were printed on paper

which also had the special watermark reading ^'internal Revenue

Prohibition." When the Chief of Tests of the Government Printing

Office made a laboratory examination of the fraudulent permits, he

found that they were printed on paper varying from an all-wood

pulp to 95 per cent rag content. None of the sheets contained 50

per cent rag stock as used in the Government paper for the printing

of the genuine permits. Furthermore, the manufacturer of the paper

for the fraudulent permits had placed the Government watermark

across the machine direction instead of lengthwise of the sheet as in

the Government paper.

Pointing out these vital defects in the paper on which the fraudulent permits were printed aided the Government to obtaia the conviction at Pittsburgh of seven men who were charged with one of

the biggest whisky frauds ever prosecuted under the Federal prohibition law.
10 Annual Report of the Public Printer

PRINTING OFFICE EXPERTS THANKED

Assistant Attorney General Mrs. Mabel Walker Willebrandt per- sonally congratulated the representatives of the Government Printing

Office for their invaluable work in detecting and identifying the

counterfeit permits, and Mr. R,. A. Haynes, United States Prohibition

Commissioner, sent the following letter of appreciation to the Public

Printer under date of September 22, 1924:

I wish to thank you for the valuable service rendered by Mr. E. O. Reed,

chemist, and Mr. Charles E. Pyle, printer, in connection with the trial of the

case of A. Guckenheimer Bros. Co. et al. at Pittsburgh, Pa., during May, 1924. The excellent work done by these two men contributed greatly to the successful

results obtained by the Government.

Besides these unusual undertakings in cooperation with other

branches of the Government service and the printing industry of the

United States, the testing section, which was established by the Public

Printer in 1922, has proved of inestimable value in the efficient and

successful operation of the Government Printing Office. Attention

is especially invited to the detailed report of the chief of tests which

The work of the testing section has attracted widespread attention on the part of the printing industry, not only in the United

States but in other countries as well. A number of the large trade

organizations, such as the United Typothetse of America, the Employing Bookbinders of America, the International Association of

Electrotypers of America, and the American Photo-Engravers Association, and many prominent purchasers of printing products have

become interested in the endeavor of the Government Printing

Office laboratory to work out in a practical way technical problems

of the industry, especially as to the standardizing and testing of

printing materials.

It is the belief and policy of this office that the results of its research

work which may prove of value through practical operation should

be made available to the entire printing industry. That industry is as much entitled to such assistance from the Government Printing

Office as commercial and labor interests have long received from

various other branches of the Government service.

The financial affairs of the office have been handled in an efficient manner through the new division of accounts which the Public

Printer organized three years ago by uniting the old accounts, cost- keeping, and time-recording sections. This division now handles

all the accounting work of the office aside from that which properly comes under the supervision of the purchasing agent and the dis- bursing clerk. It is worthy of note that, through the cooperation of the superintendent of accounts, the purchasing agent, and the dis- bursing clerk, the accounts of the office have been so carefully kept

that no disallowances whatever have been taken by the Treasury on any payments for purchases covering 7,358 items which were

carried on 4,690 vouchers for the year ended June 30, 1924.

In addition, the pay rolls totaling $7,126,770.70 for 4,100 employees were so accurately computed that these accounts also passed the

Treasury with disallowances of but 76 cents, which were subsequently

FINANCIAL AFFAIRS ARE WELL HANDLED
Annual Report of the Public Printer 11

covered by proper payments. This is a fine record, especially in

view of the complicated pay rolls of the Government Printing Office

employees and the multiplicity of their rates. In some cases as many

as seven different pay rates have to be computed to determine the

compensation of one employee for a single pay period of two weeks.

The accounts division has handled its rapidly increasing volume of

business, including the great amount of clerical work due to the

personnel classification act and the recent wage adjustments under

the Kiess Act, with 10 fewer employees on its roll than in 1921.

The average number working in the division in 1924 was 72. The

total expenditures of the accounts division in 1921 amounted to $133,721, and in 1924, $123,631.

SUCCESS OF NEW FINANCIAL PLAN

The new financial plan which Congress adopted on recommendation of the Public Printer two years ago has worked out very satis- factorily. By this plan appropriations for printing and binding are made direct to the departments, and the Public Printer is paid for

his product the same as if he were a private contractor, except that

his charges are determined by the cost of the job.

Formerly the entire appropriation for printing and binding was made to the Government Printing Office and then allotted by Congress to the various departments, under which system all of the appropriation was made available to the Public Printer at the beginning

of a fiscal year. By the new plan the Public Printer starts the fiscal year with a working capital of approximately $2,000,000 provided

by Congress, against which fund must be charged all the work done

for Congress itself. All other resources of the Public Printer must

come from the departments having appropriations available for printing and binding. With this control of their own printing funds the

departments take more interest in their expenditures and undoubtedly greater economy has resulted than under the old allotment

plan.

The new system, however, has put an additional burden on the

Government Printing Office in the collection of accounts from the

various departments. On the whole, payments have been made

promptly, all bills outstanding on June 30, 1924, having been col- lected except $146.25 due on orders executed for the Department

of Justice and Members of Congress.

A good record was made by the jjurchase division, which has

21 employees on its roll—5 less than in 1921. Purchase orders to the number of 5,779 were drawn by the division during the year. Aside from the regular contract items, 2,787 open-market purchases were negotiated, requiring the preparation oi 18,000 requests for

proposals.

The purchase division maintains a complete card record of all the

property of the Government Printing Office, including machinery,

eqmpment, paper, materials, and supplies. These cards number

more than 15,000 and constitute an up-to-date and perpetual inventory of every item of property in the possession of the Public Printer.

To keep the property-record cards correctly posted last year required

the entry of 30,968 storekeeper's orders for materials and supplies

and 61,370 storekeeper's orders for paper.
12 Annual Report of the Public Printer

LABOR TURNOVER KEPT CHIEF CLERK BUSY

The chief clerk's oflGice, which also acts as the appointment division

for the entire plant, has had an exceedingly busy year in handling

the unusually large labor turnover, amounting to approximately

31 per cent. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1924, there were 489 separations from the service of the Government Printing oflS.ce, 283 of

which were due to resignations, 103 to reductions offeree and physical

disability, 56 to retirements, 25 to deaths, and 23 to removals for cause. The appointments numbered 714, of which 83 were reinstatements and 35 transfers from other departments. The separations in the preceding year, 1923, numbered 681 and appointments 449, the

large number of separations in that year being due to a necessary

reduction of the bindery force. The large labor turnover since July 1, 1923, has been due chiefly to the difl&culty of getting and retaining printers at the then existing

scale of wages as fixed hj law. From July 1, 1923, to December 24,

1924, the Government Printing OflB.ce lost 285 out of a total of 1,424

printer employees. The situation became so serious that in September, 1924, the Public Printer issued 20,000 posters calling for additional printers for the Government Printing Office. With the generous

assistance of the Post Ofl&ce Department these posters were displayed

in every first, second, and third class post oflB.ce in the United States. The Civil Service Commission also mailed out several thousand

posters to libraries, schools, and labor organizations throughout the

country. Several hundred copies were distributed by the Veterans'

Bureau and the Employment Service of the Department of Labor.

In response to the advertisement for printers the Public Printer

received more than 1,000 letters from various parts of the United

States. Of this number 715 came from printers, including 383 linotype operators, 27 monotype keyboard operators, and 267 compositors. The net result of the campaign to date has been the

appointment of 73 compositors, 64 linotype operators, and 11 monotype keyboard operators, making in all 148 additional printers who

were obtained by this means. The response has been very gratifying and has made it possible

for the ofl&ce to reduce the amount of copy on hand to be set, which

reached the record-breaking total of 95,368 folios in July, to a normal

supply by the time Congress convened, and thus cleared the way for

handling the usual flood of congressional work.

OPERATION OF THE RETIREMENT LAW

The retirement law brought about the retirement of 56 employees

during the year ended June 30, 1924, 48 of these retirements being on account of age and 8 for disability. In the five years since the

retirement law became effective on August 20, 1920, 522 employees

have been retired, 447 on account of age and 75 for disability. Of

the retirements for age, 348 had reached 65 years, the retirement age

for skilled workers, and 99 were 70 years old, the limit for the clerical and nonskilled classes. Included in the retirements were 214

printers, 47 bookbinders, and 14 pressmen.
Annual Report of the Public Printer 13

Extensions were granted during the five years to 312 employees of

retirement age whose physical condition and special qualifications

justified their retention in the service. Of this number 190 have

since retired, leaving 122 employees who are now carried on extension

of time.

In view of the experiences of this ofiice under the present retirement

law, Congress is again urged to enact amendatory legislation that

will provide an adequate annuity for employees who have faithfully

served the Government the best part of their lives and have reached

the age when they ought to make way for more active and eflS.cient workers. Inasmuch as the employees themselves are ready and

willing to provide sufficient funds by deductions from their wages for

the payment of an adequate annuity, it would seem that Congress

should do no less than approve such a meritorious proposition.

WAGE LEGISLATION AND NEGOTIATIONS

Wage legislation and negotiations have occupied much of the

time of the Public Printer during the past year and up to the moment

of writing this report. Near the close of the last session of Congress

a law (Public, No. 276, approved June 7, 1924) was enacted authorizing the Public Printer to regulate and fix rates of pay for employees

and officers of the Government Printing Office under certain conditions as to negotiation with the trades affected and right of appeal

to the Joint Committee on Printing for final decision.

The new wage law, known as the Eaess Act, accords with recom- mendations made by the Public Printer in his annual report for

1923. The bill was passed without a dissenting vote in either House,

notwithstanding strenuous opposition by certam representatives of a

local trade organization, whose attitude did not, however, express

the views of the large majority of the employees of the Government

Printing Office. Much credit is due to the Senate and House Printing Committees

for the success of their endeavor to end the ancient practice of Congress to fix the pay of printers, pressmen, and bookbinders at long

and irregular intervals, and to establish instead the modern plan of

collective wage bargaining for the various trades employed in the

Government Printing Office. The Kiess Act is the first formal recognition by Congress of the

right of collective wage bargaining and arbitration with Government

employees. The law establishes also the principle of a minimum wage

for certain trades. The Act may therefore be deemed a landmark

in labor legislation. It was approved by the President on June 7, 1924, the last day of the first session of the Sixty-eighth Congress.

The law reads as follows

PUBLIC NO. 276—68TH CONGRESS

An Act To regulate and fix rates of pay for employees and officers of the

Government Printing Office. Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That on and after July 1, 1924, the Public Printer may employ, at such rates of wages and salaries, including compensation for night and overtime work, as he may deem for the interest of the Government

and just to the persons employed, except as otherwise provided herein, such
14 Annual Report of the Public Printer

journeymen, apprentices, laborers, and other persons as may be necessary for the work of the Government Printing Office; but he shall not, at any time,

employ more persons than the necessities of the public work may require or more than two hundred apprentices at any one time: Provided, That on and

after July 1, 1924, the minimum pay of all journeymen printers, pressmen, and

bookbinders employed in the Government Printing Office shall be at the rate of 90 cents an hour for the time actually employed: Provided further, That except

as hereinbefore provided, the rates of wages, including compensation for night

and overtime work, for more than ten employees of the same occupation shall be determined by a conference between the Public Printer and a committee

selected by the trades affected, and the rates and compensation so agreed upon

shall become effective upon approval by the Joint Committee on Printing; if the Public Printer and the committee representing any trade fail to agree as to wages, salaries, and compensation either party is hereby granted the right of appeal to the Joint Committee on Printing, and the decision of said committee

shall be final; the wages, salaries, and compensation determined as provided

herein shall not be subject to change oftener than once a year thereafter: Provided further, That employees and officers of the Government Printing Office, unless otherwise herein fixed, shall continue to be paid at the rates of wages,

salaries, and compensation (including night rate) now authorized by law until such time as their wages, salaries, and compensation shall be determined as hereinbefore provided. Sec. 2. All Acts or parts of Acts in conflict with the provisions of this Act

are hereby repealed.

Promptly after the Kiess Act became effective the Pubhc Printer

began wage negotiations with the various trades affected. Many

conferences and long discussions were necessary to complete the

various negotiations, all of which have now reached a successful conclusion. It is esp^ecially pleasing to report that there were only two

appeals to the Joint Committee on Printing. In one instance, that

of the printers, a satisfactory agreement was subsequently reached.

As to the other appeal, that of the bindery operatives, the Joint

Committee on Printing held that the Public Printer had the right to

fix their rates of pay without review by the Joint Committee inasmuch as bindery operatives do not constitute a regular trade within

the meaning of the Kiess Act. Every wage agreement presented to the Joint Committee received its prompt and unanimous approval.

EMPLOYEES EXPEESS THANKS TO PUBLIC PRINTER

That the wage agreements were generally satisfactory to the employees of the Government Printing Office is indicated in the following resolutions which were unanimously adopted and presented to the Public Printer at a mass meeting of more than 3,000 employees

held in Harding Hall on the afternoon of December 31, 1924:

Resolved, That we, the employees of the Government Printing Office, hereby

extend to the Public Printer, Hon. George H. Carter, our felicitations and best wishes for the new year;

Resolved further. That in meeting assembled we hereby desire to express our

appreciation and thanks for the increase in compensation accomplished by the

termination of the wage adjustments, which result was made possible by the

spirit of fairness in which the Public Printer met the committees of the various groups concerned;

Resolved further, That we are not unmindful of the interest shown by the

Public Printer in the welfare of the employees of the office, as is evidenced by

the establishment of a cafeteria and recreation hall, and the general betterment

of working conditions, the office being now conducted under unexcelled sanitary

and healthful regulations;

Resolved further, That these resolutions be suitably engrossed and presented

to the Public Printer, and copies thereof be transmitted to the Joint Committee

on Printing and the press.
Annual Report of the Public Printer 15

The magnitude of the work involved in the necessary readjustment

of the pay of approximately 3,800 employees may be seen from the

following statement of the old and new rates of pay for the principal groups in the Government Printing Office whose wages were

considered under the act of June 7, 1924:

Rates of 'pay for prindpal groups of employees

[Where x appears it represents $240 annual bonus or 09.6 cents per hour additional to stated rate]

Designation

Rates per hour

June 3( 1924 July 1, 1924 (per Kiess Act)

As finally- adjusted by the Public

Printer

Compositor

Linot3T)e operator and monotype-keyboard operator. Proof reader Maker-up

Jacket writer and estimator Bookbinder machine operator Bookbinder

Electrot\T)er and stereotyper.. .-. Photo-engraver. Platen pressman. _ CyUnder pressman

Platen press feeder Cylinder press feeder Monotype casterman

Carpenter

Painter.-

$0. 75 X

.75 X

.75 X

.75 X

.90 X

.75 X

.75 X

.90 X

1.00 X

. 75 X

.75 X

.45 X

.50 X

.50 X

.85 X

Electrican Machinist

Pipefitter Bindery operative. Laborer

.35

80 X

X-. 75 X

.35 X

iO. 90 .90

.90 .90 .90 X

.90

.90 .90 X

1.00 X

.90

.90 .45 X

.50 X

.50 X

.85 X

.35

.80 X

X-. 75 X

.35 X

$0. 95

1.00

1. 05

1.00 1.00

1.10 1.00

.95

1. 05

1. 15 .95

1. 00

.60

.65

.65

1. 05 1.05

, 55-1. 00

.50 WAGE INCREASES AMOUNT TO $1,150,000

In addition to the above groups, which included 2,860 employees,

the Public Printer had to readjust the compensation of 950 individual

employees to accord with the basic wage for their regular trade or occupation. The total increase of wages thus granted employees of the Government Printing Office, including the minimum pay as fixed

by Congress for printers, pressmen, and bookbinders, will amount to approximately S876,000 per annum. The increase is approximately

$936,000 less than the sum asked by the employees in the beginning

of the negotiations. The Public Printer had previously granted

increases for various occupations, including 1,399 emjjloyees, mostly

women, whose rate of pay was not fixed by law, amounting to $269,417

per annum. Thus the total wage increase for employees of the

Government Printing Office in the last four years amounts to approximately $1,150,000 per annum, exclusive of the bonus which

the Kiess Act has made payable as wages hereafter.

In view of the fact that many employees have been underpaid,

it is believed that the increases are just and fair. With the higher

wages it will be possible for the office to attract and retain the most

competent workmen. The wages now paid employees of the Government Printing Office compare favorably with rates of pay received

by similar trades in commercial printing plants.
16 Annual Report of the Public Printer

To determine the rates of pay, due consideration had to be given

to the annual bonus of $240 which Congress had granted Government employees for several years and which was continued for employees of the Government Printing Office until such time as their

wages might be readjusted under the Kiess Act. The bonus amounted

to 09.6 cents an hour in addition to the basic rate of pay; thus, a printer whose rate of pay was fixed by law at 75 cents per hour

had actually received 84.6 cents per hour for several years. Consideration likewise had to be given to the fact that, besides

continuing the $240 bonus for all employees, the Kiess Act fixed a minimum rate of 90 cents an hour (including the bonus) for the

three principal trades (printers, pressmen, and bookbinders), and

further authorized the Public Printer to employ necessary help at such rates of wages as '^he may deem for the interest of the

Government and just to the persons employed."

It seems reasonable, therefore, to construe this action by Congress

as an expressed desire that employees of the Government Printing

Office should be granted fair and just wages. In fact, the House

Committee on Printing in its report accompanying the biU stated

that

The committee is of the opinion that the trades affected are entitled to some

increase in their basic pay, and for that reason has recommended the minimum

rate of 90 cents an hour. With such a basis the rates of pay for all employees

can be properly readjusted as provided for in the bill. The report of the House Committee on Printing, which stood

sponsor for the legislation, further stated that

The wages and compensation for these various groups [referring to trades employed in the Government Printing Office] ought to be determined in the same manner as any large industrial concern negotiates with its employees.

Accordingly the Public Printer has undertaken to establish wages

that will not only be fair to the Government but likewise just to the employees, taking into consideration the rate of pay for similar

classes of work in commercial estabhshments. It is beheved that

the new wage scales conform to this purpose.

NIGHT, SUNDAY, HOLIDAY, AND OVEKTIME RATES

The wage negotiations involved not only the fixing of the basic

pay for all the craftsmen, operatives, helpers, and laborers, as well as the supervisors of the various groups, but also required the

determination of night, Sunday, holiday, and overtime rates. The

night rate had for many years been fixed by law at 20 per cent additional to the day rate of pay. This rate was reduced to 15 per cent

so as to conform more nearly to commercial scales. The Kiess Act, for the first time in the history of the Government

Printing Office, authorized the payment of a special rate for over- time work. The overtime rate was accordingly set at 50 per cent

additional to the day rate to conform to general trade practices.

The Sunday rate of 50 per cent extra, which was formerly provided by law, was continued as a fair compensation for emergency

work on the Sabbath Day.

The special holiday rate is similar to the pay granted by several

other manufacturing establishments of the Government, such as the
Annual Report of the Public Printer 17

Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the navy yards, and gives

employees of the Government Printing Office 50 per cent additional

to the rate of pay they formerly received when required to work on

legal hohdays.

The new scale and regulations for night, Sunday, hohday, and over- time work as agreed to by all the trades affected and approved by the

Joint Committee on Printing are stated below. The extra rates do

not apply to employees on annual salary as fixed either by the Public

Printer or the Personnel Classification Board or to employees in the

Pubhc Documents Division. The new extra pay rates and rules are

as follows: DAT AXD NIGHT SHIFTS The regular working shift of any day or night force shall be 8 hours. Employees

whose regular shift is betvv^een the hours of 6 a. m. and 6 p. m. shall be paid

the respective day rate for the time actually employed. Employees whose

regular shift is between the hours of 6 p. m. and 8 a. m. shall be paid the respective night rate for the time actually employed. In computing rates of pay,

fractions of less than one-half cent shall be dropped and of one-half cent or more

shall be added. NIGHT RATE

Employees required to work on a regular night shift shall be paid 15 per cent

in addition to the day rate for the time actually employed up to 8 hours. An

employee whose regular shift consists of part da}- and part night hours shall be paid entirely at the rate pro\-ided for the majority of the time so employed.

Xo employee will be granted extra pay for night work for which he is allowed

overtime, Sunday, or legal or special hohday rates of paj^. SUNDAY RATE Employees required to work on Sunday shall be paid 50 per cent in addition

to the day rate for all the time actually employed on said Sunday: Provided,

That employees whose regular shift begins on Saturday night shah be paid at the week night rate, and employees whose shift begins on Sunday night at the Sunday rate, for all the time actually employed on such shift. HOLIDAY RATE

Employees required to work on a legal holiday or a special holiday declared by

Executive order shall be paid at the day rate plus 50 per cent for all the time

actually employed in addition to their gratuity pay for the holiday as provided

by law; holiday rate shall apply to all hours of a regular shift beginning work on

the holiday, but not to any hours of a regular shift beginning work prior to a hohday and ending on the hohday. Emploj^ees required to work more than 4 hours but not exceeding 8 hours on Saturdays on which, by the Executive Order

of June 13, 1924, 4 hours shall constitute a day's work, shall be paid their regular

rate for time actually so employed in excess of said 4 hours, in addition to pay

for 8 hours at their regular rate" OVERTIME RATE

Employees on the day or night shifts who are required to work in excess of 8 hours in any period of 24 consecutive hours shall receive 50 per cent in addition

to the regular day rate for the period of said overtime work. No employee will be granted extra pay for overtime for which he is allowed pay at the Sunday or

egal or special hohday rate. PEOCEDURE IN NEGOTIATING WITH PRINTERS

Inasmuch as the first wage negotiations under the Kress Act will Likely be of permanent interest as estabhshing a precedent for the

future, it seems fitting to include in this report a more detailed
18 Annual Report of the Public Printer

statement of the procedure followed in the negotiation of a newscale with one of the principal trades of the Government Printing

Office. The record in the case of the printers' negotiation has been

selected for publication as it was the most difficult scale to settle and was the subject of gross misrepresentation in a certain trade

journal and by other meddlers who seek to rule or ruin every administration of the Government Printing Office. The formal wage negotiation with the printers employed in the

Government Printing Office began with the presentation to the

Public Printer of the following proposal dated July 7, 1924, and

signed by Edward S. Hantzmon, H. B. Barnhart, and William L. Elrby as the committee selected from a larger committee composed

of elected representatives from each of the printing sections of the

Government Printing Office:

PROPOSAL SUBMITTED BY PRINTERS' COMMITTEE

Under the act of Congress entitled "An act to regulate and fix rates of pay

for employees and officers of the Government Printing Office," said rates of wages are to be determined by a conference between the Public Printer and

committees representing the trades affected. By the passage of this act by Congress and the interest of the Public Printer

in the legislation it would seem that both Congress and the Public Printer

recognize the necessity and justice of a substantial increase in the pay of printers

employed in the Government Printing Office. For that reason it is thought

unnecessary to enlarge in this brief by including therein a lengthy argument

regarding the cost of living and the rates of pay in commercial establishments

and thus burdening the record of these negotiations. These conditions and

inequalities exist to-day as they have for the past several years, and we believe that the Public Printer is conversant with these matters and fully informed as

to them, which would make their inclusion herein not necessary to strengthen our position in the claims we make.

The committee present was selected from a larger committee composed of an

elected representative from each of the printing sections of the Government

Printing Office day and night forces, and we have come asking for the following terms in our wage scale: That all printers, printer-linotype operators, printer-monotype keyboard operators, makers-up, imposers, copyholders, copy editors, and

proof readers employed in the Government Printing Office shall be paid

at the rate of $1.10 per hour for the time actually employed;

That when the above-named employees are compelled to work in excess of eight hours in any one calendar day they shall be paid 50 per centum in addition to their regular rates of pay; and

That the rates of pay for night work, Sundays, and holidays remain

the same as now provided by law. We would here respectfully submit some of the pertinent reasons for our contentions for the above scale of wages. The Government Printing Office has been styled both a "book and job" and

also a "newspaper" in scale contentions, and it is difficult to determine its exact

status in the matter of wages to fit the proper scale. But we would like to direct your attention in this connection to the fact that while it is similar in some

respects to both, it is dissimilar in so many ways that no comparison can be made

when the character of the work is considered. In the Government Printing

Office there are many " styles" with which the printer has to be familiar, whereas

in the other classes of printing offices there is only one "style." The legal and

technical character of the work requires a greater amount of effort and a more

intense application to accomplish the best results. Consequently the Govern- ment printer would have to devote himself more assiduously to his task in order

to ' 'make good" in his vocation in the Government Printing Office. So that our

contention is that in considering a wage scale for the Government Printing

Office the newspaper scale would more nearly approximate the comparison that should be made, and in claiming the above rate for which we are asking as a

fair wasLQ we are in line with similar rates of pay for skillful work and also with
Annual Report of the Public Printer 19

what was said in the discussion of the act in the House of Representatives when

the bill was passed, that there was no objection to the rate of $1.10 per hour, the

objection being to fixing the rate carried in the bill at $1.10 as the basic rate for aU the trades affected. Also we submit that with any less figure the Govern- ment would be shouldered with the handicap of not being able to attract and hold

the class of skillful printers the Public Printer desires to have in his employ.

The suggested rate would accord also with the scale increases throughout

the country. In the last year within the jurisdiction of the International Typographical Union there have been increases in more than 200 newspaper scales and 150 job scales, in spite of the fact that there had been yearly increases in the same scales for several preceding years, while the scale for the Government

printers has remained stationary for the same period.

It would also harmonize with the rate of pay for printers in this locality, a

scale with which v/e are the most familiar and the community in which we have

our domicile, and in order that like work shall be rewarded with like pay we

feel assured that anything less than what we now ask would only be unfair. As stated above, we will not present any statistical matter in regard to the

cost-of-living basis for our claims, but we are prepared to present that should

you desire us, as that part of our claim is so apparent to all that there is little need for it in this brief, a Department of Labor bulletin last week stating that

while the wholesale cost of food products had decreased in 25 cities of prominence

in the United States, in the city of Washington the cost had increased 1 per cent. We beg to submit the following job and news scales and hours of employment

in a list of cities thought comparable with Washington:

SCALES AND HOURS

Baltimore, Md., newspaper: Flat scale—Day, $47; night, $50; 44 hours. Book

and job—No contract, offices paying what they have to pay. Rate for union

$40 for handmen, day; 44 hours. Boston, Mass., newspaper: Hand—$1.12 per hour, day; $1.16 per hour, night;

machine,- piece scale. Book and job—Contract expired May 1, 1923; no

figures at hand. Both newspaper and book and job work 44 hours. Cleveland, Ohio, newspaper: Flat scale—$49.50 day, $54.50 night; 48 hours. Book and job—$44 day, $48.40 night; flat, 44 hours.

Cincinnati, Ohio, nev/spaper: $51 day, $54 night; 45 hours. Book and job

$48 day, $51 night; flat, 44 hours. Newark, N. J., newspaper: $51 day, $54 night; 46 hours. Book and job—$48

day, $51 night. Both flat scales. 44 hours for job. Scale expired February

1, 1924, and may have been increased. New Brunswick, N. J., newspaper: Flat scale—$47 day and $49 night; 44

hours. Book and job—$45 day and $47 night. Flat scale; 44 hours. New York newspaper flat scale: $59 day and $62 night; 45 hours. Book and

job—$53 day and $56 night; 44 hours, flat scale. Pittsburgh, Pa.: Newspaper—$53.50 day, and $56.50 night; 45 hours; flat scale. Book and job—Hand, day, $44; night, $47. Machine—$47, day;

$50, night; 44 hours. Philadelphia, Pa.: Newspaper—$38 day, $41 night; flat scale, 48 hours. Book

and job—Hand, 89^ cents per hour, day, $1 per hour, night; 44 hours. Machine, 93 -M cents day, SI. 04 per hour, night.

Richmond, Va.: Newspaper—$42 day; $45 night; 48 hours; flat scale. Book

and job—S36 day, S40 night; flat scale, 44 hours. Indianapolis, Ind.: Newspaper—$48 day, $52 night; flat scale, 48 hours. Book

and job—$42, day, $46, night; flat scale, 44 hours. Chicago, 111.: Newspaper—$58.05 day, $63 night, for hand men. Machine

men, piece scale; 48 hours. Book and job—$51, day; $55, night; flat scale, 44 hours.

St. Louis, Mo.: Newspaper—$49 day, $54 night; flat scale for hand, 45 to 46

hours. Machine, piece scale. Book and job—$40.81 day, $42.83 night,

hand; $44.48 day, $47.23 night, machine, 44 hours.

Detroit, Mich.: Newspaper—$1.13 per hour, day; $1.20 per hour, night; flat scale, 42 to 48 hours. Book and job—$46.40 day, $48.40 night; 44 hours. Denver, Colo.: Newspaper—$46.50 day, $49.50 night; flat scale, 45 hours. Book and job—No scale available. Washington, D. C: Newspaper—$46.20 day, $50.40 night; flat scale, 42 hours. Book and job—$40 day, for hand men; $45 night, $42 day, for machine men; $47.25 night; 44 hours.
20 Annual Report of the Public Printer

In nearly all instances overtime is price and one-half, and all time in excess of the regular shift hours, whether before or after, is counted as overtime. In addition to the above it may be stated that all civilian employees in the

Naval Establishment are paid price and one-half for all overtime and Sunday

work and price and one-half in addition to the basic pay rate for work on holi- days. The rate for night work in the Naval Establishment ranges from 6 to 20

per cent. The pressmen of this city have recently negotiated a scale calling for 15 per

cent for night work.

Few cities adhere to the scale, which is regarded as a minimum, especially in the job oflfices in Waishington, where several offices pay the whole force above

the scale rates, and vacancies now exist on linotype machines where the full newspaper scale is offered. v We are not unmindful of the good working conditions in the Government

Printing Office, but we must submit that the pay scales are inadequate as compared with commercial establishments. Wages in this establishment should be

at that point which will enable the Public Printer to secure the services of the

best in the trade, and in that spirit this statement is submitted.

These wage figures suggested above are the unanimous opinion of the representatives elected under the provisions of the act previously referred to, and

are presented to you in the confident hope that in order that you may be "just

to the printers employed in the Governmelit Printing Office and serve the best

interests of the Government" you will accede to our requests.

COUNTERPROPOSAL PRESENTED BY PUBLIC PRINTER

After due consideration of the foregoing proposal, the PubHc

Printer on August 16, 1924, submitted the following counterproposal as to rates of wages:

To the Committee Representing Journeymen Printers Employed in 'the Hand,

Monotype, Linotype, Proof, Joh, and Library Sections of the Government

Printing Office. Gentlemen: I have the honor to acknowledge your communications of July 3 and 7, 1924, stating that you have been duly selected by the journeymen

printers employed in the day and night Hand, Monotype, Linotype, Proof,

Job, and Library sections of the Government Printing Office to confer with the

Public Printer regarding rates of wages, including compensation for night and

overtime work, for more than 10 employees of the same occupation in the trade

affected, as provided for in Public Act No. 276, approved June 7, 1924, and

that the following wage scale is proposed in their behalf: "That all printers, printer linotype operators, printer monotype-keyboard

operators, makers-up, imposers, copyholders, copy editors, and proof readers employed in the Government Printing Office shall be paid at the rate of $1.10 per hour for the time actually employed;

" That when the above-named employees are compelled to work in excess of eight hours in any one calendar day they shall be paid 50 per centum in additioi. to their regular rates of pay; and

" That the rates of pay for night work, Sundays, and holidays remain the same

as now provided by law."

After careful study of the wage scale and statements submitted by your committee and comparison of wages and conditions in the printing trade and the Government Printing Office, I am of the opinion that the scale proposed by your committee is not to the best interest of the Government or of the employees concerned; therefore, in lieu of your proposal, the following wage scale and accompanying statement are submitted for your consideration

:
Annual Report of the Public Printer 21

Day rates of pay for printers in Government Printing Office

Rate per Rate per Proposed by the Public Printer hour hour

JTnnn IXIie OUj under

Uccupation (groups oi more tnan lu employees^ 1924 in-- cluding

$240 bonus

effective July 1, Rate per hour

Increase per hour

over June

30, 1924

Compositor $0. 85 $0.90 $0. 90 $0. 05 Job compositor .85 .90 . 95 '. 10 Alonotype assembler .85 .90 . 95 . 10 Imposer . 90 .90 . 95 . 05 Maker-up .85 .90 1. 00 . 15 Job imposer . 90 . 90 LOO . 10 Copyholder .90

.85 .90 1.00 .15 Job proof reader .85 .90 1. 05 .20 Copy editor .85 .90 1. 05 .20 Linotype operator and monotype-keyboard operator; i Class A .85 .90 .95 .10 Class B 2 .85 .90 1.00 .15 Class C. .85 .90 1.05 .20 Class D...: .85 .90 1. 10 .25 Class E... .85 .90 1. 15 .30 Time work .85 .90 (3)

1 Classification based upon ratings for quality and quantity of work.

* All operators, excepting those whose ratings for the last 12 months entitle them to a higher classifi- cation, shall, if their services are required, be assigned to Class B at the rate of $1 per hour until their rate

of pay may be changed as provided in the accompanying statement.

* Operator shall be paid for time so employed at his regular rate. DAY AND NIGHT SHIFTS The regular working shift of any day or night force shall be 8 hours. Employees whose regular shift is between the hours of 6 a. m. and 6 p. m. sh,all be

paid the respective day rate for the time actually employed. Employees whose

regular shift is between the hours of 6 p. m. and 8 a. m. shall be paid the respective

night rate for the time actually employed. In computing rates of pay, fractions

of less than one-half cent shall be dropped and of one-half cent or more shall be

added. NIGHT RATE

Employees required to work on a regular night shift shall be paid 15 per cent

in addition to the day rate for the time actually employed up to 8 hours. An

employee whose regular shift consists of part day and part night hours shall be

paid entirely at the rate provided for the majority of the time so employed. No

employee will be granted extra pay for night work for which he is allowed overtime, Sunday, or legal or special hoUday rates of pay. SUNDAY RATE

Employees required to work on Sunday shall be paid 50 per cent in addition

to the day rate for all the time actually employed on said Sunday: Provided,

That employees whose regular shift begins on Saturday night shall be paid at the week night rate, and employees whose shift begins on Sunday night at the Sunday rate, for all the time actually employed on such shift. HOLIDAY RATE

Employees required to work on a legal holiday or a special holiday declared by

Executive order shall be paid at the day rate plus 50 per cent for all the time

actually employed in addition to their gratuity pay for the holiday as provided

by law; hoUday rate shall apply to all hours of a regular shift beginning work on

the holiday, but not to any hours of a regular shift beginning work prior to a hohday and ending on the holiday. Employees required to work more than 4 hours but not exceeding 8 hours on Saturdays on which, by the Executive order

of June 13, 1924, 4 hours shall constitute a day's work, shall be paid their regular

rate for time actually so employed in excess of said 4 hours, in addition to pay

for 8 hours at their regular rate.
22 Annual Report of the Public Printer

OVERTIME RATE Employees on the day or night shifts who are required to work in excess of 8 hours in any period of 24 consecutive hours shall receive 50 per cent in addition

to the regular day rate for the period of said overtime work. No employee will be granted extra pay for overtime for which he is allowed pay at the Sunday or

legal or special holiday rate. STATEMENT

In determining a fair and adequate scale of wages for employees of the Government Printing Office due consideration should be given to the special privileges

which they enjoy. Government Printing Office employees are allowed 30 days'

annual leave, all legal and special holidays, and Saturday half holidays during

the three summer months, on full pay, making a total of at least 44 nonworking

days every year for which full pay is granted. The 44 nonworking days are equivalent to a 44-hour week with pay for a 48-hour week the year around and,

in addition, 18 days' vacation on full pay annually.

The 44 nonworking days total 352 nonworking hours per year for which

employees are paid their regular wages though not required to render any service. The 352 nonworking hours are approximately 15 per cent of a year's total possible working hours, counting 8 hours for each day except Sundays. Therefore,

employees are paid for their actual working time approximately 15 per cent more

than the specified rate, which includes compensation for nonworking time (annual

leave and holidays).

The law authorizes the Public Printer to allow employees leave of absence

with pay to the extent of not to exceed 30 days in any one fiscal year. Notwithstanding his right to fix a lesser number of days, the Public Printer has always granted the maximum leave authorized by law. If the nonworking time

with pay were reduced, the rate for actual working time should, of course, be

proportionately increased to continue the same annual compensation for an

employee. It is doubtful, however, if employees would favor a reduction of their leave with pay, even if the rate of pay per working hour were correspondingly increased. In fact, such a suggestion was disapproved some time ago by

printer employees.FULL PAY FOR 15 PER CENT NONWORKING TIME

Consequently, it seems desirable to conduct the present negotiation in accord with the old plan of having Government wages include the 15 per cent non- working time. This means the earnings per actual working hour will be

approximately 15 per cent more than the rate fixed for both working and non- working (leave and holiday) time. An employee at the minimum rate of 90

cents per hour receives approximately 15 per cent more, or a total of $1.05, for every hour he actually works during the year. A rate of $1 per hour is likewise equivalent to about $1.16 per actual working hour.

It is recognized, of course that some commercial establishments grant annual

leaves with pay; but not many firms allow more than one week, and few, if any, more than two weeks annual leave on full pay. No private establishment is known to allow its employees anywhere near 44 days of nonworking time annually on full pay. The Typographical Journal for August calls special attention to the fact that Cornelius Vanderbilt, jr., publisher of newspapers in Los Angeles and San

Francisco, had just announced that all employees on the pay rolls of his paper

"continuously for one year are given vacations of two weeks with full pay." Mr. Vanderbilt is quoted further as asserting that "as far as is known, the two

papers are the only ones in existence who apply the vacation system to the mechanical departments,"

That the leave and holiday pay granted employees of the Government Print- ing Office is no small item of expense can readily be seen from the fact that the payment to employees for nonworking time amounts to approximately $800,000

annually.

A manufacturing plant like the Government Printing Office, which has enough

work on hand to require full-time employment the year around, is greatly handicapped with 15 per cent of its regular working time devoted to leave and holi- days. This has necessitated considerable overtime, Sunday, and holiday work,

for which employees have been granted additional compensation at the rate of
Annual Report of the Public Printer 23

time and a half for Sunday work, double time for holiday work, and 20 per cent

extra for night work. The extra payments to employees for overtime, Sunday,

and holiday work in the fiscal year 1924 amounted to approximately $300,000,

which should be credited to their actual earnings for the year. The 20 per cent paid to night workers, additional to the regular day rates, amounted to approximately $165,000 for the fiscal year 1924. AVERAGE EARNINGS OF A JOURNEYMAN PRINTER The average earnings of a journeyman printer employed in the Government

Printing Office last year was approximately $2,382.63, or $45.82 per week, in- cluding pay for extra work and 44 days on nonworking time. The average

earnings of union printers emplo^-ed in the United States the past year was

$2,093.69 or $40.26 per week, according to the recent report of the secretarytreasurer of the International Typographical Union.

There are many other advantages of Government employment which should be considered in determining a fair and adequate rate of pay for employees of the Government Printing Office—such as permanency of employment under

protection of the civil service law, special compensation for injuries in line of duty and occupational diseases, and annuity payments for optional retirement

at 65 years or involuntary retirement at 55 3^ears, after 15 j^ears of service. Besides these financial benefits, an employee of the Government Printing Office enjoys the best possible working conditions as to provisions for his health, safety,

and welfare, which are not equaled by an}^ other industrial establishment in the

country. I am pleased to note from the statement submitted by the committee

on behalf of the printer employees that they "are not unmindful of the good

working conditions, in the Government Printing Office." In view of the foregoing considerations, it has been found impossible to approve

the rate of $1.10 per hour for all compositors, machine operators, makers-up,

imposers, copyholders, copy editors, and proof readers in the Government Printing

Office, as proposed by the committee selected by the trade affected. EARNINGS AT PROPOSED RATE OF $1.10 AN HOUR

The proposed rate of $1.10 an hour would provide a minimum compensation

of $2,754.40 per annum for every printer employed in the Government Printing

Office at the day rate, exclusive of whatever extra night, overtime, holiday, and

Sunday pay he may earn during the year. With the usual extra earnings the

$1.10 rate would make an income of more than $3,000 per annum for a large

number of night employees. Furthermore, the proposed rate does not cover numerous so-called "preferred positions" for which higher rates have to be paid

in compensation for greater responsibilities.

Deducting the nonworking hours of leaves of absence and holidays (v^^hich total about 15 per cent of the time for which Government employees are paid), the proposed day rate of $1.10 per hour would mean a basic pay of $1.28 per hour of actual working time.

It seems fair, therefore, to compare the proposed compensation of $1.28 per day working hour, or S56.32 per week of 44 hours (based on actual working hours

per year), with the rates paid by commercial book and job offices. The commercial book and job scales submitted by the committee are lower than the scale which it has proposed for this office, taking into consideration the rate of pay

per actual working hour. Likewise, if compared on a working-hour basis, only

a few of the newspaper scales cited by the committee equal the rate proposed.

The existing scale for Washing! on book and job offices as agreed to by Columbia

Typographical Union Jslo. 101 is $40 per week or 91 cents per hour for day hand

work ; $45 per week or $ 1 .023^ per hour for night hand work ; $42 per week or 95 cents per hour for day machine work, and $47. 25 per week or $1.07>^ per hour for night machine work. The Washington newspaper scale as agreed to by the

local union is S46.20 per 42-hour week or $1.10 per hour for day hand and machine

work, and $50.40 per 42-hour week or $1.20 per hour for night hand and machine

work.

Government Printing Office rates should not, however, be compared with newspaper scales, inasmuch as the Government plant is essentially a book and

job office and has been so considered by Congress in all its wage legislation. Public Printers have hkewise held that the Government Printing Office is a book

and job establishment. Attention is especially invited to the statement of Public Printer Ford at the wage hearing before the House Committee on Printing
24 Annual Report of the Public Printer

December 16, 1920 (Hearings, page 24), to the effect that he considered the Government Printing Office to be a book and job shop and not a newspaper office. WAGE REPORT BY DEPARTMENT OP LABOR

The 1924 Bulletin of the Department of Labor in reporting the Union Scale

of Wages and Hours as of May 15, 1923 (the latest Government report available),

shows an average scale of $1,024 for compositors and $1,062 for machine operators employed in union book and job offices throughout the United States. The

same bulletin also reports the average rate of wages in union newspaper offices as follows: Compositors, day $1,013, night $1,051; machine operators, day $1,031,

night $1.13. Commercial printers are allowed very little nonworking time

(leave and holidays) at these rates, which should, therefore, be compared with

the compensation of the Government printers for actual working time. In other words, the Government Printing Office minimum day rate of 90 cents per hour,

covering both working and nonworking (leave and holiday) hours should be

expressed at $1.05 per hour or $50.40 per 48-hour week of actual working time

for comparison with union scales. Accordingly, as reported by the Department of Labor, it is evident that even

the new minimum day rate of 90 cents per hour, covering both working and non- working time, is higher than the average union scale throughout the United

States. The wage bulletin of the Department of Labor, cited above, states that

as a general rule "the union scale represents the prevailing wage of a locality."

The department's report accords with similar figures compiled by the Inter- national Typographical Union on behalf of employees and by the United Typothetse of America on behalf of employers in the printing industries. From the wage data brought to the attention of this office in the present negotiation, it seems reasonable to conclude that the new minimum day rate of 90

cents an hour (including leave and holiday time on full pay) is a just and fair minimum for the coming year for compositors employed in the Government

Printing Office. MINIMUM WAGE FIXED BY CONGRESS

Consideration must be given to the fact that Congress specifically fixed the

90-cent minimum rate after a most strenuous effort was made to have a higher

rate set by law. Only 24 Members of the House voted for the proposed $1.10

minimum, while 26 Members supported an amendment for a $1 minimum. In

the Senate the pay bill, with its 90-cent minimum, was adopted without a dis- senting vote. Although Congress set only the minimum rate, the Public Printer can not overlook the fact that the House and Senate are recorded as opposed to a higher minimum than 90 cents. The 90-cent minimum, as recently fixed by Congress for printers, pressmen, and bookbinders, is an increase of 15 cents an hour over the flat rate of 75 cents per hour as set by the act of 1919 for printers, linotype and monotype operators,

makers-up, copy editors, proof readers, bookbinders, bookbinder-machine operators, and pressmen. The actual increase granted by Congress for these groups

is, however, approximately 5 cents an hour, inasmuch as they had received the $240 annual bonus granted all Government employees for several years. The

bonus was equivalent to approximately 10 cents an hour, which made the hourly

rate approximately 85 cents and the weekly rate, $40.80. At 85 cents per hour

(including leave and holidays with pay) , the rate paid per actual working hour was about 98 cents. As before stated, at 90 cents per hour the rate per actual working hour is about $1.05.

By raising the statutory day wage from 75 to 90 cents per hour. Congress also provided an additional increase for night workers. Prior to July 1 the basis for extra pay for night workers was the regular rate of 75 cents an hour, the bonus

not being considered. The extra night rate now applies to the 90-cent minimum.

The minimum rate of 90 cents per hour has increased the compensation of 969 printers employed in the Government Printing Office by $150,000 annually,

without any further readjustment of their pay under the collective-bargaining law. PURPOSE OF THE NEW WAGE LEGISLATION

It was the purpose of Congress in passing the new wage law to provide a means

whereby the pay of all employees in the Government Printing Office might be

readjusted from time to time in fairness to all concerned. The House Committee

on Printing in reporting the wage bill stated that "it would be a difficult task for
Annual Report of the Public Printer 25

Congress to fix by law from time to time such wages as would be just to the

score or more of trades and the numerous groups of each trade employed in the Government Printing Oflfice. Therefore the committee has decided to recom- mend that the wages of all the work forces in the Government Printing Office be

determined by the Public Printer, as he does now for almost two-thirds of the employees in that great establishment." In proposing a minimum rate for the wage bill, the Printing Committee further

stated "the committee is of the opinion that the trades affected are entitled to some increase in their basic pay, and for that reason has recommended the mini- mum rate of 90 cents an hour. With such a basis, the rates of pay for all employees can be properly readjusted as provided for in the bill." The wage bill as passed by Congress provides that the wages, salaries, and compensation (including night rate) of employees and officers of the Government

Printing Office as authorized by law shall continue until such time" as they

shall be determined in accordance with the new law. CONGRESS AUTHORIZED WAGE READJUSTMENT

It is evident, therefore, that Congress intended that the pay of employees of the Government Printing Office shall be properly readjusted on the basis of the

Increased minimum wage granted to printers, pressmen, and bookbinders. Other

than this. Congress has given full latitude for the establishing of a fair and ade- quate compensation for all employees of the Government Printing Office. It is the purpose of the Public Printer to carry out the plan adopted by Congress,

and to bring about, if possible, a readjustment of wages that will be just to the employees and fair to the Government.

The Government should and can well afford to be a generous employer, but

at the same time it is the duty of public officials to conduct the business of the Government as well in the interest of the tax-paying public as for the benefit

of salary-receiving employees. Therefore, an endeavor has been made to view

the situation both as an employer and employee and to act justly in both cases. Every effort has been made to ascertain proper rates of pay, taking into account

the requirements of the Government Printing Office, the special advantages that accrue to Government employees, and the compensation which similarly skilled workmen receive in commercial plants. The conclusions reached have been the

result of earnest study, not only for the purpose of making the Government

Printing Office a model industrial plant but also to insure its employees adequate

compensation for increasing efficiency and loyalty to the public service.

It is well known that many competent employees have been underpaid for some time and that the wages of certain occupations as fixed by Congress have

not been sufficient to attract and retain enough highly skilled workmen to carry on all the work of the office with the necessary dispatch. To remedy this unfor- tunate situation. Congress enacted the wage negotiation bill as proposed by the

printing committees and the Public Printer. This law is the first formal recognition by Congress of the principle of collective bargaining between the Govern- ment as an employer and its employees. It seems fitting, therefore, that special attention should be given to the first wage negotiation under authority of this history-making act, which also adopts the principle of a minimum wage for the Government Printing Office. FLAT SCALE UNFAIR TO AMBITIOUS WORKERS

In presenting the rates of wages proposed to be paid the coming year, if approved by the Joint Committee on Printing, permit me to explain that I have

discarded the plan of a flat scale as established by the wage act of 1919 and

resubmitted by your committee. On the contrary, I have adopted the better trade practice of basing a wage scale upon the quality and quantity of work.

Congress also recognized the injustice of the flat rates of salaries as applied to other Government employees for many years by its enactment of the general

classification act which has recently brought about the classification of thousands

of Government employees and the readjustment of their pay based upon the nature and efficiency of their services. While all men may have been created equal so far as their political rights are concerned, even the Almighty himself never undertook to make them equal physically or intellectually. Therefore, to

assert that all workmen of a certain trade shall receive the same rate of pay,

regardless of their individual ability or special training, is out of harmony with

the Divine plan of creation. So-called flat scales are generally minimum rates upon which various differ- entials and bonuses are based, depending upon the class of work and skill of the
26 Annual Report of the Public Printer

workman. The report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics on union scales of wages

shows that in many cities skilled workmen are paid more than the scale agreed

upon by their respective unions. In numerous wage negotiations different rates have been established, based upon the class of work, such as hand composition,

proof reading, and machine operation. As to machine composition, a number of scales have been adjusted according to the productive ability of the individual

operator. Even the existing agreement between the book and job printing

shops of Washington and the local typographical union, of which nearly all the

printers in the Government Printing Office are members, fixes a different rate

for hand work and machine work and provides that the wages paid shall "at

least" equal the scale. A flat scale as fixed by law has been particularly unfair to emploj^ees of the Government Printing Office, inasmuch as it was really a maximum as well as a minimum rate of pay. There was no opportunity under the flat scale for the ambitious worker to inbrease his earnings and thus the better provide for the

welfare of himself and his family. Members of the same trade had to be kept on

a dead level, regardless of their individual ability or desire to advance. The

ordinary printer who performed the simple task of dropping dead type into a

hell box received the same rate of pay as the skilled operator who could produce more than 5,000 ems of linotype per hour. Both workmen are necessary, but

almost everywhere else than in the Government Printing Office the trade has

recognized that the machine operator is entitled to more pay than the ordinaryprinter. To continue the stifling level of a flat scale would be grossly unfair to the more ambitious and better skilled workmen.

PRINTING-OFFICE EMPLOYEES BECOME SPECIALISTS There is still another and even more important reason why the flat rate, which has obtained in the Government Printing Office for only the last five years, should not continue. Owing to the magnitude of work undertaken by

the world's greatest printing office, printers employed in the Government Print- ing Office are, and of necessity generally have to be, specialists in some particular

occupation, such as job compositor, maker-up, imposer, assembler, proof reader, copy editor, reviser, linotype and monotype-keyboard oj)erator. Linotype and

monotype-keyboard operators also become specialists in setting certain kinds

of copy, such as Patent Specifications, Patent Gazette, or "Document." Some

operators are specially qualified to handle the more difficult copy, such as the

Surgeon General's Catalogue; others have shown marked ability in setting various

foreign languages and intricate tabular matter. Thus it is that the Government

Printing Office requires and has developed printing specialists rather than

all-round printers, and it is right and fair that they should be compensated

accordingly.

It is proposed, therefore, to pay compositors, machine operators, imposers,

makers-up, proof readers, and other printer specialists according to the relative

skill and requirements of their respective occupations. Inasmuch as machine

composition is definitely measurable and depends upon the skill of the operator,

it is planned to base the pay of linotype and monotype-keyboard operators upon

the quantity and quality of their work. This plan conforms to the practice

which prevails in numerous commercial book, job, and newspaper offices, and

seems eminently fair to the operator.

The scale submitted herewith contains five rates of pay for linotype and

monotype-keyboard operators, ranging from 95 cents to $1.15 per hour. The

assignment of operators and their subsequent transfer from one class to another

will be based chiefly upon their productive ability, both as to quantity and quality, as shown by the office records.

All operators, except those whose present records entitle them to classification at a higher rate of pay, will be assigned to class B at $1 per hour. If their services are satisfactorj^ and necessary, operators will be continued at the designated rate

of pay until their compensation can be readjusted on or about October 1, 1924, in accordance with the production ratings then available. Operators transferred to class A at 95 cents an hour will be retained only as long as their services are necessary, the assignment of an operator to class A

indicating that his work is below the normal requirements of the Government

Printing Office. Emergency, probationary, and reinstated operators will be assigned to class B at $1 per hour and will be subject to reclassification thereafter according to their

ratings.
Annual Report of the Public Printer 27

The assignment of an operator to any class shall not be construed as establish- ing his efficiency rating for the purpose of retention in the service. An operator's

classification will, however, be considered in determining his efficiency record according to the usual rules and regulations of the Government service. operators' classification committee proposed

Recommendations for the assignment of operators to their proper classes shall be made from time to time by an Operators' Classification Committee of five members, consisting of one linotype operator and one monotype-keyboard

operator, to be elected by the Linotype and Monotype-Keyboard Sections (day

and night combined), respectively; a foreman of the Linotype Section and a foreman of the Monotype Section, to be designated by the Public Printer, and the Superintendent of Accounts, who shall be chairman of said committee. This

committee shall, with the approval of the Public Printer, adopt such rules and

regulations as it deems necessary to carry out the purpose and plan of the classification as herein provided for and do justice to all parties concerned. The proposed plan for the classification of linotype operators is based upon

their ratings for the three principal kinds of composition, " Document" (including

Congressional Record and hearings), Patent Specifications, and Patent Gazette. The ratings for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1924, show an average production

of 3,800 ems per hour of "Document," 3,760 ems per hour of Patent Specifications, and 4,535 ems per hour of Patent Gazette composition. The July (1924) records show an average production of 3,950 ems per hour of ''Document,"

3,550 ems per hour of Patent Specifications, and 4,920 ems per hour of Patent

Gazette. The averages stated are approximately those of class B operators

whose rate it is proposed to fix at $1 per hour. Based on these averages, Patent Specifications composition is approximately

10 per cent slower and Patent Gazette composition 20 per cent faster than

^* Document." Accordingly, these percentages have been adopted in determining

the preliminary classification. operators' pay based upon production

The classes of operators and their respective rates of pay, based upon the average number of ems set per hour, would be as follows: Linotype Operators

Class A—95 cents per hour: Document Composition, under

3,900 ems per hour. Patent Specifications, under 3,550 ems per hour. Patent Gazette, under 4,875 ems

per hour.

Class B—$1 per hour: Document Composition, 3,900 to 4,300 ems per hour. Patent Specifications, 3,550 to 3,900 ems per hour. Patent Gazette, 4,875 to 5,375 ems

per hour. Class C—$1.05 per hour: Document Composition, 4,300 to 4,700 ems per hour. Patent Specifications, 3,900 to 4,275 ems per hour. Patent Gazette, 5,375 to 5,875 ems

per hour.

Class D—$1.10 per hour: Document Composition, 4,700 to 5,000 ems per hour. Patent Specifications, 4,275 to 4,550 ems per hour. Patent Gazette, 5,875 to 6,250 ems

per hour.

Class E—$1.15 per hour: Document Composition, 5,000 and

over ems per hour. Patent Specifications, 4,550 and

over ems per hour. Patent Gazette, 6,250 and over ems per hour. Monotype Operators

Class A—95 cents per hour: Under 5,000 ems per hour.

Class B—$1 per hour:

5,000 to 5,700 ems per hour.

Class C—$1.05 per hour:

5,700 to 6,400 ems per hour.

Class D—$1.10 per hour:

6,400 to 7,000 ems per hour. Class E—$1.15 per hour:

7,000 and over ems per hour.
28 Annual Report of the Public Printer

Linotype or monotype-keyboard operators assigned to time work will be- paid at their respective rates which they received as classified prior to detail on

time work.

Proofs of all measurable composition shall be "duped" and measured to the

credit of the operator by Division of Accounts on the following basis: Patent

Specifications and Patent Gazette, single price; all other composition, to be

known as ''document," in accordance with standards set by the Public Printer. Price and one-half and double-priced copy will be properly marked and operators given due credit therefor in computing their production averages. In assigning operators to their proper classes from time to time, the committee

may make such changes in the percentages stated herein for Patent Specifications

and Gazette composition as comparison with "document" composition shall show to be fair and reasonable. The averages required of "document" (in- cluding Congressional Record) operators as stated herein shall not be changed,

however, during the year these rates are in effect. In recommending operators for reclassification from time to time the committee shall give due consideration to the quality of their work as well as the

quantity. For that purpose first proofs shall be examined and rated by emploj^ees detailed to that work by the Public Printer. The Public Printel" reserves the right to assign an operator to other duties

at the pay fixed therefor whenever, in his opinion, such change is for the best

interest of the service. QXJARTEKLY RATINGS FOR RECLASSIFICATION Except as herein provided, the reclassification of operators as to rates of pay

shall be recommended by the committee on or about October 1, 1924, and the beginning of each fiscal quarter thereafter. Reclassification as to pay on or about October 1, 1924, shall be based on such ratings of the operator as may be

available at that time and thereafter on his ratings for the preceding three months.

If at any time the Superintendent of Accounts or the respective foreman

shall be of the opinion that an operator has not been properly classified or is unable to meet the requirements of the class to which he has been assigned, the

case shall be referred to the committee for recommendation. If an operator

is of the opinion that he has not been properly classified, he shall likewise have

the right of appeal in writing to the committee. All recommendations of said committee shall be submitted to the Public Printer for his action, which shall be final. In accordance with the foregoing plan, the following day rates of pay are sub- mitted as fair and adequate for employees competent to perform the work

specified during the year for which the scale may be effective: Day rates of pay for printers in Government Printing Office

Occupation (groups of more than 10 employees)

Old rate per hour Jime 30, 1924, including

$240 bonus

New rate per hour

under

law

effective July 1, 1924

Rate per hour

proposed by the Public

Printer

Proposed

rate per week (in eluding pay for leave and

holiday)

Proposed

rate per hour on

basis of number of actual working

hours per

year

Compositor Job compositor Monotype assembler. Imposer.- Maker-up

Job imposer

Copy holder Proof reader Job proof reader Copy editor Linotype operator and monotype-keyboard operator: Class A

Class B

Class C

Class D

Class E....

$0.85

.85

.85 .90

.85 .90

$0.90

.90

.90 .90

.90

.90

.90

.90 .90

.90

.90

.90 .90

.90

$0. 90

.95 .95

.95

1. 00

1. 00 .90

1.00

1. 05

1. 05 .95

1.00

1.05

1. 10

1. 15

$43. 20

45. 60

45. 60

45. 60

48.00

48.00

43.20 48.00

50.40

60.40

45. 60

48.00

50.40

52.80 55.20

$1. 05

1.11

1.11

1.11

1. 16

1. 16

1. 05

1. 16

1. 22

1. 22

1.11 1.16 1.22

1. 28

1. 34
Annxwl Report of the Public Printer 29

15 PER CENT EXTRA FOR NIGHT-SHIFT EMPLOYEES

It is proposed that the night employees shall be paid 15 per cent in addition

to the day rate. A rate of 123^ per cent for night workers has been approved

by the local Typographical Union in its scale agreement with the Washington

book and job offices. The local Typographical Union has also agreed to a 10 per cent night rate in Washington newspaper offices. Scale agreements of typographical unions throughout the country generally fix upon 10 per cent as the

extra rate for printers employed at night in newspaper and book and job offices. Union pressmen employed in Washington book and job offices receive 15 per cent

extra for night work. Many printing offices grant only 5 per cent extra to night workers. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing pays the same rate to day and night workers. The Naval Establishment, including the Washington Navy Yard,

grants civiKans employed at night a flat increase of 5 cents an hour over the day

rate; thus a navy yard employee at the day rate of $1 an hour receives $1.05 an hour for night work, or only 5 per cent additional. Accordingly, it seems evident that the proposed night rate is an adequate and

liberal provision for regular night employees of the Government Printing Office. The old rate of 20 per cent was fixed by law many j'^ears ago when the basic pay was only 40 cents an hour, so the extra night pay was correspondingly

small. Based on a day rate of $1 an hour, the extra night compensation of 20

per cent would be $1.60 for eight hours' work, or $9.60 per week in excess of the day rate for the same class of work. This is too great a difference in the pay

of day and night employees for the same class of work. The commercial scale for night work averages from only $2 to $5 per week more than the day pay. The 20 per cent night rate was provided for the Government Printing Office years ago chiefly to attract a temporary force of night workers during sessions of Congress, and was in the nature of a bonus for such emergency employment. At that time little or no work was done at night except when Congress was in

session. For some years past, however, it has been necessary to employ a

regular night force, and undoubtedly the rapidly increasing work of the Printing

Office will require a permanent night force hereafter. Therefore, as is here proposed, it is fitting that the Government Printing Office should now fix its night scale more nearly in accord with commercial scales. Regular night rates of pay, computed by adding 15 per cent to the day rates, will be as follows: Night rates of 'pay for printers in Government Printing Office

Occupation (groups of more than 10 employees)

Old rate per hour June 30, 1924, in- cluding

$240 bonus and 20%

night

rate

New rate per hour under law

effective July 1, 1924, with 20%

extra

for night work

Rate

per hour

proposed by the Public

Printer with 15%

extra

for night work

Pro- posed

rate per

fv^eek (in- cluding pay for and holi- day)

Prorate per hour

based on number

actual working

hours

per year

Compositor __ Job compositor Monotype assembler Imposer Maker-up

Job imposer

Proof reader Job proof reader— Copy editor Linotype operator and monotype-keyboard operator

Class A __ Class B.„

Class C

Class D _ Class E

$1.00

1. 00

1.00

1. 06

1. 00

1. 06 1.00

1.00

1. 00

1. 00

1.00

1. 00

1.00

1.00

$1. 08

1.08

$1. 04

08

08

1.08

1. 08

1. 08

1. 08

1. 08

1. 21

1. 09

1. 15

1. 21

1. 27

1. 32

$49. 92

52. 32

52. 32

62. 32

55. 20 55.20

55. 20

58. 08

58. 08

52. 32

55. 20 58.08

60. 96

63. 36

$1. 21

1.27

1.27

1.27 1.34

1.34 1.34

1. 41 1.41

1.27 1.34

1. 41 1.48

1.54
SO- Annual Report of the Public Printer

SUNDAY, HOLIDAY, AND OVERTIME RATES

In proposing special rates of pay for Sunday, holiday, and overtime work, an

endeavor has been made to adopt general trade customs as far as they could be

made to conform to the requirements of the Government service. The Sunday rate of 50 per cent additional to the week-day rate is the same

as heretofore fixed by law and corresponds with the Sunday rate paid by the Naval Establishment and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. The extra

rate for Sunday work applies alike to day and night employees who may be

required to work on Sunday. Inasmuch as work on Sunday is in the nature of overtime, being additional to the regular hours of employment, it is believed that the compensation for Sunday work should be the same as for overtime.

Therefore, the rate proposed has been made the same for both day and night

workers instead of allowing Sunday night employees to pyramid their Sunday

rate on the regular week-night rate as heretofore. The one rate for Sunday work,

day or night, accords with the present practice of the Bureau of Engraving and

Printing and the Naval Establishment, including the Washington Navy Yard,

which do not allow extra night pay to employees required to work on Sunday.

During the last fiscal year employees of the Government Printing Office worked 228,423 hours on Sundays and received $216,749 in compensation for such extra services. Heretofore, Government Printing Office employees required

to work on legal and special holidays have been allowed only double time; that is, gratuity pay for the holiday whether they worked or not, and regular pay for the time actually employed on the holida5^ The Bureau of Engraving and

Printing and the Naval Establishment also grant their employees regular pay

plus 50 per cent, in addition to the gratuity pay, when required to work on a

legal holiday. TIME AND ONE-HALF EXTRA FOR HOLIDAY WORK

Holiday work is similar to overtime and Sunday work in requiring extra hours

of labor, and it would seem proper to compensate such emergency services at the same rate, whether performed on week days, holidays, or Sundays. Accordingly,

it is proposed to pay employees of the Government Printing Office for legal and

Executive-order holidays, except Saturday half-holidays as hereinafter provided,

at the rate of time and one-half for the hours actually employed, in addition to gratuity pay for the holiday as authorized by law. The night rate does not apply when employees are granted extra holiday pay, which also agrees with the pay schedules of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing

and the Naval Establishment. Commercial printing offices generally pay only

time and one-half for holiday work, their employees receiving no compensation

for the holiday if they do not work on that day.

During the last fiscal year employees of the Government Printing Office worked 67,550 hours on holidays, for which they received $42,047 of extra compensation.

Saturday half-holiday pay for summer months is continued as at present.

The employee receives 8 hours' pay for 4 hours' work under authority of the Executive order. If required to work the full 8 houi's on Saturday, the extra 4 hours' service is compensated for at the regular per hour rate. Thus an employee working 8 hours on Saturdays which the President has designated for half-holidays receives time and one-half therefor. Saturday night employees

will be allowed the night rate for their regular shift. The overtime rate applies to all hours worked by Saturday shifts in excess of 8 hours. Prior to the authority granted by the new wage law, it wa-s impossible to allow

extra compensation for overtime work by employees of the Government Printing

Office. Congress has now rectified this serious discrimination against Printing

Office employees, and accordingly it is proposed to pay them the customary

trade rate of 50 per cent additional for work in excess of 8 hours in any period

of 24 consecutive hours. Night rate will not be added to the new overtime rate, which again conforms to the rule of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and

the Naval Establishment against the pyramiding of extra-pay rates. The overtime rate will mean a considerable increase in the pay of many employees. In the fiscal year 1924 there were 64,227 hours of week-day overtime

for which employees received $44,190 extra compensation; in the preceding year

the week-day overtime amounted to 119,416 hours for which $76,188 extra compensation was paid.
Annual Report of the Public Printer 31

UP-AXD-DOWN RATIXG FOR TEMPORARY CHANGES

Employees may be transferred from one occupation or position to another

within their respective trades and compensated at the rate provided therefor.

If such transfers are temporary to meet the exigencies of the work, employee

shall continue to receive his regular rate of pay, unless the work to which he is assigned carries a higher rate, in which event he shall receive the higher rate if so employed for 33^ or more continuous hours in any one day. If the transfer

carries a lower rate of pay, the employee shall continue to receive his regular

rate, unless employed at lower-rate work for 8 or more continuous hours in an}' one day, in which event he shall receive the rate of pay provided for the work

performed.

The compensation of 10 or less number of employees of the same occupation

is not included in this negotiation, as such employees are specifically excepted

by the law. The compensation of 10 or less number of emploj^ees of the same

occupation and that of printers who may be or have been promoted to supervisory or special-rate positions will be determined by the Public Printer. The terms of this negotiation shall apply only to journeymen printers as represented by your committee, unless otherwise ordered by the Public Printer,

who reserves the right to deal with employees not included herein as provided

by law. The terms "emplo^-ee"' and "employees" as used herein shall be held

to refer only to members of the trade affected by this negotiation.

It is proposed that the rates of wages and compensation as approved or decided

by the Joint Committee on Printing shall become effective at the beginning

of the "turn in" next following the final action of said committee.

INCREASED PAY FOR ALL JOURNEYMEN PRINTERS Every person employed as a printer in any occupational group affected by

this negotiation receives an increase of pay either from the 90-cent hour minimum

wage as fixed by the Kiess Act or from the additional rates as now proposed by

the PubHc Printer. The proposed wage increase, including the higher minimum

pa}' granted by Congress, amounts to approximately $318,268.72 for the journey- men printers affected by the new scale. Of this increase, $152,228.48 is due to the 90-cent minimum wage of the Kiess Act and $166,040.24 to the additional readjustment proposed by the Public Printer. In addition to the specific wage increases, printers affected thereby will receive

at least $80,000 annually from the new overtime rate of 50 per cent and the

extra 50 per cent granted for holiday work. The total increase for printers

affected will therefore amount to approximately $400,000 annually.

The various rates of pay for printers have been increased from 6 to 35 per

cent, with an average increase of 14 per cent over the wages paid prior to July 1, when the new law became eft'ective. Increases for linotype and monotypekeyboard operators range from 12 to 35 per cent, depending upon their efficiency

ratings. Proof readers are advanced 18 per cent and copy editors 24 per cent. The lowest increase, that of 6 per cent for compositors, is based on the minimum

wage of 90 cents an hour as fixed by the Kiess Act. There did not appear to be

any justification for a further increase to compositors, inasmuch as their new rate

of pay already exceeds the union scale for book and job offices in Washington

and other comparable cities. A relatively small number of night compositors may receive less- under the proposed decrease of the night rate from 20 to 15 per cent than they have been

earning since July 1. Under the temporary rate of pay, as fixed by the Kiess Act "until such time" as proper readjustment could be made, night compositors

have been paid 20 per cent additional to the minimum day wage of 90 cents an

hour. The 15 per cent night rate will slightly decrease the temporary wage that

night compositors have been receiving, but they will still enjoy a fair increase over the pay granted them prior to July 1. As a matter of fact, the annual

earnings of night compositors will be further increased by the new overtime rate

of 50 per cent and extra 50 per cent allowed for holiday work, which will add a

substantial sum to their yearly income.

I am of the opinion, therefore, that the proposed readjustment of wages is just to all the printers concerned and provides an ample and fair wage for thenservices to the Government.

If the foregoing proposal as to rates of wages, including compensation for night,

Sunday, holiday, and overtime work, is agreeable to your committee, which, I understand, has been selected and empowered by the trade affected to determine

20818—25t 3
32 Annual Report of the Public Printer

rates of wages in conference with the Public Printer, I shall be pleased to submit

the same to the Joint Committee on Printing for its approval as provided by the

act approved June 7, 1924. REPLY FROM COMMITTEE OF PRINTER EMPLOYEES

Under date of August 27, 1924, the following reply on behalf of

the printers' committee was received from Messrs. Hantzmon,

Barnnart, and Earby

:

Your proposal, under date of August 16 last, addressed to the committee

representing the printer employees of the Government Printing Office, has been

given careful consideration by the full committee of which we have the honor

to be the subcommittee, and the following conclusion has been reached: That part of your proposal wherein you seek to establish classes within the

different branches of the trade, with particular reference to linotype operators

and monotype-keyboard operators, is so contrary to the custom prevailing

in the trade and opposed so strongly by the employees affected that we can not

possibly reach any agreement with you if you are inclined to insist upon such

classification being made a part of the agreement.

When typsetting machines were introduced over 30 years ago the question

of bonus and piece scales as against all-time scales was the subject of much

discussion between the printers and their employers in the commercial field. The matter was finally settled on the side of an all-time basis, and this is the basis which exists to-day throughout the trade. Comparatively very few cities now

work on a piece basis, and no new contracts on this basis are allowed to be madeso far as the printers, through their organization—the International Typographical Union—can prevent it. We stand for a fair standard of competency

and do not ask or expect any employee, either in the Government service or in commercial employment, to be retained who does not meet the requirements

of the standard. In making an agreement along the lines which you suggest as to classes, which

would be a hybrid scale, being neither on a bonus or piece basis and more objec- tionable than either, we would be going counter to the custom prevailing in the

trade, place ourselves in the position of being 30 years behind the times, and

bring about what we believe would be an intolerable situation. We would therefore respectfully request that you state to the committee your

position in the matter, to the end that we may lay our respective cases before the

Joint Committee on Printing without further delay in the event you do not feel that you can recede from your proposal in regard to the classifications referred to above. On the other hand, if you feel inclined to eliminate the classifications from further consideration, we now stand ready and would be very glad to submit a counterproposal to the one submitted to us by you. Trusting that we may be able to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion, we remain,

PUBLIC printer's ANSWER TO COMMITTEE

To the above commmiication from the subcommittee representing

the printers employed in the Government Printing Office, the Public

Printer replied on August 29 as follows

:

Gentlemen: At our conference yesterday you submitted, in answer to my

wage proposal of August 16, 1924, a letter dated August 27, in which you state

''That part of your proposal wherein you seek to establish classes within the

different branches of the trade, with particular reference to hnotype operators and

monotype-keyboard operators, is so contrary to the custom prevailing in the

trade and opposed so strongly by the employees affected that we can not possibly reach any agreement with you if you are inclined to insist upon such classification being made a part of the agreement."

You request that I state to the committee my position in the matter 'Ho the end that we may lay our respective cases before the Joint Committee on Printing

without further delay in the event you do not feel that you can recede from your

proposal in regard to the classifications referred to above."

In concluding your reply the suggestion is made that if I feel inclined to elimi- nate the classification from further consideration, the committee is ready to
Annual Report of the Public Printer 33

submit a counterproposal to the one presented by me. After some discussion your committee submitted a second communication dated August 27, 1924,

making a counterproposal as to rates of wages, which, as I understand it, you

desire to have considered by me only if I agree in advance that the question of classes shall be "definitely rejected." In your second proposal of August 27 it is stated that employees represented

by your committee are willing to recede "to some extent" from their original

demand for $1.10 an hour for all printers employed in the Government Printing

Office and as a modification of your first proposal ask a rate of $1.05 for all compositors, including job and monotype assemblers, and $1.10 per hour for machine operators, copy editors, proof readers, imposers, and makers-up. Other

than the rate of $1.05 per hour for hand compositors, your second proposal is identical with that submitted by your committee on July 7, 1924. Much as I would like to enter into a full and free discussion of rates of wages

to be paid the employees represented by your committee, in the hope that a satis- factory settlement could be reached, I take it that you refuse to negotiate any

wage scale with me unless, as a prerequisite, the proposed classification plan is barred from our conferences. Your arbitrary demand is, in my opinion, contrary

to the principle of collective bargaining as approved by the Kiess Act for the

fixing of wages for employees of the Government Printing Office. The refusal of your committee to continue the wage negotiation for the reason alleged is like- wise not in accord with the general practice of the trades and is neither fair to the Government nor just to the employees you represent. Therefore, I have no

other alternative than to exercise the right of appeal to the Joint Committee on

Printing as provided for in Public Act No. 276, approved June 7, 1924. Inasmuch as your committee has refused to negotiate a wage scale unless I

first recede from the proposed classification plan, I am compelled to return with- out consideration your second proposition dated August 27. COMMITTEE BLOCKS FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS

The negotiation reached an apparent deadlock with the following

reply to the Public Printer signed by Messrs. Hantzmon, Barnhart,

and Earby under date of August 29

We have this day laid before our full committee j^our letter to us relative to wages for printers in the Government Printing Office, dated August 29, which

committee desires us to say to you that it is agreeable to the proposition to immediately appeal our case to the Joint Committee on Printing.

We most respectfully wish to disagree with you, however, that our action is "contrary to the principle of collective bargaining," is "not in accord with the

general practice of the trades and is neither fair to the Government nor just to the employees you (we) represent." We contend that quite the contrary is true so far as the practice of the trade is concerned, and that it is because of your radical departure from these practices that we find it impossible to reach an agreement with you. APPEAL TO JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING

Thereupon the Public Printer submitted the following appeal to the Joint Committee on Printing under date of August 30

In compliance with the provisions of "An act to regulate and fix rates of pay

for employees and officers of the Government Printing Office" (Public No. 276)

approved June 7, 1924, the Public Printer has undertaken to confer with the committee selected by the journeymen printers employed in the hand, monotype,

linotype, proof, job, and Library sections of the Government Printing Office regarding rates of pay and compensation to be paid the trade represented by

said committee. After an exchange of proposals the committee has refused

to continue the conference unless the Public Printer agrees in advance that

his proposal to classify said employees shall be "definitely rejected." This

demand, in my opinion, is contrary to the principle of collective bargaining as. established by the recent act of Congress and prevents a full and fair consideration

of the proposals and counterproposals by either the committee of employees

or the Pubhc Printer. In view of this situation, appeal is hereby made to the

Joint Committee on Printing to determine the wages and compensation of the
84 Annual Report of the Public Printer

trade affected as provided by the act of June 7, 1924. I most earnestly recom- mend that the Joint Committee on Printing approve the proposal which was

submitted by the Public Printer to the committee of the trade affected under

date of August 16, 1924. A prompt decision would be to the best interests of

all concerned. For the information of the Joint Committee on Printing I transmit herewith

copies of the proposals and replies of the committee of employees and the Public

Printer as submitted during the negotiation. The following is a list of the papers inclosed

:

Credentials dated July 3, 1924, authorizing committee to confer with the

Public Printer and determine rates of wages to be paid journeymen printers

employed in the hand, monotj^pe, linotype, proof, job, and Library sections of the Government Printing Office. /

The proposal submitted by subcommittee of committee of employees under

date of July 7, 1924. Counter proposal submitted by Public Printer to committee of employees

under date of August 16, 1924. Reply of subcommittee of employees under date of August 27, 1924, requesting

that classification scale be definitely rejected before further consideration of proposals.

Counter proposal by subcommittee of employees dated August 27, to be considered only in event of definite rejection of the classification plan.

Reply of Public Printer dated August 29, 1924, declining to eliminate proposed

classification plan preliminary to fuU and free discussion of rates of wages. Reply of committee of employees dated August 29, 1924, further insisting on

rejection of classification plan and stating that committee is agreeable to immediate appeal to the Joint Committee on Printing.

The Public Printer was precluded from considering the employees' counter

proposal dated August 27, 1924, by the demand of their committee that the classification plan be definitely rejected before they would negotiate further with

this office. Inasmuch as the employees' committee undoubtedh- will submit a

similar proposal for consideration by the Joint Committee on Printing, I believe

it is proper to advise the committee that I deem the rates proposed to be unreasonable and beyond the right of the Public Printer to grant under the limited appropriations for printing and binding which Congress has made to the depart- ments and other establishments of the Government for the ensuing fiscal year. The rate proposed by the printers' committee of $1.05 per hour for hand compositors is equivalent to $1.21 per hour of actual time employed, taking into consideration leave and holiday pay. The rate of $1.10 per hour proposed for machine operators, proof readers, copy editors, copyholders, imposers, and makersup is likewise equivalent to $1.28 per actual working hour. Accordingly, it is fair to assert that the proposed rates are much higher than wage scales accepted

by typographical unions throughout the country. The rates proposed appear

especially excessive when compared with the union wage scale for Washington

book and job offices which provides 91 cents an hour for day hand compositors

and 95 cents an hour for day machine operators for the time actually employed.

The proposed rate of $1.05 an hour for hand compositors would be an increase

of 29 per cent over their wages prior to July 1, 1924, and the rate of $1.10 per hour for machine operators and others would be an increase of 36 per cent. At

these proposed rates the total increases of pay for printers alone would amount

to at least $500,000 per year. If proportionate increases were granted to all the employees of the Government Printing Office the charges for printing and binding for the departments and other establishments would have to be increased by

fully $2,250,000 for the coming year. Appropriations made by Congress will not permit any such increases in the expenditures for printing and binding.

The reasons for proposing a sliding scale or classification for machine operators

based on the quantity and quality of their work are fully set forth in my proposal

dated August 16. The statement of the committee of employees that the pro- posed classification or bonus plan is contrary to trade-union principles is not in accord with the facts. The written agreement which the local typographical

union signed with Washington book and job offices provides that "at least" the scales agreed upon shall be paid union employees. This agreement does not

prohibit bonuses or sliding rates above the minimum scale. As a matter of fact, bonuses are paid many employees whose services are deemed of special value to the local printing offices for which only the minimum rate of pay has been fixed by the union agreement. The Chicago Tribune is a notable example of an office in which the typographical union has agreed to a sliding wage scale or classifica- tion of operators. The Tribune plant is somewhat comparable to the Govern-
Annual Repoji of the Public Printer 35

ment Printing Office as to number of typesetting machines. Boston newspapers,

according to the report of the Department of Labor, likewise pay a sliding scale to machine operators in accordance with union agreements. Accordingly, it appears that the classification proposed by the Public Printer does not violate any trade-union principle as observed b}" the typographical union, either in thie city or elsewhere. The proposed sliding scale does not require operators to ''speed up" nor does

it establish ''sweat shop" conditions in the Government Printing Office, as has been alleged. It simply provides an opportunity for operators to be compensated

according to their ability, and that I believe is the God-given right of any man.

In connection with the proposed sliding scale, I respectfulh^ invite your attention to the inclosed editorial entitled "The flat-rate fallacy," copied from the Washington Post of August 26. The proposal which I submitted to the committee of printer employees provides a minimum compensation for all except the ordinary compositor of at least 5 cents an hour more than the minimum wage fixed by the act of June 7. For machine operators I proposed a sliding scale of from 95 cents to $1.15 an hour, the maximum being o cents an hour higher than the flat rate proposed by the committee of employees. There are several operators in the office whose present averages would entitle them to the $1.15 rate and a number of other operators

have the ability to earn either the $1.10 or the $1.15 rate if they had the opportunity to do so. The Public Printer has also granted the employees more than

they ask for in proposing a rate of time and one-half for holiday work in addition

to the gratuity pay for the holida}'. Furthermore, the proposed rate of 15 per

cent extra for night work is higher than that fixed by any known typographical

union scale. The local union scale provides 123^ per cent extra for night work

in book and job offices and 10 per cent extra in newspaper offices. The Public

Printer has also proposed for overtime work a rate of 50 per cent, which has

never before obtained in the Government Printing Office. All of these proposed

increases the committee of employees ignored in its demand that the operators

classification with a maximum of $1.15 an hour be eliminated from consideration before they would negotiate any wage scales with this office. In view of this situation, I have no other course than to appeal to the Joint Committee on Print- ing for its final decision as provided by law. The editorial in the Washington Post of August 26, which was

submitted to the Joint Committee on Printing with the foregoing

appeal, reads as follows:

THE "plat-rate" FALLACY

Most thoughtful men wiU surely agree with the Public Printer in his opposition

to the "flat-rate" system of equal pay for all men, regardless of their ability. The

demand for such a system is the crux of the controversy in his office. For on the

scale which he proposes the lowest paid men would be getting more than the minimum wage prescribed by law, while the highest paid would be getting more

than the men demand. The question is whether the slow and slovenly operator

shall be paid the same wages as the rapid and accurate one. The argument for the "flat rate ' is that the poor workman needs just as much

wages to support himself and his family as does the good workman. But that is hopelessly unconvincing. If further applied, it would mean that each compositor should be paid as much as the head of the bureau receives; and that in any

corporation the clerks and porters should be as well paid as the president. We

may concede that each and every employee should receive a "living wage" on

which he can maintain himself and family in decency and comfort. Congress has provided that in flxing a minimum wage. But it would be intolerable to say

that no employee should receive more than that wage, no matter how valuable his work might be. We shall never get away from the great fundamental truth which was uttered many centuries ago by the world's highest authority, that "the laborer is worthy

of his hire," despite the fact that it was uttered in connection with the paying of a "flat-rate " wage. On no rational theorj' can it be denied that the reward of labor ?riiould be proportioned to the value of the labor. That is certainly the case when men are working for themselves. The farmer who diligently cultivates

his crops gets larger returns than he who neglects his fields. It should be the case when men work for other men, or for the Government, for wages or salaries. Only through such graduation of pay can the best results be obtained, for either the employer or the employee. Under the '

' flat -rate

'

' system the incentive to excel
36 Annual Report of the Public Printer

is destroyed. The workman has no encouragement to do his best work and to do

as much in a day as possible. He will therefore let himself lapse to the standard

of the least efficient, or else he will all the time feel himself the victim of injustice.

But if he is paid according to the quantity and quality of his work, he will constantly be striving to do his best. The ''flat-rate" means a leveling down of all to the standards of the lowest. The graduated scale means a leveling up to

or at least toward—the standard of the highest.

JOINT COMMITTEE APPROVES A CLASSIFICATION

Under date of September 11, Senator Moses of New Hampshire,

chairman of the Joint Committee on Printing, replied as follows to the Public Printer's letter of August 30 relative to the status of wage

negotiations with the journeyman printers employed in the Government Printing Office:

Replying to your letter of August 30, 1924, submitting an appeal for final deter- mination of the question of pay and compensation to be paid journeymen printers

employed in the monotype, linotype, proof, job, and Library sections of the Government Printing Office, I beg to advise you that, as chairman of the Joint Committee on Printing, I have appointed Congressman Kiess and Congressman

Stevenson to serve with me as a subcommittee to consider the questions involved. The subcommittee has examined and considered all the correspondence on

file and has concluded that a classification schedule and wage scale should

become operative in the Government Printing Office and, therefore, the appeal

is hereby remanded to the conference with the suggestion that further negotiations be conducted in accordance herewith. NEW PROPOSAL SUBMITTED BY PRINTERS

Complying with the suggestion of the Joint Committee on Printing

as to further wage negotiations, Messrs. Hantzmon, Barnhart, and

Kirby as the committee representing the Government Printing

Office printer employees" submitted the following new proposal to

to the Public Printer under date of September 24

:

In our original proposition, submitted to you on July 7, 1924, we asked for a flat rate of $1.10 per hour for all printers employed in the Government Print- ing Office. In accordance with instructions from the Joint Committee on Printing, under date of September 11, 1924, we now modify the proposition and

propose the following classification schedule and scale of wages:

Compositors, $1.05 per hour. Proof readers, copyholders, makers-up, imposers, and linotype and

monotype keyboard operators, $1.10 per hour. Copy editors, $1.15 per hour. That when the above-named employees are compelled to work in excess of eight hours in any one calendar day they shall be paid 50

per cent in addition to their regular rates of pay. That the hours for day work shall be between 8 a. m. and 5 p. m., and for night work between 5 p. m. and 8 a. m. That when a shift is so arranged that the working hours fall partly

during the time in which the day rate prevails and partly during the hours in which the night rate obtains, all time of such shift shall be computed at the night rate. That work performed on Sundays shall be at an advance of 50 per

cent over the regular rates of pay. That work performed on legal holidays or special holidays declared by

Executive order shall be at the regular rates of pay plus 50 per cent for

all time actually employed in addition to the gratuity pay for the holiday

as provided by law. That all work performed at night shall be at an advance of 20 per

cent over the day rate. That four hours shall constitute a day's work on Saturday throughout

the year.
Annual Report of the Public Printer 37

In justification for submitting this proposition to you we wish to present the

scales of wages for printers in 17 cities, including Washington, stretching across the country from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and comprising the principal printing centers:

tion

Newspaper sc ales, day rate Book and job s cales, day rate Hand Machine Hand Machine

Hours

per week

Eate

per hour Hoursper week

Rate

per hour Hours

per week

Rate

per hour Hoursper week

Rate

per hour

773 580 44 $1. 07 44 $1. 07 44 $0. 91 44 $0.91

770 400 44 1. 12 44 1. 12 44 .92 44 .97

2 886* 971 45 1. 29 45 1. 29 44 1. 16 44 L 19 Cmcirmati ' 406,' 387 45 1. 13 45 1. 13 44 1. 09 44 L 09 Cleveland . ... 888, 519 48 1.07 48 1.07 44 1. 00 44 1.00 Denver.. 272, 031 45 1.03 45 1.03 44 .95 44 .95 Detroit-. 995, 668 42 1. 13 42 1. 13 44 1. 05 44 1. 05 Indianapolis 342, 718 48 1.00 48 1.00 44 .95 44 .95 Los Angeles.- 750, 000 45 1.08 45 1. 08 44 1. 02 44 1. 10 Newark. 438, 699 46 1. 11 46 1. 11 44 1. 16 44 1. 16 New York 5, 927, 625 45 1. 29 45 1. 29 44 1.20 44 1.20 Philadelphia 2, 000, 090 48 .88 48 .88 44 .90 44 .94 Pittsburgh 620, 367 45 1. 21 45 1. 21 44 1. 00 44 1.07 San Francisco 687, 000 45 1.08 45 1.08 44 1.16 44 1. 16 Seattle 365, 000 42 1. 21 42 1.21 44 .94 42 1. 21

St. Louis. 803, 853 46 1.07 46 Piece 44 .98 44 1.06 Washington 437, 571 42 1. 10 42 1. 10 44 .91 44 .95 The above figures represent the minimum wages paid to printers in the cities named. Many of the cities pay much higher rates than those quoted, which is particularly true of Washington, Baltimore, and Philadelphia, where the scale rates are lower for job-office compositors, or hand men, than in other cities. For

instance, Judd & Detweiler, the largest job plant in Washington, pay all employees

from $2 to $5 a week above the scale rates, while several of the other local employers pay an advance of $1 per day.

The cities comprising the table were not selected because they represented

the highest of our scales, but rather because they were comparable to Washington in general living conditions and because they are truly representative printing centers. There are many other cities much smaller in population which pay

a higher rate in the book and job branch of the trade than the majority of those we have quoted, such as Jersey City, N. J., with a scale of 11.1 8y\ per hour;

Charleston, W. Va., with|1.06y\ per hour; Fresno, Calif., with $1.04x^y, and scores

of others, but these cities are not comparable to Washington.

You have entered into an agreement with the pressmen which establishes a scale of 95 cents per hour for platen (job) pressmen, $1 for cylinder pressmen, and $1.05 per hour for head (web) pressm-en. You have also entered into an

agreement with the bookbinders by establishing a rate of 95 cents per hour

for hand b nders and $1 for machine operators. We ^ish to direct especial attention to the fact that in making these agree- ments you have conformed to the rules and practices which prevail in these

trades, and it is only this principle which we wish you to apply to a settlement with the printers.

Below we present a table which gives the comparative weekly wages of printers

and pressmen in the identical cities which comprise the preceding table, except

St. Louis, where the figures for pressmen were not obtainable. The table shows

that the wages for printers throughout the country are uniformly much higher

than those for pressmen, except for web pressmen, whose rates almost equal

those for newspaper printers.
38 Annual Report of the Public Printer

Pressmen Printers

Platen Cylinder Web

Newspaper Book and job Hand Machine Hand Machine

Baltimore $30. 08 $37. 84 $42.00 $47. 00 $47. 00 $40. 00 $40. 00 Boston 38. 50 43. 50 45. 00 49.28 49.28 40. 48 42. 46

42. 00 49.00 48. 00 58. 05 58. 05 51. 00 52.40 Cincinnati 34. 25 42. 25 51.00 51.00 48. 00 48.00

38. 50 42. 75 51. 00 51.50 51. 50 44.00 44.00

39. 70 44. 00 46. 50 46. 50 46. 50 42. 00 42.00

39.00 45. 00 50. 00 47. 46 47.46 46.20 46.20

38.40 42. 00 48. 75 48. 00 48. 00 42. 00 42.00 Los Angeles 36.00 42. 00 48. 00 48. 50 48. 50 45. 00 48.60

ISFewark 41.00 51. 00 49.20 51. 00 51. 00 51.00 51.00 New York 53. 00 54.00 58. 00 58. 00 53.00 53.00 Philadelphia 34. 83 40. 33 42. 00 42. 00 42. 00 39. 45 41. 25 Pittsburgh 42.00 45. 00 48. 00 54. 50 54. 50 44. 00 • 47.00 San Francisco 43.00 46. 00 47. 50 48. 50 48. 50 51.00 51. 00

Seattle 39. 00 42. 00 51.00 51. 00 51. 00 41. 25 51. 00 Washington 30. 50 40. 00 50. 00 46. 20 46.20 40. 00 42. 00 The scales for bookbinders in the same cities range between those for job

and cyhnder pressmen and are therefore much lower than the rates for printers.

It is with pleasure that we note you do not attempt to split these trades up

into classes within classes, with stints prescribed for each subclass, such as you

propose for printers. If you eliminate this objectionable feature in dealing with

us we believe we will have no difficulty in agreeing to the wage rates for printers.

We believe it is fair that we should stipulate the principal objections which we

have to that part of your previous proposal, and they follow: Typesetting machines have been in use more than 30 years. We early learned that they were nerve wreckers. For that reason we have for many

years opposed the making of scales on a piece or bonus basis, with the result that an all-time basis is the rule throughout the trade, with a comparatively

few exceptions. So disastrous are piece scales to the health of operators that the International Typographical Union forbids its members to make new scales on this basis and recommends the abolishment of existing piece scales at the

expiration of contracts made with proprietors on this basis. There is a vast difference between setting type by hand and setting type on

a linotype or monotype machine. The former method does not so vitally affect the nervous system as the latter. The complications of the machines, necessitat- ing a constant strain of watchfulness and carefulness on the part of the operators

in addition to the manipulation of the keyboard, has a decided tendency in course

of time to get on the nerves of operators, especially those who are nervously

inclined, even when working naturally and normally under an all-time system. For this reason many operators, after long service on the machines, have felt compelled to give up machine work and seek employment in other branches of the trade. To fasten on the operators a piece scale such as your proposed classes would simply intensify the natural strain described above with correspondingly

disastrous results to the health of the operators.

The only object in establishing a piece system on the machines seems to be

to speed up production, which would no doubt be brought about by some of the

operators straining themselves to attain the highest rate of pay vv^ithout regard

to physical consequences. But does the Government wish to place itself on

record as adopting the methods of the sweatshop employer? We prefer to

believe that it does not, and that President Coolidge meant what he said on

last Labor Day w^hen he told the labor men whom he was addressing that it was the duty of the Government to provide "reasonable conditions of employment and fair wages for fair work." The proposal to adopt the class system

for operators in the Government Printing Office seems to make of the considerate

w^ords of the President merely an empty utterance. As a matter of fact, the Congress of the United States has gone on record time and again against such a system as is now proposed to apply to machine operators. Several years ago the Taylor system of scientific shop management" was

applied to the navy j^ards and arsenals of the country, the system being founded on the stop-watch method of measuring the work of an employee. The vicious- ness of the system caused such demoralization among the workers in the yards
Annual Report of the Public Printer 35

and arsenals and such resentment on the part of the workingmen of the country

generally that several hearings were held by congressional committees, which

resulted in abolishing the system from the Government service, and every Army

and Navy appropriation bill now carries a bar against its reestablishment. The

class system for machine operators in the Government Printing Office is the Taylor system under another name.

In a statement to the Joint Committee on Printing you disclaim that the

"sliding scale" requires operators to "speed up" or that it establishes "sweat- shop" conditions, but that it is designed to pay operators "according to their

ability, and that I (you) believe is the God-given right of any man." We beg

to submit that it is also "the God-given right" of the operators to decline to have a system applied to them which they consider will prove physically dis- astrous, by whatever name it is called, and there are none more bitterly opposed

to the class ratings such as you propose than the operators themselves. Is the contentment of these workers, upon whom so much depends in the Government

Printing Office, worth while? Some operators will naturally produce more ems

of type than others, but they are not the men who see any injustice to themselves

because of this fact. They simply prefer to be allowed to work normally and

naturally, which is of more value to them than the few extra pennies which they

might make through the strain of a "speeding-up" process.

It must also be remembered that operators are not continuously employed on

typesetting machines. The necessities of the office frequently require the shift- ing of some of these operator employees to the hand and proof-reading sections. In recent years the office has employed and continues to employ operators who

have no knowledge of the printing business outside the manipulation of the keyboard. Operators in this class are obviously not as valuable to the office as those whose services can be utilized where most needed, yet under your proposal

many of them would very likely receive a higher rate of pay. A thoroughly

competent printer in all branches of the trade who had given the best years of

his life to the service of the Government would in many cases receive less pay

than a young man just entering the service who would be of no value whatever

outside the manipulation of a machine keyboard. That is penalizing competency

and putting a premium on incompetency. This appears to us as being very unfair treatnient of employees with records of long and faithful service.

It is unquestionably true that production conditions in the Government

Printing Office are far from normal so far as typesetting machines are concerned, but it can be chargeable to the low wage rate for operators in the office for several years past, with the consequent loss of a great many of the best operators and the accession of few good ones to take their places. To our mind,

the remedy does not lie in putting the operators on a piece basis but rather on making a scale for these workers which fairly corresponds wdth what they are paid in commercial establishments. Wherever the piece system has been applied it has always proved a source

of jealousies, friction, and disorganization. In years past, when piece scales were more common than they are now, they were the cause of more trouble between the printers and their employers than all other things combined, many

strikes being brought about because of them. We were therefore glad to see them eliminated, and the proposal to now establish them in the Government Print- ing Office gives us a great deal of concern. The nearest approach to a bonus

based on production which has ever been applied to linotype operators in Washington occurred on the Washington Post last year, when operators who aver- aged 40,000 ems or more per day were given a bonus of $5 per week. So much

friction and disorganization resulted that the practice was discontinued after a

trial of about six months. These facts were probably unknown to the writer of the editorial which appeared in a recent issue of the Post indorsing your proposal for putting the operators on a piece basis. The Government Printing Office is said to be classed by Congress more as a

job office than as a newspaper plant. There is not a job office in the entire country, so far as we are able to learn, where a piece scale exists—certainly none which corresponds to the classes proposed for the Government Printing

Office operators. Against your proposal to establish classes within classes we are for an honest

day's work for a fair day's pay. What constitutes a fair day's work is very easy

to determine, particularly in the case of machine operators, and we do not

expect an employee to be retained who does not meet the requirements. Competent executives are all that is needed to get results under such a plan. In view of the reasons given, we reiterate that we do not think there will be any difficulty about agreeing to a wage scale for printers provided you do

20818—25t 4
40 Annual Report of the Public Printer

not insist on making classes within classes, with particular reference to machine

operators. In other words, we wish you to have the same consideration for us that you

have shown to the pressmen and the bookbinders. Simply this and nothing more.

This proposal is submitted in the hope that we may be able to reach an agree- ment and render an appeal to the Joint Committee on Printing unnecessary. In the event we are unable to finally agree we reserve the right to withdraw the

proposal and submit our case to the Joint Committee on such basis as we deem

to be for our best interests, this being in accordance with the mode of procedure

in scale negotiations between printers and their commercial employers, including

newspaper publishers.

Trusting that we will be able to confer with you at your earliest convenience, we remain,

PUBLIC printer's REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

The foregoing proposal submitted on behalf of the printers contained so many debatable questions that the Public Printer deemed

it necessary to call upon the printers' committee for additional information before he could proceed further in discussing their new proposal. Therefore, after a careful study of the above communication,

the following reply was submitted by the Public Printer on October 7

:

There has been submitted to me a printed proposal dated September 24 and

signed by your subcommittee in response to my letter of September 23 advising

you that the Joint Committee on Printing had remanded the wage appeal to our

conference with the suggestion that further negotiations be conducted in accord- ance with the conclusion of the Joint Committee on Printing that a classification schedule and wage scale should become operative in the Government Printing

Office. Without discussing at this time the question as to whether your proposal of September 24 of a flat rate for all journeyman printers, except hand, compositors

and 14 copy editors, complies with the suggestion of the Joint Committee on

Printing that a classification schedule be negotiated, I feel compelled to request

additional information regarding some of the propositions and statements in your

latest proposal. It is necessary to have this information in writing in view of the

rules of the Joint Committee on Printing that all wage appeals submitted to it shall be accompanied by written briefs, arguments, and correspondence. To

facilitate consideration I shall endeavor to follow the order of your proposal of September 24 in making my requests for additional information. By the questions asked at this time I do not wish to be understood as agreeing or disagreeing

with any of the items in your proposal which, I believe, can not be fairly discussed

until more data are submitted by the committee in support of your proposal. In the first place, why do you ask special day and night work hours for printer

employees when it must be well known to your committee that several other

trades, including bookbinders and pressmen, have agreed to the hours as originally proposed by the Public Printer to your committee? There may be merit

in your suggestion as to day and night hours, but I am sure you will recognize that to avoid utter confusion in time records there must be uniformity in the

application of day and night rates. Your committee was given the first opportunity to discuss with me the hours for day and night shifts as well as the proposed

rates for night, Sunday, holiday, and overtime work, but your subcommittee

declined to negotiate these propositions with me both under date of August 27 and again on September 6. However, if there are any special reasons why printers should be granted different hours for their day and night shifts than have been

adopted for other trades employed in the Government Printing Office, I will be

pleased to receive your views on that subject.

You further propose that if any hours of a shift fall within the hours designated

for night work that all the time of such shift shall be computed at the night rate. Do you mean that if a shift consists of seven hours within the day period and one hour within the night period that persons so employed shall be paid at the night

rate for the entire shift? Your next proposal is for a continuance of the 20 per cent additional night rate. Will you kindly submit a statement showing the night rates and percentages over the corresponding day rates for the cities whose scales were presented in your

statement of September 24? The same information is desired covering a similar
Annual Report of the Public Printer 41

number of cities more nearly the size of Washington. Also cite any places tjtiat pay as much as 15 or 20 per cent extra for night work in any branch of the printing, trade. For the first time in my effort to negotiate a wage scale with your committee

under the law effective July 1, 1924, your proposal of September 24 contains a

proposition that four hours shall constitute a day's work on Saturday throughout

the year. Neither your proposal of July 7 nor that of August 27 presents such

a proposition. I assume that you have in mind the establishment of a 44-hour

work week with pay for 48 hours. As you well know, the urgency of officiall business requires the Government Printing Office to work full eight hours on

Saturdays throughout most of the year, especially when Congress is in session. Am I to understand, therefore, that your proposal really means 54 hours' pay (if 50 per cent overtime is paid for Saturday afternoons) for 48 hours of actual work

per week? Does your demand for a 44-hour week with pay for 48 hours contemplate a continuation of the privilege of 30 days' annual leave and all legal holidays on full pay in addition to the proposed Saturday half holiday on pay the year around? In this connection kindly submit a list of printing offices, either newspaper or book and job, that grant their employees two weeks or more annual

vacation on full pay or time off on legal holidays with pay. Based on the total number of working hours per year, the Government Print- ing Office has for years granted its employees the equivalent of a 44-hour week

with 18 days' annual vacation on pay in addition. This statement is supported

by the fact that every emploj^ee is allowed 44 nonworking days, including 30

days' leave, 7 legal holidays and 14 half holidays in the summer, on full pay

annually.

Believing that a 44-hour week the year around would be more beneficial to the employees of the Government Printing Office I recommended in my annual

report for 1923 that Congress authorize the Public Printer to grant Saturday

half holidays throughout the year together with two weeks of annual leave and

two weeks of sick leave in lieu of the 30 days' annual leave as provided by law. The adoption of my plan would have given each employee 3^^ days' vacation

annually more than they are now enjoying, or a total of 473^ nonworking days on full pay every year, not including the proposed sick leave. As you will recall, my 44-hour week suggestion was opposed by Columbia

Typographical Union, which submitted a resolution to Congress requesting Satur- day half holiday throughout the year and 30 days' annual sick leave in addition

to continuance of the 30-day annual vacation and legal holidays on full pay. The total possible nonworking time on pay as thus proposed by the local union

would be 93 days, or more than one-fourth of the entire year. Does your committee approve the resolution of the Typographical Union and oppose my former

recommendation that Congress authorize a 44-hour week for the Government

Printing Office with two weeks' annual vacation and two weeks' sick leave on

full pay?

Still another and far more important question in regard to the 44-hour week

proposal is whether the Public Printer and the Joint Committee on Printing

have authority under the collective wage bargaining act to estabhsh a wage

scale for other than time of actual employment or duly authorized leave and

hohdays. Your proposition requires 48 hours' pay for 44 hours of work per week.

The Kiess Act (Public, No. 276) provides a wage for the time actually employed.

The Saturday half holidays of the summer season are granted by Executive

order, but there does not appear to be any authority of law for the Public Printer

to establish a 44-hour week throughout the year. At least it has always been

so held by officials of the Government. However, I assume you must have

had some competent legal advice to justify your presentation of the 44-hour

week proposal as a part of the pending wage negotiation. May I ask what

argument you have to offer as to the right of the Public Printer and the Joint Committee on Printing to put a 44-hour week into effect without additional authority from Congress? Of course, you recognize the importance of a definite and authoritative determination of the legal right of this office to pay employees

for Saturday half holidays the year around. If you so desire, I shall be glad to submit the question to the Comptroller General for a formal decision before proceeding further in our wage negotiation. Obviously if a 44-hour week were

possible at this time, the additional 19 nonvv^orking days on full pay annually

would have to be considered in the determination of a fair wage for the shorter hours of actual employment.

Of the 17 cities cited in justification of your wage proposal, only a few approximate the size of Washington according to the population figures noted in the

tabulation. Can you present wage scales for at least 10 cities more comparable
42 Annual Report of the Public Printer

in size with Washington? The scales submitted as "stretching across the country from the Atlantic to the Pacific" do not include any southern cities, unless St. Louis. may be so designated. What are the scales in several repre- sentative southern cities? In submitting your table of wage scales the statement is made that ''many of the cities pay much higher rates than those quoted." More specific information

is desired as to such higher rates, especially as to how and why they are paid,

whether in the form of bonuses or piece rates, and whether the higher rates apply

alike to all printers in the same plant or are based on the quality and quantity

of work done, length of service, key jobs, or similar special qualifications.

To support your demand for a wage scale higher than the rates for pressmen

as recently agreed upon by this office, you present a table of comparative weekly

wages of printers and pressmen in 17 selected cities and assert the table shows

that "the wages for printers throughout the country are uniformly much higher

than those for pressmen, except for web pressmen, whose rates almost equal those

of newspaper printers." As a matter of fact, your table shows that in 10 out

of the 17 cities named, web pressmen receive more than book and job machine

operators. The table also indicates that in 9 out of the 17 cities cylinder press- men receive as much or more than book and job hand compositors. In Washington the scale for cylinder pressmen is equal to that of book and job hand

compositors and the rate for web pressmen is $8 per week more than that for book and job machine operators.

Inasmuch as your committee contends that printers in many cities are paid

"much higher" than their union scale, which is the minimum rate, will you

kindly advise me as to whether the scales for pressmen, as quoted, are also minimum rates and submit whatever data you can obtain as to the actual wages

paid pressmen in the cities mentioned?

Reference is also made to the new wage agreement between this office and

the bookbinders. You assert that the scale for bookbinders in the same cities

is "much lower" than the rates for printers. If you have any definite information to sustain that statement, I would be glad to consider it in connection with

wage data submitted by the bookbinders in support of their proposal.

Ma}^ I ask what your purpose was in comparing the wage scales of printers

with the rates of pressmen and bookbinders? Was it to bolster up your apparent

claim that printers are generally regarded as a superior class of workmen and,

therefore, entitled to more pay than their more humble brethren in the printing

trade, or did your committee intend to convey the impression that the Public

Printer and the Joint Committee on Printing had agreed to excessive rates in the recent negotiations with the pressmen and bookbinders of this office? My recollection is that the printers you represent joined forces with the pressmen and bookbinders for many years in urging Congress to adopt and continue one rate for the three printing trades in the Government Printing Office. Are you now opposed to similar and equal consideration for these trades? I have

heard no objection on the part of the pressmen and bookbinders to my proposal

to pay printer machine operators more than web pressmen or bindery machine

operators. Do you think the latter are entitled to more or less than hand

compositors? As I understand the recent act of Congress, the wages of each trade are to be

determined by a conference between the Public Printer and "a committee

selected by the trades affected." I, therefore, assumed that in determining the wages of pressmen and bookbinders it was not necessary to confer with the rep- resentatives of any other trade. In fact, I had not regarded the printers as

interested parties in the negotiations with the pressmen and bookbinders; but

if your committee thinks it had any right to participate in those negotiations,

which were successfully and promptly completed without your assistance, I hope you will present your objections to those agreements. In stating your principal objections to the proposed classification of machine

operators, you claim that "the International Typographical Union forbids its members to make new scales on this basis." I find from the union wage report

of the Department of Labor that piecework or bonus scales have been accepted

by typographical unions in at least 15 cities throughout the country. The

Wage Bulletin issued by the International Typographical Union for April, 1924,

reports a union wage increase in Chicago for bonus operators on piecework, with a contract extended to May, 1926. The Chicago union scale fixes the minimum

for bonus operators at $1.13 per hour day and $1.25 per hour night, with a sliding scale of 1 cent per 100 ems in excess of 4,500, which seems to be regarded as the minimum acceptable for a competent newspaper operator. The I. T. U. Bulletin
Annual Report of the Public Printer 43

for February, 1924, reports a new scale increase for Philadelphia, with bonus at varying amounts in excess of the union scale. In the Bulletin for December,

1923, a new piecework contract is reported by the Montgomery, Ala., union,

running from January 1, 1924, to December 31, 1926. The same issue of the

Bulletin also reports a new piecework scale which the St. Louis Typographical

Union has agreed to, effective from July 8, 1923, to May 31, 1928.

I have not had time to make a thorough study of all union scales, but enough

instances of piecework agreements by local tj-pographical unions have been

mentioned to indicate the arbitrariness of your position against negotiating a

classified scale with the Government at this time. As further evidence of the

unfairness of your persistent refusal to discuss or arbitrate the sliding scale proposed by this office, I cite your own brief in which you state that the Washington Post last year tried out a sliding scale for operators with a bonus of $5- per week for those who averaged 40,000 ems or more per day. If the Post were- permitted to test such a plan, what real objection is there to the Government

undertaking a similar experience?

You state that the International Typographical Union forbids its members

to make new scales on a piecework or bonus basis. May I ask if the International Typographical Union is a party to the present negotiation which, I understood,, was to be had with "a committee selected by the trades affected" as provided

by law? Does your committee represent the International Typographical Union or the trade affected in the Government Printing Office? Your credentials show

that the committee w^as "selected from a larger committee composed of an

elected representative from each of the printing sections in the Government

Printing Office." Have you other credentials, instructions, or obligations that may govern your action in the pending negotiation with the Government?

If so, I believe it is only fair that there should be a clear understanding as to the

status and power of your committee.

I have no objection whatever to discussing the matter with authorized representatives of the International Typographical Union, the same as I have

uniformly done with representatives of other trade organizations in matters

affecting their members; but I believe the Public Printer has a Bight to know

with whom he is conferring. So I feel compelled to request an exact statement from your committee as to its status and authority to negotiate a wage for printers employed in the Government Printing Office and whether the committee is under restrictions or instructions from any outside source whatever

that would prevent an agreement with the Government if the committee were

free to act solely in the interest of the employees themselves. If under the law

there are other parties or organizations of interest in the negotiation, they are

entitled to be heard openly and courteously and not compelled to resort to the- discredited method of what, to be polite, may be called "secret diplomacy."

Serious consideration must be given to your statements that typesetting:

machines are "nerve wreckers" and that an effort to increase production would

meet with "correspondingly disastrous results to the health of the operators."" This is a matter of public concern, for no industry ought to continue to require the operation of machines that wreck the nerves of men and women and result disastrously to their health. I believe you will agree with me that the newspapers

require the greatest speed of their operators and that, therefore, they would be

the worst offenders in such a cruel and inhuman practice. Do you contend that

the newspapers of America are wrecking the health of their employees? If so, why has not the International Typographical Union taken vigorous action to correct such a gross evil? As before stated, the International Typographical Union continues to be a party to piecework and bonus scales in a score of cities, including such great

printing centers as Chicago, Boston, and St. Louis. I have been told that lino- type operators employed on the Chicago Tribune maintain an average of approximately 7,000 ems and that a number of Tribune operators average from ten to twelve thousand ems throughout the year. The machine operators on the Hearst

papers are also said to be especially rapid. What, if anything, has been done to save these men from their "nerve-wrecking" pace if such it may justly be called?

I beheve my record as Public Printer will amply justify the assertion that at no time have I put into effect any "sweatshop" practices in the Government

Printing Office or required employees to work in other than a normal and natural way. I am deeply concerned over your charge that typesetting machines are nerve wreckers and cause disastrous results to the health of operators. The

health records of operators employed in the Government Printing Office do not
44 Annual Report of the Public Printer

confirm your statement and I am anxious, therefore, to be fully advised as to the information you may have as to the health of operators in other printing

plants.

Your next charge is that the wage classification as proposed for machine

operators is the tabooed ''Taylor system under another name." The so-called Taylor system, according to my understanding, makes a time study of a first- class workman, records the quickest time in which he can do a certain job, fixes his maximum output as the standard, and uses a stop watch to check up the work

of all employees according to the pace set by the most efficient man in the shop.

The proposed classification of typesetting machine operators has nothing in common with such a system. If you believe otherwise, I would be glad to have

you set forth in detail your reasons therefor and point out wherein the proposed

plan is the Taylor system under another name.

The classification plan is based on the average production of operators in the Government Printing Office. Inasmuch as you practically charge the

present operators with mediocrity and inefficiency and assert that the office is suffering from the "loss of a great many of the best operators and the accession

of few good ones," it would seem fair to assume that their average production,

which you further claim is "far from normal," would be a very liberal basis on which to fix the standard of efficiency for this office. The classification plan

provides a way for all operators to set voluntarily their own scale of pay without

the use of a stop watch or any other sweatshop devices. It is proposed at the

outset to place all operators, except those whose present records entitle them to higher ratings, in the class for which approximately the present average production has been adopted as the basis. This gives the poor operator an equal chance

with the good one regardless of his previous record. Even those who subse- quently drop to the lowest class may be retained in the office, at least as long as there may be need for their services. The several classes also afford an opportunity for the operator who may slow down for one reason or another, especially on account of old age, to continue in the service, and avoid the necessity of dis- charging men who have begun to falter after having given the best years of their

lives to the work of the Government. To Justify a flat-rate scale for all operators,

such as you propose, would necessitate a higher rate of production than that of which you admit many of the present operators are capable. It would naturally mean the displacement of a number of your fellow men who have served the Government long and faithfully and are still able to qualify in some of the classes

I have proposed.

I note the statement that you are "for an honest day's work for a fair day's

pay." You assert that "a fair day's work is very easy to determine, particularly

in the case of machine operators." It would be very helpful in the consideration of your proposal if you could submit definite information as to what the committee considers an "honest day's work" for linotype and monotype machine

operators. I would also appreciate advice as to how "very easy" it may be to determine a fair or honest day's work.

From your statements that "production conditions in the Government Printing

Office are far from normal" and that the remedy lies in making a scale for operators which, as you say, "fairly corresponds with what they are paid in commercial

establishments," is it to be understood that the operators in the Government

Printing Office are not now performing an honest or fair day's work?

What are operators in the 17 cities mentioned in your brief required to produce

as a fair day's work for the wages they are receiving? Since you agree with me that production is an important element in the deter- mination of a fair wage for fair work, and state that you do not expect an employee to be retained who does not meet the requirements, I deem it essential that the standard for a fair day's work shall be carefully considered in connection

with your proposal. Even competent executives can not operate an immense

plant like the Government Printing Office without the help of competent employees. Therefore, I invite your valuable assistance and the benefit of your

long experience in the Government Printing Office in the determination of the standard for an honest day's work which operators should produce to justify their retention in the service, whether they shall be paid at a flat rate or according to a sliding scale. There is still another statement in your brief which has attracted my attention and seems to require further explanation. It is the assertion that "in

recent years the office has acquired and continues to employ operators who

have no knowledge of the printing business outside the manipulation of the keyboard." Does this statement imply that the office has violated any civil-
Annual Report of the Public Printer 45

service law or regulations in the employment of operators? If so, I respectfully , request that you submit specific evidence with names in support of such a charge.

Naturally among the large number of applicants and the need of emergency employees a few, who were subsequently found not qualified for the work, may

have received temporary appointments. But I do not know of a single case of permanent appointment under my administration that has not properly qualified through the Civil Service Commission, which has up to this time required

all operators to have served a regular apprenticeship. I do recall, however, the appointment of the son of former Public Printer Ford as an emergency linotype

operator. He subsequently failed to pass the civil service examination, having

had, according to reports, little or no real training as a practical printer except

as a machinist's helper and a few months' practice on the keyboard. Of course, he could not be retained as a permanent operator, but, I understand, the young man has been granted a card by the Columbia Typographical Union which per- mits him to work at any branch of the printing trade in a union shop.

Finally, I feel compelled to ask the meaning and purpose of your concluding statement that there will be no difficulty in agreeing to a wage scale, ''provided"

I do not insist on making classes with particular reference to machine operators.

When I endeavored to negotiate a wage scale with your committee in August

you refused to discuss my proposal, unless I agreed in advance to reject definitely the classification plan. Appeal was then made to the Joint Committee on

Printing, which remanded the case with the suggestion that further negotiations

be conducted in accordance with the conclusion of the Joint Committee, that a

classification schedule and wage scale should become operative in the Government

Printing Office. In view of the action of the Joint Committee on Printing, do

you still insist that any classification of operators shall be barred from negotiation

before a wage scale may be agreed upon with this office? Inasmuch as you have assumed to reserve the right to withdraw your proposal

and submit your case to the Joint Committee on Printing on such basis as you

deem best if we are unable to reach an agreement, I shall have to request the same privilege, if within our rights to make such a reservation. However, I am

sincerely hopeful that your reply to this communication will bring forth such

information as may readily be made the basis of an agreement that will meet

with the approval of the Joint Committee on Printing.

Following the exchange of the foregoing communications the

Public Printer held several extended conferences with the printers'

committee, consisting of Messrs. Hantzmon, Barnhart, and Kirby.

These conferences resulted on August 14 in a modified classification

wage scale which the Public Printer offered to propose to the committee provided a satisfactory reply was made to his letter of October

7, which had not been answered.

COMMITTEE'S REPLY TO THE PUBLIC PRINTER

The committee agreed to present a proper reply which was subsequently submitted as follows under date of October 14, although

not received by the Public Printer until October 17:

Sir: In compliance with instructions from the Joint Committee on Printing in remanding the wage controversy affecting printers in the Government Printing

Office back to the conference for further negotiation, the undersigned committee

submitted a proposal to you under date of September 24. Under date of October

7 you submitted a communication to us asking for considerable additional data. According to the usual rules governing scale negotiations in outside offices the mode of procedure would have been either to have a conference on the proposal

submitted or the submission of a counterproposal, after which conferences would

be held. We therefore sent you a communication on October 8 in which it was stated that the committee ''believes that no good results can be obtained by an extended

correspondence, and therefore declines to be responsible for the further delay your requests would entail," and asked for a conference on the merits of our

proposal of September 24. On October 10 and 13 you granted us conferences. On the latter date you submitted a counterproposal, contingent upon satisfac- tory answer being made to the questions contained in your letter of October 7,
46 Annual Report of the Public Printer

We therefore take up below each paragraph in said letter, numbering the para- graphs for easy reference:

(1) "There has been submitted to me a printed proposal dated September 24

and signed by your subcommittee in response to my letter of September 23, advising you that the Joint Committee on Printing had remanded the wage

appeal to our conference with the suggestion that further negotiations be con- ducted in accordance with the conclusion of the Joint Committee on Printing, that a classification schedule and wage scale should become operative in the- Government Printing Office.

(2) ''Without discussing at this time the question as to whether your proposal

of September 24 of a fiat rate for all journeymen printers, except hand compositors

and 14 copy editors, complies with the suggestion of the Joint Committee on

Printing that a classification schedule be negotiated, I feel compelled to request

additional information regarding some of the propositions and statements in your latest proposal. It is necessary to have this information in writing in view

of the rules of the Joint Committee on Printing that all wage appeals submitted

to it shall be accompanied by written briefs, arguments, and correspondence.

To facilitate consideration I shall endeavor to follow the order of your proposal

of September 24 in making my requests for additional information. By the

questions asked at this time I do not wish to be understood as agreeing or dis- agreeing with any of the items in your proposal which, I believe, can not be

fairly discussed until more data is submitted by the committee in support of your proposal."

Paragraphs 1 and 2 appear to require no reply.

(3) " In the first place, why do you ask special day and night work hours for

printer employees when it must be well known to your committee that several other trades, including bookbinders and pressmen, have agreed to the hours as

originally proposed by the Public Printer to your committee? There may be a

merit in your suggestion as to day and night hours, but I am sure you will recognize that, to avoid utter confusion in time records, there must be uniformity in the

application of day and night rates. Your committee was given the first opportunity to discuss with me the hours for day and night shifts as well as the

proposed rates for night, Sunday, holiday, and overtime work, but your sub- committee declined to negotiate these propositions with me both under date of August 27 and again on September 6. However, if there are any special reasons why printers should be granted different hours for their day and night shifts than

have been adopted for other trades employed in the Government Printing Office,, I will be pleased to receive your views on the subject." In replying to paragraph 3, permit us to say that for approximately 30 years the law provided that day work should be between the hours of 8 a. m. and 5

p. m. and night work between 5 p. m. and 8 a. m. Our proposal requested

that this condition remain the same because we did not desire to voluntarily

change the condition. In our minds there was also some doubt as to the Kiess Act having nullified the law in which these hours were fixed to designate day and

night work and we did not desire to raise the question of legality of the proposal

submitted. However, we have not insisted that these hours be maintained to a

point where it would embarrass because of the settlement which was arranged with

other crafts and to which you refer.

(4) "You further propose that if any hours of a shift fall within the hours

designated for night work that all the time of such shift shall be computed at the

night rate. Do you mean that if a shift consists of seven hours within the day

period and one hour within the night period, that persons so employed shall be

paid at the night rate for the entire shift?"

Shifts which fall partly within the day hours and partly within the night

hours, to which you refer in paragraph 4, are quite universally recognized as

split shifts and the night rate is paid for the full shift. When working from day

hours into night hours employees sacrifice their opportunity for both afternoon and evening recreation, entertainment and social activities. We considered

that the night rate for the full shift v^'^as but proper recognition in view of the fact that this rule is so universally observed in the printing industry. It is also* usual that employees starting their shift before the hour fixed to designate day

work is entitled to the same consideration. In this respect our proposal was

quite thoroughly in accord with rules of the trade generally recognized in big

printing centers.
Annual Report of the Public Printer 47

(5) "Your next proposal is for a continuance of the 20 per cent additional night rate. Will you kindly submit a statement showing the night rates and

percentages over the corresponding day rates for the cities whose scales were

presented in your statement of September 24? The same information is desired covering a similar number of cities more nearly the size of Washington. Also

cite any places that pay as much as 15 or 20 per cent extra for night work in any

branch of the printing trade." In reply to your paragraph 5, we desire to say we were strongly desirous of retaining the 20 per cent differential for night work. This differential has oper- ated in the Government Printing Office for many years and we w^ere aware that

the many night workers would feel they had scarificed something enjoyed in the

past were the condition changed. Under this condition it was hardly possible

for us to submit a proposal which did not provide that the night rate should be

20 per cent above the rate for day work. Our committ^ in accepting the 15 per cent provided in agreements with the other crafts indicated its desire to reach a settlement that was mutually acceptable and one that would be in har- mony with settlements previously arranged.

(6 to 10) In paragraphs 6 to 10 you deal with the inclusion in our proposal

of request for the Saturday half holiday throughout the year. In reply we wish to say that for the past four years we have had bills intro- duced in Congress which provided for a Saturday half holiday in the Govern- ment Printing Office. The printers of the United States have been going through

a vigorous campaign since May, 1921, to secure the Saturday half holiday, to which cause we have been contributors, and it can now be said to be generally

established. It will be noted that all of the 17 cities in the table previously

referred to are on a 44-hour-week basis. Bulletin No. 354, relating to the union

scale of wages and hours of labor, recently issued by the Department of Labor,

states that in the book and job printing trade 89 per cent had a working week

of 44 hours or less and 10 per cent had a 48-hour week. In the newspaper trade

53 per cent were shown to be on a 48-hour basis, 29 per cent worked 44 and under

48 hours, and 18 per cent had a working week of 44 hours or less. While we thus ask the Government to grant only what has already been con- ceded by commercial employers, we realize that under the circumstances we

can not hope to have the request granted at this time. We appreciate the fact

that, as you say, it has been held neither the Public Printer nor the Joint Committee on Printing have the authority to grant such a request without further

legislation, but we believe that the Government will eventually grant the Satur- day half holiday, not only to printers, but to all of its employees, and until that time comes we think the matter should be pressed at every opportunity.

The declaration for the Saturday half holiday contained in your report to the Congress is accepted as evidence that you approve of this condition which has been established as a rule of the printing trade. While we can not agree that Government Printing Office employees should sacrifice a portion of their leave of absence to secure the Saturday half holiday, we repeat the assurance given verbally

by this committee that there was no desire to embarrass the Public Printer or Joint Committee on Printing by making demands which they have not authority

to grant or proposing conditions they have not the power to establish.

(11) "Of the 17 cities cited in justification of your wage proposal, only a few

approximate the size of Washington according to the population figures noted in the tabulation. Can you present wage scales for at least 10 cities more comparable

in size with Washington? The scales submitted as 'stretching across the country

from the Atlantic to the Pacific' do not include any southern cities, unless St. .Louis may be so designated. What are the scales in several representative southern cities?" There are no southern cities which compare with Washington in general

living conditions, and only two as to population—Louisville and New Orleans. As we are compelled to live here and pay Washington prices, we think the rate

of pay should conform to conditions here. The 17 cities whose scales are incor- porated in our proposal of September 24 come nearer comparing with Washington in general living costs and conditions than any set of cities we could

select, and they are truly representative printing centers. In the southern

part of the country it is a well-knowa fact that scales are lower for all trades than in other sections of the country, and this includes printers.

(12) "In submitting your table of wage scales the statement is made that 'many of the cities pay much higher rates than those quoted.' More specific
48 Annual Report of the Public Printer

information is desired as to such higher rates, especially as to how and why they

are paid, whether in the form of bonuses or piece rates, and whether the higher

rates apply alike to all printers in the same plant or are based on the quality and

quantity of work done, length of service, key jobs, or similar special qualifica- tions." The statement is based on information obtained from printers coming from all parts of the country, and where such advances are made it is assumed that they

are made for the same reasons actuating employers in this city, such as Judd &

Detweiler, the Law Reporter, and others, who find it advisable to do so in order

to attract craftsmen of the highest skill to get out their work.

(13 to 17) In paragraphs 13 to 17, inclusive, you refer to our statement comparing the wage of printers with pressmen and other crafts. It is true that pressmen receive more than the scales call for in many cities, which is probably also true of bookbinders, and it is certainly true of the printers.

We have no official figures to determine what is the percentage of this increased pay, but from the best information obtainable the conditions in Washington are a

fair sample of the conditions throughout the country where the scale rates in book

and job offices are not so high. In Washington, as stated in our proposal of September 24, the pay in job shops ranges from $2 to $6 per week above scale rates for printers, the largest job shop in the city paying a minimum of $2 per week above scale rates to all employees.

Our only object in presenting the comparative wage scales of the printers

and pressmen in the 17 cities was to prove that, according to the rates that apply in the trade, there could be no good reason for paying printers less than

you had already agreed to pay pressmen. We expressed no opinion as to the

justness of your settlement with the pressmen and bookbinders in our proposal of September 24, nor do we express any now. We merely stated the facts in regard

to prevailing scales in other cities. It is true that the printers, pressmen, and bookbinders have heretofore usually

joined forces in attempting to get increases through Congress, for the reason that we considered that method the most effective way to secure results. (18) "As I understand the recent act of Congress the wages of each trade are

to be determined by a conference between the Public Printer and 'a committee

selected by the trades affected.' I therefore assumed that in determining the wages of pressmen and bookbinders it was not necessary to confer with the

representatives of any other trade. In fact, I had not regarded the printers as interested parties in the negotiations with the pressmen and bookbinders; but

if your committee thinks it had any right to participate in those negotiations,

which were successfully and promptly completed without your assistance, I hope

you will present your objections to those agreements."

We have never entertained the slightest idea that we should have been consulted in regard to the negotiations with the pressmen and bookbinders. We

merely cited these settlements as justification for the belief that we were entitled to the same consideration you accorded them by adhering to the practices of the trade in our scale as you had in theirs.

(19, 20, 21) In replying to your reference to piece and bonus scales contained in paragraphs 19, 20, 21, permit us to say there were at onetime a great many cities where piece and bonus scales existed. Constant efforts on the part of the printers to get rid of them have greatly reduced the number, and we naturally do not wish

to add to it for reasons given in our proposal of September 24. The International Typographical Union is not a party to the present negotiations, but is the agency through which the printers attempt to secure reforms affecting their interests of a

national character, and the complete abolition of piece and bonus scales based on

production is one of the settled policies of the organization. Ninety-nine per cent

of the printers in the Government Printing Office belong to the International Typographical Union and are in hearty sympathy with its stand on the question.

(22) "Does your committee represent the International Typographical

Union or the trade affected in the Government Printing Office? Your credentials show that the committee was 'selected from a larger committee composed of an

elected representative from each of the printing sections in the Government

Printing Office.' Have you other credentials, instructions, or obligations that may govern your action in the pending negotiation with the Government?

If so, I believe it is only fair that there should be a clear understanding as to the status and power of your committee."

Each chapel in the Government Printing Office selected a scale representative,

and the full committee so selected in turn selected a subcommittee of three mem-
Annual Report of the Public Printer 49

bers to do the actual negotiating. The officers of Columbia Typographical

Union were asked to act in an advisory capacity. President Charles P. Howard,

of the International Typographical Union, was also recently requested to sit with the committee and assist in the negotiations. We have no other credentials,

having acted, as we understand the matter, in conformity with the law of Congress.

(24, 25, 26) Discussing the effect of machine operation upon the operators

(paragraphs 24, 25, 26), we believe our statement of September 24 in regard to the effect which continued operation of linotype and monotype machines has on

the nervous system is exactly as we have stated it. While work on these machines

has a tendency to produce nervous troubles, we do not think such work should be

discontinued by the Government any more than we think coal mining should be

abolished because now and then great clamities result among the miners, or that the flying machine should be prohibited because of the hazards surrounding the

aviators in their manipulation. The typesetting, machine performs a great

service, but the nature of the work is such and requires such close application that it is easy for the operator to extend himself with harmful results. This he

fails to realize until the damage has been done. In our opinion, the Government

should not be a party to increasing the strain on the operators. They should be

allowed to work normally and naturally.

There can be no fair comparison between the averages maintained by operators on newspapers as against those in the Government Printing Office, because the

conditions under which the operators work are entirely different. On newspapers

the type is small and the matter to a large extent what printers call \' straight." In the Government Printing Office the type is generally large and the matter to a great extent technical. The styles are numerous in the Government Printing

Office, while "style" is followed on newspapers only to the extent that it does not

interfere with the time in which the paper must be issued to be on the street at a

stipulated time. Frequently "style" is entirely disregarded, the matter often being

"railroaded" from the machine to the forms. An operator on a machine in newspaper offices can easily maintain a higher average than a Government

Printing Office operator without working so hard. As for your comments in paragraph 25, we will say that Chicago and St. Louis are two of the very few large cities where newspapers continue to operate on the piece or bonus basis. Those employed on the piece basis are paid for

all the type they set, which differed materially from your proposition. For

instance, under the monotype schedule you stipulate that an operator in Class B who averaged 5,000 ems per hour would be given $1 per hour, and that an

operator in Class E who averaged 7,000 ems per hour, would receive $1.15 per

hour. In other words, the Class E operator would be required to do 40 per

cent more work than the Class B man in order to receive 15 per cent more pay. Bonuses are paid to a great extent in lieu of raising the scale, and because the employers must pay them in order to secure competent forces.

It is not at all surprising that the health records of the office do not "confirm" our statement in regard to the effect that the operation of a linotype

machine has on the operator. The office doctors attend to emergency cases, and naturally do not handle such cases as we have in mind. We could cite a good many cases of operators in the office who asked to be relieved of such

work, and some of them are still working in the shop. None of them ever

consulted the office doctors, however. Balsey F. Sauter, now employed in the hand section, can fully verify everything we have said about the nerve-wrecking

qualities of the machines. Norman Sandridge, now in the proof room, could never be induced to operate a typesetting machine again. While we could

cite you many others, we refrain from doing so because of possible embarrassment to the men themselves.

(27) "Your next charge is that the wage classification as proposed for machine

operators is the tabooed 'Taylor system under another name.' The so-called Taylor system, according to my understanding, makes a time study of a first-class workman, records the quickest time in which he can do a certain job, fixes his maximum output as the standard, and uses a stop watch to check up the work

of all employees according to the pace set by the most efficient man in the shop.

The proposed classification of typesetting machine operators has nothing in common with such a system. If you believe otherwise, I would be glad to have

you set forth in detail your reasons therefor and point out wherein the proposed

plan is the 'Taylor system under another name.'

(28) "The classification plan is based on the average production of operators

in the Government Printing Office. Inasmuch as you practically charge the

present operators with mediocrity and inefficiency and assert that the office is
50 Annual Report of the Public Printer

suffering from the 'loss of a great many of the best operators and the accession

of few good ones,' it would seem fair to assume that their average production,

which you further claim is 'far from normal,' would be a very liberal basis on which to fix the standard of efficiency for this office. The classification plan

provides a way for all operators to set voluntarily their own scale of pay without

the use of a stop watch or any other sweatshop devices. It is proposed at the

outset to place all operators, except those w^hose present records entitle them to higher ratings, in the class for which approximately the present average pro- duction has been adopted as the basis. This gives the poor operator an equal

chance with the good one regardless of his previous record. Even those who

subsequently drop to the lowest class may be retained in the office, at least as long as there may be need for their services. The several classes also afford an

opportunity for the operator who may slow down for one reason or another,

especially on account of old age, to continue in the service, and avoid the necessity

of discharging men who have begun to falter after having given the best years

of their lives to the work of the Government. To justify a flat-rate scale for all operators such as you propose would necessitate a higher rate of production

than that of which you admit many of the present operators are capable. It would naturally mean the displacement of a number of your fellow men who have

served the Government long and faithfully and are still able to qualify in some

of the classes I have proposed."

Our opposition to wage rates being based upon a fixed production results from

experience extending over many years. At the time the typesetting and typecasting machine came into use the system of payment for a fixed production was

generally prevalent. This system has been discarded in practicall}^ all large

printing centers because of the injurious effects of "speeding-up" or "competitive" systems upon the health of operators. We are confident you appreciate that had not our position in this matter been based upon sound logic it would

have been impossible to accomplish this result. Experience proves that so many

elements enter into the question that it is quite impossible to operate such a system in the present-day composing room. The complexity of its organization

makes it impossible to definitely fix standards or operate a satisfactory system

«of measurement to apply to large classes of employees. In referring to that portion of your proposal which established variable rates

of pay for machine operators who established a certain average as the '

' Taylor

system" it was not our intention to charge that you sought to establish a system

which had been "outlawed" in another Government department. It is quite common for printers to refer to any "speeding-up" system or plan of payment

based upon production as a "Taylor system." The almost universal opposition

to all piece and bonus plans is doubtless responsible for the use of opprobrious names even at the sacrifice of accuracy in terminology. Had we more fully

inquired into the technique of the Taylor system even our zealousness to protect the well being of our fellow craftsmen would not have caused us to designate

your proposal in an objectionable manner. We gladly correct the record in this as well as other respects in which we have erred or been guilty of inaccuracy.

Even in our unalterable opposition to any system of payment based upon a fixed production we do not desire to offend or be unfair. We have no desire to evade or avoid making reply to the other questions contained in your communication. However, in our last conference, at which you

submitted a proposal that has been accepted by the committee, you indicated

it would be unnecessary to make detailed reply to other than more important

questions upon which you desired additional information. We have earnestly

endeavored to comply with your request in a satisfactory manner.

In the matter of hours for day and night work, rate of compensation for overtime, differential for night work and Saturday half holiday, this committee real- ized that you could hardly propose conditions more favorable than those provided

in agreements with the other crafts, which agreements had been approved by the

Joint Committee on Printing.

Trusting you will find this reply satisfactory and that the proposal to which we have agreed can be immediately submitted to the Committee on Printing

for approval, and expressing the further hope that this action will serve the best

interests of all concerned, we are, Very truly 3^ours, Edward S. Hantzmon,

H. B. Barnhart,

Wm. L. Kirby,

Committee representing Journeymen Printers, Proof Readers, Imposers,

Makers-up, and Linotype and Monotype Machine Operators,
Annual Report of the Public Printer 51

FINAL PROPOSAL AS MADE TO PRINTERS

The final proposal as submitted to the prmters' committee by the

Pubhc Printer on October 14 in accordance with their agreement on

that date conforms in the main to his proposition of August 16,

except that the classification of machine operators is reduced from

five to two groups and the minimum pay for compositors is increased

from 90 to 95 c^nts per hour. The Public Printer's proposal of October 14 is as follows

In further reference to your proposal of September 24, 1924, relative to rates

of wages for journeymen printers employed in the day and night, hand, monotype, linotype, proof, job, and Library sections of the Government Printing

Office, I am pleased to submit the following counterproposal:

Per hour Compositors, including job compositors, and monotype assemblers $0. 95 Imposers and makers-up 1. 00

Proof readers 1. 00 Copy editors 1. 05 Emergency and probational linotype and monotype-keyboard operators __ 1. 00

Provided that the pay of such operators may be increased to $1.05 per hour whenever their ratings, as determined by the Public Printer,

shall justify.

Regular linotype and monotype keyboard operators 1. 05 Provided that such operators, whose ratings for a period of three months are below the standard required by the Public Printer, may

be retained at SI per hour as long as their services are needed. Nothing in this agreement shall prevent the Public Printer from discharging

any employee on account of necessar}' reduction of the force, or for cause as pro- vided by the civil-service rules and regulations. Promotions and demotions

may be made as heretofore. The proposal for rates of pay for night, Sunday, holiday, and overtime work

in the Government Printing Office, as submitted in my communication of August 30. 1924, is hereby renewed, including the proposition as to up and down

rating for temporary changes.

It is to be understood that the increase of wage rates as proposed herein will bring increased production and remedy the conditions set forth in your communication of September 24. The Public Printer, therefore, reserves the right to

require a higher standard of efficiency on the part of the employees affected, especially as to the average of typesetting-machine operators.

If the foregoing proposals as to rates of wages, including compensation for night,

Sunday, holiday, and overtime work, are agreeable to your committee and a

satisfactory reply is made to my letter of October 7, I shall be pleased to submit

the same to the Joint Committee on Printing for its approval as provided by

the act of June 7, 1924; otherwise, the proposal will be withdrawn for the purpose

of continuing negotiations.

printers' committee accepts PROPOSAL

The printers' acceptance of the above proposal was submitted to the Public Printer under date of October 14 and signed by the entire

committee representing the printers employed in the Government

Printing Ofiice as follows:

The undersigned committee representing the journeymen printers employed

in the hand, monotype, linotype, proof, job, and Library sections of the Govern- ment Printing Office, having authority conferred upon it as a representative

committee constituted in accordance with the law providing the manner of wage adjustments, desires to inform you of acceptance of your proposal, copy

of which is hereto attached.

It is the desire of the committee that the proposal be submitted to the Joint Committee on Printing for approval at the earliest practicable time, to the end

that the rates provided therein may become effective at an early date.
52 Annual Report of the Public Printer

This committee is authorized to act in behalf of all classes of employees for whom rates of pay are fixed in the proposal submitted.

The Committee:

Edwakd S. Hantzmon,

Representing linotype section (night). H. B. Barnhart,

Representing proof section (night).

Wm. L. Kirby,

Representing monotype section (day). R. S. Peed, per Ellet,

Representing job section (daij) . G. M. KOOCKOGEY,

Representing job section (night)

.

Geo. G. Whi,te,

Representing hand section (day).

John E. Hogan,

Representing hand section (night).

John S. Beck,

Representing proof section (day) . Chas. W. Radley,

Representing linotype section (day).

William H. Rowe,

Representing monotype section (night).

Wm. C. Austin,

Representing monotype keyboard section (day).. Harry C. Murray,

Representing monotype keyboard section (night).

Todd C. Sharp,

Representing Library branch. AGREEMENT SUBMITTED TO JOINT COMMITTEE

On receipt of the committee's acceptance, dated October 14, the

Public Printer submitted the agreement to the Joint Committee on

Printing with the following statement:

In accordance with the provisions of ''An act to regulate and fix rates of pay

for employees and officers of the Government Printing Office" (Public No. 276)

approved June 7, 1924, I have the honor to report that the Public Printer and

the committee representing journeymen printers employed in the day and night

hand, monotype, linotype, proof, job, and Library sections of the Government

Printing Office have agreed upon the following rates of pay and compensation

to be paid the trades affected in the Government Printing Office and respectfully

recommend that the same be approved by the Joint Committee on Printing:

Per hour Compositors, including job compositors, and monotype assemblers $0. 95 Imposers and makers-up 1. 00

Proof readers 1. 00 Copy editors 1. 05 Emergency and probational linotype and monotype keyboard operators. _ 1. 00 Provided that the pay of such operators may be increased to $1.05 per hour whenever their ratings, as determined by the Public Printer, shall

justify.

Regular linotype and monotype keyboard operators 1. 05 Provided that such operators, whose ratings for a period of three months are below the standard required by the Pubhc Printer, may be

retained at $1 per hour as long as their services are needed. Nothing in this agreement shall prevent the Public Printer from discharging

any employee on account of necessary reduction of the force, or for cause as provided by the civil service rules and regulations. Promotions and demotions may be made as heretofore. The proposal for rates of pay for night, Sunday, holiday, and overtime work

in the Government Printing Office, as submitted in my communication of August
Annical Report of the Public Printer 53

30, 1924, is hereby renewed, including the proposition as to up and down rating

for temporary changes.

It is to be understood that the increase of wage rates as proposed herein will bring increased production and remedy the conditions set forth in your communication of September 24, The Public Printer, therefore, reserves the right

to require a higher standard of efficiency on the part of the employees affected, especially as to the average of typesetting machine operators.

The committee of journeymen printers and the Public Printer have also agreed

upon the rates of pay for"^ night, Sunday, holiday, and overtime work in the Government Printing Office as proposed by the Public Printer under date of August 30, 1924, a copy of which proposal is transmitted herewith. The

approval by the Joint Committee on Printing of this agreement is also respectfully recommended.

For the information of the Joint Committee on Printing in connection with

the consideration of the foregoing agreements I am pleased to transmit herewith

copies of communications exchanged between the committee of journeymen

printers and the Pubhc Printer since the matter was referred back to the confer- ence by the Joint Committee on Printing.

The proposed increase of pay affects approximately 913 printers engaged at the trade in the Government Printing Office. The increase of pay for these

printers under the 90-cent minimum granted by the Kiess Act amounts to ap- proximately S122,000 per annum. The additional increase over this amount as proposed by the jPubhc Printer amounts to approximateh' 8202,000 per annum. The total increases for printers, including that granted by the Kiess Act and

proposed by the Pubhc Printer, will amount to approximately $324,000 per annum. In addition to this increase the proposed scale for overtime, Sunday,

and hohdav pav will further increase the vearly earnings by an estimated amount

of §54,000.

The agreement with the printers is respectfully submitted with the earnest recommendation that the same be promptly approved by the Joint Committee

on Printing as provided by the act of June 7, 1924. JOINT COMmTTEE RATIFIES AGREEMENT

Under date of October 27 Senator Moses, of New Hampshire, and

Representatives Kiess, of Pennsylvania, and Stevenson, of South

Carolina, acting for the Joint Committee on Printing, approved the

agreement of the committee of printers as recommended by the Pubhc

Printer, with the understanding that the wages so fixed should become

effective at the beginning of the next '^turn in" (pay period) after date of the Joint Committee's letter. The authorized action of the

subcommittee was subsequently ratified by all the members of the

Joint Committee on Printing.

In announcing the approval by the Joint Committee on Printing of the wage increase granted journeyman printers for the period of at

least one year beginning October 29, 1924, the Public Printer published

the following statement

The Pubhc Printer desires to congratulate the printers on the satisfactory conclusion of this negotiation and to express his sincere appreciation of the fair and courteous manner in which Messrs. Edward S. Hantzmon, H. B. Barnhart,

and WiUiam L. Kirby, the committee representing the printers of the Government

Printing Office, and Mr. Charles P. Howard, president of the International Typographical Union, conducted their conferences with him.

Thus happily ended a wage controversy that had been somewhat

disturbing to the employees of the Government Printing Office for

several years and wfdch, through no fault of the Public Printer,

had prevented him from making wage readjustments that would

have put several hundred thousand dollars more in the pay envelopes

of deserving employees than could be granted them prior to the

enactment of the Kiess law.
54 Annual Report of the Public Printer

Except for the interference of certain individuals who had no right

to dictate in the affairs of this office, the wage increases could have

been put into effect at least two years ago. The long delay, for

which neither the Public Printer nor the Joint Committee on Printing were in any way responsible, caused a loss of several hundred

dollars apiece to every skilled tradesman employed in the Government Printing Office. It is hoped, however, that the recent in- creases will in some measure offset these wage losses. SALARIES FIXED BY CLASSIFICATION BOARD

The Personnel Classification Board has undertaken to classify the

rates of pay for approximately 460 employees of the Government

Printing Office, in addition to those whose rates have been fixed by

the Public Printer and the Joint Committee on Printing. The rates

classified by the personnel board cover all the employees in the public

documents division, the accounts division, and the office of the

Public Printer, including the staff of the Deputy Public Printer, chief

clerk, and the purchasing agent.

This office was of the opinion that the Kiess Act, which is entitled

^^An act to regulate and fix rates of pay for employees and officers of the Government Printing Office," authorized the Public Printer

to determine the wages and salaries of all employees of the Government Printing Office, in accordance with the provision of the act

of June 7, 1924. The Public Printer's report for 1923 pointed out

the injustice of having the pay of employees of the Government Printing Office fixed in part by Congress, the Public Printer, and the

Personnel Classification Board, and the inequalities that would

result from such a divided responsibility and unbusinesslike procedure.

The report of the House Committee on Printing recommending the

wage legislation as proposed by the Public Printer stated that

the committee has decided to recommend that the wages of all the work forces

in the Government Printing Office be determined by the Public Printer, as he now does for more than half of the employees in that great establishment. Furthermore, the Kiess Act was amended by the Senate so as to make sure of its application to salaries" and '^officers," as well as wages and employees of the Government Printing Office. It would seem proper to regard all the employees of the Government

Printing Office as included in the '^work forces" whose wages the

Printing Committee stated in reporting the Kiess bill should be determined by the Public Printer. The Government Printing Office is essentially a manufacturing plant, and every employee participates

in its operation, whether engaged entirely in mechanical work or other

occupations—-all more or less relate to the production and distribution

of printing and binding. There is hardly a job in the entire plant

that has anything in common with positions in the executive departments, except possibly a few stenographers and minor clerks, and

even these employees are engaged in a special class of work peculiar

to a manufacturing plant. They must have ability and training

different from that required of employees in other Government offices. It has been difficult to get other branches of the Government

service to understand this vital difference between the Government

Printing Office and the executive offices of the Government. The
Annual Report of the Public Printer 55

Personnel Classification Board had construed the classification act

as applying to many skilled and semiskilled laborers in the Government Printing Ofiice and undertook to fix their pay without regard

to the rates and hours of work set for the trades with which these

laborers are closely associated in the Government Printing Office. The proposed injustice to printing office laborers was called to the

attention of Congress in the Public Printer's report for 1923. Only

by the timely passage of the Kiess Act was this office saved from an

arbitrary classification of its mechanical services, other than skilled

trades, which would have seriously lowered the morale and efficiency

of the entire force. Fortunately that calamity was avoided when the new wage law became effective on July 1, 1924.

COMPTROLLER GENERAL UPHOLDS KIESS ACT

The situation was further relieved by a decision of the Comptroller General making the Kiess Act applicable to all personal

services under the appropriation for printing and binding, which in- cludes all the employees in the Government Printing Office except

those appropriated for under the offices of the Public Printer and the

Superintendent of Documents.

There are still some employees under the general appropriation,

especially those in the accounts division, whose rates of pay have

been classified by the personnel board. In order to give equal consideration to their compensation it may be necessary to withdraw

these employees from the jurisdiction of the personnel board, as is now permissible under the Comptroller General's decision of August

25, 1924.

The fixing of equitable rates of pay for employees appropriated

for under the offices of the Public Printer and the Superintendent

of Documents has been compHcated, however, by Comptroller

General's decisions of vSeptember 11 and November 19. By the decision of September 11 the Comptroller General holds

that the offices of the Public Printer and the Superintendent of

Documents constitute one appropriation unit within the meaning of

the average salary provision, notwithstanding the fact that the two

offices are distinct, dissimilar, and separate units and have entirely

different requirements as to personal services. This decision prevents

a proper readjustment of salaries in either office even under the classes adopted by the personnel board. For instance, the salary of an employee in the purchasing division under the Public Printer can not

be readjusted if it affects the average provision which the Comptroller

General holds must include employees of the same grade in the

office of the Superintendent of Documents, although they absolutely

have nothing in common.

DECISION COMPLICATES NIGHT RATES OF PAY

The Comptroller General in his decision of November 19 has further

held that the Kiess wage law does not give the Public Printer any

authority to fix overtime and night rates of pay for employees in the

documents division of the Government Printing Office. It is held

that the printing act of January 12, 1895, granting 20 per cent extra

for night work between the hours of 5 p. m. and 8 a. m. still applies
56 Annual Report of the Public Printer

to employees in the documents division although, under the Kiess

Act, the Public Printer may fix the night and overtime rate for all other employees in the Government Printing Office. The decision which continues the 20 per cent night rate for part

of the force under the Public Printer, regardless of the number of

hours worked during any period of 24 hours, has brought about an awkward and inequitable situation. Under authority of the Kiess

Act the Public Printer, with the approval of the Joint Committee

on Printing, has established a night rate of 15 per cent extra for

employees engaged in work between the hours of 6 p. m. and 8 a. m.

and has granted an overtime rate of 50 per cent extra for work in excess of 8 hours in any period of 24 consecutive hours.

The result is, an employee of the main office working at night

receives 15 per cent extra for delivering books to a night employee

in the documents division who is allowed 20 per cent extra by the

Comptroller General's decision. Likewise an employee of the main

office receives 50 per cent extra for overtime work, while an employee

of the documents division is allowed only 20 per cent extra if he works

overtime after 5 p. m. and before 8 a. m. Another injustice occurs

in the case of employees on annual salaries, who do not receive extra night rate in the main office but are entitled to 20 per cent extra for

night work in the documents division.

The public documents division is an essential part of the Government Printing Office devoted largely to the distribution and marketing

of the product of the main plant. This is merely an additional, but

nevertheless necessary, operation in the normal activities of any

industrial concern. It is not apparent, therefore, why any different

rule should apply to the pay of employees of the document dis- tributing division than to those of the document printing divisions.

Both are engaged in work necessary to place the publications of the

Government in the hands of the public.

Even as to the employees engaged in mailing Government publications there is now a discrimination between those employed in the

main office and those on the roll of the Superintendent of Documents.

The regular Congressional Record mailing force, which, of necessity,

has to be located in close proximity to the pressrooms, receives 15 per

cent extra for night work and 50 per cent extra for overtime. On the

other hand, the employees of the documents division who handle the

subsequent sale and distribution of the Congressional Record receive

the 20 per cent night rate and no extra overtime allowance under the

decision of the Comptroller General.

To correct these discriminations and place all employees of the

Government Printing Office on an equal footing as to the regulation

of their rates of pay it is recommended that the Kiess Act be made

applicable to all the employees of this office. Such a provision would

affect approximately 370 employees whose compensation for night

and overtime work can not be fixed in accordance with that of their

fellow workers.

NECESSARY INCREASES IN SCALE OF CHARGES

The wage increases granted both by Congress and the Public

Printer under the law of June 7, 1924 (the Kiess Act), have necessitated a considerable advance in the charges for printing and binding

for Congress and the various departments and establishments of
Annual Report of the Public Printer 57

the Government. The charges for the fiscal year 1925 have been

increased approximately 14 per cent over the cost prior to June 30,

1924, and it is estimated that about 3 per cent more will have to be

added to the scale of charges for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1924.

This increase in the charges for printing and binding is not due

entirely to the higher rates of wages as fixed under authority of the

Kiess Act. In fact, the greater part of the increase is due to the

transfer of the $240 bonus, which Congress granted each employee

for a number of years, to become a direct charge against the appropriations for printing and binding. Prior to July 1, 1924, the bonus was paid out of the separate appropriation which Congress annually

made for that purpose.

With the discontinuance of the specific bonus appropriation for

the fiscal year 1925, Congress provided in the Kiess Act that the

existing rates of wages and compensation (bonus) of employees of the Government Printing Ofiice, except as fixed in the new wage

law, should continue until such time as their pay could be determined

under authority of the new law. The former bonus expenditures

which the Government Printing Office had to assume and include in

its charges amounted to approximately $896,000 per year, which

alone caused an increase of 8 per cent in the cost of printing and

binding

BONUS NOT INCLUDED IN PRINTING CHARGES

The bonus as originated by Congress was not chargeable to this

office and consequently could not be added to the cost of printing and

binding for Congress and the departments. Nevertheless, the bonus

payments to employees must be added to the expenditures of this

office to determine the actual cost to the Government of printing

and binding done during the years covered by the bonus appropriations.

Extra payments to employees of the Government Printing Office

during the seven years (1918-1924) covered by the bonus substitute

for increased wages amounted to approximately $6,034,944. In

other words, Congress and the departments during that period re- ceived printing and binding which actually cost the Government

$6,034,944 more than this office could charge for the work.

Since July 1, 1924, however, the charges have had to cover the

entire cost to the Government, inasmuch as the bonus has become a

part of the wage expenditures of the Government Printing Office. In addition to carrying the former bonus expenditures as wages

hereafter, the charges for printing and binding have been increased

approximately $876,000 by wage readjustments under the Kiess Act. Of this increase approximately $195,000 was specifically directed

by the act itself, which increased the minimum pay for printers,

pressmen, and bookbinders to 90 cents an hour, or approximately 5 cents an hour more than the old rate as fixed by the act of 1919,

plus the $240 annual bonus. The balance of the increase was due

to higher wages granted by the Public Printer with the approval of the Joint Committee on Printing.

Including the absorption of the bonus payments, the total wage

expenditures by this office will be approximately $1,772,000 more per

annum than was charged to Congress and the departments prior to July 1, 1924.

Based on the entire cost of printing, including materials and labor,

the scale of charges had to be increased approximately 14 per cent to
58 Annual Report of the Public Printer

meet the higher wages. It should be noted, however, that more than

half of this advance is not an actual increase in cost to the Government, but is really due to transfer of the bonus expenditures to this

office as a direct charge hereafter for printing and binding.

The net increase in cost to the Government due to higher wages

granted under the Kiess Act is therefore from 6 to 8 per cent, which,

as has been stated, is believed to be fully justified by the rates of pay

prevailing elsewhere in the printing trades.

FUNDS MUST BE INCREASED OR FORCE REDUCED • . If Congress and the departments require the same amount of printing and binding as heretofore ordered, approximately 14 to 17 per cent more funds will have to be appropriated for that purpose iA order to meet the higher scale of charges which the Public Printer has had to establish on account of the increased wages and the bonus transfer

to a wage item; otherwise, the amount of printing and binding will

have to be greatly reduced, which will mean a substantial decrease

in the force of the Government Printing Office before July 1, 1925.

This, however, is a situation over which the Public Printer has no

control ; therefore the office will have to be guided by the amount

of money that its customers. Congress and the departments, may have

available to expend for printing and binding.

The cost of work done by the Government Printing Office is no

greater than the charges for jobs of similar quality by any first-class commercial printing office. It is equally certain that with the constantly increasing efficiency of the Government plant its charges

will correspondingly decrease.

There is no printing plant in the world that can handle as expeditiously and as economically the immense volume and endless variety

of work required of this office. However, every one of the 5,000 or more jobs constantly in hand can not be completed within 24 hours,

as some Government officials to satisfy their special demands insist should be done. But there is no plant or group of plants that

could handle 80,000 jobs within the time that it takes the Government

Printing Office to deliver this annual output. While there have been

delays—some of them possibly unnecessary but most of them unavoidable, due to the serious shortage of competent help prior to the

wage readjustment—it is gratifying to know that on the whole the

work of the office appears to have been generally satisfactory to

the various departments and establishments of the Government.

LETTERS OF APPRECIATION OF GOOD WORK

As an evidence of the appreciation that has been manifested over the

effort to meet the many urgent requirements of the Government service, it is pleasing to quote as follows from some of the letters of commendation that have been addressed to the Public Printer during

the past year:

The President of the United States wrote on January 24, 1924:

The Government Printing Office has turned out a very fine example of bookbinding in connection with the original copy of my message, which was sent to you some time ago. I want to thank you for it and express my appreciation

of the work which you have done.
Annual Report of the Public Printer 59

Gen. Charles G. Dawes, Vice President elect and former Director

of the Bureau of the Budget, wrote:

July 17, 1922: The association of our office with you as Public Printer was

one of those pleasant relationships which are always incident to the contact of

clear business minds, unbefogged by ulterior motives. Your M^ork is being

carried on with an ability and disinterestedness of personal motives, and is achieving such results that you will always be remembered in the history of Government printing.

October 17, 1923: Permit me to congratulate you upon the splendid form

in which you have issued this great military work (Report of the Militarj^ Board

of Allied Supply). It is a credit to your great organization.

November 9, 1923: I send yon my best regards and my congratulations

upon the splendid record which you are making in the Public Printing Office. The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations wrote on June 7, 1924

In the closing hours of the session just ended, we were very much pressed in handung the second deficiency bill. We received the bill as reported from the Committee on Appropriations within three hours. This was a splendid and ex- peditious piece of work and accurately executed. I wish to take this means to

sincerely thank you and your subordinates. The Secretary of State wrote on July 3, 1924:

In connection with the printing of various forms required by this department

under the provisions of the immigration law, permit me to extend my thanks

and appreciation for the manner in which those in the Government Printing

Office concerned in the production of the work so ably cooperated in meeting

the wishes of the department in expediting delivery of the forms required.

The Secretary of the Treasury wrote on December 18, 1924:

As you probably are aware, the Treasury's recent cash offering of 4 per cent Treasury bonds was promptly oversubscribed. It is important, in announcing

the details of an offering of this character, which meets with immediate response from the public, that the printed announcements be circulated without delay. In connection with this offering the Treasury required, in addition to the official circular, printed letters to banks and to holders of third Liberty loan bonds. Recognizing the importance of prompt delivery, the Government Printing Office expedited the work in every manner possible, and, as a result, distribution of the

three announcements was completed within three days.

Further in connection with the recent offering of bonds, it was necessary to call upon the Government Printing Office to prepare approximately 2,900 electrotypes

carrying the text of the securities, for use by the Bureau of Engraving and

Printing. On December 15, 1924, which was the date borne by the new bonds,

definitive securities were being delivered to the public by all of the Federal reserve banks, including the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. If definitive bonds

had not thus been made available, it would have been necessary temporarily to

issue interim receipts, which entail duplication of effort as well as inconvenience to the public. In this instance, as in the case of the printed announcements, the

cooperation of your office contributed materially to the expedition of the work.

Your office obviously has recognized the importance and urgency of the work

incident to the Treasury's public-debt operations, and I feel that you and your

subordinate officials will be gratified to learn of the Treasury's appreciation of your efforts. The Secretary of Agriculture wrote on August 22, 1924:

In the suppression of foot-and-mouth disease in California the United States Department of Agriculture has obtained splendid cooperation from all branches

of the Government. Probably no branch, however, has given more prompt

and helpful assistance than your own organization. In connection with quarantine orders, which are an important factor in dealing with a contagious dis- ease, you have delivered practically every one within 24 hours, and I understand that in a number of cases your men have worked all night so that very prompt delivery would be possible.

I hope that you will not only accept my personal appreciation for the attention and active support which you have given the department in controlling
60 Annual Report of the Public Printer

and suppressing the cattle plague, but that you will extend my appreciation to- your executive assistants, linotype operators, proof readers, pressmen, and

others who actually performed the work.

In a number of other instances also of an emergency character, such as Bureau

of Animal Industry Order No. 286, similar promptness has been evident. In view of the fact that the department necessarily depends on the Government

Printing Office for its various documents, I want you to know how valuable your

assistance has been. The Secretary of Commerce wrote on October 17, 1924:

Permit me to congratulate you and the Government Printing Office on the

fine quality of your work on the new 1923 Commerce Yearbook. The style of type, arrangement of text, press work, paper, and binding are all attractive and

will add a great deal to the usefulness of the book. We have appreciated the efforts of your office to give prompt service in this assignment in the face of extremely heavy pressure of other work.

The Adjutant General of the Army wrote on January 22, 1924:

It is with genuine pleasure that I express my sincere appreciation of the deliv- ery on January 21 of the Official Army Register for 1924. To have the Register

of January 1, 1924, completed and ready for delivery at such an early date is an

unprecedented feat and is due in large measure to the efficiency and the cordial cooperation of the Government Printing Office. Lieut. Col. C. O. Sherrill, Executive Officer, Arlington Memorial

Bridge Commission, wrote on October 14, 1924:

I want to congratulate your department on the splendid appearance presented

by the Report of the Arlington Memorial Bridge Commission (68th Cong., 1st

sess., S. Doc. 95) which has just been received here from the Government Print- ing Office. Mr. Greene's arrangement of the illustrations is very appropriate and

adds much to the attractiveness of the volume. In fact, the entire publication

reflects much credit on your office. I will take this opportunity of also expressing my pleasure with the Arlington

Memorial Amphitheater Commission Report which was completed some months

ago. It is a very beautiful piece of work and is another example of the fine work

which "Uncle Sam's Print Shop" is capable of turning out. Mr. H. N. Lawrie, Assistant to the Senate Commission of Gold and

Silver Inquiry, wrote on August 27, 1924:

On behalf of Senator Oddie and the Senate Commission of Gold and Silver Inquiry, I wish to express appreciation for the excellent service rendered by the Government Printing Office in expediting the publication of Serial 3, revised,

Gold and Silver Statistics, known in your office as jacket No. 1728.

I shall greatly appreciate your courtesy in calling this letter and inclosures to the particular attention of Captain Moorhead and Mr. Weber and any others who were intimately identified with this publication, that they may know how

much their efforts were appreciated, not only by the commission but also by the

silver producers themselves, who used the information made available in the

publication to the best possible advantage.

The Secretary of the United States Senate wrote on August 2, 1924:

I want to thank you for the exquisite work done in the bookbinding of the

Original Manuscript Message of President Monroe to Congress, December 2, 1823. May I ask you to express, to every one of the officers and employees of your

office who laid their hands to this work, my appreciation of the deftness, the taste and the durability exhibited in it; I want them individually to be assured of my

appreciation of what they have done and my pride in it. I know of nothing better

since the day of Roger Payne.

The Acting Secretary of the Interstate Commerce Commission

wrote on July 17, 1924:

The commission desires to express its appreciation of the prompt manner in which its report in case 15263, In the Matter of Rates and Charges on Grain

and Grain Products, was handled by your office.
Annual Report of the Public Printer 61

This case is of special importance, and for that reason we requested that the

printing thereof be expedited. We wish to commend particularly Captain

Moorhead, Mr, Bullock, and such of the other employees of your office who in any way assisted in handling this job. Final copy was not delivered to the

Printing Office until nearly 4.30 yesterday, the 16th, and a partial delivery was made at 9 o'clock this morning.

The New York Employing Printers' Association, the largest local

organization of employing printers in the world, unanimously adopted

the following resolutions on February 25, 1924:

Resolved, That the New York Employing Printers' Association at their February meeting, held Februar}^ 25, 1924, at the Hotel Astor, New York City, com- mend the Hon. G. H. Carter, Public Printer, for his highly efficient conduct of the affairs of the Government Printing Office, especially his fine work in apprenticeship training, and the welfare work among all employees, as well as the

impartial manner in which he enforces civil-service rules; be it further

Resolved, That as an organization and as individuals we give our hearty support in carr3dng out his program of administration, and that the managing

director be instructed to forward to the President of the United States and to Mr. Carter copies of this resolution. The Kichmond (Va.) Printers' Association adopted the following

resolution on March 11, 1924:

Whereas the Richmond Printers' Association feels that George H. Carter, Pubhc Printer, has done a wonderful work while he has been in charge of the Government Printing Office, and that his efforts have already resulted in a

better and more efficient service to the public, and that he is the right man in the right place: Therefore, be it Resolved, That the Richmond Printers' Association in regular meeting con- vened, this the 11th day of March, 1924, do hereby heartily and unanimously

indorse the administration of George H. Carter in his position as Public Printer

of the United States of America.

The Interstate Typothetse of western Pennsylvania and New

in March, 1924:

Whereas Public Printer George H. Carter has signally demonstrated his ability as an executive in his conduct of the Government Printing Office; and

Whereas his efforts have resulted in largely increasing the efficiency of the force

so that this plant is operated with a maximum of efficiency and a minimum of waste; and

Whereas his work has brought about the actual saving of taxpayers' money

as well as an increase in the contentment of the majority of the employees under

his direction: Therefore be it Resolved by Interstate Typothetas (composed of the leading master printers of Jamestown, N. Y., Dunkirk, N. Y., Franklin, Pa., and Erie, Pa.), That we

deplore the unjust attacks upon Public Printer Carter, that we commend his administration of the Government Printing Office, and that we are heartily in accord with his policy of operating this plant without favoritism or malice solely

in the public interest; and be it further

Resolved, That the executive secretary of Interstate Typothetse be hereby

instructed to send a copy of these resolutions to Public Printer George H. Carter and to the honorable Members of Congress who represent our several localities in the Congress, together with a letter urging that they use every effort in their power, including changes in the laws governing the Government Printing Office

if such be necessary, to the end that this efficient and courageous public servant be retained in the office he so ably fills. The Third District Typothetse Federation adopted the following

resolution at its meeting in Atlantic City, May 24, 1924:

Resolved, That this convention express its warm admiration for the work

of Public Printer George H. Carter in the reforms he has effected in the GovernRESOLUTIONS OF PRINTING ORGANIZATIONS

York adopted meeting in Erie, Pa.,
62 Annual Report of the Public Printer

ment Printing Office and pledge to him our loyal support in his struggle with the

sinister powers that have sought to hamper his efforts and secure his removal, and

call upon all printers in this district to be prepared to back him up and support

him at all times in every way at their command.

The Fourth District Typothetaa Federation adopted the following resolutions at its meeting in Baltimore, February 16, 1924:

Be it resolved, That the Fourth District Typothetse Federation commend in the highest terms the progressive and efficient manner in which Hon. George H.

Carter, Public Printer, is conducting the affairs of the Government Printing

Office, commending especially his work in apprenticeship training, general welfare work for all employees, and the impartial manner in which he is enforcing the civil-service rules; be it further

Resolved, That we pledge, as an organization and individuall}^, our support to him in the carrying out of his program of administration. At the biennial convention of the International Printing Press- men and Assistants' Union of North America, on August 25, 1924,

President George L. Berry, in thanking the Public Printer for his

address to the delegates, stated:

I take it, this convention, as a result of what you have said, gives to you a vote

of confidence and indorsement of your conduct of the Government Printing

Office of the United States, and I so convey it to you. The esteem in which the leading organizations of the printing in- dustry now hold the Government Printing Office has also been shown

by the selection of the Public Printer as an honorary member of the

Employing Bookbinders of America, the Typothetse of Washington,

D. C., the Typothetse of the Pittsburgh (Pa.) district, and the

Washington Club of Printing House Craftsmen, in addition to which

he is a member of the American Institute of Graphic Arts and an

honorary member of the International Printing Pressmen and Assistants' Union of North America. The privilege of association with

these great organizations is not considered at all personal but has

been accepted as recognition of the good record made by the Government Printing Office in recent years. DISTINGUISHED VISITORS COME FROM ABROAD

The high regard manifest for the Government Printing Ofiice

by foremost representatives of the printing industry throughout

the world is most gratifying. During the year a number of dis- tinguished printers from abroad visited the office and spent many

hours inspecting its equipment and operation. Included among

these visitors were Sir George Fenwick of New Zealand, a noted

printer and publisher; Sir Robert Wilson, of the firm of Messrs. John

Horn (Ltd.), who have large printing works in Glasgow, Scotland;

Mr. Frederic W. Bridges, of London, publisher of the famous Caxton

Magazine and general manager of the International Printing Exhibition; Mr. C. Ramstrom,of Stockholm, managing director of the largest

lithographic works in Sweden; Mr. Karl Ekorn, of Stockholm, superintendent for P. A. Norstedt & Sons, printers for the Swedish Government; Hon. Ezequiel Salcedo, director of the Government Printing Office of Mexico; Mr. W. Joseph McClelland, of Melbom-ne,

Australia; and Mr. J. F. Howarth, consulting printing engineer, of

Sydney, Australia. Several representatives of the Japanese Imperial

Government Printing Bureau of Tokyo also visited the office, in-
Annual Report of the Public Printer 63

eluding Mr. Kikuichiro Sakai, chief engineer of the Japanese Government Printing Bureau; Mr. Takehiko Inouye, Mr. C. Sakuma,

Mr. Shutaro Tomimas^ and Mr. Tatsuzo Iwamoto.

DELEGATION OF NOTED GERMAN PRINTERS

A delegation of 14 leading master printers of Germany, headed by

Stadtrat Hans Heenemann, of Berlin, president of the German Master

Printers' Union, visited the Government Printing Office on October

2.3 and spent several hours inspecting the entire plant, which they

complimented for its efficiency, equipment, and orderly arrangement.

Accompanying Doctor Heenemann were the following noted master

printers of Germany: Mr. Alexander Oldenbourg, of Munich; Mr.

Otto Sauberlich, of Leipzig; Dr. Kurt Woelck, of Berlin; Mr. Siegfried

Weber, of Leipzig; Mr. Fritz Bagel, of Dusseldorf ; Mr. Kathe Telan,

of Hamburg; Mr. Otto Boll, of Berlin; Mr. Heinrich Droste, of Dusseldorf; Mr. Eugen A. Kammerling, of Hanover; Mr. Ernst Passler,

of Dresden; Dr. Wilhelm Korn, of Breslau: Mr. Friederich Cramer,

of Brandenburg; and Mr. Kurt Broschek, of Hamburg.

At another time came Dr. M. Stange, of Berlin, Ober-Regierungsrat of the German Government Printing Works, and Dr. Wilhelm

Dieben, Finansrat for the German Government, who consulted the

Public Printer in regard to printing for bond issues. Other recent

visitors from Germany were Mr. Ludwig Vogel, managing director

of the pubhshing house of C. G. Vogel, at Poessneck, and Chief Engineer Otto Trampusch, of Berlin, representing several German

printing machinery companies.

As a further indication of the world-wide interest that the work of

the Government Printing Office has aroused, quotation is made from

the following letter which the Public Printer received from Mr. B.

Puttaiya, superintendent of Government printing in Mysore, India,

imder date of August 27, 1924:

Your annual report reads like a romance in printing and I have read it with

much interest and more profit from cover to cover. The immense variety of work done and the specialization of processes carried out in your great printery were a revelation to me and amply justify the warm encomiums bestowed on your

able management not only by the heads of the departments whom you are serving

but also by the outside printing world, including the leading technical journals.

HELPFUL INVESTIGATION OF EUROPEAN PRINTING

Perhaps some of these kindly expressions from abroad are due to an investigation which the Public Printer made of European printing

conditions in 1922. Besides inspecting many printing and machinery

works in England, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland,

study was made of the famous Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris (the

French Government printing office), and the well-equipped printing

works of the Czechoslovakian Government in Prague and of the

Austrian Government in Vienna.

1 On this occasion the Public Printer was also a guest at the annual

meeting in London of the Master Printers Federation of Great

Britain and at the first meeting of the International Congress of

Master Printers in Gothenburg, Sweden, which was participated in

20818—25t 5
64 Annual Report of the Public Printer

by the representatives of 17 nations. Both of these gatherings

furnished much valuable information as to the progress of European

printing and binding.

One of the results of the investigation was the procurement by the

Public Printer of the English method of nickeling stereotype plates.

The Government Printing Office is now making nickeled stereos at less expense than it cost to produce the too-extensively used

electrotype plates. This method will save several thousand dollars

annually as mdicated by the production of 141,576 square inches of

nickeled stereos in the last few months.

PERMANENT CONFERENCE ON PRINTING

The Public Printer, in addition to having charge of the Government Printing Office, is chairman of the Permanent Conference on

Printing, a coordinating agency of the Bureau of the Budget. The

conference was organized August 4, 1921, on the suggestion of this

office and is composed of 34 representatives of the various departments and establishments of the Government. Its principal duties

consist of economies, cooperation, and standardization in printing

and binding. Referring to the relations of this Budget agency with

the Government Printing Office, the report of the conference for

the fiscal year 1924 stated:

There has been the most cordial cooperation between the conference and the

Government Printing Office, which no doubt has been greatly aided by the meetings of the conference in the room especially provided for its use at the Printing

Office, where immediate communication may be had with any of the officials of that establishment. This close relation between the printing conference and

the Printing Office has brought about a clearer understanding of the problems

which both are seeking to solve along the same lines, that is, more economy

and yet better service in the public printing.

The work of the printing conference during the last three years is summarized as follows in its last annual report:

. Approved revised Style Manual prepared by the Government Printing Office. Standardized letterheads as to paper stock and size. Use of embossed stationery

restricted. Estimated saving, $15,000 a year. Saved $43,000 by restricting duplication in the printing of annual reports. Standardized wall calendars for all departments at a saving of approximately

$5,000 a year. Requested Public Printer to issue circular for the furnishing of loose-leaf binders. One department saved $4,000 on binders bought from the Government

Printing Office. Cooperated with the Joint Committee on Printing in restricting the printing

of "certain journals, magazines, periodicals, and similar publications," and aided

in the enactment of Public Resolution No. 57, approved May 11, 1922. Limited free distribution of Government publications, many of which are now

being sold by the Superintendent of Documents.

Appointed member to serve on the committee to prepare paper specifications for the Joint Committee on Printing.

Approved legislation for direct appropriations for printing and binding instead

of former allotment plan.

Approved discontinuance of the printing of the Official Register (Blue Book)

for 1923. Last issue dated 1921 cost $21,000. Assisted the Government Printing Office in relieving the congestion of obsolete and useless public documents in the building occupied by the Superintendent of Documents. More than 2,000,000 worthless pubfications disposed of in 1923-24

^ to provide room for new publications.

Standardized printing of various Government forms in cooperation with Bureau of the Budget and General Accounting Office.
Annvxil Report of the Public Printer 65

Authorized by President to consider all proposed changes in standard forms

before recommendation to Director of the Bureau of the Budget.

Recommended plan adopted by Congress for centrahzing paper standardization,

purchase, and supplv under the '^Government Printing Office. Cooperated with Pubhc Printer in remelting of useless electrotype and stereo- type plates, thereby making 624,000 pounds of metal, valued at $68,000, available

for future use. Continued effort to reduce cost of authors' alterations in copy, unnecessary

rush work, and voluminous annual reports. OFFICERS' REPORTS SHOW GOOD TEAMWORK

Accompanying this report are the statements of several principal

officials of the Government Printing Office, including the Deputy

Pubhc Printer, the Production Manager, the Superintendent of Documents, the Chief of Tests, the Medical and Sanitary Officer, and the

Superintendent of Buildings, as to their respective activities during:

the year. These reports are submitted in the present form for the first time as indicative of the spirit of cooperation with, which the

affairs of the Government Printing Office are now conducted and as manifested more in detail through the Monday-morning conferences

which the Public Printer holds regularly with the 60 members of his

supervisory staff. The endeavor has been to develop and maintain

teamwork throughout the plant, and it is believed that the reports

here presented indicate the success of this plan for cooperative effort in handling details, no matter how seemingly small, with the utmost

care. SUCCESS OF THE SCHOOL FOR APPRENTICES

Attention is particularly invited to the report of the Deputy Public

Printer as to ttie apprentice school which the Pubhc Printer established in 1922 for the proper training of journeymen in the various

trades employed in the Government Printing Office and more especially to develop journeymen thoroughly skilled in all branches of

the printing trades.

The school numbers 133 apprentices, 20 of whom are now in the

third year of their training and will become full-fledged journeymen

in another year. Already a number of apprentices are able to do

work equal to that of expert journeymen.

The productive work of the apprentices, such as the setting of more than 6,000,000 ems of live matter in five months, helps reimburse the Government materially for the expense of their training.

The school is open through civil-service examination to war

veterans, a number of whom are being trained by this office. The Government Printing Office has approximately 500 war veterans

in its regular employ. In recognition of the assistance this office has rendered the Veterans' Bureau in the vocational training and

placement of ex-service men, the acting director of the United States Veterans' Bureau wrote to the Pubhc Printer under date of May 1^ 1924, as follows:

Our appreciation of your cooperation is not only for your action in the case

of Mr. McCaffrey (a former trainee) but also for the valuable assistance rendered

many other cases.
66 Annual Report of the Public Printer

REPORT OF THE DEPUTY PUBLIC PRINTER

In the past three and one-half years great advance has been made

toward increased efficiency and economy in every division of the

plant.

PRESSWORK DIVISION

Two 64-page rotary web presses are to be installed in the Congressional ilecord room, specifications for which call for presses to be so constructed that they can be operated in 32-page units and

equipped with wire stitchers and pasters.

Two combination gathering and stitching machines, a continuous

trimmer, and mailing tables have been installed. The Congressional

Record room has been so arranged that paper will enter from west

end; this will result in an unbroken chain of operations to the

east end of room, where product will automatically drop on a conveyor

which will carry the issues of the daily Record, by an undergroimd

route, to the post office for distribution to all sections of the country.

I am convinced, notwithstanding the very satisfactory record made

last session in printing and delivering the daily Congressional Records,

that a greater production will result and a consequent economy

be achieved.

The postal-card presses to be installed in 1925 will undoubtedly

work to economy in the purchase of paper, as well as in cost of production. Specffications by the Government Printing Office call for

plates to be placed on cylinders so that greatest length of card will

be printed the grain way of paper; this will allow a reduction in

thickness of card Bristol from 0.0090-0.0100 inch (now specified) to a possible thickness of 0.0070-0.0080. This change, it is estimated,

will save in paper alone close to $60,000 per annum. The additional postal-card press will eliminate the necessity of overtime work, the result of which is as undesirable as it is costly.

These new presses were absolutely necessary to successfully meet the

constant and increasing demand of the Postal Service, and should be

sufficient to meet all requirements for supplying postal cards for many

years to come. In the opinion of the Deputy Public Printer there is an imperative

need for additional equipment in the pressroom to take care of rapidly increasing demands of the Post Office Department. On November 24 press 1800 had 123 days' work on post-office requisitions,

while press 957 was scheduled for 327 days' production. The

abnormal demand on these presses to produce work for onlj one department for the length of time noted results in delay in delivery

of work to other departments and should be remedied as soon as

possible. It is also noted that more money orders were produced in moneyorder section during fiscal year 1923-24 than in any year since the

establishment of the Government Printing Office. On November 14

orders for over 15,000,000 were on hand, an excess of 7,000,000 over same period last year and an excess of 100 per cent compared to nor- mal requirements. From November 10 to 15 requisitions averaged

about 1,200,000 copies per day. Only by the closest supervision and

efficient handling of work has it been made possible to meet increasing

demands of this important branch of the Postal Service.
Annual Report of the Public Printer 67

In compliance with the orders of the Public Printer to reduce,

wherever possible, the cost of production in every phase of printing,

the proposition of installation of offset presses has been given serious

consideration. It frequently happens that old prints of a publication have been ordered reprinted either by Congress or the departments. In order to comply with such orders, it is now necessary to

reset the type and, if publication is of a permanent nature, to stereo- type or electrotype matter for future editions.

By the offset process the expensive oj)erations of typesetting and

electrot3rping or stereotyping can be eliminated through photography

in reprints.

The question of the economy to be attained by using same process for printing job work, thus doing away with both electrotyping

and stereotyping, is also under investigation.

PLATEMAKING DIVISION

The improved efficiency of the platemaking division, due to closer

supervision and introduction of m.odern machinery, has been very

noticeable. The installation of the wax-ruling machine has reduced

the initial cost of blank work in composing room approximately 25

per cent. By its use not only has the labor cost been reduced, but a worth-while reduction has been achieved through elimination of dis- tribution and the purchase of brass rule, which had heretofore been

necessary in all blank work that was not machine ruled.

The introduction of a new cyanide-copper solution for coating

stereotype plates before nickeling has added at least 100 per cent to the life of the printing surface of such plates.

After a trial of over a year the new plate rectifier and gauge has

proved its practical worth, adding materially to the economical

production of plates of better quality.

The equipping of a room for the blocking of all plates produced by

the foundry and photo-engraving sections has proven an economical move. The installation of a vacuum system in the blocking room

has eliminated wood dust and thorcAighly safeguards the health of the emplo3^ees.

The establishment of a photo-engraving plant in the Government

Printing Office has proven to be a very wise move. Plates produced

by this section compare favorably with the production of noted

plants throughout the country, numerous letters of commendation

on the superior work of this section having been received.

Before the installation of the photo-engraving plant, considerable

trouble was experienced with Gazette cuts because of delays on

the part of the contractor in delivering cuts in time for issue of the

Gazette, for which 1,000 cuts per week are required. The cuts are not only delivered on time but, as compared to the former commercial product, are of a much higher grade.

BIXDIXG DIVISION

The up-to-date equipment and methods of handling the different

binding units installed in this division in the past three years has

added at least 30 per cent to its efficiency and production. In- creased output has been eft'ected notwithstanding a reduction of the

force by 2.3 per cent.
68 Annual Report of the Public Printer

Among the many commendable economies reported by the

superintendent of binding, the following are worthy of special note: Closer following up of jobs printed for machine folding and a larger use of insetting on folding machines have resulted in the production of a greater number of 32-page signatures, which ,has reduced the

number of signatures for bundling, gathering, and sewing. It is estimated that not less than 1,250,000 signatures were saved in the

last four months, and this economy is made on nearly all work now

going through the bindery;

Closer cooperation with the pressroom in printing blank forms, so that two-up folding and slitting on folders may reduce folding and

machine cutting, also working job work to better advantage for ruling

and sewing section, have materially reduced the cost of such work;

Greater cooperation with librarians in departmental libraries in use

of buckram instead of leathers in library bindings, and suggested savings in binding methods, such as elimination of unnecessary lettering on back of books, use of ink in lettering instead of gold, better binding

instructions, less expensive methods on books of secondary value.

Librarians now frequently consult bindery before preparing work and

expect suggestions that will save their costs. Greatest saving perhaps

made in Surgeon General's library because of the large amount of

work for that library

The saving in glue by use of a formula prepared by testing section

in cooperation with bindery, by which a better use is made of glue

and a better and more flexible glue is obtained, eliminating the waste

in the old method of melting large quantities in 50-gallon kettles

with consequent deterioration from long cooking;

Study in prevention of waste in material and printed sheets, such as the use of labels on bundles of signatures stored in warehouse instead

of printed sheets from jobs for labels, better care of binding material

and less spoilage of the same by careless use, and saving of wrapping

twine by better bundling methods ; and

Study of handling of printed sheets and bound work looking to saving of time in final delivery, reduction of spoilage, and cutting out

unnecessary hauling of work ^n movement of same toward next

machine or place of delivery. Many machines have been moved and

floor lay-out studied to accomplish this end, particularly on the

fourth floor—forwarding and finishing section.

PRINTING DIVISION

The changing of 6 and 8 point equipment from 0.050 to 0.030 inch

drive has not only standardized the Government Printing Office

equipment, but it has also added to efficiency and production of platemaking division. The cups of letters in the 0.050 drive were

found to be of such depth that trouble was experienced in foundry

through papier-m^che matrices "pulling" and thereby causing

frequent spoilage. The introduction of 0.030 drive, wherein cup of

letter is brought 0.020 inch closer to face of letter, has practically

eliminated the ''pulling" of mat when removed from the type form.

The saving to be made from installation of bill equipment, by

which bill type w^ill be automatically slugged, will result in a worthwhile economy.

In the long session of the Sixty-seventh Congress 15,000 bills and

resolutions (approximately 87,000 pages) were introduced, ranging
Annual Report of the Public Printer 69

from 1 to 400 pages per bill. Since the establishment of the office the custom has been to insert by hand a 12-point slug between each

line of type. As stated above, the auxiliary equipment added to machines will produce the same result automatically, and eliminate

all handwork without reducing production. The estimated saving on a basis of a 15,000-bill session will approximate $3,800.

The changing of monotype keybanks, whenever composition was

changed from new to old equipment, is no longer necessary, as all old keybars have been standardized with the new; this required the

changing of 189 keybars in the 76 banks. The changes involved the

cutting of lugs from the old position and placing them in standard

position. In all, over 14,000 lugs were changed, entaihng a vast amount of work, and was accomplished without additional help or

inierfering with the progress of the work.

In addition, the work of remodehng 40 stopbars for the keyboards

is in progress. When completed, the equipment for operating 120

keyboards will be made available without appreciable additional cost

to the Government Printing Office. TESTING SECTION

The organization of the testing section has proved its worth a

thousandfold. While the saving to the Government can not be

computed in dollars and cents, the fact remains that the Public

Printer is now positive the Government receives 100 cents in value

for every dollar expended—even to the extent that when specifications call for 500 threads to the square inch the contractor can not

submit 498 without being detected and his attention invited to such

shipment. The value to the Government through such a protecting

agency can not be overestimated.

The detailed report of the chief of tests proves the necessity of

such a section, not only in safeguarding the interests of the Government in purchases, but also in the saving produced in the manufacturing of material used in printing and its allied branches.

REQUISITIONS REVIEW BOARD

The organization of the requisitions review board is another

outstanding monument to economy and efficiency, saving to the

Government in three years close to a quarter of a million dollars. The actual amount ($222,938.33) does not include the additional

sum saved by the departments on their own initiative through the

knowledge that all requisitions will be closely scrutinized by the

requisitions review board and therefore care taken to see that orders

comply at least with the spirit of the law.

APPRENTICE SCHOOL

One of the greatest achievements of the present administration

will be found in the establishment of the apprentice school. Gratifying progress has been made by students who are preparing to qualify for appointment as journeymen in the allied printing trades.

The same can be said of the young men in the machinist trade.

The printing act of 1895, based on conditions existent when the

public printing had reached onlj'- about one-tenth its present volume,
70 Annual Report of the Public Printer

authorized the employment of 25 apprentices. Had this number

been consistently maintained under instruction, it would still have

fallen far short of supplying the normal demand for craftsmen to fill vacancies caused by death, resignation, and removal, not to mention

the still larger number required on account of the ever-increasing

volume of work. However, this provision of the printing law

became obsolete, not one apprentice having been under instruction

for more than 30 years prior to reestablishment of the apprentice

school by the present Public Printer. During this period there was a revolution of methods in the printing trades through the perfecting

of the modern typesetting machines.

Under the old-time haphazard conditions existing in the average

commercial printing office, there was a notable lack of boys desiring

to learn the printing trade. It was therefore evident that if the Government Printing Office were to continue to function in an efiicient manner it would be necessary to develop its own workmen, as great

difficulty was experienced in recruiting sufficient craftsmen to perform its current work.

Realizing the seriousness of conditions then existing, and fore- seeing the necessity for prompt action if they were not to become

worse, a system of apprenticeship was inaugurated in 1922, which

provided for intensive training under conditions sufficiently attractive

to induce desirable young men to take up the work. Under authority

of the 1895 act, 162 boys from various parts of the United States

took the first apprentice examination, and of that number 118,

including 20 messenger boys in the Government Printing Office,

qualified for appointment.

CONGRESS AUTHORIZED MORE APPRENTICES

On the representations of the Public Printer that the printing

act of 1895 did not allow sufficient apprentices to provide for the

future requirements of the Government Printing Office, Congress,

by the act of February 20, 1923, increased the apprentice allowance

from 25 to 200, a number in accord with trade practice and more

consistent with the requirements of the service.

The second examination for apprentices was held on July 11, 1923,

104 boys entering the competition. Of this number 84 qualified for

appointment as printer, pressman, bookbinder, or machinist, and

58 additional appointments were made from this list of eligibles.

This increased the total number of apprentices to 82, of whom 68

expressed a preference for the trade of printer.

During the past fiscal year a third examination, held March 26,

1924, provided a list of 168 eligibles, and in the same period additional appointments were made.

On November 15, 1924, there were 133 apprentices under instruction in the Government Printing Office. These apprentices were

assigned to the following trades, the ratio of apprentices to journeymen being shown after the number of each:

Trade Number Ratio Trade Number Ratio

Printer 119 1- 9.25 Stereotyper 3 1- 5. 33 Pressman.. 1 1-215 Photo-engraver 3 1- 5.33 Bookbinder 1 1-400 Linotype machinist 1 1- 17 Electrotyper 4 1- 13. 25 Machinist. 1 1-38
Annual Report of the Public Printer 71

Since July 5, 1922, the date of the first appointments, 21 printer

apprentices have completed the first period of instruction and have

advanced to job printing and the more intricate operations of the

trade. Their work is commendable in both quantity and quality, and

the Government has been amply repaid for all of its efforts in teaching an agreeable and remunerative trade.

Besides being a medium for inculcating the principles of good citi- zenship upon receptive minds, the vocational training of these young

men will provide the Government a distinct asset in the form of

efiicient craftsmen familiar with every mechanical detail involved in

the operation of the Government Printing Office. Although education, not exploitation, is the aim of the Government, which treats the apprentice as a citizen rather than as a commodity, much valuable work is produced through their efforts, even

during the first period of their training. The knowledge that their

work is to become virile proves an added incentive to serious effort. They are given '4ive" copy for books ranging in typographical complexity from the scientific publications of the Smithsonian Institution

to the intricate tabular matter submitted by technical bureaus and

ofiices. WORK OF APPRENTICES AIDS THE OFFICE

During the past year, in addition to doing all the typesetting for

and making up of a number of volumes ranging in size from 100 to 600 pages, the first-period apprentices performed approximately

10,000 hours' work while temporarily detailed to other mechanical

divisions of the Government Printing Office. From July 1 to November 15, 1923, the same class of apprentices devoted more than 30,000

hours to similar work. While on these details apprentices perform,

in a creditable manner, a class of work which not only permits the

release of more experienced employees for other activities but also affords advance instruction in operations which form an integral part

of their apprenticeship.

The second-period apprentices, numbering 21, performed 19,566

hours' productive labor during the period from September 4, 1923,

to June 30, 1924. They have shown unusual aptitude for the operations of this class, some of the apprentices having done job work which

in quantity and quality comparesfavorably with that produced by ex- perienced craftsmen. This group of apprentices will soon be increased

through the promotion of those who have satisfactorily completed

the first period of instruction.

So far as it is possible to do so by office regulation and personal

interest, the moral and physical welfare of apprentices is made the

direct concern of the Public Printer and those associated in the work

of instruction.

Apprentices enjoy out of hours the advantages of a modern, completely equipped cafeteria owned and supervised by employees of the Government Printing Office and operated on a cooperative basis.

They also have the use of the bowling alleys, shower baths, rest rooms, etc., which are operated in connection with the cafeteria,

and the privilege of joining musical, social, and athletic organizations

comi)osed of office employees and intended for their moral, physical,

and intellectual advancement.

Discipline is strictly maintained at all times, apprentices being

subject to the same rules that govern the conduct of journeymen.

20818—25t 6
72 Annual Report of the Public Printer

Manual training is supplemented by, and students are required to attend, frequent lectures Dy recognized leaders of the allied printing

trades on subjects related to their work. Apprentices are also

required to attend, during the regular school term, the evening sessions

of recognized educational institutions, specializing in such subjects

as the Public Printer may designate.

It is a pleasure to refer to the satisfactory results already apparent

in the vocational-training work undertaken by this office in 1922

work now sufficiently advanced to assure that the apprentice graduates of 1926 will be efficient craftsmen, a credit to their trade, and

an honor to the Government which gave them the opportunity for

advancement.

USE OF WAR MACHINERY AND MATERIAL

Through the cooperation of the Joint Committee on Printing

during the past three and one-half years something like $196,000

worth of printing and allied equipment has been transferred to the

Government Printing Office from dismantled war camps.

This equipment, if left at camps for an indefinite period, would

undoubtedly deteriorate to such an extent, through rust and lack of

proper storage facilities, that it would eventually become practically

useless. With the expert aid of our machine-shop section, all equipment has been put in perfect condition and is in daily service, or else has been held for exchange or sale, as the best interests of the Government may demand. The value of the fine fleet of nine Mack trucks,

which were also obtained from war camps, after being reconditioned

at the Government Printing Office, is estimated at approximately

$40,000.

URGENT NEED FOR PAPER-STORAGE SPACE

Attention is respectfully invited to the serious necessity of additional manufacturing and storage space in the Government Printing

Office. While it has been the policy of the present administration to take advantage of the market when prices proved it good business

practice to purchase in large quantities, the lack of sufficient storage

space has seriously hampered this practice.

The Government Printing Office receives monthly 4,000,000

pounds of paper. In addition, there must be the storage space for

printed signatures awaiting finishing operations, binding material,

etc. While the changes made in the buildings in the last three years

in order to gain additional space have materially added to the storage

capacity, there is still a decided lack of such space. Lack of storage space eliminates the possibility of ordering paper

in large quantities. This condition materially affects production in our pressroom, because it is impossible to keep a sufficient quantity

of paper on hand to insure a continuous run on press on a large

order; therefore plates have to be lifted, and an additional costly

make-ready is necessary when plates are returned to press for balance

of order.

The Government Printing Office is compelled to keep constantly on hand paper stock worth approximate^ $950,000, and the only place it can be stored is in the basements of the old and new buildings. Like

all basements in a manufacturing plant, innumerable steam and
Annual Report of the Public Printer 7

water pipes are hung from ceihngs. With this condition, the paper

stock is constantly menaced with the possibility of leakage or bursting of pipes, in which event irreparable damage would result before

discovery or repairs could be made. Then, again, being compelled

to use basements, the stock is subject to damage in heavy storms

through inability of sewers to carry off excess water which backs up

with a consequent flooding of basements.

It is submitted the only remedy for this condition is the erection

of an up-to-date fireproof building, especially designed for the re- quirements of the service. The North Capitol-H Street portion of the old building was erected in 1856 and purchased by the Government from the owner, Cornelius Wendell, in 1861. It may be of interest to quote from the Report of the Superintendent of Public

Printing in 1861, in which is given some interesting figures with

reference to the size of the first Government Printing Office:

The public printing establishment is situated at the northeast corner of square

624, at the corner of H Street north and North Capitol Street. The lot is 264

feet 9 inches on H Street by 175 feet 3 inches on North Capitol Street, containing

46,397 square feet, and affording ample space for an\' additions or improvements

that ma.y be deemed desirable. The building consists of a printing office and bindery, four stories high, with a breadth of 61 feet and a depth of 243 feet; a paper

warehouse, 59 feet 7 inches by 79 feet 2 inches; a machine shop, 22 feet 2 inches by 25 feet, for repairing and renewing the presses and machinery; a boiler house, 20 feet 7 inches by 26 feet; a coal house, 23 by 27 feet; a wagon shed, 25 feet 4

inches by 24 feet; and stables, 23 feet by 41 feet 2 inches. Army engineers some years ago placed a restriction on the loading

of the 68-year-old wooden floors to not exceed one-third their normal

capacity, so their storage capacity is limited to that extent. The present storage capacity of the Government Printing Office is but 120,000 square feet. The erection of a new building would

allow the installation of the most modern method of handling

the immense stores and product of the largest printing plant in the

world.

INCREASED EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMY

Attention is particularly invited to the reports of the production

manager and superintendents of the respective divisions, wherein

will be n-oted great advance in efficiency and resulting economy

through the installation of up-to-date machinery and new methods

of handling work. There has unquestionably been more up-to-date

machinery and methods of handling work introduced into the Government Printing Office in the past three and one-half years than in

the combined preceding 20 years. When one will consider the changes made in the bindery alone,

where the cutting and packing section was removed from the fifth to the second floor, adjacent to the job press room, from which it receives

practically all its work for cutting and packing, with its chute leading

direct to delivery platform, thus completing an unbroken chain of working units from inception of work to its completion and delivery

the statement that efficiency with economy is the slogan in the Government Printing Office can not be questioned. This practical and

much-needed change has not only added to the efficiency of the force

but also resulted in a practical economy through the elimination of

at least 30 per cent in labor cost in handling such work.
74 Annual Report of the Public Printer

The above is only one of many instances of improvements made.

There is not a section in the office that has not been investigated in

the last three years with the purpose in view of reducing expenses

either by introducing new methods of handling work, or entire change

of location of unit so as to bring about an unbroken chain of mechanical operations, or the installation of up-to-date economy-producing

machinery.

REPORT OF THE PRODUCTION MANAGER

One of the greatest accomplishments during the present administration of the Government Printing Office, besides the great improvements in methods and the addition of more modern machinery, has

been the saving of Government funds by the close scrutiny of all requisitions submitted by the departments and bureaus of the

Government and the effort to stop waste in the various printing

operations.

The organization of the requisition review board was one of the

greatest steps toward economy in printing in the history of the

Government Printing Office. Previous to the organization of this

board little attention was paid to the economical way to print a job;

the wishes of the department submitting the requisition were carried

out without regard to cost. The departments, realizing that the requisition review board will

scrutinize and criticize each requisition submitted, are now using more care in submitting their requests. This has resulted in a saving

to the Government that is impossible to compute, but is evidenced

by the fact that the departments are getting more printing notwithstanding the general curtailment of their appropriations.

During the past year the board has effected a saving to the Government in actual money of $100,108.24, and since its organization,

eJuly 25, 1921, a saving of $222,938.33, almost a quarter of a million

dollars, has been made. This is not a mere estimated saving, but is the actual reduction in cost of printing the various jobs as first submitted to this office, and therefore must be called an actual money

saving.

SAVINGS EFFECTED BY DIVISIONS

One of the first duties of all heads of divisions in this office is to prevent wasteful methods in their respective divisions.

The savings and prevention of waste by divisions during the past

year are as follows

PRINTING DIVISION The installing of an automatic justifying machine, saving of time

and metal furniture, by using old metal over and over again $250. 00

Storing of all live type on sixth floor instead of hauling back and

forth from vault in basement 500. 00

Installing two linot3'-pe machines in specification section, thereby

saving the time consumed in sending proofs back and forth from

fifth and seventh floors for corrections 200. 00

Equipping linotype machines v/ith two-pitch screws, introduction of a

new-style short galley, rearrangement of lights, and installing a one-way pneumatic-tube system 600. 00

Rearrangement in the job section of all frames into four units, adding

another short-cut passageway, all proving done by a 50-cent laborer instead of the higher-salaried mechanics, the addition and rearranging of various form, galley, and plate racks 500. 00
Annual Report of the Public Printer 75

Savings by utilizing waste stock, under the control of the job composing section $3, 570. 25

Monotype section: A new catalogue system has been installed that permits a more uniform use of all materials, mats, etc.; a typeinspection system installed that reduces the amount of defective type from 50 to 6 per cent, thereby raising the quality of the product

from 50 to 94 per cent without loss of output 1, 000. 00 Type-machine section : New machine and hand tools have been made

to facilititate repairs and reduce the cost of spare parts by manufacturing same in this office 3, 166. 00

In this section were manufactured two-pitch screws at $15 per set; the factory cost is $30 a set 375. 00

PRESS WORK DIVISION

Installing seven automatic sheet feeders, thereb}' increasing production and reducing annual labor cost of seven feeders 2, 879. 60 Use of heavier overlap- boards 350. 00 A back-stripping machine, in money-order section, reclaimed from

surplus war machinery, saving labor of extra bookbinders 75. 00

The adoption by the Post Office Department of suggestion to change

the shade of blue stock for international money-order forms to a more standard blue 1 294. 00

Having by a better system of lockup, more uniform plates, and more

careful make-readv, increased the life of monev-order plates from

3,000,000 to 11,000,000 impressions _l 346. 00

A saving of time in money-order section by using a style of type

having a "shoulder" instead of the more difficult method of spacing out with space bands 900. 00

Installing elevator in the cutting and packing section direct to delivery platform, saved wages of one laborer 1, 126. 80

Bridging of the court between the north and south vvings of the main

building on the second floor, for cutting and packing section, and

thus ending haul of printed stock from job press on the second floor to the cutting and TSTapping section formerh' on the fifth floor and

then down to delivery section on the ground floor 4, 507. 20

Presses salvaged from the various war-time printing offices throughout the country 30, 000. 00

The saving of wages of one helper in the press division by card rec- ord of all book jackets received 1, 502. 40

Improvement in examining of printed sheets in monej'-order section. _ 350. 00

Installing a box-end stitcher in the postal-card section, doing away

with the old method of gluing the ends 1, 200. 00

Installing a pneumatic hoist in the postal-card section, thereby

saving time and labor over the old method of hoisting 1,000-

pound rolls by hand ! 563. 00

Contract with^the Bureau of Engraving and Printing for the lumber

from old boxes to manufacture postal-card boxes for shipment of sheet cards 1, 710. 00 BINDERY DIVISION

Instalhng five automatic feeders on as many Cleveland folders in- creased the output from 25 to 50 per cent

Installing two new Model E Cleveland folders \\ath feeders, saving

in labor, reducing the cost of certain type of folding, and in- creasing the output from 35 to 50 per cent

Installing one quadruple folding machine that will fold four 16-page

or two 32-page signatures simultaneously, saving the labor and

space necessary for two old-type folding machines, and increasing the output from 10 to 20 per cent

Installing one combination folding, insetting, and stitching machine,

that performs these three operations at one time, saving the time

of handling in three separate operations

Installing a two-up attachment on a 26-box gathering machine,

doubling output on certain class of work

Installing one L ruling machine, thereby increasing the production

of this class of work from 10 to 30 per cent

5, 500. 00

4, 800. 00

3, 000. 00

3, 000. 00

1, 000. 00

1, 900. 00
76 Annual Report of the Public Printer

Installing two air presses for pressing books, thereby discarding 29

old-style hand presses, saving floor space and laborl $1, 000. 00

Installing one new ruling machine to displace an old machine of old

type, increasing the production of this class of work from 10 to 30

per cent 900. 00

Installing two special book-sewing machines, to do sewing around

a twine without the old laborious system of ''sawing out" indentations for the twine, increasing the output about 25 per cent and

making a better product 500. 00

Installing a new stamping press with an attachment for ribbon gold saves the three operations of laying gold, sizing cases, and clean- ing off cases after stamping 4^ 000. 00

Installing two new continuous wire-stitching machines, replacing two

old and obsolete machines, increasing the output from 20 to 25 per

cent 2. 500. 00

Installing gumming machine. Formerly most of this class of work was

sent to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, but is now done bv

this office with a saving in time and expense of handling 1 1, 000. 00

PLATEMAKING DIVISION

It has been the object of the superintendent of this division to study the equipment of his plant toward the economy of labor and

increasing the output of the various machines. Among the savings

effected by the platemaking division are the following:

Bed of roughing machine leveled $200. 00

Saw bed made larger 75. 00

Small cutters made for revising machine 50. 00 Change of size of handwheels and making longer screws on back of Daily Record casting boxes 1 300. 00

New narrow side gauges with new slat and ring gauges on curve-cast- ing boxes 100. 00

New head and bearing installed; installed direct drive, doing away

with two pulleys, saving power, and relieving strain on beveling

machine 150. 00

Putting slot in bed of router to permit of routing of curve plates, saving the cost of new router 300. 00 Changing from a motor-driven head to a belt-driven head on the combination router 100. 00

Reclaiming the Wesel tailing machine 50. 00

Repairing straight-fine router l 700. 00

Moving the steaming-out sink to a more advantageous position, saving time and labor 300. 00

Removing generator to eighth floor, thereby saving the machine and

labor incident to cleaning out black-lead dust when on seventh floor. 500. 00

Overhauling and reconditioning of black-leaders 250. 00

Overhauling the wax shaver to allow for shaving over-size and regularsize cases on the same machine 100. 00

IRebuilding knives and overhauling cutting-down machine, saving

cost of two new knives 150. 00

Overhauling and changing location of control, preventing delays

caused by faulty arrangement of old controls 200. 00

Building new matrix-making machine, reducing the cost of labor on

this work by one-half 2, 483. 52

Installing two new blocking machines that will perform the work of

six men, part time 2, 400. 00

New gauges, manufactured in this office for the Record casting boxes,

eliminating a large amount of work in the finishing process 5, 967. 04 Rearranging of plate racks and installing a card system 200. 00

New method of making matrice paste, reducing the time from 6 hours

to 35 minutes, reducing the cost per mat from 14 cents to 7 cents__ 234. 00

Mounting of original halftone cuts on metal base instead of wood

base - 500.00

Changing the molding wax composition so that concaved work is eliminated, thereby increasing the output of molders 800, 00 Reducing time of deposits in solution tanks by a system of regularity

of adjustment of both copper and nickel solutions 1, 200. 00
Annual Report of the Public Printer Tl

New blocking room installed to centralize all blocking work of the

division $4, 200. 00 Overhauling old tj-pe-high planer and installing new planer, enabling

division to deliver work that will save press make-ready 500. 00

Installation of a blower for halftones 100. 00

S3'stematizing the use of materials and placing of workmen to shorten

operation time and cost 200. 00

Salvaging of copper anodes 100. 00

Salvaging old zinc plates and manufacturing of backing fluid by test- ing section 50. 00

Installed an ingot casting machine in metal room, casting more

ingots and saving labor 1, 000. 00 Saving in making Gazette cuts compared with contract system 2, 200. 00 Remelting old electrotypes saved in cost of new tin and lead 10, 088. 00 DELIVERY SECTION

Installation of an automatic-operated freight elevator and a ball- bearing conve^-or from the second floor to the delivery platform,

and erection of spiral chute from the third floor to the delivery

platform, saved in time and labor of hand-truck hauling 2, 995. 20

Placing in commission of the nine Arm}' trucks to haul freight has

eliminated "concealed damage," which annually cost the Government under the old contract system of hauling 60, 000. 00 The total savings per year throughout the various work divisions

are as follows

Printing division $10, 161. 25

Press division 45, 804. 00

Bindery division 29, 100. 00

Platemaking division *_ 35, 747. 56

DeUvery section 62, 995. 20

Total, all divisions 183, 808. 01 Add to this the savings made through the efforts of the requisition

review board and we have

Savings of waste $183,808.01

Savings by requisition review board 100, 108. 24

Total savings for year 283, 916. 25

, The figures are a true index of the effort your staff of officials

is making toward an efficient and businesslike administration of their divisions.

One of the outstanding changes for more proficient and more

economical methods that is rapidly reaching completion is the new

Record equipment. We will have during the next session of Congress complete new equipment throughout to produce the Congressional Record.

The support I have received as production manager from all officials, both in the work divisions and the auxiliary divisions, of

this big plant may be duplicated but can not be excelled in any in- dustrial organization in the world. The various officials come to me

singly and in groups and discuss short-cut methods to cut down the

cost and time in performing our duties as the one big servant of the

whole Government establishment.

I can not enumerate the many suggestions I receive, as the}" are too numerous and we consider them part of our day's work; but

the outstanding point is that all of us have accepted it as our duty to the Public Printer, and thereby to the Government, to be constantly on the alert to improve our methods.
78 Annual Report of the Public Printer

REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS

The following record of achievement by the public document

division along the lines of favorable legislation obtained during the

last four years and the introduction of more satisfactory methods of

office procedure establish the fact that progress has been made:

LEGISLATION

1. The selective plan for depository libraries.

2. Extension of authority to print any Government publication for sale not

confidential in character, whereas formerly the field was limited to departmental publications.

3. Removal of the restriction allowing of the sale of only one copy of a publication

to an individual.

4. Discontinuance of special depositories for the Official Gazette and Geological

Survey publications.

5. Special provisions for selling forms. OFFICE PROCEDURE

1. Daily instead of monthly shipments of publications to depository libraries.

2. Arrangements with some of the departments for curtailing free distribution and

substituting the sales policy.

3. Taking over the sale of the Postal Guide and the United States Supreme Court

Reports, formerly sold by private publishers.

4. Extension of deposit system to prevent delay occasioned by quoting prices of publications and requiring remittance in advance.

5. Establishment of book store on ground floor of Annex Building, which has

proved to be a great convenience to the public*

6. Elimination of millions of excess and obsolete publications belonging to the

departments, resulting in conservation of storage space and making more

accessible active and current publications.

7. Addition of library classification in connection with each entry in the Monthly

Catalogue.

8. Omission of volume number from bo\md congressional volumes of documents

and reports, to expedite delivery to depositories.

9. Arrangement for furnishing libraries with congressional hearings as printed

for which deposits are accepted at beginning of session. The growth of the office as a sales department is the outstanding

feature of the year's achievement, and continued growth is anticipated as the departments decrease their free distribution. The

Permanent Conference on Printing, and the ready support of the

Bureau of the Budget have been instrumental in promoting the sales

by causing the proper construction to be placed on section 67 of the

printing act of 1895, which requires the departments to turn over

annually to the Superintendent of Documents all publications not

needed for official use, to be placed on sale. This provision of law

has been entirely ignored, with the result that millions of pablications have been carried on hand at a great storage expense by the

departments, which should have been either disposed of as excess

publications or turned over to this office for sale. Already the Departments of Commerce and Interior have complied with the law, and the work of examining thousands of publications, involving a stock of several million copies, is now in progress^

to determine which should be returned to the departments for official use and which retained for sale, the balance to be destroyed. It is an enormous task, but one that will have far-reaching benefits,

especially as it will serve to promote economy on the part of the

departments, which naturally will reduce their editions rather than
Annual Report of the Public Printer 79

surrender to this office at the end of the year thousands of pubhca*

tions that have been paid for out of their appropriations.

Another reason for increase in sales is the circularizing of selected

lists with announcements of new publications by the departments,

which often results in the sale of thousands of copies of a publication,

instead of several hundred copies, which would be about all we would

dispose of if no special effort were made to bring it to the attention

of certain classes of people for whom it might have a particular

interest. This is good business because, by pointing to their activities that are worth while; it acts as a barometer for the issuing offices

and besides, the public is entitled to know what is being done for

its benefit.

The following comparative statement of sales for the past four

years justifies the conclusion that the publications of the United States

Government are worth while, and that the people are willing to pay

for them:

Comparative statement

Year Number of orders received Number of publications sold Receipts

1920-21-- 235, 507

305, 920

338, 821

372, 987

6, 631, 142

5, 429, 896

6, 623, 089

7, 244, 727

$293,371.63

344, 682. 14

382, 368. 18

440, 904. 93

1921-22 .- 1922-23--

1923-24 A review of an itemized statement of sales for a period of one year

shows that there are a number of good sellers, as will be seen from the

following table of publications of which we sold 5,000 copies or more:

Copies sold 34 publications 5,000 to 10,000

15 publications 10,000 to 15,000

7 publications 15,000 to 20,000

5 publications 20,000 to 25,000

2 publications 25,000 to 30,000

1 publication 30,000 to 40,000

7 publications 40,000 to 50,000

2 publications 50,000 to 60,000

1 publication 60,000 to 70,000

1 publication 70,000 to 80,000

1 publication 80,000 to 100,000

1 publication More than 150,000

1 publication More than 325,000

An analysis of the net receipts discloses some interesting facts

The total for last year was $440,904.93, out of which was paid $261,-

669.90 for printing publications for sale, leaving a balance of $179,-

235.03, which represents profit and the receipts from the sale oi publications paid for by the departments. It is the practice of this

office to always examine the stock records of the departments before

returning to press for any publication, and where it is found that they

have copies on hand we are invariably successful in obtaining some

for sales purposes. In this way thousands of dollars are saved for the

Government, as in many cases these publications would at a later date

be destroyed as waste paper.

One of the most important factors in the promotion of the sales policy is service. This is the feature of our business that gives the
80 Annual Report of the Public Printer

greatest concern. There is, of course, no way to regulate the flow

of business, so if the office is organized on a basis to handle 6,000

sales orders a week it is obvious that a jump to 10,000 orders, such as occurred last winter for a period of a month, will cause congestion

resulting in serious delays.

CATALOGUE AND LIBRARY SECTION

The work of this section consists of the compilation and issuance

of a Monthly Catalogue of United States Public Documents, which

lists the publications printed during the preceding month, with

yearly index; an index to the reports and documents of each session

of a Congress; the preparation of the congressional reserve for the

House and Senate and depository libraries; a biennial catalogue of

United States Government publications, which lists those printed

during the period of a Congress; special indexing as required by the

Joint Committee on Printing; and the maintenance of a library.

The latter is maintained in order to carry on this work, to serve other

parts of the office as required, and to answer inquiries from all sources, whether by 'phone, letter, or in person.

There are now 21 cataloguers regularly assigned to the catalogue

and library section, but during the past year there were so many

changes in the personnel that it was impossible to keep the work

up to date. On June 30, 1923, in addition to 5 vacancies already

existing, there were 4 resignations, with another in September. Since

August 15, 1923, there have been 10 additions and 1 resignation.

These changes have been due primarily to the low salaries paid.

But now" that the reclassification act of March 4, 1923, has gone into

effect, it is hoped that changes in the personnel will be less frequent.

The work necessarily has been retarded because of this changing

force and because much of fhe time of the older employees has been

consumed in teaching the new cataloguers.

The following publications were compiled and issued during the

year:

Index to Monthly Catalogue, July, 1922-June, 1923 (179 octavo

pages).

Twelve numbers of Monthly Catalogue, July, 1923-June, 1924

(totaling 870 octavo pages).

Document Index No. 33, Sixty-seventh Congress, third and fourth

sessions, November 20, 1922-March 4, 1923 (135 octavo pages).

The document catalogue for the Sixty-fifth Congress, July 1, 1917-

June 30, 1919 (including the special session of the Senate, March

5-16, 1917), which covers the war period, is progressing rapidly.

The cards are now being assembled, and it is hoped that it will soon

be ready for printing.

The library, which now contains 363,828 books, pamphlets, and

maps, had 22,047 pieces added during the year. These were shelflisted and, if current, catalogued and indexed. The congressional

documents and reports and laws in separate form are not included

in the count for the library, because later they are bound in volumes,

and it is only in this form that they are kept in the library. A record

of the volumes received, however, is kept. The separates mentioned

above are sent to the catalogue section and catalogued and indexed
Annual Report of the Public Printer 81

for the Monthly Catalogue. Document Index, etc., and during the past

year numbered 2,326.

The office is not unmindful of the needs of the libraries, and especially along the lines of a supplement and index to the check list, but

as this is a job of enormous magnitude it can not be undertaken or considered until after the work on the document catalogue has been

brought up to date.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MONTHLY CATALOGUE

Among the advance movements planned during the year was one which became effective with the July, 1924, Monthly Catalogue of Public Documents. The change was the addition in connection with

<each entry of the classification number used in the stock section oi the office and in the library of the Superintendent of Documents.

This number, it was hoped, would prove useful to those libraries

already classifying their Government publications according to our

classification scheme, and to other libraries should they wish to re- arrange their docmnents and adopt a new system. It was also thought

that the number would be of assistance to those ordering publications as a means of shortening the order and of identifying the desired publications by those receiving and filling the orders. This has proved

to be true, for since the plan was put into operation many letters of commendation and appreciation have been received.

Another change is the immediate delivery of congressional reports

and documents to depository libraries when of sufficient size to bind

separately. By a resolution relative to the binding of congressional

documents and reports for distribution to depository libraries,

adopted by the Joint Committee on Printing May 21, 1924, the

Superintendent of Documents is authorized to omit from the bound

volumes of such documents and reports their volume number in the

congressional set. This ^yi\l make possible the immediate delivery as printed of every

congressional document and report of sufficient size to be bound

separately, as it will not be necessary to withhold these volumes from

distribution until the schedule of volumes can be compiled at the close

of the session.

For the benefit of those libraries desiring to keep the serial arrangement, the resolution provides that the serial numbers shall be printed

upon strips, which shall be furnished upon request to designated depositories for attaching to the bound books.

The resolution does not change the regulation now in effect for

sending the annual reports and serials to depository libraries in binding identical with that of the issuing office. The change authorized

by the resolution will be inaugurated with the binding of the documents and reports of the first session of the Sixty-eighth Congress.

As evidence that some of the changes being inaugurated are meeting with the approval of the librarians, the following extract is quoted from a letter from the Chicago Public Librar}-

We are delighted with the new scheme of adding the Superintendent of Documents classification numbers to the entries in the Monthly Catalogue. It is a

great time saver and makes the bulletin of added interest and help to us. Certainly during the past several years you have been able to introduce some important changes which librarians find of greatest service. One is the arrange- ment for the purchase of hearings, which we find very satisfactory, and daily

delivery of mail is giving satisfaction along all lines.
82 Annual Report of the Public Printer

DOCUMENT DEPOSITORY LIBRARIES

The selective plan has accomplished a fourfold purpose of rediicinor

the burdens of the designated depository libraries by reheving them

of Government publications they do not want; of sending out all depository shipments more promptly by a daily, instead of a monthly^

distribution; of reducing the cost of publications for distribution to

libraries; and of relieving to a considerable degree the storage congestion existing in the Superintendent of Documents office due to holding publications for monthly shipments.

The selective privilege for depositories, although advocated for a number of years, would in all probability not be in operation to-day were it not for your hearty support of this change from the burden

that was formerly imposed on the libraries by compelling them to accept every publication printed of a public character. No one doubts

that the libraries operated a selective plan at their end of the line, but

that was rather costly to the Government—to pay for thousands of

publications that never reached the shelves of the libraries. When the present plan went into operation there were only 421

libraries on the list, but owing to its attractive features the number

has increased to 446, and to-day 60 libraries are selecting all publications, 228 are getting more than 50 per cent of them, and 158 less than 50 per cent. GEOLOGICAL AND PATENT GAZETTE LIBRARIES

The special depositories for Geological Survey publications and the

Official Gazette of the Patent Office were discontinued by act of

Congress effective July 1, 1924. There has practically been no

criticism of this action by the libraries affected—in fact, these

designations were not desired by many of them, as is evidenced by

the fact that at the time they were discontinued there were only

800 Official Gazette libraries on the list out of a possible 3,485, and

626 Geological libraries out of the 2,124 provided for. Of the 800 Gazette libraries it was found that 247 were regularly

designated depositories, and under that designation they were

allowed, where they so elected, to receive the Gazette.

The Geological Survey circularized all of the libraries that had been

receiving their publications, offering to list them to receive their

monthly list of publications, from which they might make selection

of the new publications as they were issued.

INFORMATION AND REFERENCE SECTION

The information and reference section of the office is an indispensable part of the sales business and the force will soon have to be

enlarged to keep pace with the increased sales, as so many of the

orders have to be referred to this section for identification of the

publications called for. The growing interest in Government

publications also brings thousands of letters asking for information on every conceivable subject.

DEPARTMENTAL MAIL LIST SECTION

There has been a marked improvement in the method of handling

mailing lists by the departments within the last few years, which

can be attributed to the insistence of the Joint Committee on Print-
Annvxxl Report of the Public Printer 83

ing that more frequent re^asions be made of the lists than formerly

had been the practice. In fact, at one time about the only revision

made was by the Post Office Department, which was compelled

to return thousands of publications during the year with the information that they could not be dehvered because of change of address,

decease, etc. The documents office now has 1,000 different mailing lists, totaling over a million names. Included in this number are 49 paid subscription lists, totaling nearly 100,000 names. In 1919 there were

only 34 subscription lists, with a total of about 44,000 names. The recutting of the expiration date on stencils has resulted in

the saving of approxunately $400 during the year, which was the

value of the stencils, and in addition considerable time was saved

that would have been required in recutting the entire stencil. DISTRIBUTION FOR DEPARTMENTS

The distribution for departments for the fiscal year amounted to 48,528,418 copies of publications, an increase of 2,654,350 copies over

the previous year. In view of the fact that the departments are supposed to be making an effort to curtail free distribution, the

question naturally arises as to the reason for this increase. The

explanation is that some of the departments have been making an

extra effort to distribute their surplus publications rather than to surrender them to the public documents office to be placed on a sales

basis or destroyed as excess copies.

The distribution of Farmers' Bulletins is also always greater

during campaign years, which is another reason for the increase in

distribution. It is apparent, however, that some of the departments

are going to be rather reluctant to turn over to this office annually

publications not actually required for official use, after having

ignored the provisions of the law for so many years by continuing

their older publications on hand for free distribution. The law is certainly very clear, and it must have been the intention of those

who framed it to allow the departments a year within which to make

their distribution, with the understanding that after that time the

distribution should be centralized under the supervision of the'

Superintendent of Documents.

The Bureau of the Budget has outlined in its recommendations to departments certain restrictions that should be placed on free distri- bution, but little attention seems to have been paid to it by most of

the departments. There should be a well-defined policy, uniform

with all departments, as it does not seem fair that some can get free what others have to pay for. STORAGE OF PUBLICATIONS

The elimination of excess and obsolete publications will always be

an important function of the ofiice, as it is inevitable that too large

editions will at times be- ordered, and then, again, publications are constantly being replaced by later and revised editions. Our storage

space, of course, is limited, and therefore the stock must be kept

moving; otherwise there would be no room to accommodate new

publications. Last year 2,865,580 copies were condemned, so that

at this time there are only 29,009,940 copies on hand, which is 1,773,846 less than were in stock at the beginning of the fiscal year.
84 Annual Report of the Public Printer

REPORT OF CHIEF OF TESTS

The testing section has tested 5,109 samples during the past year,

as noted below:

Paper and paper products, including delivery, bid and investigational

samples 4, 045

Textiles, including bookbinding cloths and cordage 466

Bookbinding leathers 60

Gasoline 63' Ink-making materials 234: Metals (babbitts, tj^pe metals, steel, tin, etc.) 15

Oils, including turpentine and linseed 62

Miscellaneous, including chemicals, waxes, soaps, glues, etc 164

Total 5, 109

There were 221 rejections on paper and 16 on miscellaneous

materials during the year due to technical inspection.

The following is a tabulation of rejections for paper, stating causes

for same:

Paper rejections

General appearance 76

Off and mixed color 14 Low in bursting strength 56 Overweight , 11 Thickness 5

Deficient in absorption 2 Excessive ash 10

Deficient in stock 2^

Lack of glue sizing 2

Deficient in folding endurance 16 Total 221

Since the establishment of the testing section in February, 1922^

this section has tested 11,557 samples, divided as follows:

Paper and paper products, including delivery, bids, and investigational

samples

9,

208

Textiles, including bookbinding cloths and cordage 1, 089

Bookbinding leathers 104

Gasoline 126 Ink-making materials 438

Metals (babbitts, type metals, steel, tin, etc.) 74

. Oils, including turpentine and linseed 147

Miscellaneous materials, including chemicals, waxes, soaps, glues, etc 371

Total 11, 557

Postal-card inspection.—The following table shows the results of

the inspection of postal-card paper during the year:

Order Pounds

received Poundsrejected Per- centage

2235 934, 688

1, 025, 714

1, 126, 970

1, 501, 542

2, 083, 255

1. 020, 223

993, 552

28, 803

13, 027 5,061 790 8,096 None.

None.

3. 1?

1.27 .45

.05

. 4

2259 ! 6189 1332..

112260 - 4107 Total.- 8. 685. 944 55. 777 A vftrn ee _ _ _ . 1

1 1
Annual Report of the Public Printer 85

This shows an average percentage rejection of 0.75 per cent on

approximately 8,700,000 pounds for the year. During the year

1922-23 the average percentage rejection was 2 per cent on approximately 7,100,000 pounds, six months of that period being under the

post-office inspection. During the year 1921-22, when all inspection was under the Post Office Department the average percentage re- jection was 16 per cent on approximately 9,000,000 pounds of paper.

INVESTIGATIONAL WORK

The following is a brief statement of the research w^ork that has

been accomplished by the testing section during the past year:

Preparation of specificaiions. —One of the most important duties of the testing section is the preparation of specifications for the various

materials used by the office. Investigations relative to the technical

quality of most of the materials purchased by the office for the

public printing and binding have been conducted and definite

specifications for quality prepared for use in the purchase of such

supplies.

The specifications prepared and now in use cover high-grade bookbinding leather, all types of bookbinding cloths, imitation leather,

bleached cotton, unbleached cotton, silesia, paper cambric, super,

flax book twine, and cordage.

Preliminary specifications for the various dry colors and varnishes

used in the manufacture of ink have been compiled for the purchase

of all these materials. Specifications have also been drawn for fiber

containers for rail and water shipment of postal cards. In fact,

the specifications in effect cover most of the materials used by the

office. Specifications in use for the purchase of metals, such as tin,

antimony, lead, copper, and the like, are in harmony with those

adopted by the Federal Specifications Board.

Substantial savings and improved quality have resulted from the

investigational work carried out along the following lines during

the past year:

Regular hindery glue.—One of the most important investigations

made by the testing section during the year was the improvement in the handling of glue by the bindery. This has proven not only more

economical but is giving a stronger and better quality glue. The

use of the large electrically heated kettles of glue in the various

sections has been discontinued.

All glue is now made up in the glue room by soaking overnight

in cold water, heating for a short time, and then immediately pouring

into molds and storing in a refrigerator. The jellied glue is retained

in this condition until issued. The glue in this form will melt in a very short time in the small electrically heated pots of the bookbinders or bookbinding machines.

Flexitle hindery glue.— formula for a flexible glue has also been

developed by the testing section and in use for about five

months on practically all grades of bindery work except on case- making machines, where a quick-setting glue is necessary and flexi- bility not essential. This glue is molded into cakes the same as the

regular glue, stored in the refrigerator, and issued as needed.
86 Annual Report of the Public Printer

The flexible glue worked entirely satisfactorily during the winter

and spring months, but some difficulty was experienced with the set- ting of this glue in very hot and humid weather, but was overcome by the addition of a small percentage of straight molded glue.

The flexible glue formula has resulted in a material increase in the

life of the glue in the books produced by this office, and a saving has

also been effected in the quantity used, since it is not necessary to apply as heavy a layer to the surface in order to secure an adhesion

superior to the regular straight glue. The flexible glue has about

the same body as the straight glue formerly used, but contains less glue and sets practically in the same time.

Although the changes in the handling of glue in the bindery have

only been in effect for a short time, present indications are that there

will be a saving of approximately 1,000 pounds of glue, at 14 cents per

pound, in a three-month period.

Flax hook twine.—Definite specifications have been in use during

the past year for best quality flax book twine, all deliveries having

been tested for compliance with specifications for character of fiber,

yardage, and tensile strength. All deliveries, whether 3, 4, 5, or 6

ply, have fully complied with these specifications. A decided improvement has been noted in this twine' by the bindery. There is no question but that the durability and serviceability of the bindings

have been materially improved through the use of technical specifications.

In order that the information gained by this work shall be available to commercial bookbinders, an article dealing with the investigation on flax book twine has been prepared and will be submitted for

publication.

Ruling inks,—The investigational work on dyes for ruling has

been completed and reconmiendations are being made as to the

most suitable dyes to be used for all ruling work. The investigation

has been very complete and' the dyes finally recommended have

been in use by the bindery for several months with entire satisfaction. An article dealing with this investigation of ruling dyes is now being prepared for publication.

Permanent record hlue-hlack ink for writing and ruling.—The

testing section has made all permanent record blue-black writing

ink for the use of the office during the year at a cost of approximately

12 cents per quart, including materials and labor. This ink is permanent and superior to that delivered at a cost of 32 cents per

quart. It has also been found satisfactory by the ruling section,

when permanent black lines are desired, it proving to be fast to light

and resisting water, replacing ink formerly costing 80 cents per quart.

Silicate of soda for sealing fiber containers.—Silicate of soda (known

as waterglass) , an adhesive which requires no heat and has no odor,

has been substituted for glue in the sealing of postal-card fiber

containers. Formerly glue was used entirely for this purpose.

During the past year 3,067 pounds of silicate of soda were used by the

postal-card section. This material is much cheaper than glue, the

cost averaging l}4 cents per pound during the year, while glue costs approximately 15 cents per pound and requires soaking and cooking,

making the cost in the same condition as silicate of soda approximately

10 cents per pound, and must be applied to the fiber container hot.
Annual Report of the Public Printer 87

Fiber containers for 'postal cards.—^Although fiber shipping containers have been used for shipment of postal cards by rail for a considerable length of time, in the interest of economy they are now

being shipped to the west coast by water route at a considerable

saving. A further economy was effected in water shipment by the

substituting of reinforced fiber in the place of wood containers,

specifications for which were devised by the testing section of this

office. The difference in cost of fiber containers for use in shipping postal

cards per carload as compared to wooden boxes is $257; in freight

weight, $49.97, making a total saving of $306.97 per carload.

Baching fluid. —All backing fluid for use in the electrotype section

of the platei^aking division during the past year has been made by

the testing section from waste zinc etchings. This material has been

found entirely satisfactory and has resulted in considerable savings

to the office. Backing fluid formerly cost from 5 to 6 cents per

pound, while the present cost is between l}/2-^ cents per pound.

Solvents and type-cleaning compounds.—During the 3^ear the simple

solvents for removing ink from type, as previously recommended,

have been in use with a few modifications. Owing to the poor

quality of present-day motor gasoline, which evaporates slowly and

leaves an oily film, it was necessary to secure aviation grade of gasoline, which has been found entirely satisfactory.

A special solvent, which is a mixtm-e of acetone and benzol, for use in removing hardened ink from halftones or type, has been made

up by the testing section and is now carried in stock.

Experiments are now under way to secure a substitute for lye or

caustic soda for use in washing ink cans and for cleaning type forms.

Caustic soda has several objections, being injurious to the hands of employees, has a disagreeable odor, and leaves a film on the cleaned

material which is difficult to remove. The material now being tried

out is a mixture of trisodium phosphate and alkali, which material

it is hoped will give better results and will not be injurious.

Laundry investigations.—The testing section has conducted considerable investigational work in cooperation wilih the laundry in

order to improve the condition of the towels in use by this office,

complaint having been made that it was difficult to maintain a good

white color and that the towels had a disagreeable odor. For the

past year sodium hypochlorite, prepared by mixing soda ash and

chloride of lime, and which has a sterilizing effect, has been used by

the laundry. This has produced a decided improvement in the

towels, which are whiter, cleaner, sterilized, and without odor.

INK PRODUCTION AND INVESTIGATIONS

Manufacture of inlc hy the inlc section. —During the past year

112,471 pounds of ink was manufactured by the ink section. "All

grades of ink for the use of the office, including copying and stencil

inks, of excellent quality, were produced by the ink section. All

ingredients used were purchased upon definite specifications and

tested for compliance with standards.

Stencil inlc. —^AU stencil ink used by the Superintendent of Documents has been manufactured by the ink section on formula pre- viously developed by the testing section.
88 Annvxxl Report of the Public Printer

Copying inks.—^AU colors of copying inks used by the office have

been manufactured by the ink section, based on formulas previously

developed by the testing section, and have worked satisfactorily.

Special addressograph ink.—At the request of the Treasury Department and the Veterans' Bureau a formula for a special addressograph

ink for use on sensitized check paper has been developed. This ink

does not affect the sensitized surface of the check in any way and

has proved satisfactory. The ink is being produced for $1 per

pound, while the former price paid was $3 per pound, the quality

of which was unsatisfactory, seriously affecting the sensitized surface

of the check paper.

Mimeograph ink. —A formula for mimeograph ink, which is used

extensively by the various departments of the Governpaent service,

has been developed by the testing section and reports so far received

indicate it to be entirely satisfactory. The formula will enable the

production of this ink at a decided saving to the Government.

MultigrapJi mZ:.—Experiments made in the various departments on the multigraph machines indicate that halftone ink as manufactured by this office for printmg is entirely satisfactory and such

ink can be supplied at a material saving.

Permanent outdoor poster ink.—Owing to difficulty of the Forest

Service with the fading of the ink on outdoor posters, special attention is now given to all inks to be used for this purpose. The dry

colors to be used are tested for fastness to light and the finished ink

subjected to severe fading and water exposure tests. Waste ink in the Government Printing Office.—Shortly after the ink

section was placed under the direction of the chief of tests an investigation was made of the various materials in stock for the manufacture of ink, and also of ink being returned from the pressroom as waste. Approximately 900 pounds of various raw materials which were in

stores, some of which had been in stock for six years under misleading

names, have been gradually used in the manufacture of our cheaper

inks, thereby eliminating this material from our stock room. An inspection t)f the records of the office showed that approximately 15,000 pounds of ink of various kinds were returned to the

ink mill as waste ink during the past year. For instance, during

the month of May, 1924, 1,910 pounds, and in June, 1924, 1,050

pounds were returned as waste ink.

The return of such a large quantity of ink to the ink mill appeared

to be entirely unnecessary, and a conference was called with the production manager and superintendent of presswork, in order to ascertain the cause and eliminate this waste. As a result of this conference a 50 per cent reduction has already been noted in the return

of ink to the ink section. All waste ink returned is reclaimed as book or news ink.

COOPERATION WITH THE PRINTTING INDUSTRIES

At the annual meeting of the United Typothetae of America, held

in Washington last October, the printers and bookbinders of the

United States accepted the offer of cooperation by the Public Printer

to jointly work out practical specifications for at least the more

important printing papers and materials.
Annual Report of the Public Printer 89

Accordingly a standardization of paper was undertaken in cooperation with the United Typothetse of America, the work so far done

"being confined to bond and ledger papers. Under the present conditions there is no technical classification of paper available to the con- sumer. Some few mills which have standardized their products

have done so regardless of the product of other mills. The paper industry was requested to supply samples of its regular

brands of bond and ledger papers for test in connection with this

work, in order that complete data might be secured as to the quality

of paper in use, and so that any grade standardization might be

based on actual mill conditions. One hundred and three samples of

bond and 49 samples of ledger papers, representing their regular

"brands of bonds and ledgers, were obtained direct from 33 paper

mills, and have been tested. An analysis was made of all papers, all types of physical tests being

made in order to determine the factors most indicative of paper

quality. More than 12,000 individual physical tests were made on

the samples received.

The results of the tests made were published in a paper entitled

"A tabulation of test results on commercial bond and ledger papers,"

accompanied by an article dealing with the tests and bringing out the

variation in the quality of paper and showing the need for a technical

classification of paper.

Tests on the commercial samples show that the trade may require

six or seven grades of bond and ledger. In fact, the largest percentage of bond papers used to-day are made of sulphite or have a low rag content. During the year a large number of requests were received from

various commercial concerns seeking information as to the method

of buying paper and other supplies by this office, copies of specifications in use for the purchase of materials, and advice on paper and

other problems of interest to consumers of paper and printing and

binding materials. Over 100 requests were received during the past

year, ail of which signified interest in the paper standardization

program under way in cooperation with the United Typothetse of

America. The following is a list of a few of the concerns who

requested information from this office on paper specifications and

other technical problems, either in person or by letter: Western

Electric Co., Chicago; R. R. Donnelley Sons Co., Chicago; Department of Public Printing and Stationery, Canada; American Fork &

Hoe Co., Cleveland; Packard Motor Car Co., Detroit; Western

Union Telegraph Co., New York; National Cloak & Suit Co., New

York; Sargent & Co., New Haven; Chamber of Commerce, Washington, D. C; His Majesty's Stationery Office, London; Curtis Publishing Co., Philadelphia.

PUBLICATIOXS OF THE TESTING SECTION

During the past year the following five articles, prepared by the

testing section, were published in various trade journals:

Standard atmospheric conditions for paper testing, by E. O. Reed.

The use of specifications for the purchase of paper, by E. O. Reed

and Herman Davidson.

The technical testing of paper for the preparation of specifications,

by E. O. Reed and Herman Davidson.
90 Annual Report of the Public Printer

Paper standardization program of the Government Printing Office

and the United Typothetse of America, by E. O. Reed and F. E. A.

Larson.

Comparative tests on commercial bond and ledger papers, bv

E. O. Reed and F. E. A. Larson.

Because of the large amount of correspondence received in connection with the paper standardization program, requests for specifications for paper and other materials, supplying technical information in connection with the printing industry, the preparation of

articles for publication, and the cooperative paper standardization

project, the work of the testing section has been materially in- creased.

The testing section prepared an exhibit of the work being done

for display during the United Typothetse of America convention.

This exhibit showed the various types of bookbinding twine, the

various types of book cloths, and all other materials used by the office,

together with copies of specifications covering the purchase of the same. These exhibits are retained by the testing section for the

information of visitors. During the year the chief of tests testified at a trial in Pittsburgh

relative to the paper used in alleged forging whisky permits, the

Government forms having been printed by this office for the

Treasury Department on special paper bought on definite specifications. The testimony given relative to the quality of the naper.

which was not the same as that of the genuine permits, was oi considerable value to the Government in this case. SUMMARY OF INVESTIGATIONAL WORK

It is difficult to express the money value of the testing section of

this office, since, although there may be savings accomplished by

certain recommended changes, there is in most cases a decided

improvement in the quality of the work produced by the office as the result of technical investigations. The value of the technical

inspection of the various supplies purchased by this office, which

constitutes the majority of the routine work of the section, can not

be judged entirely from the number of rejections which result from

such technical tests. When contractors fully appreciate that deliveries will be subjected

to a rigid technical examination for compliance with specifications or accepted samples they will undoubtedly exercise greater care

in delivering satisfactory material and thereby avoid rejection.

Furthermore, the use of specifications and the testing of samples

submitted with bids insures the award of contracts on materials

which will be of uniform and satisfactory quality for the purpose

desired. Also, the prospective bidder is supplied with definite

information as to the quality of material desired, which naturally

increases competition and results in lower prices on satisfactory

quality.

The work done on flax book twine insures the use of the best

quality material in our high-grade bookbindings and thereby increases

tlie durability and serviceability of these bindings. '
Annual Report of the Public Printer 91

Our work on ruling inks may not indicate a money saving but

will insure the use of the most stable ruling inks and the use of dyes

or inks which will require the minimum amount of doping in order

to obtain satisfactory results. The work on the handling of glue will materially increase the

value and hfe of the glue in the bindings in addition to effecting an economy in the amount used.

Our work on solvents and cleaning compounds has undoubtedly

reduced the cost to the office 10 per cent, while in every case the

recommended solvent has been superior and more satisfactory than

that formerly used, and all trade compounds have been eliminated.

A definite saving has been made in the manufacture of certain

inks, yet in addition to the production of these inks more economically the aim has also been to improve the quality, such as obtaining

fast-colored inks for outdoor use and to produce stencil, copying,

and other kinds of ink which will be entirely satisfactory for the

purpose for which they are to be used.

• SAVINGS EFFECTED BY TESTING SECTION

The following is a brief statement of the savings accomplished

during the past year

Three months' work indicates a reduction of 1,000 pounds in glue

consumed, costing 14 cents per pound. This would result in 4,000

pounds per year, or $560 savings. In addition to this there is a saving ofthe electric current used on three large electrically heated pots.

Four hundred quarts of blue-black writing ink made during the

year at a cost of 12 cents per quart; total $48. On contract this ink

would cost 32 cents per quart and for ruling approximately 80 cents per quart. For ruling purposes 48 quarts at 80 cents, or $38.40, and

for writing purposes 362 quarts at 32 cents per quart. Total savings,

approximately $106.24.

The amount of glue used by the postal card section was reduced

from 6,828 pounds last year to 3,067 pounds this year. The amount

of silicate of soda used was 3,067 pounds. Cost of silicate of soda was $46. Cost of the 3,761 pounds of glue saved, at 15 cents per

pound, is $564.15, or a saving of $518.15. It should be noted that

the silicate of soda was placed in use about the middle of September,

1924, and that in addition to the above savings there is a saving in

the handling and making up of the glue for use. The use of reinforced fiber shipping containers in place of wood

for water shipment of postal cards to the west coast showed a saving

of $306.97 per carload. Approximately 12 carloads are shipped per

year; savings of $3,683.64.

One thousand five hundred pounds of backing fluid used during

the year costing on an average 5.7 cents per pound if purchased.

Cost approximately 13^ cents per pound made from waste material,

or $22.50; savings of $63.

Stencil ink manufactured by this office cost 40 cents per pound.

One hundred and ninety-three pounds manufactured during the

year cost $77.20. This ink would have cost about $2.50 per pound

if purchased; savings of $405.30.

A recent investigation was made on special addressograph ink for

the Treasury Department. Only 80 pounds of this ink have been

manufactured, but at a saving to the department of $2 per pound.
92 Annual Report of the Public Printer

The manufacture of mimeograph and multigraph ink by this- ofhce would undoubtedly net a considerable savmg to the Government departments. This ink costs the Government an average of

$1.30 per pound. There is no question but that this ink could be

manufactured by this office and delivered for 50 cents per pound.

It is difficult to obtain a definite idea as to the amount of this ink

used, but there is no question that between 30,000 and 50,000 pounds

are used annually.

REPORT OF MEDICAL AND SANITARY OFFICER

From July 1, 1923, to September 15, 1924, inclusive, there were

15,091 treatments given to injured or sick employees of the Government Printing Office, of which 3,412 were surgical cases requiring6,594 retreatments, and 5,085 were medical cases. The surgical cases included 263 incised wounds, 541 contusions,

517 lacerations, 440 punctured wounds, 380 abrasions, 251 sprains,

185 burns, 430 foreign bodies, 329 infections, 10 fractures, 1 amputation (finger), and 61 miscellaneous cases. Number of injuries reported to United States Compensation Commission as required by regulations of that commission, 42.

Physical examinations: For entrance into the Government service, as provided by Executive

order of May 29, 1923 986 For extension of two years, as provided by retirement act of May 22, 1920 92 For transfer to other work, or miscellaneous reasons 57

Total 1, 135

Number of employees sent to United States Public Health dispensary: For diagnosis of tuberculosis, as provided under Executive order, Dec. 7, 1905 3

Wassermann blood test 1 Total 4 Contagious diseases.—Smallpox, 1 case; 3 employees were quarantined because of direct contact with the case, and 18 employees were

vaccinated, having worked in same room with infected employee.

Daily observation was given to these employees throughout the period

of incubation.

Cases sent off duty:

Chicken pox 2

Mumps 2

Measles ,1 Syphilitic infection (secondary) 1 Cases in the homes of emplovees: ^ Scarlet fever 1 28 Diphtheria 9^ Absenteeism.—Number of employees absent due to illness, injury, or sickness in family:

Total 9, 396

Reported in person 1, 747

Bv telephone 5, 859

By letter 388

By messenger 1, 402

These cases were investigated as to whether or not satisfactory quarantine was being observed.
Annual Report of the Public Printer 93

It lias come to the minds of the industrial world that to produce

the best results in industry, particularly where a large number of employees are massed together, ideal working conditions, such as may concern sanitation, illumination, ventilation, safety devices

against injury, prompt and proper care of employees who are injured

or become ill while at their work, to make the surroundings one of

harmony and contentment, are to the best interest of all concerned.

During the present administration many improvements have been

made for the welfare of the employees of the Government Printing

Office. In the latter part of 1921 the roof of the main building was

raised; the attic, which had been a home for rats, roaches, and

rubbish, was converted into a full story, the greater part of this space

having been turned over for the following purposes

Cafeteria.—Clean, wholesome food is furnished at cost, under daily

inspection as to cleanliness, as to the health of persons who handle

or serve food, and as to the food served. Since the cafeteria has been

in operation the number of gastrointestinal ailments due to cold

lunch washed down by cold water, or a bolted meal after a hurried

trip home or to lunch rooms, has been reduced to a minimum. Cases

of acute indigestion, which formerly were so numerous, are now almost

a thing of the past.

Harding Hall.—A recreation room and stage, artistically arranged

for social purposes, with a seating capacity of 1,200 persons, where

employees and their families may enjoy music, lectures, dancing,

motion pictures, etc. Bowling alleys.—Four bowling alleys are in operation for those

who enjoy this form of healthful exercise. Rest rooms.—Four rest rooms suitably arranged for both sexes, and for both white and colored employees, are now in use. Shower baths and toilet facilities are provided.

A number of benches have been placed on the roof, and are protected by a canopy, making a roof garden where employees during

their lunch hour may enjoy the cool breezes and view the surrounding scenery.IMPROVEMENTS FOR WELFARE OF EMPLOYEES

From a review of the improvements in construction and repair

during this period, it is apparent that considerable thought and

effort has been made not only in providing for production but also for

the welfare of the working forces, as may be noted in the following:

Glaring overhead lights with prismatic reflectors have been re- placed with lights of the Trojan type with nonglaring bowls.

Use of drin&ng cups replaced by sanitary bubbling fountains.

Construction of balconies for locker space and numerous lockers

provided for convenience of employees who formerly placed their

clothing in desk drawers, on window ledges, etc. Installation of liquid-soap containers and the use of liquid soap.

(The promiscuous use of bar soap is no better than the old roller towel.)

Removal of steam and electric generating plant, thereby eliminating smoke and soot annoyance.

Improvement in the heating system so as to make the distribution

of heat uniform.
94 Annual Report of the Public Printer

Safety devices have been placed on all machines in operation and

are being placed on all new machinery when necessary.

Goggles are provided for employees where there is eye hazard.

The building of a bridge across the space between the two wings

of the main building, and now occupied by the metal room, typemachine section, and the finishing room of the platemaking section

is not only a saving of valuable space but from a health viewpoint

a very important improvement. The old metal room, located on

the second floor of the old building, was a constant source of danger,

fumes from molten metal penetrating the atmosphere and at times

penetrating the workrooms. The present location gives good ventilation, permits the lead fumes to pass into the outside air above

the workroom, and gives an abundance of fresh air to the employees

of the metal room, who are constantly handling the metal.

The type-machine section and the finishing room of the platemaking division also occupy space on the bridge. This gives better working conditions, more light, more air, and more space. PLATEMAKXNG DIVISION

Molding room: A blower system has been installed to draw off surplus black lead and dust. Fan attached to smoke pipe over the

metal pots to keep the smoke from the workrooms. New lockers,

wash rooms, and shower baths.

Finishing room: The blocking room, inclosed in glass frames with

a vacuum system to carry off sawdust.

Plate vault : Installation of vacuum system drawing off vitiated air. This has greatly improved the ventilation of this section. The office located here has been given a thorough cleaning and overhauling.

A new drinking-water fountain installed.

PRINTING DIVISION

Ventilating shafts have been placed from the monotype casting room through to the roof. This has made a great improvement in the

working conditions in this section—gives a more frequent change of

air and reduces the temperature of the room. Linotype section of the job room has been placed on a bridge over

the alley, giving more space, more light, and keeping the metal fumes

from the job room. BINDERY DIVISION

Ruling and sewing section: Work tables moved from the vicinity

of the toilet rooms. Ruling machines moved to the east and south

side of the room. This gives more room and more light.

Forwarding and finishing section: Installation of electric stoves,

displacing gas burners, does away with unnecessary heat and gas

fumes.

Pamphlet binding division : Old t ables discarded ; a more sanitary

type of table now in use ; these tables being so arranged that employees

now face west instead of south. In the old situation employees were

facing the windows and the sun most of the day. This change gives

a better working light >vithout eyestrain.
Anmial Report of the Public Printer 9^

PRESSWOEK DIYISIOX

Roller room lias been moved from first floor, main building, to second floor, old building, giving better working conditions, more

room, more light, and more air. DELIVERY SECTION

The covering of the court between the two wings of the main press- room gives greater floor space to the delivery section and protects

equipment and working force from the weather. The installation

01 ventilators through the roof gives a constant flow of fresh air. This section, up to the time of these improvements, was not provided with locker space or a drinking fountain; these have been

provided.

FIRE DRILLS

Each section throughout the office has a regular fire squad which

is instructed in the working of the fire apparatus. These squads,

have a fire drill every two weeks.

MILK SERVICE

Breakfast to most persons is a hurried, unsatisfactoiy meal. In

many cases employees '*get up" late, too late for brealnast, grab a cup of coffee, rush for a car; others do not eat breakfast at all. It has been observed that employees (particularly those who operate

machines) after several hours' work, if they are permitted to take some form of nourishment, do better work. For the benefit of these

employees a milk service has been established. Milk in J^-pint bottles is served to employees who desire it at 10.30 each morning at

cost. EMERGENCY HOSPITAL SECTION

This section has been enlarged from a single room to a suite of

five rooms. Two graduate nurses and a hospital helper have been

added to its personnel. A new physiotherapy machine has been

added to the equipment, doing away with the necessity of sending

employees to the United States Pubhc Health Service for these

treatments. An ambulance has been provided for the service of sick or injured

employees.

During the present administration this section has developed from

a first-aid station to a medical department of a great industriai

institution with all the problems that pertain to industry, such as. cleanhness and sanitation, minimizing of mdustrial hazard, protection

against contagion, medical and surgical service, inspection of food,

served, instructions in how to keep well, etc. Two years ago the medical officer in his annual report to the^ Public Printer made this statement:

Inasmuch as the Government pays compensation for injuries received in the

service, it would be good pohcy for the Government to have a record of the

physical condition of the employees on their entrance into the Government

service,20818—25t 7
96 Annual Report of the Public Printer

This recommendation was approved by the Pubhc Printer and put

into immediate action. At the present time, by Executive order,

the examination of persons entering the Government service is general.

There are few, if any, industrial plants in the United States where

as much consideration is given to the welfare of the employees as is now being given at the Government Printing Office. The Washington City post office has an emergency aid station with

a nurse in charge, but has no night service. They have cases of such

a nature that that institution is not prepared to handle. These

cases have been receiving treatment at the Government Printing

Office. During the above period there were 299 treatments given

to employees of the Washington City post office. REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF BUILDINGS

The entire expenses of the buildings division for salaries, wages, leave

of absence, holiday, and liability pay for the year was $496,409.03, as against $503,655.69 for the previous year, a decrease of $7,246.66.

The expenses for each section, including pipefitters, are as follows:

Section 1923 1924 Diflterences

Office of superintendent of buildings Carpenter and paint shop

$52, 236. 43

73, 045. 37

106, 528. 40

$44, 236. 43

91, 767. 95

110,997. 97

103, 642. 44

76, 185. 53

69, 578. 71

-$7,984. 65 +18, 722. 58 + 4, 469. 57 -16,697.35

-14, 489. 83 - 8,733.02

Electrical section Engineers' section - ... 120,339. 79

90, 675. 36

60, 845. 69 Machine shop - Sanitary section

503, 655. 69 496, 409. 03 - 7,24^66 The total valuation of the buildings under the PubHc Printer is about $4,000,000 and the total cost of upkeep (covering repairs, etc.) was $60,194.76 for labor and $13,307.41 for material, making a total of $73,502.17, as against a total of $78,508.45 for the year previous,

showing a decrease of $5,006.28.

As there are 715,061 square feet of floor space in the various buildings, the cost per square foot is 10.28 cents. Adding to this the cost

of operating the sanitary force, which was $78,496.12 (including

labor and material), and the cost of operating the power plant,

$187,858.67, makes a grand total of $339,856.96, or 47.53 cents per

square foot of floor area. This cost per square foot of floor area appears high at first glance,

and it would be high for an office building, but the Government

Printing Office is a manufacturing plant and the cost of furnishing

steam and electric current for manufacturing purposes is necessarily

included in the cost of similar items for heating and lighting the

buildings. It is obviously impossible without going to a prohibitive

expense to separate these items. The cost of producing compressed

air and refrigeration is also included in the above figures, although

the compressed air is used principally in conjunction with type setting

and other production machines entirely foreign to building mainte- nance and operation. The refrigerating plant, besides cooling drinking water and serving the cafeteria, also furnishes refrigeration for

humidity control in the testing section and glue storage in the bindery

division.
Annual Report of the Public Printer 97

It is consequently safe to say that fully 50 per cent of the cost of operating the power plant, including the furnishing of steam, electricity, compressed air, and refrigeration is chargeable to manufacturing service. Deducting half of the power plant expense, reduces

the cost per square foot to 34.39 cents, which is a very reasonable

figure for a building operated day and night.

OPERATING COSTS OF THE POWER PLANT

The following table furnishes a comparison of operating costs during the last fiscal year using our own generating plant (year

1922-23) and the year of change-over (1923-24)

1923 1924 Difference

Electrical power used (kilowatt hours) 3, 287, 732

$54, 246. 55

5, 395, 622

$96, 402. 92

91, 455. 75 + 2,107,890 +$42, 156. 37 - 22,735.71 Operating cost, electric plant Operating cost, all other service 114, 191.46 Total cost of power plant 168, 438. 01 187, 858. 67 + 19,420.66 The increased cost of $19,420.66, or approximately 113^ per cent,

is readily accounted for by the necessarily heavy operating expense

during the period of changing over and reorganization when the old

plant was operated and steam carried for stand-by service to minimize

possible loss through interruption of service to the production plant.

That this is the true explanation is evident when the expense figures are examined for the first month of the fiscal year, July, 1923, and

the month during which the new service was started, October, 1923,

and the last month of the year, June, 1924, when the personnel of the

power plant section had been brought down to its final figure. The

expense for July, 1923, was $12,113.01 ; for October, 1923, $18,429.06;

for June, 1924, $10,391.36.

A comparison of the figures for July, 1923, and June, 1924, both

summer months, the one before and the other after the change-over,

indicates that the resulting saving will amount to $20,000 per annum.

Along with this figure must also be considered the saving of approximately 400,000,000 gallons of filtered water per year, the elimination

of the power-plant smoke nuisance from the neighborhood, and the

making availaole of nearly 20,000 square feet of floor space. The major activity of the buildings division has been the completion and putting into operation of the steam and electric power service from the Capitol power plant to the Government Printing Office,

and complete dismantling of the old power plant. The half mile of new tunnel connecting the old tunnel between the Government

Printing Office and the city post office with that between the Senate

Office Building and the Capitol power plant was completed early in

the year. High-pressure steam lines and high-voltage electric trans- mission lines were installed, each in duplicate, and full service of both

steam and electric power has been maintained since October 17, 1923.

The old engine-driven generators, compressors, pumps, turbine, and

boilers were taken out, one at a time, to make room for the new electrically driven equipment. This was necessarily tedious, as service

had to be maintained throughout the period of reconstruction. The
98 Annual Report of the Public Printer

boilers, and finally the 200-foot smokestack, were the last parts of the

oldplant to be dismantled.

The boiler room and part of the coal vault, totaling 9,784 square,

feet, are now being turned into storage space for paper. A rein-,

forced concrete floor of 9,858 square feet at the second-floor level,

extending over the entire boiler room and part of the engine room, is nearing completion and will provide ample room for onset presses

and adjuncts.

Over 5,724 square feet of this space it was necessary to remodel

the roof trusses, effecting an increase of head room from 6 to 11 feet

3 inches. By careful study of this problem a way was found to, make the alteration without disturbing the roof, usin^ practically no new material and yet having 4 tons of old material left over without sacrificing a proper degree of safety in the structure. FLOOR SPACE INCREASED 65,000 SQUARE FEET

A room built over the court between the wings of the new building at the sixth-floor level added 1,550 square feet, and a floor in a covered court in the old building added 500 square feet. These

additions, together with those previously reported, make a total

of 65,009 square feet of floor space added during the past three

years. This total does not include such areas as the main boiler room floor and coal vault, which have been made available for stor- age or productive equipment.

The old steam-operated refrigerating plant, which for years has

had the constant care of one man for 24 hours every day, has

been replaced by an electrically driven compression type plant

which is attended by the enginemen who operate the air compressors and pumps. The saving to the Government by this change . amounts to $6,500 per annum, which more than pays for the cost of

the new plant in one year. The third floor of the H Street warehouse annex used heretofore

exclusively for storage has been remodeled into an attractive press room for the money-order and postal-card sections. The plan

provides a high degree of safety for this work and at the same time

the improved facilities will increase production. Larger storage

space for postal-card stock, improved labor-saving means for its handling, and a larger vault for printed cards are important features

for the postal-card section. The money-order section is already

occupying these new quarters. The postal-card section will remain

in its old quarters until the three new presses are delivered.

The old money-order quarters now house the new Record plant,

including new gathering machines, a continuous trimmer, and a mail conveyor from which mail bags are carried to the post oflSce without any hauling or rehandling. The new presses for the Record

will be delivered during the winter, so that before the end of the

second session of the Sixty-eighth Congress the Record equipment

will be complete and all the work from printing to mailing will be

done in one room.

Storage batteries operating fire-alarm, police-patrol, and bell sys- tems were moved from temporary quarters to better adapted permanent quarters.
Annual Re'port of the Public Printer 99

The roller-making room was moved from the main building to quarters adjoining the ink-making room in the old building, and the

space vacated added to the main press room. The testing section was enlarged and offices of the superintendent

of buildings rearranged to advantage.

A bridge was built at the second-floor level across Jackson Alley

connecting the new and old buildings, w^hich provides a direct route

from offices of the buildings division and testing section to all offices in the main building. The installation of this bridge also made it Eossible to dispense with the use of the main entrance to the old

uilding except at opening and closing time and saves the services

of one watchman throughout the day.

All fire equipment has been gone over carefully and standardized

so that all hose and couplings are interchangealble. Two or three

different sizes had been used in the past and were not interchangeable.

WORK DONE BY THE BUILDING SECTIONS

The carpenter and paint shop completed 669 new jobs or alterations, and repair jobs averaged 32 a day, or 9,881 for the year. A

total of 29,697 boxes and crates were made. The shop salvaged

325,427 feet of lumber, mostly from packing cases, and used in addition 213,622 feet of new lumber. The increase in lumber salvaged as compared with the preceding year was 90,536 feet, and the decrease

in new lumber purchased was 8,589 feet. During the past three

years, after making due allowance for cost of labor, the estimated

saving through salvaging lumber amounts to $15,203.20.

The electrical section has had general supervision over the installation of new equipment in the power house, which is now essentially an electric substation, with the addition of electrically driven

air compressors, refrigerating plant, and pumps.

Other important work during the past three years coming largely

under the direction of the electrical section includes the installation

of improved lighting facilities throughout a considerable part of the

new building; raising elevators at the time of raising the roof, and

installing a new elevator in the Superintendent of Documents' building; installation of electrical equipment for the platemaking division; neutralizers for printing presses; overhauling and replacing

much worn and obsolete equipment throughout the plant. During

the past year the electrical section handled 231 new installations

and jobs and 17,049 repair jobs.

The daily average number of jobs worked by the machine-shop

section during the past fiscal year was 136, making a total for the

year of 42,550. The new jobs total 591.

The past three years have witnessed a thorough overhauling,

adjusting, and rearrangement of machinery throughout the buildings.

To expedite this work so that proper production could be obtained,

16 additional machinists were employed and four hours overtime

work done daily until the following equipment was in proper condition: Forty-nine presses and cutting machines for the press division were overhauled, moved, or installed new; 153 machines of all kinds were overhauled, 73 moved, and 21 new machines installed for

the bindery division; 80 machines for the platemaking division were

overhauled, moved, or installed new; and 24 elevators, hoists, baling

presses, and tiering machines were overhauled.
100 Annual Rejoort of the Public Priiiter

NUMEROUS IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY

Numerous improvements were made to machines, which improved

and speeded up production. Examples of such improvements are the installation of direct drive instead of cross drive on three presses

;

placing slitter attachments on two continuous wire-stitching machines;

changing cams on two folding machines, which previously could handle

only 22-inch sheets, so as to handle any size from 8 inches to 36 inches.

An important job of the machine-shop section was the reconditioning of and building new bodies for nine 53^-ton Mack trucks received

from the War Department. These trucks now haul our freight which was formerly handled by contract. The machine shop itself received attention. Much valuable

material in the form of new spare parts was separated from junked

material; machine tools were rearranged to facilitate supervision of

work and speed up production; more careful inspection of purchased

equipment and material was inaugurated; and improved methods of

making up parts in the shop has been studied.

Work done by the pipe and sheet-metal section during the past

year totaled 300 new jobs or alterations and 12,520 repair jobs.

The work included much of the dismantling of the boiler room and

engine room, piping and installation of hundreds of feet of new lines to tie in with the new service.

The heating system required extensive alterations, and now operates on less than 2 pounds of steam, where formerly 4 to 5 pounds were

required. Heating coils with a total area of 3,500 square feet have

been installed in the warehouse, preparing it for the money-order and

postal-card sections.

Sanitary drinking fountains, designed and made in the pipe shop,

have been installed throughout the buildings. These fountains have

been made up at an approximate cost of $4, which is a fraction of

what the cost would have been by purchasing a similar fountain.

Much work has also been done in connecting air, gas, steam, and

water to various machines moved or installed new. Many installations of machines also required the making of guards

to protect operators from gears, belts, and moving parts of machines.

Pipe covering, following the numerous alterations and new construction work, has kept two men busy. This work is being done by

helpers and laborers at a considerable economy over the former

contract system.

The new power section keeps in continuous operation the necessary

equipment to suppl}^ the buildings with electric light and power,

compressed air, hot and cold water, and refrigeration. The equipment includes: Three 1,500 K. V. A. synchronous converters, two

1,500 cubic foot air compressors, one 25-ton compression refrigerating plant and electrically driven centrifugal pumps, together with

steam-driven vacuum pumps for the heating system and a few steamdriven pumps retained from the old plant which may be used in case

of emergency and failure of the electric service.

The power section now has a personnel of 1 chief engineer and

10 men, making a reduction of 38 employees from the force formerly

employed in the engine and boiler rooms.

Building alterations and provision of additional floor space has

increased the work of the sanitary section and a slight increase in

the force has been made. Laundry work, particularly, has increased.

During the past year 12,672 pounds of old rags were laundered.
Annual Report of the Public Printer 101

During the present fiscal year tiiis figure is expected to reacii 30,000

pounds as a result of putting through the laundry rags which formerly were not saved. The laundering of towels has continued and amounts

to about 900,000 towels per year. CAFETERIA AND HARDING HALL

The Government Printing Office Cafeteria and Recreation Association has succeeded very well in its management of the big cafeteria on the eighth floor of the main building. The cafeteria began regular

service on January 23, 1922, and has been continuously in operation

since then under the supervision and at the expense of this association

of employees who voluntarily raised a working capital of approximately $4,500 to finance the undertaking. Aside from the equipment and space provided by the Government, all the expenses of

operating the cafeteria a;nd the recreational activities of the association are paid by the employees themselves. They have succeeded in carrying on this splendid work during the last three years in a commendable manner. Much credit for the successful management

of the cafeteria and the entertainments of the past year is due to the

untiring efforts of the president of the association, Mr. W. D. Skeen.

The cafeteria serves from 2,400 to 2,800 employees daily and has an annual patronage of approximately 800,000 customers. Its gross

receipts approximate $200,000 annually. In addition to the counter

customers, several hundred employees who bring their own lunches

enjoy the use of the dining hall. The cafeteria is operated for the benefit of both the day and night

forces and during sessions of Congress is open practically 24 hours a

day, serving breakfast and dinner for several nundred employees in

addition to the regular lunch periods. Only the best foodstuffs are bought for the sunshine kitchen, which has electric ovens, ranges,

and other up-to-date equipment, including ammonia-chilled refrig- erators. A specialty of the cafeteria is its regular 25-cent luncheon of meat,

vegetables, bread and butter, dessert, and choice of coffee, milk, or tea. An extensive a la carte service is also provided. The furnishing of a

substantial and wholesome meal for such a low price is explained by

the fact that ever}^ dollar of receipts is used for the proper maintenance of the cafeteria without a penny of profit to any person.

Adjoining the cafeteria is Harding Hall, named in honor of the

first printer-President. The hall has been the scene of numerous

gatherings of employees on holida^^s and social occasions. From time

to time lectures are provided for the instruction of employees in

various branches of the printing industry, some of the addresses being

illustrated b}' instructive' motion pictures.

Undoubtedly the happiest events of the year are the Christmas

entertainments for the children of employees. More than 2,100

children enjoyed the three treats provided for them during the recent

holidays. Funds for the Christmas entertainments, which included

special programs, presents, and refreshments, were raised by the

employees. Another annual event conducted by the Cafeteria Association is the summer excursion to Chesapeake Beach, where last Jul}^

approximately 2,000 employees and their families enjoyed the picnic

and program of athletic contests.
102 Annctl Report of the Public Printer

In all; some 60 entertainments were held in Harding Hall dm-irig

the year, including a banquet by the members of the Fourth District

of the United Typothetae of America who visited the Government

Printing Office at the time of their convention last October.

Weekly concerts are given in Harding Hall by the Government

Printing Office Orchestra, composed of 24 employees who practice on

their own time to provide excellent music for their fellow workers.

CONCLUSION AND THANKS BY THE PUBLIC PRINTER

Under authority of the act api)roved June 7, 1924, the Public

Printer has discontinued the printing of such other and additional

reports for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1924, as have usually been

suomitted to Congress concerning the business of the Government

Printing Ofiice. The original copy of such reports will be kept oh

file in the office of the Public Prmter for public inspection, as provided for in said act. Appended hereto are several statistical and financial tables setting

forth in more detail the transactions of the Government Printing

Office for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1924.

It would be ungenerous to close this report without expressing my

deep appreciation of the very helpful way in which the Joint Committee on Printing, the Comptroller General, the Director of the

Bureau of the Budget, the chief coordinator, and the Permanent

Conference on Printing have cooperated with this office at all times.

Their good counsel and generous assistance have been of great

service in the constant effort to make a business success of the

Government Printing Office. To the employees and officers of the Government Printing Office I also want to extend my sincere thanks for their loyalty and earnest endeavor to make the Government Printing Office stand forth as a model for the inspiration of the entire printing industry. I owe it to them to repeat here the following statement from my New^ Year's

greeting

I want to assure you of my deep appreciation of your earnest cooperation in the great work of the Government Printing Office. I am glad to say that tjie office was never more efficient nor more respected than it is to-day. It now

occupies a foremost place in the printing industry of the world. Much credit is due to your united and whole-hearted effort. Let us ever strive to uphold the

best traditions and the splendid reputation of the Government Printing Office. Respectfully submitted.

Public Printer,
STATISTICAL TABLES

(Compiled by Superintendent of Accounts and Budget Officer.)

Table No. 1.Summary offinancial transactions for fiscal year ended June 30, 1924

RESOURCES

Appropriation for salaries, Government Printing OflBce $128, 810, 00

$128, 810. 00 Appropriation for working capital, allotted to Congress, Govern- ment Printing OflBce, and Architect of Capitol for printing and binding 2,000,000.00 Transfers and payments for printing and binding for depart- ments and bureaus and payments from various sources to June 30 7, 413, on. 17 Due July 1 from departments and bureaus for printing and

binding 267, 506. 64 Appropriation for salaries, oflBce of Superintendent of Documents. 232, 960. 00 Appropriation for general expenses, oflQce of Superintendent of Documents 165,000.00 -Appropriation for Congressional Record Index _ 9, 100. 00 A ppropriation for increase of compensation ($240 bonus) 960, 000. 00

9, 680, 517. 81

Total resources available for work of fiscal year 1924 $11, 176, 387. SI LXABniTIES

Salaries, Government Printing OflBce: Disbursed to June 30 $111, 416. 73 Outstanding obligations July 1 4, 749. 88 Total disbursed and outstanding obligations ^ $116, 166. 61 Working capital and repayments for printing and binding: Disbursed to J une 30 8, 850, 056. 68 Outstanding obligations July 1 787, 588. 70 Total disbursed and outstanding obligations 9, 637, 645. 38

Salaries, office of Superintendent of Documents:

Disbursed to June 30. 206, 053. 04 Outstanding obligations July 1 9, 393. 90 Total disbursed and outstanding obligations - 215, 446. 94 General expenses, oflQce of Superintendent of Documents:

Disbursed to June 30 1 12, 377. 60 Outstanding obligations July 1. 36, 822. 50 Total disbursed and outstanding obligations, 149, 200. 00 Congressional Record Index: Disbursed to June 30. 8, 34 1. 66 Outstanding obligations July 1 768. 34 Total disbursed and outstanding obligations 9, 100. 00 Increase of compensation ($240 bonus): Disbursed to June 30 904, 702. 47 Outstanding obligations to July 1 26, 095. 65 Total disbursed and outstanding obligations - 930, 798. 12 Total disbursed to June 30 10, 192, 948. 08 Total outstanding obligations July 1 865, 408. 97 Total disbursed and outstanding obligations 11, 058, 3^57. 05 Unobligated balance (subject to 10 per cent over or under on outstanding orders) 118, 030. 76

11, 176, 387, 81 103
104 Annual Report of the Public PrinterTablk No. 2.

Financial transactions in fiscal year ended June 30, 1924, covering

appropriations for fiscal years 1922, 1923, and 1924

APPROPRIATION FOR 1922

1 Resources

!

! Disburse1 ments Unexpended

balance

JUiy 1, iy<:4

- —

Public printing and binding: Unexpended balance July 1, 1923, in 1921-22 appropriation. Unexpended balance July 1, 1923, in 1922 appropriation... Amount transferred by auditor's settlement, on books in Treasury from various appropriations for printing and

binding for departments and bureaus. .

$166, 702. 70

1, 669, 291. 08

7, 243. 71

8. 80

232. 34

62. 32

Transferred from leaves of absence, 1922, to adjust payment.

Transferred from general expenses,office of Superintendent

of Documents

Deposited to credit of appropriation for printing and binding for departments and bureaus and individuals and for sale of miscellaneous documents _ $224, 338. 77 Total...- 1, 843, 540. 95 224, 338. 77 $1, 619,202. 18 Leaves of absence, Government Printing OflSce: Unexpended balance July 1, 1923 ... 70.94 Transferred to printing and binding, 1922 8. 80 Total 70.94 8. 80 62. U

Salaries, office of Public Printer: Unexpended balance July 1, 1923 23, 241. 00

11.627. 41

T), 561. 50

y, 916. 49

23, 241. 00

11,627. 41 5,561. 50

Payment for holidays. Government Printing Office: Unexpended balance July 1, 1923 .. __ Salaries, office of Superintendent of Documents: Unexpended balance July 1, 1923... General expenses, office of Superintendent of Documents: Unexpended balance July 1, 1924 Transferred to printing and binding, 1922 . 232. 34 Increase of compensation ($240 bonus): Unexpended balance July 1, 1923 7. 57 7. .57 Grand total appropriation for 1922

TTnnhlicTf) t.firl hfi1nnpr> of 1099 nnnrnnriflt.inn on Tune 30. 1094

1, 893, 965. 86 224, 579. 91 1, 669, 385. 95

1,669,385. 95 APPROPRIATION FOR 1923

Public printing and binding: Unexpended balance July 1, 1923 $935, 527. 47

334. 81

580, 200. 72 .78

13. 65

Amount transferred by auditor's settlement on books of Treasury from various appropriations for printing and

binding for departments and bureaus ..- Credited to appropriation per payments by Government

establishments and private individuals for printing and

binding executed and by funds from miscellaneous

sources.

-

. Transferred from printing and binding 1924 to adjust pay- ment on freight bill. 1 Disallowances deposited...

$122, 228.00 Disbursed for paper 638, 645. 23 Disbursed for lithographing and engraving 70, 562. 55

184, 369. 44 Total 1,516, 077. 43 1, 015, 805. 22 $500, 272. 21

Saiaries, office of the Public Printer: Unexpended balance July 1, 1923... 27.384.78

4, 485. 35 Total 27, 384. 78 4, 485. 35 22, 899. 43

Salaries, office of Superintendent of Documents: Unexpended balance July 1, 1923 21, 449. 17 8,844.23 Total-. 21, 449. 17 8. 844. 23 12, 604. 94 General expenses, office of Superintendent of Documents: Unexpended balance July 1, 1923 - 27, 431.82

18, Oil. 13 Total 27, 431. 82 18, Oil. 13 9, 420. 69
Annual Report of the Public Printer 105

Table No. 2.

Financial transactions in fiscal year ended June 30, 1924, covering

appropriations for fiscal years 1922, 1923, and 1924—Continued

APPROPRIATION FOR 1923—Continued

Salaries and expenses, Congressional Record Index: Unexpended balance July 1, 1923 Disbursed

Total. Increase of compensation ($240 bonus)

Unexpended balance July 1, 1923.- Disallowances deposited Disbursed

Total. Grand total appropriation for 1923. Deduct for outstanding obligations

Resources

Unobligated balance of 1923 appropriation on June 30, 1924

$758. 34

51.496. 18 2.29

51, 498. 47

1, 644, 600. 01

Disburse- ments Unexpended

balance July 1, 1924

$758. 34

758. 34

23. 069. 91

23, 069. 91

1, 070, 974. 18

$28, 428. 56

573, 625. 83 131,818.00

441. 807. 83 APPROPRIATION FOR 1924

Public printing and binding: Appropriation act of Feb. 20, 1923 Amount transferred by auditor's settlements on books in Treasury, from various appropriations, for printing and

binding for departments and bureaus

Credited to appropriations per payments by Government

establishments and private individuals for printing and

binding executed and by funds from miscellaneous

sources Transferred to printing and binding, 1923, to adjust pay- ment made by rate board on freight bill Transferred to Interior civil ledger (retirement fund) Disbursed for labor... Disbursed for paper Disbursed for lithographing and engraving Disbursed for material and supplies.. Total.

Salaries, oflSce of the Public Printer: Legislative act Feb. 20, 1923 Transferred to Interior civil ledger (retirement fund)

Disbursed.

Total.

Salaries, oflBce of Superintendent of Documents:

Legislative act Feb. 20, 1923 Transferred to Interior civil ledger (retirement fund). Disbursed

Total- General expenses, office of Superintendent of Documents:

Legislative act Feb. 20, 1923 Disbursed

Total.

Salaries and expenses, Congressional Record Index:

Legislative act Feb. 20, 1923 Disbursed

TotalIncrease of compensation ($240 bonus)

Legislative act Feb. 20, 1923 Disbursed

Total

Total appropriation 1924.

$2,000,000.00 I.

i .58.080.53 !.

354, 930. 64

J, 413, Oil. 17

128, 810. 00

128, 810. 00

232, 960. 00

232, 960. 00

165, 000. 00

165. 000. 00

9, 100. 00

100.00

960, 000. 00

10, 908, 881. 17

$0. 78

122, 000. 00

614, 870. 97

453, 962. 26

78, 957. 22

580. 265. 45

8, 850, 056. 68

2, 081. 55

109, 335. 18

111, 416. 73

4, 831. 25

201. 221. 79

206, 053. 04

112,377. 50

8, 341.

8, 341. 66

904, 702. 47

10, 192, 948.

$562, 954.

17, 393. 27

26, 906. 96

52, 622. 50

758. 34

715,1 09
106 Annual Report of the Public Printer

Table No. 2.Financial transactions in fiscal year ended June SO, 1924, covering

appropriations for fiscal years 1922, 1923, and 1924—Continued

'APPROPRIATION FOR 1924—Continued

Resources Disburse- ments Unexpended

balance July 1, 1924 Add payments due Government Printing OflBce for printing and binding $267, 606. 64

983, 439. 73

865, 408. 97

118, 03a 76

Grand total appropriation for 1924

Unobligated balance of 1924 appropriation on June 30, 1924

Total unobligated balances (subject to change by 10 per cent over or under on outstanding

obligations):

1922. - $1,669,385.95

1923 441,807.83

1924 118,030.76 Total 2,229,224.54 RECAPITULATION—ALL APPROPRIATIONS

Total paid for labor during fiscal year J $5,859,098.97 Total paid for material and supplies 988, 973. 66 Total paid for lithographing and engraving 149, 519. 77 Xotal paid for paper. 3, 092, 607. 49 Transferred to printing and binding, 1922 8. 80 Transferred to printing and binding, 1923 .78 Total paid for printing and binding 10, 090, 209. 47 Total paid for salaries during fiscal year * 115, 902. 08 Total paid for salaries, office of Superintendent of Documents » 214, 897. 27 Total paid for expenses, oflice of Superintendent of Documents 130, 620. 97 Total paid for salaries and expenses, Congressional Record Index 9, 100. 00 Total paid for increase of compensation ($240 bonus) 927, 772. 38 Grand total - 11,488,502.17

1 Includes amount paid to retirement fund $122, 000. 00

'- Includes amount paid to retirement fund 2, 081. 55

3 Includes amount paid to retirement fund 4, 831. 25 Total paid to retirement fund 128,912.80
Annual Report of the Public Printer 107

Table No. Moneys received during fiscal year 1923, the source, and Treasury

deposit

1921 Deposited to the credit of appropriation for public printing and binding: Deposited by disbursing oflBcers and individuals for printing done $18. 78 1922 Amount transferred on books of Treasury for printing for departments and

bureaus $7,244.71 Refunds—Retirement fund.. . , - 62. 32

1923

7, 307. 03

Deposited to the credit of appropriation for public printing and binding: Depositedby disbursing officers and individuals for printing done '.- $580,164.03 Repairs to building 5. 08 Refund—Wages 8.24 Refund—Retirement fund - „ 23.37

580, 200. 72 Auditor's disallowance 13. 65 Transferred from printing and binding, 1924. ,78

1924 Deposited to the credit of appropriation for public printing and binding: Amount transfen-ed on books of Treasury for printing for departments and

bureaus $58, 080. 53 Deposited for miscellaneous printing 48,386.38 ; Deposited for printing for departments and bureaus . 7, 296, 400. 94 - Expense incurred in making sales of waste paper, condemned material, etc.. 10, 072. 76 Refund—Wages 70.56

7,413,011.17 Deposited to the credit of miscellaneous receipts: Sales of documents 100, 000. 00

Sale of condemned material, machinery, etc 2, 202. 28 Sale of waste metal 3,931.76

Sale of waste wood 1, 356. 52

Sale of waste paper 61,177.62

Sale of leather scraps 4.31 168,672.49 Total . 8,169,224.02 Table No. 4.

Production of principal items entering into printing and binding

in fiscal years 1Q22, 1923, and 1924

Item Main office and Congressional Library branch:

Printing and binding

Jackets written Estimates written

Bills computed

Total number of ems set Hours of time work in composing sections. Electrotype and stereotype square inches

Postal cards printed Money-order books shipped Forms sent to press Actual impressions in main pressroom

Chargeable impressions in main pressroom

Sheets folded by machine

Signatures gathered by machine

. Tips made by machine

Copies wire-stitched Copies paper-covered Books and pamphlets trimmed

Books rounded and backed Books marbled and edged Stamping impressions Books cased in Indexes cut

Sheets passed through ruling machines

Signatures sewed '.. Copies punched or drilled Sheets or lines perforated Tablets made

1922

1 $10, 159, 43( 57, 42,

67,

2, 354, 450,

279,

12, 709, 989, 978,

794,

161, 498, 655,

2, 099, 473,

208, 668,

128, 262,

4, 943,

46, 261,

4, 943,

63, 384,

1, 149,

194,

2, 382,

1, 182, 113,

26, 931,

72, 007,

93, 681,

). 42

853

619 334

500 992

625 000 [ 006 I 905

383

275

219

237 200

538 062

459

363 096

939

251 349

901 352

9, 366, 138

3, 003, 727

1923

2 $9, 734, 188. 62

54, 166

43, 606

64, 670

1, 963, 371, 800

269, 572

11, 353. 505

1, 180, 991, 000

907, 406

144, 464

490, 311, 561

2, 151, 586, 004

209, 299, 225

162, 134, 538

5, 560, 534

48, 631, 333

7, 032, 577

62, 701, 960

1, 283, 636

149, 514

2, 425, 567

1, 352, 127

105, 257

27, 983, 644

91, 638, 047

79, 532, 374

7, 907, 635

2, 796, 833

3 $10.079, 92L 37

54, 946

45, 562

63, 986

2, 044, 664, 900

276, 204

10, 641, 184

1, 253, 073, 180

1 Includes $1,015,474.92 in charges for labor and material expended on uncompleted jobs.

^ Does not include $440,000 estimated as value of labor and material expended on uncompleted jobs which were subsequently completed and billed in 1924.

3 Includes $800,000 estimated as value of labor and material expended on uncompleted jobs.
1

Annual Report of the Public Printer

s

1

ii

ig i

is

I!

immimmiimmmn

iitil
Annual Report of the Public Printer

mm mmmm

;

i \tmm li i s

; : -r — ;

Credits

by

work

for

other sections $30,

528. 94

88,

808.

(M)

232,

445.

97

238,

108. 27

691,720

81

75,901.34

101.10

20,900.

70

4,

823. 27

10,

051.14

15,247.

79

7,

878. 93

7.

657. 36 g?? : :^ : ; ; ; ; ; s

•g ; ii ; i i ;

i ; 1

< < <

1 $286,

764. 08

1,

184,868.80

1,711,628.01 453,

204.

85

691,720.81

307,

779.

05

74,023.91

1,

128,

904.

9()

613,361.53

389,

872. 46

749,040.

91

140,

570.

48

097,209.52 83,

749. 90

118,416.08 02,

301.87 9,

969.

33

11,700.

65

33,

758.

19

131,859.08

1,926,

530.59

126,233.

67

2,

149. 38

32,

245. 92

25,

833.

35

10,

992,

769.

44 IS

-$181,171.09 -5,

393. 74

—

348

87

-38,105.57

-225,019.27

Repairs,

Stock

issued,

new

work,

ilUistrations

nnscellaneous

ordered,

and

charges,

outsido

gas,

and

purdiases

Dowcr

'

vouciK^red ::::::: Sg^sgS*

74.62 7,

653. 49

2,

107,701.08

131,

627.41 2,

498. 25

3,

167,

364. 96

$19,313.

00

520,087.45

707,

378. 84

57,

524.

54

3,

230.

47

12,

402.03 4,

907. 67

141,252.

43

22,089.39 7,

252.

40

35,

612. 36

4,

437.

66

14,

102. 73

6,284.05 1,904.00 2,

667. 88

1,944.25

.70

129. 20

9,

800. 85

38,

105. 57

32,

245. 92

15,

881.07

1,665,

275.06

barges

on

salges,

material,

lies

Amount $81,

062. 91

191,

134.

37

302,

397.

32

115,267.96

200,

198.

52

87,

960. 92

17,

723.

02

286,

323.

58

108,

999. 84

96,544.11

170,936.00 11,324.35 27,

037.

50

12,042.25 27,391.48 10,

823. 24

2,200.80 1,

918. 50

6,

890.

87

32,

588.

24

1,857,972.44

Overhead

(

aries,

wa

and

supp

Per

cent

1 Iiiiiiiiiiiiiii

39.

2907

37.

9287

19.

7644

25.

7717

39.

8308

41.

1308

185,

387.

57

467,

047.

04

701.851.85 280,412.

35

488,

291.

82

207,

350.10

51,332.62 701,294.

00

411,

.301.

11

220,

714. 50

394,

987.

28

30,218.08 82,944.20 39,049.71 82,

145. 20

42,810.

75

5,818.

28

9,

700.

83

26,

738.

12

81,

816. 50

9,

952. 28

4,527,170.

25

Division,

olTice,

or

section

lljllil

liiiiiiiI

uii.uig

ana

pacKmg

Del

nils

Taper

stock—

Press

division

Illustrations

Outside

purchases

Work

for

stock

returned

to

stores..

Heat,

liglit,

and

i)owei

,

city

post

oftice...

Superintendent

of

Documents—

other

printing

Total
110 Annual Report of the Public Printer

Table No. 6.

Charges for work executed for Congress, departments, and independent Government establishments during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1924

Congress, departments, etc.

Congress

Miscellaneous charges to Members of Congress

Private orders .- Private orders for speeches by Members of Congress. Superintendent of Documents

State - Treasury War.... Navy

Interior Patent Office Geological Survey

Smithsonian Institution

Justice Post Office Agriculture Commerce

Labor _ Library of Congress White House i. Pan American Union Supreme Court, D. C.

Supreme Court, U. S Court of Claims ^ Interstate Commerce Commission

Civil Service Commission.

Geographic Board

General Accounting Office.. Alien Property Custodian.. Bureau of the Budget ..: Commissioners, D. C

Employees' Compensation Commission

Federal Reserve Board...

Federal Board for Vocational Education

Federal Trade Commission

National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics Panama Canal . Railroad Administration

Railroad Labor Board..

Shipping Board

Tariff Commission

Veterans' Bureau War Finance Corporation Superintendent State, War, and Navy Buildings MISCELLANEOUS

Arlington Memorial Amphitheater Commission. Bureau of Efficiency National Forest Reservation Commission

Federal Power Commission Commission of Fine Arts Coal Commission

Federal Fuel Distributor Columbia Institution for Deaf American Battle Monuments Commission

Special counsel, oil leases, etc Total.

> $136.09 of this amount uncollected at time of going to press.

2 $10.16 of this amount uncollected at time of going to press.

3 Does not include $800,000 estimated as value of labor and material expended on uncompleted and uncharged jobs.
Annual Report of the Public Printer 111

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20818—251
112 Anmml Report of the Public Printer

Table S. —Inventory of quantity and cost of {paper and {envelopes, material and

supplies and inachinery and equipment ori hand June 30, 1924

Descriptioa Keams Pounds

Paper and envelopes; Printing .... Do ^ Coated book

U, S. M. O. writing. Safety writing.....

Writing ^ ... Do Map and bond Do 1 Ledger .... Cover Manila Do , Manila board Do

Cardboard

Bristol board Do

Miscellaneous Do

Binder's board Envelopes .. Total, paper and envelopes: Material and supplier: Miscellaneous supplies. Book cloth ...^ Ink ingredients . Leather Ink (made in office) Total material and supplies. Machinery and equipment:

Machinery..

Equipment.. . Total, machinery and equipment- Grand total _

33, 979

1,445 336

56, 057

20, 591

6, 667

2, 137 5,381

104 176 1,360

1, 720

2,047,242

93, 334

324, 006 "'Y,24A

216, 887

"iii,"068

679, 764

14, 629

610, 121
-Annual Report of the Public Printer 113

Table No. 9.Publications, including annual reports and documents, printed upon requisition during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1924, for departments and

Government establishments {Congress not included)

Department Copies,

1923 Copies,

1924

State (including International Joint Commission and Inter-American High

Commission)

Treasury. War.

Isavy . Interior Justice (includes United States Court of Customs Appeals). Post Office Agriculture Commerce

Labor

Smithsonian Institution.: Library of Congress Exeeutive Office Pan American Union , Supreme Court, District of Columbia (includes Court of Appeals, District of Columbia) Supreme Court, United States Court of Claims . Bureau of Efficiency Federal Povrer Commission

-Iiiterstate Commerce Commission

Civil Service Commission

United States Geographic Board

•Oeneral Accounting Office Alien Property Custodian

•Commissioners, District of Columbia

Employees' Compensation Commission

"Veterans' Bureau

Federal Board for Vocational Education.

Federal Reserve Board

Federal Trade Commission

'National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics Panama Canal

Railroad Administration Shipping Board..

Tariff Commission

Railroad Labor Board

National Forest Reservation Commission War Finance Corporation Commission of Fine Arts

Federal Fuel Distributor Miscellaneous

Total391, 889

10, 196, 731

3, 964, 914

1, 892, 335

3, 881, 763

19, 100

7, 296, 084

33, 233, 836

3, 008, 974

1, 931, 518

113, 854

122, 410

53, 360

230, 041

1, 125

30, 309 2,726

12, 861 6,978

2, 340, 577

479, 563

5, 800

8,761

10, 004

16, 667

22, 017

3, 402, 412

95, 357

487, 404

131, 470

21, 304 2,312

18, 927

214, 671

37, 361

27, 503 9,000

8, 462

1, 500

15, 000 28,000

334, 689

8, 564, 565

10, 116, 699

2, 028, 584

3, 259, 478

25, 211

1, 572, 704

30, 335, 822

3, 193, 194

1, 749, 181

109, 079

116, 430

37, 051

261, 654

62

34, 497

1, 330

3, 010 8,037

2, 373, 391

331, 762 4,600

8,431 862

10, 790 4,007

744, 216

73, 404

564, 928

45, 473

13, 202

2, 183

10, 225

232, 423

15, 462

40, Oil

1,000

37, 983

1,004 5,000

2, 576

73, 774, 880 274, 210 Table No. 10.

Condemned machinery, material, etc., sold in fiscal year ended June 30, 192/f Sale of condemned material, machinery, etc $2, 202. 28

Sale of waste metal 3,931.76

Sale of waste wood 1, 356. 52

Sale of waste paper 61, 177. 62

Sale of leather scraps 4. 31 o

68, 672. 49