The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-03-28


tract had been awarded to him, and Crowe, who was
the next lowest bidder got IT, brought suit against
vandehoven for his failure I, fulfill his contract, and it
Is record IN the Solicitor Of the Treasury's Office the
why II was not immediately prose cuted was that
the Solicitor Of the Treasury said that the suit could be
brought until the contract expired and was ascerained
what the difference between the amount at which
Vanderhoven offered 70 furnish the paper aud the
paid to Crowsli by the government for urnishiugit
T. by tine Chairman--Do you know anything about the
profit on the Post Office blank printing! A. have
investigated the subject very closely but suppose from
profit realized that printing perhaps $50 0oo that
The impression Of every intelligent peraon with whom
have conversed on the subject, and think it fact
q Can you furnish the committee with estimate OF
what the cost Of the Senate printing Of the session
win bes A. That depends upou--ff you will permit
will refer another matter in reference the engrav-
ing discover that the engraving and thographic print
ing put the principle the paper and
adopted the principle of giving them the lowe bid
der In every Gaze Mr. Towers, the chief clerk the Of
nee Of the Superintendent Of the Public Printing stated
before investigating committee OF this House last Cong
Q He was your cerk9 A. Yes sir; that the change In
made difference Of about nifty per cent that Contracts
given out by myself were saving OF fy per cent 10 the
government; this reform effected saving of 900
year on the engraving and photographic printing.
O. Can yon give an estimate OF the probable cost Of the
Senate printing for this SESSION. A. Isupposed that you
would ask for some information of that kind and il d
ernbocied in statement which have here the cost Of
the printing for the present session would depend upon
the amount Of printing the ssnsss may order for in
amount Of the printing for the Senate only goo
for the first session. and 900 for the second session.
s5s GOO first session, aud to $4,000 the
session. the printing for the Thirty third Congress
6raced three heavy and expensive quaro workserrys
cravings and material used 10 them caused immense
expenditure; hese works have been continued from
that time down TO the present, and Mr. Nicholson, who
the Printer at that early period is still executing some
of that work which iered and rs gel
the printing for the first session Of the Thirty fourth
Congress amounted to sss co., and the second AMI
third ons Of that Congress 10 $s 0o the printing
TO $3l 600, and for the last session y $4,000;
the gross amount Of the Senate printing, aggeegang
from the Thirty third TO the Thirty ifth Congress,
based upon the law existed before the law Of the
last session. which gives TO the Senate Printer certain
contingencies precedence In the way OF doing certain
cument fret prints for the Senate and the Senate
orders another document first prints all the copies OF
ordered BY the House, that system was adopted to avoid
O Under that do you suppose that the printing for
the Senate viii be increased or dmnishedY A. 1t is i'm
possible for to that question, because 10 de-
ponds upon what orders Congress may make they may
under this restrictive system, fail to order works that
stance when the Deafeld report up before the Sc
nate, they rejected at once, aud they print simply
the resolutions and reports accompanying them and
90 into the printing Of books and heavy reports mat
ter what rates may be nxed for the printing,
viii nnd that whist the printing in period Of six years
cost the govern ment about million the paper used
Ss Two ysper alone s Of the
printing the cost OF the paper makes heavy item In
the expenditure; with this the Printer has nothing 70 do
the white pspcr exceeded tho cost Of the printing
million of doars-iust the paper alone, whilst the bind
ina Of The extra numbers .one come TO s77o that
the ergraviDgs fret made Steel copper stone
and then they transferred and printed from
the Impressions are not usually made from the original
engraving but are transferred is upon that descrp-
ten OF work that speak OF saving having been affected
in The proportion Of atty per cent.
@ DO you include In that amount the cost Of the Pacific
Railroad reports, Emorys report Perry's Japan Expe
every thing executed under the law from 1852 1853
Q. The Coast Survey Report, too? A. Yes cir every
thing think by The estimate msde in the engras-
Ing Of each plate for the Cosst Survey sho an that
my Predecessor paid $3.50 600 for what was after wards
obtained for abou $40 COO.
been superintendent OF IT, and being the Printer 70
the Senate, what s your opinion " pr0priety OF
That lhsi agovernmeni printing Office h sbspoS
with powers 20 execute the binding, engraving and ,ftbo
graphic printing and 10 contract Tor tho paper &C., &C.
think, in the course OF ten years the expenditures in
this department would be double the amour. heretofore
paid Il; think In ten years il would be found TO double
and Ibase my opinion the statement have Just made
Of abuses lately Reformed amounting TO about 5000 COO
year stated the abuses which have existed 10 detail
before the Senate Investigating Committee they have ex.
sed here for years, and although Investigations into
them have been made, yet effective act On was until
recently taken, and this immense amount Of 500 900
ent printing Office established under the charge OF The
Secretary Of the Interior (not practical priats with
superintendent and printer, and contractors combined
and working together am Of opinion the cost Of print
ing, &c, would be doublsd In ten years
O. Those contracts all put out 70 the lowest bidder
are they mott A. The law does not SO read; the Law
gives much discretion 10 the superintendent but ia order
10 relieve myself from impua.ion, determined although
Mr. Hall served notice upon me that be would contest
my power to do DO be the courts present sample
require conr actors to bid for It, and give the contract TO
the lowest bidder he insisted that was bound under
~ lam IL fOe aTloo auAO
the matter In that way but assumed the right TO do az
have sad in order to myself from aay mputaon OF
Was before the uvesrsnt Committee Of the e
gress and they reported that Mr. Wendell received some
$4,000 per centage~fro paper contractors Htho
grapheYs and epfravers; think 10 reply TO a question
put 10 Mr. Wendell as TO how much certain firm Maid
him. he remarked that he could not exactly say that his
operations were about million year; now the prut.
ing proper never exceeded $3.50 900 year he further
stated, that gentleman offered him thousand dol.
lars to put certain thing through he would pocket
afont and do - he pleased with the money; that is
on rec yd you win discover, IL you look q. tnat
report that some swore that contractors they aw avs
bid because they knew they would have 10 pay some
body, and they put in their bid and tha. WY under
say tn ra, sos printing VII DC doubled under
conferred upon the Superintendent OF the Public Printing
a combination might be so erected, and completely
printers and who have but little time examine into the
mput9 OF the concern that the coet Of the printing might
o. How much money have YOU infested AZ sonas
Printer execute the work required Of your A. What
money have ipveseds have Mr.. Rives AZ led ia
the beginning employed TO execute the work for me me
chanically
O. Have you invested any money! Does be no, do all
the work Has he not all the materialsY A. Yes sir he
does the whole work.
He the presses, materials and everything With
which the work is dones A. Yes, sir.
Question by the Oharman-Is not Mr.. Rves the printer
OF the Congressional, Glnbsf A. Yes sir; Mr. Ryes sail
10 me that probable that he might lose money but
that he had great DESIRE personal reasons get the
and he 10 II lCetf nv
O. He may lose by his contract with you but You are
suffer loss by Il? A. So far that Is II s
matter Of consideration With q ALL agrees With
me to give me the OF hts materials aud agrees act
az my foreman employing the proper hands execute
The work, he (Mr Rves) acting under my direction and
seeing that the mechanical part OF the work is properly
executed
Question by Mr. Fouke-He predcatsd his contract with
You upon his facilities TOR doing the work. A. Yes sr
Of his debts, any Of the losses he may ncury A. a
responsible to him the amount for which he agreed