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

their testimony against large reduction IN prices
and not those merely who might be supposed TO
have an interest IN Keeping up the rates OF 1879 but
hose who have retired from business Is fact,
that at the lst session Of the 9th Congress- lS4l)
| (whig) majority Of both houses made a deduction
OF % per cent upon the prices Of 1873; but just at
the close OF that Congress, the public printers, hay
ing made llle or 40 profit under that deduction APP
piled TO Congress, who granted them the full bebe-
1T OF the rates Of 1879 And this was done for tho
avowed reason, tina, discount Of 20 per esi len the
priHisrs no profit!
IL tins does not verify the old proverb, that "0n
ounce Of practice is worth pound Of theory" moth
ing that can suggest can be OF any avail
| with great respect
Your most obedient servant,
JNo. II. TRENHOLM.
Hon, JANE, J. Mckay.
No other letter or communication was sent TO US
by the committee so far as We are aware, either
some three weeks SINCE" or at any Perlodi but
even were il otherwise, we can discover no probs.
bilty that aught which we could urge would have
been Of the least avail because, apart from the linn
tied acquaintance with the business which our short
eonnexion with il had them enabled us to form, the
very summary disposal of the testimony OF Messrs.
Riyes and Grouard indicates too plainly what would
have been fate. Even, therefore, il we could ae-
euse ourselves Of negectng the call of the committee
for information, the pain which such a retrospect
would impart to has been materially relieved But
lest similar inference TO which the report alludes
might be drawn nom our Silenee now, we have de-
t-rmined on this exposition; and, once commencing
the subject, We may well take the occasion to ex.
anime portion of the result Of that Intelligence
and mechanical skill" which has so charmed the
honorable chairman, and facilitated him in maturing
L l. A 81 r
the report is the production of the chairman, who
doubtless claims the paternity OF this precious Off
spring.
We were at loss to discover the process by
which Messrs. Gideon and Towers but particularly
the former) had arrived at low an estimate OF the
"eost To the printer" in executing any given doeu-
ment IL was manifest TO us that the profits had
been grossly exaggerated somehow, or somewhere;
and il only upon Perusal Of the report that we
discovered key to the mystery, and caught a
glimpse OF the source from whence emanated the er-
ror. We told in the report, that "the witnesses
were directed by the committee to state the COS, Of
he paper ink composition and prssstrOrk for each OF
those doeumentsn-that is, for six OF the most, il
not the only, profitable documents of the session
not picked out at random, and a fair average but
the very six on which alone il upon any, plausi-
bic charge ofextravassnt profits could be based and
on these six pets, the witnesses directed to bur
nish up their mathematical ingenuity, and exercise
themselves 10 the "rule Of three"
From the few words which we have just quoted
from the report il is fair TO infer that the Jour item.
mentioned were all tina, the two experienced and
practical printers" considered themselves obliged to
take into account while forming their estimate Of
the "eosi to the printer" and this view val
urably explain the Inconsistencies and inseeuracs'
apparent in their testimony. 1t doubtless quite
unworthy Of the mechanical skil' edueed from
such Intelligence" 10 take into consideration sons
patry thousands of dollars necessarily expended
folding, gathering, and stitching, in one documen
alone y hieh they calculate" What had they tc
do with this, and many other items' These wer'
mot in the bond" They were directed merely Il
compute ''the Of the paper, ink, composition
and pressvork" Wagons and horses; fuel ant
, lights; insurance on work done; breakages Of ma
: ehinery, and consequent stoppages Of the work
Sunday and nighiwork; rsiny for copy, Sc, Sc.
, were doubtless altogether too unimportsnt to men
share Of their attention, perhaps they were SC
I
them. We, however. were simple enough tc
imagine that such things might, by possibility
oblige US to incur some snaH sdditonal expense
and thereby lessen by so much the profit Of tn,
printer.
| 1t is a significant fact, and worthy to be rsmem
bered that the testimony of every person who ha,
been practically eonversant with the public printing
and understood its difficulties and drawbacks has, j
L. believed without exception, been adverse to any
material diminution Of the present prices; while tn,
most exu.vagsnt notions seem to be entertained o
it by those who have been guided alone by specula
tive theory. This remark is fully verified by tn.
evidence accompanying the report now under dis
eussion. The testimony given by such men Mr.
Rives and Mr.. Grouard is demonstrative Of this, al
though it is hushed in profound silence; and on,
reading the rspor, by itself, would dream for mo
ment that any such testimony existed; EXCLUSIVE.
place has been given the theoretical calculstisns'
Of persons who are, and who must necessarily be,
} not totally ignorant, at least but imperectly &C
quainted with the subject One Of the two witness
es whose evidence the committee have retained MIR
Towers) has indeed, we learn, at time been SUI
perin,enden Of the printing for the Senate but ever
this fact strengthens POsitiOn for be aPproache,
much nearer the truth in regard to profits" &c
than his co-witnsss, MIR Gideon, though even Mr.
T. is far bsnsA;h the mark his computations Of the
cost to the printer" III affords pleasure herr
TO state that although personally acquainted with
tina, gentleman, he is represented to incapable
Of any wiifal exaggerziion, and that whatsver mis-
takes he may have committed may be safely altrba,
ted to srrcneogs dsta-)
Now let Us examine Mr. Gideon's testimony, and
see what reliance should be placed on him. In tn,
report ~e snd The following table drawn up from his
evidence;
The eslcalaEipa Ct Mr.. Gilkez.