The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-04-23

IL
of the binding of that department is done in this
way at saving of from 80 TO so per cent on the en-
tire amount. The binding in The Department OF the
Interior very fully described is letter received by
the committee from the Secretary, the Hon. Jacob
Thompson, from which liberty is taken to extract
the following
mo contract or agreement has been made or
tered into by this department, account Of binding
or printing for the present year. Such work
is ordered from time to time as required,
and is paid for according to rates estab-
lished by the Superintendent OF Printing
during the few months the subject was placed under
his supervision by the act of March 8. 1855, claws
u S., vol. 10, page 652). Much of it is of such
character that must he done in the building OF the
department-and more than year since room
assigned to and fitted up by the proprietor OF the
Union, Tor that class OF work. Under the circum-
stances and because the work has been done to our
satisfaction and at prices certified to us to be rea
sonable by the Superintendent OF Printing. have
not been satisfied that the public good would be sub
served by giving il to other parties, although they
have proposed undertake it for less. Propositions
to this effect haye been submitted by the following
gentlemen, viz
who offered to do the work for 80 per cent less than
the rates then allowed.
q By C. Alexander under date of September 10.
1851 renewing his previous offer or II the department
would enter into contract with him to do its bind
ing &C. to 4th March, 1861 at the rates then allow.
ed offering TO pay into the treasury OF the United
States for its use ten thousand dollars
III.
proposing to undertake the work at 20 per cent less
than that heretofore established and now paid j
enclose copies of these propositions"
The binding done for the executive departments
and bureaus including the printed heads in some in
stances. for the year 1857 amounted in gross to the
sum of ST. 500. This does not include the work
done by the private binders in the Treasury Depart
ment Owing to the change in our consular system
by which the amount in the State Department was
greatly increased the gross amount above stated is
probably more than a fair average. The average
would not fall below 100000 per year.
THE ENGRAVING.
The engraving for Congress and the departments
is done in a manner not dissmilar to that OF the
printing and binding 1t has been satisfactorily
certained by the committee that it can be done folly
thirtythree and one-third per cent less than it is
done for at present.
the Patent Office reports for 1856 may be taken in
illustration of general manner. Those engravings
cost the government per page OF 335 inches SIG 90
page, wood ST. and the electrotyping 81 per page
additional. The original contractor had large
part of the work done in New York He sold his
contract to second party at very fair per centage
for his services as broker; and the second contrac
tor sub-contracted with third party-the unfor
tunate artisan, who did the work at $40 per page.
The engraving, wood, drawing and electrotypng
cost the government $33 SO per page; but in making
up the 5l3 pages paid for, they extended to 534
pages which reduced the average cost to s32 10 per
page as made up. The whole amount ought not to
have cost more than s22 to s25 per page.
The cost of the Arden horses in the Agricultural
Report for 1856 was S. per hundred plates, which,
for the 2l $50 copies cost the government SO SIC
so. This, your committee are advised, was from
twenty-five to thirty per cent more than most be-
raj price for the plates The same remarks may be
made respecting the South Down sheep and the
strawberry plates each of which cost the same
amount.
The largest size rood cuts in the fifth volume of
the Pacific Railroad Reports of Surveys cost the 60
hrfx info
by responsible and reliable parties that they ought
to have been done for from $40 to SIS EACH
The investigations which your committee have
made authorizes them to say that deduction equal
TO that shown to have been possible might and
should have been made upon the engravings gene
rally with the single exception of that done on the
report Of the Coast Survey Office, which is at pre-
sent executed in that office under the direction and
supervision OF the head OF that bureau
At first Professor Bache, in conformity with the
general practice, gave out the work by contract
but finding il done so badly and at such high rates
he abandoned the contract system and commenced
having il done under his own immediate supervision
by artisans employed by himself. The results have
fully justified the experiment. This work is much
better done and ut far less expense.
The whole amount of the cost of the engravngs,
lithographng and electrotypng for the Thirty third
Congress is 1929 1858 Is; for the Thirtyfourth Con-
gress il is 1851 SPA 60.
The saving Of but twenty per cent On these large
amounts, more than which il was possible to have
made would have left with the government an ag-
grcgate of s237 ,342 81, which could have been
used much more proitably in promoting the in
terest Of the meritorious artizan As II was, this
class undoubtedly compelled TO do the work at
the smallest price. while the politician and specula
tor were paid q premium for their suspicious connec
ton with the work.
In order to arrive at the most certain information
upon this subject, a member of your committee for
warded TO the firm Of w. II. Arthur X Co., one of
the most promising and responsible houses in that
business in connection with that Of blank books and
stationery, in the city New York, copies of
works containing samples of the engravngs,
lithoTaphing and electrotyping referred TO, with
request TO have the same examnated by artists, to
ascertain what similar work could be done for and
communicate the results TO the committee From
their letter in reply the following extract is made-
We regret exceedingly tina, were not in possession
OF the precise points upon which you desire
but we presumed your investigation thus Tar has elected
facts which cannot well fail 70 satisfy you that change
in the government method OF having ie work done Is i'm
peratiyely demanded
present system government has paid for some works
Issued by prices abundantly sufficient 10 have had the
BEEN and yet the arzan doing the work beng the third
fourth remove from the real conractor generally SO
poorly compensated for his labor tina, he has no incentive
with scarcely an exception the works exhibited
have been condemned by many artists, who have ex.
AHMED them ~ being unfit ssued by tho govern
ment and they for this BY erng thai very fire.
quently the contracts pass through a number OF hands
before they reach the party who finally does the work,
and who receives price dill ued from the original
tract price that not possible for them 70 furnish
ditable work for the compensation given. further
alleged that IN many contracts awarded 10
ties who, although engaged in the business have really
very little knowledge OF the work which they undertake
70 perform, but who under force Of what appears
10 be natural desire TO prefer government 10
all other work, at prices which not ouly do
not compensate them, but degrade and demoralize
the profession 10 which they belong and the
entertainment Of this view by FIRST class artists de-
ters them from entering into competition with class
who have much 10 gain and little, anything, TO loose
Ali the points contained In your communication have
been fully laid before all parties desiring Information, as
also every facility extended 10 those desiring 70 make
tmates, In two OF allowing them 70 DO
taken away from the store.
But there Was evidently disposition he par, OF
any who had performed any part OF the work TO disclose
the prices they had received for IT, except in two
instances, and In those ascertaDed the fact
that the work had reached them after passing through
three four hands, at price at least one
hundred per cent less than the work known 10 have
coat the government, This state OF facts hal become
hut fan noutha snca n larce holy ~