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

congress worked very much ike the contract sys-
tenn for printing maps now works--thst is, by
use. The contractor has not yet, believe, fur
nlshed all the maps belonging TO the report OF the
Commissioner of the General Land Office for last
year. and knoW that large portion of the maps
belonging TO Captain Fremont's report have not YET
been furnished, although the report has been print.
members Of Congress have almost daily been urg.
ing their completion.
IL the printing shall lie let out 10 the lowest bid
der, think IL probable that il will be bid down Is
or ~ per cent below the present prices. la 1910 q
printer from Pennsylvania proposed to do the print
ing OF Congress for IS 81 per cent less than the
prices Of 1919. That would have been Is or II per
cent. lower than the prices now paid. informed
him OF the high prices paid to journeymen printers
hereof which, believe, he was aware-and asked
him how he could afford to print so low and pay
such high wagess He replied that he would bring
on his workmen with him, and board them all The
Wages OF iourneymen printers from 30 to 40 per
cent higher In this city than they in the north
ern or western States. believe the prices in our
neighbor city, Baltimore, are from 80 to 37I per
cent. lower than they are here. There are good
reasons why the wages of jourHeymen printers
should be higher here than they are north or west.
will name one, which must suffice, as | cannot
take time TO enumerate all of them. The one shall
name think Is the strongest one: il is that most OF
ment as soon as Congress adjourns, or as soon as
the congressional work is finished, and they cannot
get work IN other cities during the recess; and there
fore they should have higher prices where work
be had for part of the year only, than where it
be had all the year round. Attempts have been
made by employers here to lower the wages OF jour
neymen printers, but the attempts have failed most
signaly for, instead Of lowering them, they have
been raised 10 per cent since Mr.. Blair and myself
were hrst elected printers TO Congress. We never
attempted TO lower the wages of our workmen, nor
did We ever pay one Of them one cent less than the
prices established by the Typographical Society OF
this city. So far from IT, have raised the wages Of
such az thought competent and industrious above
the prices fixed by the Typographical Society, and
attribute my success IN the printing business main
y to giving such high prices to industrious and COM
petent men.
Some years ago, when the wages Of journeymen
printers we're 10 per cent less IN this city than they
are now, General Duff Green brought printers here
from distance for the purpose Of lowering the
prices Of the ourneymen here, but he did not sue
coed. Most Of the printers brought here by him
joined the Typographical Society here in less thAn
three months; and those who did not attach them
selves 10 the society, but attempted 10 work for
wages lower than those fixed by it, we're forced to
leave this city. Instead of General Green breaking
up the society, they so broke him down in a short
time that he was not able 10 pay his men the low
wages he had promised them. The Typographical
Society pay all ITS members, who cannot get work al
the prices established by It, o. a week not to work
at all; and many Of them but little whether
they get work, so long as they can get that price
for dong nothing ! will here mention that il is a
rule OF the society which is rigidly enforced, that
its members shall be paid 10 per cent. more when
they work on Congress work, while Congress is
IN session. than when they work an any other work;
that is The persons elected by Congress to execute
the public printing have to pay 10 per cent. more
during the session than any other persons who en-
ploy printers in this city The society will permit
employers to take but very limited number ofboys
to learn the trade Of printing
believe that II Congress were to establish or
build prnr Office, to execute its printing, their
printing would cost the government at least so per
cent. more than it does now; and that the printing
would not be better executed than il has been ever
since 1875 except, perhaps, il would be on better
paper than has been used generally. The prin-
cipal reason which leads me to this opinion is,
that | know from experience that printers to
Congress can scarcely persuade their workmen to
work on the public work while they stay with them.
One reason land the chief one, too, | believe)
why have succeeded in making a good living, or
money enough to purchase suficency Of the things
ofthis world to make quite comfortable, while all
other printers for Congress, under the joint
luton of 1919, have failed, or at least have not
ait up any money, is, that have kept company
with my workmen at all times, but especially du.
ring the hours while they were working for me.
1t was my inclination well my interest, to do
so; and it is my decided opinion that person
make money at the present prices paid by Congress-
unless he stays with bis workmen, or gets extraor.
binary numbers Of long documents to print; and then
The money will be made on the press-work alone,
which is done by steam.
believe that the printing Of Congress, could be
executed for much ess-perhaps for one-half-f let
out to the lowest bidder, than Congress could have
il done for by establishing national printing Office;
al .sar n ,.k =. IL
out hesitation, that | believe Congress would act
much wiser to establish government printing of
ice than to let out its printing to the loves
bidder. If let out to the lowest bidder, the print
ng would not be executed in time for legislation,
rs actual experiments have proved conclusivey;
and when done, it would probably be done in such
! manner as would induce learned persons to be-
ieve that Congress a body Of erate men
There are but few persons, except printers, who are
aware Of the difference there is between passabe and
rood printing, and who can readily distinguish
between the two kinds when there is at least so
Der cent. difference between the cost of them. No
sind of work be sighted or slurred over more
han printing and, when so done, often produces in
,aculable mischief and expense "A semi-coon in
tead of acomma-and there as little difference be-
ween them as there is between any other two
points, or pauses used in printing-in the con-
tution of the United States, has cost the Uni
ed States more money in debating it, to say nothing
he printing Of any Congress that ever met in this
ity, if indeed it has not cost than the printing
# every Congress of this government, and may yet
ost or cause the dissolution ofthis Union. | alude
o what is usually called the general welfare" SEN
ence, at the commencement Of the 9Th section ofthc
rst article Of the Constitution, and to the semi
olon after the word "excises." A comma instead
# a semicolon after that word, would confne the
lowers of Congress into narrow limits comparative
VI while the sem-colon which is used makes the
covers of Congress illimitable. will not presume
D say that the sem-colon is not the proper point;
nut will say boldly, that if it is the right one then
here was no need of the long list Of enumerated
overs that follow in that section.
! would not only recommend the present mode
f letting out the printing of Congress in preference
D the two modes which the 18th interrogatory
oints out but would recommend it in preference
, all other modes which have suggested themselves
} my mind, for many reasons some of the most
rominept of which | will mention.
LIST. recommend it because believe it will cost
10 government less money than the others, ulti-
lately. have not the least doubt but the printing
executed so per cent cheaper under the present
rode than it would be ifit should be executed by