The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-04-10


opposed to the establishment Of natioaal
printing Office, end advocates the contract sys
tenn o. more efficient and economical. 1t ridi
cules the ida as being as absurd as the esab-
lshment of a national butchery, bakery" &c.
We are of course not surprised at any position
the Tribune may assume, provided it j iuconsis-
tent with common sense. The conts}ct system
has been tried over and over again in Washing
ton in relation to the public printing, and with
what resul,ss In every instance not only has
the work been shamefully executed but the con.
tractors, after breaking down, have importuned
Congress for appropriations to make good the
losses they alleged they had incurred Wen
dell, Towers Gales L. Seaton-in a word, every
printer who has undertaken to do the printing
by contract has pursued this game-the only
losers being the public, who in the end have to
pay for the miserably executed work as much
and more than it would have cost in the first
instance if fair price had been given. To
secure the work, bidders offer to do it for
less than it can be done, in the expec-
taton (Which has never been disappointed) Of
lobbying an increased compensation through
Congress at the end Of the term. The phiio-
sopbers Of the Tribune urge that If national
printing Office is established, so large number
of printers will be kept on hand that au i'm
mense amount of printing will be ordered Just
to give employment to this force. Is this the
case in the national navy yards aud the ns-
tional armories? On the contrary, is moi The
force in those establishments regulated as in
private shops by the work to be done; and
what is to prevent the same arrangement rs to
the employees in national printing Office? The
printers are not to receive commissions from
government but to be employed and paid for
the work they do. The superintendent would
Of course be sworn officer of the government,
and the whole establishment would he under
the direction of the Secretary of the Interior,
precisely as the navy yards are under the direc-
ton of the Secretary of the Navy and the arse
nails under the control of the Secretary Of War
II it is absurd to have national printing Of
fee, then is it equally ridiculous to have govern
ment Offices Of any description. Let all the work
be done by contract. Mr.. Buchanan could adver-
tise for the lowest bidders to manage the seve-
raj departments, custom houses &c. The system
might be extended so as to embrace the whole
government-judiciary, executive, legislature,
army and navy.
national printing Office properly organized,
as in England, France, Prussia, and other civil
lied European governments, with sufficient
guards against lavish expenditures, is absolutely
required. 1t could be placed On par with
other bureaus, with the same checks as to the
employment Of workmen as are observed in
other government workshops. The work would
then he properly executed. II would not be to
the interest Of any one with the aid of power
full lobby, to have large quantities of useless
documents printed, and above all, it would take
away from Congress that great bone of conten
ton and fraud which now exists in the printing
job. The Tribune and other party hacks desire,
Of course, to perpetuate this system in the hope
that they or their friends may come in for a
share of the plumber at some time ; but no one
not actuated by the most shamefully interested
motives, either present or prospective, can hest
tate in desiring an immediate change in this
rotten, corrupt, expensive aud demoralizing
system, by which party hacks are rewarded and
the treasury plunderpd