The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-11


Nos. IL and IL are answered in No. 10.
Answer to question - The use OF machines for
printing has reduced the expense very much, 80
per cent perhaps when large editions are requredi
out for short numbers, jobs, or unless they can
90 kept in reasonably constant operation, they
are Of liule or no advantage, II being necessary
To keep the persons who are skilled IN mana
ging them, whether there Is regular employ.
ment or not The first outlay, too, is very great
being Cor a single-cylinder machine VI LOO, exeiu'
ave Of engine and boiler-more than sufficient TO
purchase two entire good-sized Offices, types In
cIuded. For a double-cyl,nder, the cost Is over
s3 900. Printing by machinery has undoubtedly
tended 10 reduce the price Of standard and popular
works. both school and classical, which are IN con-
slant demand, and which, being stereotyPed, re-
curing but little labor or other eapnal than INC
original outlay prepare them for the press, can Do
afforded at very small advance upon the price OF
the paper on which they are printed Inc same
extent Of reduction, however, would not Apply 10
the of machine presses procured 10 facilitate,
during temporary and uncertain employment me
printing of an occasional public document OF few
hundred or thousand pages. IL may not be irrelevant
here to say that the price fixed by the Law OF 1913
allows for extra copies 81 46 per 600 pages and
under the late reduction Of % per cent? 81 ~ per
1000 pages and in that proportion for larger or
smaller number Of pages-paPer, folding, stitching,
and delivery included. Comparing this allowance
with the cheapest bookstore prices, would be dit-
hcuit il is thought arrive at the conclusion that
the price is too high for real eapital invested Of
100 TO realize foe so much labor ana materials
| employed.
Question Ia is answered IN No. 5.
Answer 10 question IS. There Is 20 doubt that
| the printer who executes the printing Tor both
houses can afford To do the work soneihing cheap
er rs be does not incur the expense OF double CON-
position for the same annual documents, such the
Presidents message and documents, the report on
finances, commerce and navigation, &c. The CON-
position Of these, ordinarily, would come TO about
% 600 though il would be but fair that the neces
sary alterations should be paid for, a. well as for
keeping bis type and other materials standing, u
Detrimental 10 his business which u often The case
/ and seriously so. An allowance Of hall price for
composition would be but reasonable IN such cases,
particularly as he ineurs losses enough by bad man
| userpt, foreign languages, and other draSoaen
which the Law makes no provision for;
| Answer to question l6. Extrs OF long numbers
/ are undoubtedly the principal source Of the print
er's profits. Beyond certain number, cay 5000
copies, 40 per cent. might be taken of, perhaps
without doing any injustice. IL should Dc borne IN
| mind, however, that the expense OF toidng and
/ stitching these documents forms very heavy but
unseen Item being paid for out II the allowance for
| press-xork and paper. In seasons OF hurry kessr
Gales & Scaton have had a. many AZ 50 10 90 girls
and two men IN that department. alone, al a charge
Of 500 per week for labor. Exclusive Of extu
| numbers the printing for the House would not Ell.
coed $40 900 per snnum, probablyi the profits upon
which might safely be put al p per cent, or about
$4,000 from which must be deducted all expense
deterioration Of materials &e-,) except paper and
| labor
| Answer TO question IL. Nothing occurs to ne at
present pertinent thas inquiry, beyond the ylews
gwen 10 the preceding
| Answer 10 question IL. With respect 10 the first
clause Of this inquiry, am not preps'ed TO give
i definite opinion. Between the tao modes present.
ed, however, Of letung out the printing TO the low
est bidder Of establishing ofboe Of It's own by
| Convrex. IN ,xrhich IN done there be
one opinion, should think.
There can be no doubt that the contract system
would be found the cheapest, 30 far az The econo
mizing of feS thousand dollars might influence.
Bot whether TINS supposed advantage might not be
IooGnierbalaneed by other and greller evils, IS han
been reported 10 have sometimes occurred some
year, ago, when the same plan was m operation,
| md which caused It's abandonment, is q question
Ehieh only be solved by the Application Of The
system again. With such experience l hau
been able to obtain, should not adv ise It's reesta
Iishnent.
The experiment offs eongre. sionsi pres. Gf Con-
gress choose to purchase one) can be frsught with
no risk apprthensions, ms chIevous eonsequen-
ees Of any sor7, tha; am aware Of. The printing
can be done under the eye Of Congress- in his own
manner, and at whatever expense for improvement
or otherwise II may choose 20 incur Whether Il
would prove a matter Of economy or not, in the
saving OF money, to undertake IT, is easily de-
termIned The increased expenses Of such -
would probably be few Thousand doIas more
thsn IL could be expected the printers under The
present arrangement would voluntarily one; but
whatever pTohts sh uh enore above such additional
cost would remain in the treasury, and Of course
saved in the public expenditure An estimate OF the
cost Of Office, and the annual expenditure, will Be
found in the answer TO No 9.
To inquiries Nos. ls, 90 and 81, in relation the
executive printing, am unable 10 furnish any ino.
nation, never having been in any~ise CONNECTED
with IL
To the last question, "What would be a fair
profit on printing generally, Ac," should say
about 80 per cent night generally be deemed mo-
more than fair profit upon the husDcss OF printing
especially when IL IL considered that the capital
h.rked in IL must be large and thai great part of
must be renewed every few years, and that soms
expensive thing or other must be constantly pur
chased to keep up establishment
| 0 GEO NJ GROUARD. y
wAxHNToS, February ID, 1886